Tribe of Fusions
by PokeMaster64
Summary: Fusions, a rare phenomenon in the Pokémon world where a Pokémon is born with altered DNA, transforming them into powerful creatures. For a millennium, they were seen as a dangerous force and a threat to all life. Fusions, even to present day, have been ostracized from society. As they are feared for their power, is change still possible?
1. Beginning of Fusions

The world of Pokémon was vast, unusual, and full of complex creatures of varying shape and size. Powers and abilities. Different species and natures. They were truly amazing creatures. Their power is truly remarkable.

In this world, Pokémon rein over the world, living in peace and harmony. They live daily lives, working to better their everyday life. They have made grand advancements in today's technology, ranging from everyday appliances to military weapons to combat enemy territories. So many achievements and goals met over years of evolution and growth.

Looking over this world was the gods of this world, or, more commonly referred to as, the Legendary Pokémon. These creatures possess extraordinary power that helped shape the world they now live in. Arceus shaped their universe, Mew created the world's Pokémon, Groudon and Kyogre formed their regions and oceans, and so many more.

Many have dreamed of possessing such power for their very own. Yet, many were aware of the consequences of having such almighty abilities. While they were used to create, they can be used to destroy. While it is fun to think about, no one wants any one Pokémon possessing that power for their very own.

This was their belief, their philosophy, for centuries. No Pokémon should possess such grand power over others. It has been prophesized that such power would bring about great destruction to their world. It would crumble from chaos and war, ensuing battle between these two beings.

And yet, for centuries, they were hiding in plain sight. Over a millennia ago, the first ever fusion Pokémon, or just Fusion, was discovered. Some believed it to be the spawn of Kyurem, the first known Pokémon to perform fusion, only that these Fusions were born this way. During these dark times, this was considered a sin among Pokémon, which led to trials spawned from fear, to keep them from using their newfound powers against them.

As years went on, more began popping up, leading to the 'Fusion Trials', where those who were accused of being Fusions were executed.

The Fusions protested against such hostility, pleading they were innocent and had no ill-intentions to take over the world or wrongfully use their powers. Their pleas fell on deaf ears, ignored simply out of spite and paranoia over the supernatural. They didn't ask to be born this way, it just happened.

This led to years and years of torment and resentment. Whereas fear grew within the Pokémon, hatred boiled within the Fusions. There was no place for them to hide without being hunted down. In retaliation, they decided to fight back to get the message across: they were not going to be treated like this.

This feud would go on for years to come, until the turn of the century where things began to change. Fusions would still hide from society, afraid to reveal themselves to the public. However, the warring between the two sides died down, but not the distrust.

They had nowhere to go. Some born Fusions were ostracized from society, sometimes disowned from their families. It was a horrible fate for them all. Born with such wonderful gifts and they were being treated like dirt because of it. They could never show their faces to the public, and they would never be accepted into society.

Until it all changed.

Twelve years ago, a Fusion gave the Pokémon a compromise that would allow Fusions to stay out of society without torturing them. An agreement to let the Fusions live in a tribe of Pokémon like them. He envisioned it to be a prosperous home for these poor souls.

At first, the idea seemed ludicrous. However, with the growing hatred of the Fusions, not to mention the increasing crimes that have come from Fusions for being discriminated so harshly, it was the ultimate last resort.

So, they allowed them to takeover a nice stretch of land, hidden within a thick forest. Big enough to start their own little village. And they came to an agreement that the Fusions, other than their leader for diplomatic reasons, were not allowed to enter the city without special permission, and vice versa. This is so there won't be an uproar with both sides. This is meant to keep war from ensuing.

This Fusion sought out around the land, bringing in poor, defenseless Fusions being ostracized around the world. Here, in their land, everyone is able to live in peace with one another, to be around those just like them.

It became a utopia for the Fusions.

But, like all paradises, something will always come and ruin the happiness. And that…is where the story continues.

* * *

It was a nice, yet busy day in Gappei Village, the Tribe of Fusions. Laying just out of the limits of a nearby city, it bustled with activity with hybrid Pokémon of varying color and appearance. Everyone was unique in their own regard. Everyone was free to be themselves. They didn't need to fear their neighbors or those around them. They trusted each other…they know each other.

The village was made up of wooden houses that, despite being made of mostly sticks and vines, were quite sturdy. There was a pit where they had an open fire blaze at night. Lamps were attached to each house, unlit as it was the middle of the day. They had dirt paths that connected to all the houses and buildings. Though, each house did have their own lawn to which they can do as they please.

Surrounding the village was a massive wall that kept intruders out, a necessity considering the amount of times they had Pokémon try to break in. Thankfully, it was constantly guarded by Fusions who did volunteer work on the watchtower. The two heads of security were the ones intruders needed to watch out for: a Lucario-Samurott Fusion named Lewis and a Pangoro-Spiritomb Fusion named Cade. If anyone was foolish enough to enter the tribe, pray to Arceus these two were the last Fusions they come across.

Today was especially busy for the Fusions, as today was the twelve-year anniversary of the tribe's creation. Everyone, big or small, was helping out in any way they can. No one was being left out of the fun. They all worked together to get this party ready for a night of fun. It was always a smash hit every year, with everyone cheering and celebrating. This was an event they look forward to every year. A big blow out to celebrate another year as Fusions.

It has been tradition since the first day the village was created. They plan to make this the best night ever.

Though, there was one Fusion in particular who wanted to be by himself for a bit. He sat in the trees, far from the village, but not too far.

There was a standard form Fusions took. They possess the body type of the Pokémon they were born as, but their other half altered their appearance. Sometimes they have added features that make up the other half, while others have a completely altered appearance, such as different colors, extra limbs, different skin texture, or any other added features.

This Fusion was a Charmeleon-Darkrai fusion. His skin was pitch black and his underbelly was white. His eyes were an icy blue, piercing down at the ground with a sharp expression. His tail flame burned a white flame. Around his neck was a flowing white mane, acting similar to a scarf. Then there was the red collar around his neck, similar in design to a Darkrai's jaw. It was small and wrapped comfortably around him. It was part of his body, so he couldn't remove it. Not that he ever had a reason to.

He was sitting by himself in the trees, looking up at the sky. It's not that he hated the party or anything. On the contrary, he always looked forward to it. It was a fun time for everyone, even a loner like him. But, he wasn't in a particularly pleasant mood. He would help out later, but not now.

One would think the nightmare hybrid wouldn't have bad dreams, but they'd be surprised. He didn't sleep well last night and was trying to quell his pounding headache. He doesn't normally have bad dreams, but this particular one was a recurring dream he had that he wasn't too fond of.

 _That dream…always that one._ He sighed and rested his hands behind his head, crossing his left leg over his right as he stared up at the clouds. The sun will set in five to six hours. He'll probably go help out in two or something. Right now, he needed some rest. It might help his headache.

His chance for sleep may have to wait, as he sensed a presence nearby, trying to sneak up on him. He sighed. He had a pretty good idea who it was and he wasn't sure if he should be glad or annoyed. An odd mixture of both, perhaps.

He closed his eyes, feigning sleep as the figure crawled above him in the trees. It narrowed its eyes with a smirk spreading across its lips. It flexed its claws as it prepared to pounce on its prey, confident that it will catch him off guard. It crouched down and ricocheted off the tree, barreling downward with a wide grin.

The hybrid Charmeleon, without opening his eyes, formed a shadow hand from his shadow and extended out, grabbing the mysterious figure just inches from tackling him. One eye opened as a smirk spread across his face. "You need something?"

The figure in his grasp snickered. "Can never fool you, sweetie."

In his grasp was a female Sylveon-Scrafty hybrid. While she looked normal, it's what's on her body that defined her as a Fusion. A membrane, rubbery-like hoodie. It might look like a piece of clothing, but it was, in fact, part of her. It was yellow and had orange sleeves and a black oval shape on the front, like a Scrafty's belly. She also had the signature hood with intimidating eye holes. On her head was fluffed up, red fur going down the middle of her head and ending just above her nape.

"There a reason you tried tackling me, Artemis?"

She smirked. "What? I can't surprise my little sweetie? You're no fun, Spooks." She stretched her head out a bit and kissed his nose. "I like that about you."

He smirked back. Artemis was an interesting member of the tribe. He actually found her wandering the streets five years ago. She wasn't suspected of being a Fusion, thanks to her appearance merely looking like she wore a hoodie. Why was HE on the streets? He tends to fly out and explore, hiding in the shadows, of course. The tribe leader normally dishes out labor for him as punishment for disobeying their rules. Though, he had no regrets sneaking out that particular day.

He caught her stealing food from vendors and confronted her about it. She was smug in their first encounter, not giving a crap about the legal system with the way she has been treated. So, she figured, why should she be nice to them?

It was an interesting first encounter as the two didn't quite get along, although that's mostly because the female Fusion wasn't very trusting of strangers. Still, the nightmare hybrid was quick to diffuse her anger before it got them caught.

He decided to take her to the village, telling her it's a place where they can be who they are. She was quite shocked by how welcoming everyone was and, after some convincing, decided to stay.

The two became fast friends and stuck by each other's side for five years, with those feelings slowly blossoming into a mutual admiration for each other. They've been dating for the last two years.

Artemis was a mixed bag of personality. One moment, she can be as sweet as sugar, the next, she's a mischief maker who loves causing trouble. It was hard to keep up with her change in attitude. He never minded her antics, but he's usually the one to keep her from doing anything rash that would upset the other Fusions or their tribe leader.

The Charmeleon set her down to his side, scooching to the right a bit to give her some room. "How'd you find me?"

"This is the same spot you go to when you need alone time." She traced her paw around his chest, smirking. "Being the considerate girlfriend that I am, I was stalking you so I can keep an eye on you."

He rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You always do the sweetest things," he said jokingly.

She snickered. "Oh stop it." She looked into his eyes with a cute face. "So, what brings you out here, Spooks? Party planning giving you a headache?"

He sighed and shook his head. "No, it's not that. It's something…personal."

"And you didn't bother telling me?!" she gasped in faux shock, taking on an expression of offense. "How absurd!" She smiled and crossed her forelegs. "Seriously, though, what's up? I'm your roommate _and_ girlfriend, Quinn. Anything that's bothering you is my problem, too."

Anything he said to get her to drop the subject would only result in him being kicked out of the tree. With her being part Fighting and Fairy-Type, that wouldn't be a pleasant feeling for him. Giving in, he closed his eyes. "I…had that dream again."

Her demeanor changed from mischievous to concern. She was well aware of his nightmares. They, along with a friend of theirs, shared a hut together, so it wasn't hard for them to notice him waking up in the middle of the night. He would have to blast himself with Dark Void to get any decent sleep. It worried her deeply that he would have to endure those nightmares. It worried her more when she doesn't know about them.

Her ribbons wrapped around him, hugging him close to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Better…" He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as well. "I just can't get their faces out of my head…"

"Is there anything I can do, Quinn?"

He shook his head. "No…though, I guess I could use someone to talk to."

She smiled. "Then talk away, Spooks."

He sighed. "Well…I can't stop thinking about my parents…"

Artemis frowned. She heard plenty about them to have a pretty strong distaste for them. "Quinn, you don't need to worry about them anymore. You have all of us now. You won't have to be treated like that ever again."

"I know, and I appreciate your kindness. It's just…hard to forget, you know?"

"From what you've told me, I can't blame you." She nuzzled her head under his chin. "Still, that's all in the past now. You shouldn't be spending every waking moment of your life obsessing over two Pokémon who just couldn't see what was pass your appearance. Do you want to be that one guy who constantly says 'I'm a moody Fusion who had horrible parents! Blah, I'm dark and edgy'!" she said with a deep, graveling voice.

Quinn chuckled. "I do not act like that."

She smirked. "You get my point. I may have had a bleak outlook of the world simply because of the conditions I had to go through, but they don't define me. I think people would get VERY annoyed if I constantly reminded them of my late father and cruel mother."

He rolled his eyes with a grin. "Perhaps…"

She smiled back lightly. "We all came here for a reason: to escape the prejudice and be who we are. You are a nightmarish flame and I am a deceptively sweet fighter."

Quinn smirked and rubbed her head. "Deceptively sweet?"

"I can't be nice all the time, Spooks," she answered with a snicker.

He chuckled and tipped her head up to look at her. "You really are something, you know that?"

"Really? Haven't noticed." She leaned forward and kissed him, which he happily returned. She pulled back and smiled. "Come on, maybe helping out with the festival will cheer you up. After all, it's like you told me when I first celebrated: everyone has to play their part."

He smiled and sat up. "Yeah…that sounds like a good idea."

"Also, can you promise me something?" He looked at her curiously. "If the nightmares are bugging you that much, you may want to speak with the tribe master. He might clear your head."

He smiled. "If I have the time, I'll try." She smiled happily. He leaned back and fell off the branch, floating gently down to the ground. Artemis wrapped her ribbons around the trunk and shimmied down.

They entered the village and went around to see if anyone needed any help. The cook needed Artemis' help with the cooking, something she was getting good at lately, and Quinn was tasked with hanging the lights. After a quick goodbye and a hug, the two went off to do their assigned work.

Quinn, extending the shadow hands out, grabbed some lights and began hanging them at an efficient pace. Being part Darkrai gave him some control over the shadows, so this was a useful ability.

That was the thing with these Fusions. They're capable of doing things matching their hybrid species. In Quinn's case, he had control over shadows, dreams, and fire. Combining those talents together led to some interesting combos. In made battles in the tribe all the more exciting.

"Yo, Quinn!" He looked down and saw a Frogadier-Aegislash hybrid. He had a Frogadier body type with, of course, gold armor around his body, specifically shoulders, bracers on arms and legs, and plating on his torso and back. His skin and face were shades of purple, matching the shades as his kind's blue body. He had a scarf like cape draped down his back, shaped like the arms of an Aegislash. Also on his back was a sword and shield, also matching that of an Aegislash, only the sword lacks the eye and had the hilt shaped to be properly gripped.

This was that other friend that shared a hut with him and Artemis: Ren. He was one of the first Fusions to be taken into the village, at a very young age. He was an incredibly loyal companion and member of the tribe. You ever need a helping hand, he'll be there to give two. Quinn was lucky to have him as a friend.

"Hey Ren. What's up?"

"Do you require any assistance?" he asked, holding up some lights.

He shook his head and chuckled. He could say he had it handled, but the frog knight fusion was persistent. It was easier to just humor him. Floating down, he said, "Sure, knock yourself out."

He smiled and jumped onto the top of the huts. He threw the lights around the huts and hooked them on securely. He made swift work in hanging them up, unknowingly hanging Quinn's set of lights. The Charmeleon shrugged and let him handle the last load.

Ren landed back on the ground and dusted his hands off. "Phew, that was fun!" He looked at Quinn and crossed his arms. "You finished hanging your lights too?"

He chuckled. "Something like that. How you doing, anyway?"

"Oh, great! The party's coming along great this year! I haven't missed a single one!" He shuffled his feet, doing a little dance. "I'm gonna bust a move on the dance floor."

"You do that," Quinn said with a shake of his head.

"More importantly…how are YOU doing, Q? I didn't see you in bed this morning."

"I was just…lounging around." Ren crossed his arms and narrowed an eye suspiciously. Fooling the frog knight was not an easy task, or possible. The Charmeleon fusion sighed and rubbed his face. "I…may have been experiencing those nightmares of mine again…"

"Seriously?" He nodded. Ren sighed and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I don't like burdening you or Artemis with my issues."

"Q, we've ALL been through some rough patches. Almost all Fusions have. We are a family. We're there for each other. Artemis and I are your family. If you ever have a problem, we'll be there to help you."

"I get that, I really do. But you didn't go through the same things as me. At least your family brought you here because they loved you."

Unlike Quinn, Ren's parents did care about his wellbeing. They knew having him in society would be a detriment to his health, emotionally and physically speaking. So, when they heard about this village, they decided to have him stay here so he can be with others like him. They're one of many few who have special permission to enter the village.

The frog knight rubbed the back of his head. "Well, true…"

"Me? I was left in a house they purposely set on fire, hoping I'd die in the wreckage." He crossed his arms. His teeth grinded against each other. "They wanted their 'demon' of a child to die."

Ren cringed and rubbed the back of his head. "Okay…so I can't justify something as horrible as that happening. But still, not all Pokémon are like that. Take my parents as an example. They only sent me here so I could be happy." He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "You may have had a rough start, but life here is so much better for us. You _were_ raised by traveling merchants before coming here, so that's a plus."

The nightmare hybrid crossed his arms. "How?"

"Well, you're pretty smart and quick-witted. You did say they taught you a lot on the road. And now that you're here…well, look at everything you got."

He gestured to the village, spreading his arms out to emphasize its importance. "Secluded space for us to roam freely, others like us to interact with, great food…" He chuckled. "And, if it weren't for this place, you wouldn't have met _me or Artemis~_!" he sang teasingly. He tapped the Charmeleon's forehead. "I rest my case."

Quinn smiled lightly with narrowed eyes, shaking his head. "Once again, you always find some way to look on the bright side of things." He sighed. "I should really have told you and Artemis about my nightmares…"

He patted his shoulder. "Don't beat yourself up about it, Q. Besides, don't want you all mopey for tonight." He danced around the fusion, shuffling his feet. "We're gonna party 'til we drop tonight!"

Quinn chuckled and pushed him away. "Alright, alright, I get it."

Ren stopped and smiled kindly. "In all seriousness, just tell us if you have any issues. We're your family now. We'll always be there for you."

He smiled. "I know you will. Thanks."

He clasped his hands together. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I see some other Fusions in desperate need of my help!" He dashed off, leaving the Charmeleon hybrid to chuckle.

"Desperate?" He shook his head as he watched him help the hybrids who were 'in great need of help'. "You're just too excited for the party…" He walked through the village, passing by hybrids.

He glanced across the village to the very center. A large hut resided in the middle, where the village elder, their tribe leader, resided. His door was always open to, what he considered, his family. He created this village to welcome all hybrids that sought protection and a home to call their own. If anyone had a problem, they were welcomed to visit him for a friendly chat.

The Charmeleon-Darkrai sometimes considered speaking with him about his nightmares. He only ever talked with him a total of eight times about them. He knew he was an understanding creature, but old habits were hard to break. He didn't like talking about his issues. It was a pain to him and those close to him. Sometimes they'd just fade away as soon as they entered his mind, sometimes they linger for extended periods, haunting him for days on end.

The irony, a Darkrai infused hybrid who experiences nightmares time to time. Did the actual Darkrai ever feel nightmares? These were questions he asked, but never bothered to seek an answer for.

Still, if anyone can help clear his head, it was him. With Artemis and Ren busy setting up for tonight, he didn't have that many friends to converse with, or at least friends he wasn't deeply close with like those two. Plus, they were worried about his health, so this would be good for them, too. Help relieve his and their stress.

Finally making up his mind, he stepped towards the hut.

He pulled back the flaps when he was suddenly knocked over by a burst of wind. He spun in place before falling on his back with a grunt. He groaned slightly and held his head. _Annnd, my headache is back…_

"Whoops, sorry, Quinn!" a female voice apologized.

He looked up at the figure standing over him. A female Meowth-Accelgor hybrid: Tamara. She had the appearance of a normal Meowth, just with altered features to her person. A black four-point star on her charm and green lines running from the top of her eyelids to the top of her head. Her torso was dull blue with a propped up fur collar around her neck and two ribbons flowing out of it. Dull blue bandages were wrapped around her feet and ankles, and around her arms, from her wrists to her elbows.

Being a nimble cat with the grace of a ninja, Tamara was well-known for being the speediest of the tribe. She was constantly moving about at swift speeds, practically invisible to anyone who wasn't capable of perceiving such movement. She lived to be fast and quick, making her very prideful of her talents. While she was boastful, she was a friendly face to know and a good friend within Quinn's circle of interaction.

Tamara grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "How's it hanging, Q?"

He dusted himself off. "Aside from our brief tumble, I'm doing okay."

"Okay, you say? Anything bugging you?"

He groaned. "It's a little personal."

Thankfully, the ninja cat was less meddlesome with personal issues, as she gave a light shrug. "Whatever you say." She flickered out of sight and appeared in a tree before he could blink. She plucked an apple off the tree and tossed it to him. "If you need anything, just holler and I'll be over there faster than the speed of sound."

He smirked. "Noted. Which reminds me, why were you in the elder's hut?"

She blushed suddenly, a look of embarrassment as she twiddled her fingers. "Well, uh…there was this mishap with the lanterns earlier that I may have…knocked over…" Quinn started snickering, irking the cat as she stomped her foot on the tree branch she was perched on. "Don't laugh at me, buster! I'll fight you, here and now!"

He raised his hands in defense as he chuckled lightly. "Ease up, speed queen, I mean you no foul. I'm just heading in to speak with the elder myself."

She huffed her frustration out in a single breath and crossed her arms. "Whatever." Quinn smirked. She was full of herself, but she means well.

"Hey! Tamara!"

The two friends turned to see two more Fusions walk up to them: Tamara's roommates.

One was a Reuniclus-Braviary fusion, Ulysses. Surrounding his body was a blue gel substance that took the shape of a Braviary, with three disk objects in the wings, two orbs in each leg, and one large orb in the head. In the center where the main body was, Ulysses had three large feathers sprouting above the eyes with a red three pointed design along the base. He had white plumage on the back of his head and long red feathers draping down his back like a cape.

The other Fusion was a Spinda-Mienfoo fusion, Juniper. Much like Artemis, there wasn't a drastic change in her appearance. Like all Spinda, she had red spots: one on her right eye, two at the top of her ears, and one on the back of her head. She had the black oval markings over her eyes, like Mienfoo, and whiskers on the far ends of her cheeks. She had a red band of fur around her neck. Her body had developed a red, robe like membrane over it with a solid, thick tan line going straight down the middle. The membrane ends at her waist. At her arms, she also had baggy sleeves.

Ulysses smiled politely at her. "I'm sorry if we're interrupting, but you need to clean up that mess you made, Tamara."

Juniper lazily smiled. "And you called ME a klutz."

Tamara pointed at her angrily. "Hey, when someone trusts you with flaming lanterns, do they expect you to be careful the whole time?!"

She stuck her tongue out at her with a cheeky grin. "Yeah, that's kind of the point." She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a soda, with the brand name 'Diet Cola' on it. She opened it and started gulping it down. She wiped her lip and said, "So quit dillydallying and come on. If you hurry, we _might_ lend a hand."

The ninja cat huffed and crossed her arms. "I don't need your pity!"

She shrugged. "Suit yourself." She prepared to turn around, but…

"However, considering I have other chores to handle, it would be well appreciated." Juniper giggled to herself. Even Tamara can't do everything at once.

Ulysses smiled. "On, how wonderful! Let us hurry so we can get ready for tonight!"

"Be there in a minute!" she shouted. She looked down at Quinn and smirked. "Guess I have to go clean up my mess now."

He chuckled. "Right. See you at the party."

She plucked an apple for herself and took a bite, saying, "You too." She vanished, a ring of air briefly left in her place.

Ulysses flapped his massive wings. "AH! Tamara! Wait for us!" He took off into the air. Juniper simply walked with a mellow rhythm in her step, drinking the last of her soda, throwing the can into a nearby trash can, then pulling a second soda out of her other sleeve.

Quinn shook his head and chuckled. He then faced the elder's hut and sighed. He took a bite of his apple to calm his nerves. After swallowing, he wiped his mouth clean and stepped inside.

The hut was rather large, fit to house a large Pokémon. Or, in their case, a large Fusion. There was a table with short legs, a cabinet that houses personal items no doubt, and a small kitchen.

Sitting on the cabinet was a framed photo of all the current resident Fusions and the tribe leader himself: Liam, the Slaking-Arceus hybrid. A Fusion born with the DNA of an Arceus was astronomically rare, practically making their leader one of a kind, which was a safe bet since the chance of such a combination appearing twice was essentially nonexistent.

"Ah, Quinn…fancy seeing you here."

He turned to the large ape sitting in his bed, legs crossed, as he was taking part in a game of Sudoku. His sclera was green while his irises were red. His face, hands, feet, and belly were dark gray, the fur on his head and around his neck was yellow, and the fur that made up most of his body was white. Leaning against his bed was a staff, a gray pole with the Arceus cross-wheel adorning the top.

Liam breathed in gently and exhaled slowly, then offered a friendly grin. "Come, sit, my child."

Quinn bowed in thanks and sat on the edge of the bed, as the old ape continued with his game. The nightmare hybrid exhaled a shaky sigh before saying, "Sir, I wish for your advice. I have been-"

"-having nightmares again recently?" he finished as he placed a tile on one of the spaces.

The Charmeleon blinked. "H…How did you…"

He presented a sagely grin. "It is my duty to know what is troubling my children. When you come here for my advice, it is to help you through your fears." He chuckled. "Well, that and Artemis stopped by earlier to tell me."

Quinn exhaled with an exasperated grin. "Of course she did…" She was always looking out for him. "Yes, it's true. I've been having nightmares about…" He looked away, still uncomfortable about reliving those times.

Fortunately, Liam had heard this tale before and knew of his troubles. "Ah yes, the memory of those who have brought you to this world, a new life to find your place in this world, only to have them torn down with flames fueled by their hatred towards our kind." He placed a hand on the young hybrid's shoulder. "It truly is a past one would wish to forget."

He smiled sadly. "Couldn't agree more…" The expression dropped and was replaced with a much darker form. "They actually tried to kill me…all because they can't see pass their bigoted ways…"

The elder Fusion shook his head. "Quinn, the pain you felt from their betrayal is one we accept and truly sympathize with. However, I do not condone hatred among my family, especially rage that guides one down the path of genocide."

His eyes widened in shock. He looked up at the elder. "Sir, I-I would never-"

He shushed the panicking hybrid. "Do not feel alarmed, my child, for I can see a good heart within you. While it is tainted with the flames of rejection, you must understand that we cannot reside within the past. That is why our kind is hated among the public. They look to the past for answers without seeing what is truly before them. Both Pokémon and Fusions must learn this if we are to achieve peace."

"I understand, but…argh!" He clutched his head tightly. "It's just so frustrating!"

"Please, do not shout." Liam breathed deeply and exhaled. "Release your aggression through rhythmic breaths."

The hybrid obeyed and exhaled deeply, leveling out his anger. He continued in a calmer tone, "…I don't like not doing anything. I want to be out there to show them that we aren't monsters. All we do is live here and let the hate fly over our heads."

Liam shook his head. "Accepting the hatred is difficult. Ignoring it is far worse. This, I can agree with. However, there is nothing we can do to change their minds. It is how the past operates. Our previous generations never bothered to make peace with the Pokémon. Because of this, a chance at acceptance is far from our grasp."

"So there's nothing we can do?"

"The peace of mind that you seek is merely beyond your current standing. However, if we were to advance forward, learning the obstacles that impede our goals…" He placed a '9' tile down, completing the top right corner of the board. "We might find a future we can all look forward to."

Quinn's eyes darted to the right. "A future where Pokémon and Fusions can get along, eh?"

"You never know. Times change. It has happened before. The Pokémon have simply accepted us as monsters and stick to their beliefs. I believe in a change. We are much more than they perceive. We may be Fusions, but we're still Pokémon."

The nightmare hybrid looked down. "I see…"

Liam smiled. "My only advice for your nightmares: have fun tonight. This is the village's twelve-year anniversary. Tonight is a time to reflect upon who we've become over the year and promise to succeed further." He slid off the bed and reached for his staff. "You have friends who want to spend time with you. Friends who worry about you." He smiled lightly. "You don't want to shove them out of your life, do you?"

Artemis, Ren, Tamara, Juniper, Ulysses…heh, as if he'd ever do such a thing. He shook his head and chuckled. "I suppose I need to lighten up a bit."

Liam smiled. "That's the spirit, my boy." He steadily hobbled out of his hut. "I have a few things to do. Carry on with your day. I expect you to be ready for the party."

Quinn gave a mock salute. "Yes sir." He jumped off the bed and walked out.

The tribe master was right. This festival was all about them, not the outsiders. Tonight was a time for him to cut loose and forget his worries. Delicious food, great games, battling…maybe it'll help clear his head a bit.

* * *

Outside the protected borders west of the hybrid village was a modern day city, with many Pokémon walking about, carrying out their usual daily lives. Massive skyscrapers stood so high that one would believe they can touch the clouds. This city had many locations for all to visit, such as restaurants, shopping centers, salons, and many more.

While the Tribe of Fusions pertained to a simpler lifestyle for their community, the city known as Grandis City made it their personal goal to advance the future to a brighter future.

One such company that made this possible was Profectus Inc. It helped with developing new technology throughout the city and the whole region. The company was constantly researching more efficient ways to make the world safer and more efficient, like creating state of the art security systems or designing new appliances that worked better than the old.

Inside the building, at the top floor, was the man who made it all possible: Julian Roteman. He was a Machamp. He wore a black suit with a white shirt, red tie, and black shoes. Being a Machamp certainly had its advantages, such as being able to multitask so well.

Unfortunately, that would prove to be a disadvantage, as well.

The company has been around for fifteen years, just before the Tribe of Fusions was created. The village wouldn't exist without the involvement of the company. Julian didn't originally have the intention to allow construction of the village, but the founder, Liam, changed his mind those many years ago. He personally funded it, providing them with the necessities they needed to live, like food, water, materials for huts, misc. stuff, and more.

The idea was to allow a place for all Fusions to be themselves and to separate the two sides that have been warring with each other for centuries. Keeping them apart assures that there would be no more bloodshed between them.

At least, that was the hope of the goal.

Fact is, many activist Pokémon protest against these 'monsters' because of the mark they've left on their history. Many would go as far as to sneak in and try to set fire to the village or something. Every time, someone was caught. This was the reason the village had their own watchtower to keep an eye out for intruders such as them.

That's not to say the Fusions are completely innocent. There are still many who keep a hold of that hatred, likely from a miserable childhood dealing with the abuse. Rather than leave the hate behind and join the tribe, they continue to bring havoc to the lives of Pokémon, whether through a crime as minor as stealing to physically attacking them. The village does have members who were like this until they realized the true consequences of their actions.

This…was why Julian was so wound up now. Two or three times every week, he'd get a call about a Fusion causing trouble in some part of the city. The police do manage to apprehend the Fusions, but there are those rare few that manage to escape. The ones that escape…are the hardest to bring down.

Julian had a phone to his ear with his upper right hand while his lower right signed away at some papers. His lower left hand was typing away on his computer while he used the other one to sip at his coffee.

"Yes…yes, I'm aware that…Ma'am…Ma'am! I understand there's a large hole in the side of your house, but I'm not responsible for that type of…yes, I'm aware I'm helping Fusions, but not the sadistic ones. The whole city knows this. I can assure you I do not tolerate these rogue Fusions…I'm sorry they were causing you trouble, but you…Ma'am, you don't have to curse me out like that. I'm trying to be the mature one here!" He blinked, then groaned as he slammed the phone down on the receiver. "And she hung up on me." He pressed his fingers against his eyes and rubbed them tiredly.

"I assume you got chewed out again?" He looked up to see his secretary, who entered through his office doors. She was a Musharna who wore a pair of glasses and a pearl necklace. She carried a clipboard in her hands.

"What gave it away?" he muttered. He sighed. "Honestly, I try my hardest to keep this city under control and, instead, I get dozens of complaints about these rogues."

His secretary pushed her glasses up. "Can you blame them? Every year we deal with these rogue Fusions. As time passes, they learn to adapt to their mixed DNA and manipulate them based on the characteristics of both species. It's simply too much for the police to handle."

Julian narrowed his eyes before asking, "Have we gotten intel about what types of Fusions are running amuck now?"

She looked over her clipboard, then rubbed her chin. "We weren't able to identify all of them. Some of them are staying lowkey. However, one of the security cameras managed to get a clear photo of a more recent culprit." She floated over and handed him the photo.

Julian held the photo in his hand and…regretted asking for it. In the photo was a Golduck-Electrode Fusion. His torso was red and metallic-like, while a white band of color horizontally crossed over his face, acting as a mask over his eyes. Around his wrists were Electrode shaped spheres, likely half or less the size of a regular Electrode. The white half was the side that started at the wrist.

The Fusion possessed a wicked grin, as the photo showed him slamming his fist against a building. The photo managed to capture his wrist orb releasing a flash of light, likely due to the punch.

Julian set the photo down and sighed. "Let me guess…he's the explosive Fusion we've been looking for?"

His secretary nodded. "That'd be correct."

Julian held his face. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Thankfully, despite having access to Explosion, he hasn't used it to detonate his wrists. We're assuming he has the ability, Damp, which is nullifying his ability to naturally set them off. It would seem they explode through physical contact, likely through a strong punch."

"Brea, the fact he has to get up close to set Explosion off is not helping us!" he shouted irritably.

The Musharna took her glasses off and wiped the lens with a rag she had clipped to her clipboard. "I'm only stating facts, sir. Despite the horrifying possibilities, we act least know the explosions are controlled."

"Even so, he's dangerous to have roaming around in public. Not to mention he's one of who knows how many of these rogues running around. We still have others to worry about, like that Toxicroak-Honchkrow Fusion from last week. He nearly poisoned the water supply, Brea!"

Brea placed her glasses back on. "Well, a logical solution would be to hire the Fusion Hunters."

Julian clenched his fists. The Fusion Hunters were specially trained agents who devote their career to hunting down rogue Fusions such as these and sending them off to a remote, top secret prison with little to no possibility of escape. There were many times he just wanted to hire them to get these rogues off his back. It was bad publicity on his part.

However, he and the Fusion tribe leader had an unspoken agreement about their involvement. If he did hire them, he'd have a bunch of angry Fusions knocking on his doorstep, foe or friend. Liam didn't trust the Fusion Hunters, especially since there's no information about the captured Fusions' treatment in this secluded environment. His issues lie with them apprehending Fusions who did absolutely nothing wrong, ones that haven't even caused crime waves.

Still, it pained the Machamp to have such a simple solution to his problem with a devastating consequence in the aftermath.

He sighed and rubbed his face. "The Fusion Hunters aren't the answer, Brea. We need something else…" He groaned slammed his fists on the table. "Dammit! If that fool, Liam, would just let me hire them, we'd have this whole mess cleared up! Letting those rogues run around is not only destroying MY city, but it's damaging THEIR reputation further!" He rubbed his temples. "I swear, that man can't just put his stubborn beliefs down for one second and consider the positives…"

Brea looked down at her clipboard. "Well, you better think of a solution soon before the city turns against you. Unless you can give the police the same special training as the Fusion Hunters, you might as well sell your business, move to Alola, change your name, and live the life of a salesman."

He looked up at her strangely. "…please don't tell me you're serious."

She shrugged. "I have a back-up plan for any possible disaster."

"And yet you don't have an alternate solution to our current dilemma?" he retorted.

"No need to act snippy, sir. Again, your best solution is calling the Fusion Hunters."

"And I'd like to remind you that I don't want to die! The Fusion Hunters are my best bet, but there are many, many Fusions in that village who would take my head if I did that! The only other thing that can combat a Fusion is…" His eyes suddenly widened. He leaned back in his chair as his pupils dilated, having a stroke of genius surge through his brain. "Another Fusion…"

Brea raised a brow. "Sir?"

The Machamp rose out of his seat with a wide smirk. "I've been going at this all wrong! If I want to put an end to these rogues, we need other Fusions to do so!" He held his head excitedly. "My gosh, why didn't I consider this sooner?"

"Maybe because YOU made it very clear that they had to stay in their land and out of our hair so we wouldn't start a war. Sir, there's no way the tribe leader would agree to such an idea."

"I have my ways, Brea. Liam and I made a deal. I'm only going to raise the demands a bit and give his village something in return. It's that simple." He walked around his desk and headed for the door. "We can't afford to put this off for any longer. The rogues could hurt innocent lives, maybe even kill if we don't act now." He opened the doors.

Brea sighed and followed him. "You really think this will work?"

"I've been sticking my neck out for that godly ape. Now…he owes me." He slammed the doors shut with a loud echo sounding through his office.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of 'Tribe of Fusions'. I hope to make this a fun, yet action packed story. I intend to have a lot of fun with this.**

 **With that said, since this is a story revolving around multiple possible combinations of Fusions, you know what that means? OC Contest time!**

 **This one is going to work a bit differently than previous ones. For starters, I'm only accepting five entries, because I can only handle writing for so many characters and giving them equal development. Plus, I plan to introduce them all in the next chapter, so I want to give them all equal amount of time to be introduced.**

 **That said, for each entry, you will be submitting 3 OCs, who will be roommates in the village. So let your imagination soar with the possibilities! Here is the basic template:**

 **Name** **: (Last name is optional)  
** **Fusion** **: (Key note for this story. The Pokémon they were born as is capable of evolving, but not their other half. For example, if Juniper had a second evolution for the Spinda line, her Mienfoo half will not evolve into a Mienshao half. It would remain a Mienfoo half)** **  
Personality** **:  
** **Type** **: (Fusions in this story can have up to three types, matching their halves. If the two Pokémon you're mixing have dual types, you'll have to omit one)  
** **Ability** **: (This can be any ability either half knows)  
** **Moves** **: (Fusions can learn up to six moves from either move set)  
** **Fusion Move** **: (This is a single move that combines the traits of both DNA and turns it into a powerful move. Try to be creative with them as these moves serve as an embodiment of the Fusion. Keep in mind Pokémon can do some crazy stuff as described in their description, like how Gardevoir can create a small black hole or Typhlosion can create explosions by rubbing its fur together)  
** **Fusion Mode** **: (This is a special evolution style that acts like Mega Evolution, increasing their power and such, just without any special items. This is where you can go a little wild with their altered appearance)  
** **Fusion Ability** **: (An ability they gain after activating Fusion Mode. You can make them strong, unique abilities, but within reason)  
** **Backstory** **:  
** **Love Interest** **: (Optional. Also, I will allow you to pair up one of your characters with the following: Ren, Tamara, Juniper, and Ulysses. If two OC's happen to be paired with the same character, I will have to choose which one I like more)  
** **Strengths** **: (This is essentially what they specialize in during battle)  
** **Weaknesses** **: (I do want you to look up what types they are weak to. Also, any personal weaknesses)  
** **Hobbies** **: (Optional)  
** **Likes** **: (Optional)  
** **Dislikes** **: (Optional)  
** **Job** **: (Optional. These are essentially non-profit jobs done for the tribe to keep it running. Some of the basic ones include cooking, manning the watchtower, tending to the gardens, mechanic/repairman, etc. If you happen to come up with a specific job for the village, I'll evaluate it and see if I'll allow it)**

 **And that's pretty much it. You can add something else if you feel like it. Also, some limitations/recommendations.**

 **-No overly powerful OCs. I don't mind powerful ones, just not…too powerful. No instant knockout Fusion moves, no OP Fusion abilities, or anything like that. Fusion Moves that do a lot of damage and have an interesting effect afterwards are perfectly fine. Powerful or unique Fusion Mode abilities that can turn the tide of battle are fine. But nothing that guarantees instant or definite victory.**

 **-Don't use Legendary Pokémon as the main form for the Fusion (Example, don't make a Mew-? or a Victini-?). That said, I will allow them to have Legendary halves, much like Quinn, but you can only submit one out of your three, and you can't use Arceus in the combination as it's extremely rare in this universe. Also, I do recommend you try different Pokémon combinations for some less popular Pokémon, just for fun.**

 **-Try and give each of your characters diverse personalities. Shy, bubbly, hotheaded, cool, lazy, etc.**

 **That's about it. Leave your three OCs in the review section or just PM them to me (though, with the magnitude of this list, those with accounts would be better off messaging them to me). Hope to see some interesting OCs. Take care and thanks for reading!**


	2. Gappei Village Festival

**Hey everyone! Well, I've finally picked the five OC trios to be included in the story. Let me tell you…it was difficult to do. I feel kind of bad for leaving most of them off because a lot of them were very unique. However, while they might not be introduced as members of Gappei Village, there** _ **might**_ **be a chance I could include them at a later date, either as travelers entering the village for the first time or having some of the villagers meet them. I don't know, but I just wanted to say that I liked a lot of these characters. With that said, the winners are:**

 **Krika1119: York, Washington, Sheila  
Mysteryals: Spaz, Crawford, Codex  
MasterNPH: Shane, Rebecca, Chris  
Mr. Maverick77: Hawkins, Asadi, Wantanabe  
scarcrow151: Dez, Emily, Charlie**

* * *

The sun dipped down into the horizon, soon to disappear so that the beauty of the night can take over. For the time being, the orange sky radiated above, showering the inhabitants below in its beautiful glow. Another day has passed and soon another will rise again in the morning. The night will claim the sleep of many Pokémon preparing to enter the land of slumber. Many will stay awake to attend their nightly jobs. Others are just nocturnal Pokémon who stay awake during the day, taking in the quiet hours all to their own.

With the forest occupied by the Fusions, however, was a night to get crazy and go wild.

With the sun beginning to set, the multicolored strings of lights were finally turned on. Once the darkness has fully claimed all natural light, the eccentric glow of the party lights, coupled with the lanterns hung up for extra light, will turn the abyss of darkness surrounding Gappei Village into one of the wildest parties of all time.

Many Fusions began to exit their homes, having rested after a day of hard work to finally get their reward for another long year. The villagers tended to their usual duties or went on with their day as normal, either to have some personal fun or to prep themselves for the party.

This ran true in Quinn's hut, where he and his hut-mates were resting for the day. The entirety of the hut was one whole room with space converted into personal sections of the home. There were two floors, with the second level being a platform looping around the walls. This is where their rooms were and they each took up a third of the second floor.

Quinn's space consisted of a bed with green sheets and a plaid blue blanket, a nightstand with a lamp, a bookshelf filled with numerous books he loved to read, a red carpet in front of his bed, a desk with numerous items one would find at a desk, a laptop on top of the desk, and a trunk at the foot of his bed.

Ren's space was a whimsical wonderland, in his own words. He had posters on the wall, giving motivational advice on how to lead a better life or something like that. His bed had four long posts that hung a white curtain around his bed, which had sky blue sheets and a blue blanket. Resting on the nightstand beside him were photos of himself with his various friends, one group picture of the entire village, and a photo of him when he was nine being held in the arms of his parents, a male Greninja and a female Swanna.

Artemis' space reflected her personality nicely. Her bed was just a large futon couch with blankets and pillows scattered around. She had her own personal TV resting on a shelf along with a stereo with a pair of headphones resting on top, which she uses to either listen to music or to listen to the TV quietly so she didn't wake her pals. Some weights sat in the corner and a refrigerator sat near her bed, for when she wanted a quick bite or a late-night snack.

The downstairs level mostly served as a living room while a section was saved for a small kitchen, which had the basic items one would find in a kitchen. There was a walled off section in the back that served as the bathroom, complete with a sink, toilet, and shower. The rest of the floor was spaced out with a carpet in the wide open space near their door and a section that served as the entertainment area. Two red armchairs, one tan couch that could sit about six people, sitting in front of an cabinet that held their TV and gaming consoles.

This was basic living for a lot of the Fusions. With agreement among their hut-mates, they designed the hut whatever way they wanted. Everything was generously provided by Julian Roteman, who a lot of the Fusions come to like since he provided a lot for this village. Sure, some of the Fusions still felt weary of him due to mistrust against Pokémon, but it was to be expected. He never held it against them.

With time to kill, the hut-mates were passing time until festivities could get underway. Quinn took the time to read a sci-fi novel of his, a favorite genre of his. Ren and Artemis decided to play some video games downstairs. However, playing video games with Artemis ensured two things: cheating and mocking.

They were playing a racing game and Ren was taking the lead, close to making it to the finish line. "I'm almost there! Just got to keep ahead and victory will be in my grasp!"

Artemis leaned back against the couch, forelegs behind her head while she used her ribbons to hold the controller. "My, my, you've gain quite the lead. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to your first place standing."

Ren only looked at her half of the screen for a moment, but he saw the current item she had. His eyes widened in panic before he shook his controller roughly. "Go faster! GO FASTER!"

With an evil grin, Artemis pressed her items button and launched a blue missile out of her vehicle. The item locked onto Ren's car and dive bombed on top of him, catching him in an explosion that sent his car high in the air.

"NNNOOO!" Ren screamed as Artemis passed by him before he could recover, stealing first place and victory away from her roommate. He collapsed onto his knees, crying. "I was SO close!"

Artemis threw her head back in laughter. "Yes, yes! Your tears are delicious!" Her laughter turned into cackles as Ren curled up on the floor, whimpering.

Quinn rolled his eyes. "Honestly, must you two be so dramatic?"

His girlfriend grinned deviously. "Aww, pipe down, buzz kill! You're just mad that I creamed you in the last race we had."

"You kept spamming those stupid homing missiles of yours! While I was no less than three feet from the finish line!" he argued back furiously. This only sent Artemis further into her fits of laughter, leading her to fall onto her back and kick at the air. Quinn groaned. "Arceus, you're annoying."

She smirked. "I'm not annoying, Spooks. I'm crazy!" She laughed again. Quinn sighed, then smiled to himself as he stared at her.

"You're too adorable to stay mad at."

She rolled off her back and onto her rear. She scoffed mockingly. "Well, duh!"

There was a knock on their front door, which immediately pulled Ren out of his defeated position and sprung him up with a delighted smile. "Ooh! Company!" He raced over to the door and opened it. "Hello!"

Standing before him was a Heliolisk-Haxorus Fusion. He looked fairly normal for a Helioisk, but he also had yellow armor plating on his chest, tail, and arms. In addition, he had small axe-tusks located on his cheeks.

The Fusion gave a small wave. "Hey guys, how you doing?"

Quinn crooked his head a bit so he could see the door. "Oh, hey York. Eh, we're just killing time."

"Well, I came by to tell you that everyone's already heading out. You sure hurry before they start without you." He raced off to meet up with his hut-mates.

Ren jumped in the air in excitement. "Oh boy! Another year, another party! Woohoo!" He dashed out of the hut.

"Ren, don't leave without us!" Quinn shouted, but the frog knight was already out the door. He sighed. "Come on, Artemis, let's go."

She shut off the game console and TV before walking over to him. She wrapped her ribbon around his hand before snuggling her way under his arm. "Lead the way, Spooks."

He grinned in amusement, then they exited the hut with Artemis shutting the door behind her. They made their way to the center of the village and could already hear the gathering of the village taking place. Lights were shining brightly out in the darkness, illuminating it beautifully.

They could hear music being played along the stomping of feet, liking from some high-energy dancing taking place. Cheers and laughter made the nightmare Fusion smile, happy that the village they've collectively molded over the years was shaping up into such a friendly community for them.

They made it to the center of the village and saw the wide spread of Fusions around them. For the party itself, there was a wide selection of games to be played, tables laid out for with a buffet waiting to be eaten, and the dance floor for anyone who just wanted to cut loose.

Artemis rubbed her paws together excitedly. "Ooh boy, I'm looking forward to this!"

Quinn chuckled. "Just don't do anything that'll make anyone upset."

"Oh sweetie, we both know I can't stop that from happening." She kissed his cheek. "Ciao." She strutted over to the skeeball game, while also likely forming the best way to get a high score in the cheapest way possible.

Quinn sighed, then made his way through the crowd. Ren was probably with some of the Fusions, likely creeping them out with his positive nature. It was to be expected whenever they got new villagers. More often than not, the first time you enter the village, the frog knight will be the first face to greet you. It can be overwhelming at times, considering his habit to help to an unnecessary degree. If he recalled, York once asked Ren to help clean his hut.

What did he do instead? He performed a deep cleaning _everywhere._ He even got the wooden floors so clean that they acted like a mirror, which was honestly rather disorienting for York and his hut-mates. Though, even with this in mind, Ren was always the first to help a friend in need, no matter how much they try to push him away.

Speaking of York and his hut-mates, Quinn saw them hanging out at one of the picnic tables set up. Washington, the Frogadier-Banette Fusion, was basically a Frogadier wearing a gray cloak that he wears with a hood. The cloak itself resembled that of a Banette, too. Also, instead of frubbles, he had a spooky purple around his neck that acted as a scarf.

Then there was Sheila, the Lopunny-Zoroark Fusion. A Lopunny with the coloration of a Zoroark, basically black fur and red fluff. She had red claws, large green beads in each ear, and a small fox tail.

Quinn walked over to them as they chatted. York said, "All I'm saying is that you should pick up your stuff more often, Wash."

Wash rolled his eyes. "One whole year living with you and only NOW is this a problem?"

"Need I remind you of the number of times I've tripped out of my room just to head to the bathroom?!"

"If it's such a big deal, why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because you were either gone or not listening to me!"

Sheila got between the two. "Alright, no more fighting. Wash, seriously, it would be nice if you picked up after yourself. As hut-mates, we must respect each other's space. Our rooms are our own domain, as is yours. The living room and everywhere else in the hut, however, is a shared space."

Wash scratched behind his head. "…fine. Maybe I could ask Ren to help out."

"Please don't," York mumbled. "I don't want to look at my groggy face through my floor in the morning."

Quinn stepped into view and waved. "Hey guys."

The group smiled. "Oh, hello Quinn," Sheila greeted. "Please, come sit with us."

"Thanks." He slid onto the seat. "How are you guys?"

"Oh, we're doing great. Just…trying to settle personal matter at the moment," York muttered.

"I see. So, how was planning for the festival going?"

Wash sighed. "It was exhausting, that's for sure. I helped carry all those carnival games that were delivered to us. Chris and Dez helped me out, yet it still took a while."

York leaned back. "I helped set up the lights and made sure the children stayed out of everyone's way while they were goofing around."

Sheila smiled. "I helped with the cooking. I wasn't sure if we would get it all done, but I'm glad we did. Cooking for an entire village can be pretty tiring." She laughed a bit before frowning. "Oh…Quinn, that reminds me. When I was helping out Artemis, she let something slip about you feeling down earlier."

Quinn face-palmed. _Honestly Artemis, is my gloominess suddenly public news?!_ He sighed. "Okay, before you say anything, I just want to focus on the party. No mention of my parents or anything like that. I just want to move pass everything from earlier and go on with my day."

"Well…okay, but you can always talk to me if you need anything."

"I'm fine, Sheila, don't worry." His stomach growled at him. He chuckled. "Well…I could go for some food, though."

Wash smiled. "We better hurry before Charlie decides to go nuts on the buffet." They nodded and raced off to the buffet table.

Over with Ren, he was keeping to his word from earlier and dancing like there was no tomorrow. He took center of the stage and went all out in his moves. He spun on his back, then held himself up on one hand before flipping and performing a perfect split. He spun out of the splits and spun on his head.

"Go Ren! Go Ren! Go Ren!" the crowd cheered.

He stopped himself, launched himself in the air with a twirl, then landed on his feet before posing dramatically. The crowd around him cheered and clapped before continuing with dancing themselves.

Ren walked off the stage, slightly out of breath. "Phew, that was quite the workout." He went over to a buffet table and got some salad and berries.

"You were amazing out there, Ren!" a bubbly voice said behind him. He turned to greet a Braixen-Lucario Fusion. She had the coloration of a Lucario (tan fur around the face and shoulders, blue fur for her body, ears, and tail, and black fur for the fluff in her ears and the tip of her tail) and wrist and chest spikes. She had her usual stick laying in her tail, which lights up with a blue aura flame when activated.

Ren grinned. "Gee, thanks Rebecca! I was just doing what felt natural! Though, I've got to say, I wasn't sure if I could do the splits!" He laughed. "That one was by complete accident!"

She chuckled. "Only you would pull off a crazy move like that without knowing." She held her hands behind her back and kicked at the ground. "So, you going to continue dancing later?"

"Of course! I just need to get my energy back up and it's party time once more!"

She smiled. "Well, uh…I'm sure they'll be doing some slow dances later. It'd be…you know, kind of nice if someone were to ask to dance with me, don't you think?"

Ren tapped his chin in thought, then grinned. "Oh, I get what you're saying!"

She smiled brightly. "Really?!"

"Uh huh!" He pointed over the crowd. "I see Ulysses over there! I'm sure he wouldn't mind dancing with you!"

Rebecca faltered a bit at his dense reply. "I-I-I-I, uh…actually, what I meant was…" She sighed, then gave him a light smile. "Um…thanks."

"No problem! See you later! Enjoy the party!" He walked off.

Rebecca sighed, rubbing her arm. "Maybe I should have been a bit more blunt…"

She felt a comforting pat on her shoulder. "Oh, don't let it bug you too much."

She turned and faced her hut-mate, Shane. He was a Gengar-Phione Fusion. He was a rather small Gengar, probably the size of a Raticate. He was deep sea blue, had red eyes, a red gem on his stomach, and a ribbon like protrusion from the top of his head, ending in a clawed hand. Instead of legs, he gets around on a single spike he hops on.

Rebecca chuckled. "Oh, it's no big deal. Sure, Ren's cute and sweet, but it's not like I'm desperate to dance with him or anything." She sighed. "Still, you'd think he would have realized I was asking to dance with him."

"He's got a good heart, but he can be a little oblivious."

"A little doesn't cut it," a new voice joined in. They turned to a Hitmonchan-Scizor Fusion, Chris. He was a Hitmonchan with the exoskeleton of a Scizor, making his body a shiny red. His eyes were dark yellow and his fists were claw-like in appearance. He grabbed a plastic cup and walked over to a drink dispenser. "He's scatterbrained beyond understanding."

Rebecca chuckled. "Yeah, but he's still lovable."

Chris smiled coolly. "In a way, yes." He poured himself a drink.

Shane bounced back. "Well, I am going to check out some of the games we got. Any recommendations, Chris?"

He swirled his drink around. "I think Wash and I carried in a shooting station. You know, those ones where you have to fill a clown head with water?"

Shane considered it for a moment. "Hmm…sounds interesting. Thank you." He was about to bounce off, but he stopped before looking back, giving the two an unnervingly blank stare. "By the way, don't let Spaz drink that punch." He blinked, shook his head, then bounced off.

Rebecca stared oddly as he left. "What do you suppose he meant by that?" Shane had the unique ability to predict bad fortunes through the most obscured details, a combination of the mythos around Phione bringing good luck and the ghostly creepiness of a Gengar. While sometimes it came off as odd advice, it wasn't to be taken lightly.

Chris took a light sip of the punch out of curiosity, then his eyes widened, nearly spitting the drink. He got himself to swallow it. "Ugh! Crap, that's a lot of sugar!"

"What? Let me see." She took the cup and took a sip as well. Her fur stood up at the sudden rush of sweetness that hit her body as she forcibly swallowed it. "Ugh…now I see what Shane meant."

"But who mixed all this sugar in? I didn't see anyone add anything." That's when his mind immediately clicked. "Wasn't Artemis helping out with the cooking?"

They blinked twice before making a mad dash around the crowd. "SPAZ! DON'T DRINK THE PUNCH!"

While the two of them ran off to find the particular Fusion, Juniper was having a good ol' time hanging out with some of her friends. Asadi, the Raichu-Sneasel, was a Raichu with dark brown fur, a light red underbelly and stripes, red eyes, and snow white paw tips. She had a Sneasel feather behind her left ear and three more at the base of her tail.

Then there was Dez, the Manectric-Aggron Fusion. He was a Manectric with the skull and jaw of an Aggron covering his head like a helmet. He had plating going to his front legs, with his back still containing the electricity fur that now flared white.

Juniper had ten cans of soda lined up in front of her, which she casually drank. "Hehe, now this is what I call fun. No work to do, just good ol' food and drinks to pass me by." She chugged down a can of soda.

Dez smirked. "Don't you usually fall asleep at your post when you're doing watchtower duty?"

She grinned. "How many break ins have we had every time I've been on duty?"

"Well, none, but…"

"So I'm doing a great job!"

Asadi chuckled. "I'm with you there, sister." She tapped her soda can against hers. "I didn't mind setting up the lighting system for this, but I always look forward to a little free time."

Juniper chuckled. "Your entire day is basically free time."

She laughed back. "Oh, I would be in heaven if that were the case." They laughed, clanged their cans again, and took a big drink.

Dez chuckled. "Speaking of which, how did you convince Hawkins to attend? I'd assume he would rather be staying away from social events like this."

She rolled her eyes with a small grin. "I just gave him a little warning that I _might_ be too distracted having fun, like a normal person, to be watching over Wantanabe." She chuckled. "Sure, he acts like he doesn't care, but I know he cares about the little squirt." She pointed her can at him. "How did _you_ convince Emily to join in?"

Dez waved his paw. "Oh guys, she isn't that bad. Sure, she can be rather cold-"

"Pun intended?" Juniper muttered with a joking smile.

The hound rolled his eyes. "-but, she isn't as antisocial as Hawkins. Plus, Charlie was insisted on her coming. He didn't want her missing out on all the fun. She may hate the world outside of our small little world here, but that doesn't mean she has to act like a stranger to everyone. We're all family."

Asadi smiled. "Cheers to that." She looked to the side and beamed. "Ooh, I think they brought a bounce house, too."

Juniper grabbed two unopened sodas and stuck them in her sleeves, then grabbed two more, popped the tops off, and guzzled half the contents of each. Once she licked her lips clean, she said, "You read my mind! Let's bounce!" she quipped, skipping over to bouncy castle.

Dez chuckled. "Man, is there ever a moment when she isn't smiling?" he asked Asadi as they followed her.

"I think the world would implode if she lost her natural optimism," she supposed, leading the two to laugh.

Away from the dancing and partying, a group of kids were running around cheerfully, playing games with the numerous sports balls they had lying around. Three kids in particular were playfully passing a soccer ball around with glee.

The first was Charlie, the Munchlax-Lilligant Fusion. He was a Munchlax with a big orange flower on his head and leaves on his back similar to the ones found on a Lilligant's.

The second was Wantanabe, the Eevee-Salamance Fusion. He had a light cream-colored body and red neck scruff. His eyes were purple and had a slightly longer tail than what normal Eevee's had. Around his body was a dark gray shell vest around his chest, shoulders, and upper back.

Finally, there was Harper, the Eevee-Ditto Fusion. She looked like a regular Eevee, except her fur was mostly purple and her neck scruff was blob like. It regularly shifted in shape based on her movements.

Charlie bounced the soccer ball on his head, laughing. While Wantanabe and Harper were significantly younger than him, the Fusion was very child-like and enjoyed playing with the younger children. He bopped the ball in the air and hit it with his head at Harper. "Catch Harper!"

She stuck her tongue out as energy flowed through her tail, transforming it into a furry hand, catching the ball. She jumped up and down with glee. "I caught it! I caught it!"

"No, you're not supposed to use your hands on a soccer ball," Charlie reminded.

Harper giggled. "Silly Charlie! I have no hands! I'm using my tail!" As Charlie tried to wrap his mind around the logic, which was pretty sound, Harper wound her tail back and tossed the ball at Wantanabe.

He smiled brightly and leaped in their air, catching the ball with all four of his paws. He bounced across the ground and came to a rolling stop. "Woo! Do it again!" He laughed when Harper jumped on him and bopped the ball out of his paws. "Hey!" he shouted while laughing, before the two chased after the ball. Charlie laughed as well and followed after them.

Watching from the sidelines was the Roserade-Meowstic Fusion, Hawkins. He was a Roserade with the Meowstic ears, which had the eye organs underneath, and twin tails. Rather than skin, he had fur that was light to sky blue with forest green colorations for the undertones. He had normal Meowstic arms and hands with petals growing along the surface in traditional blue and red coloration.

He sighed, pinched between his eyes. "Why must I subject myself to such trivial activities? I have much more pressing matters to attend to."

"You can take one day off from training." He felt the icy presence of the Mawile-Froslass Fusion, Emily. She had icy blue eyes and the hood of a Froslass which had her large jaw appendage underneath. She had the coloration of a Froslass and has the flares of a Froslass situated on her arms. She leaned against a house and sighed cold air. "This is a time of celebration and peace for our tribe."

Hawkins scoffed. "Peace isn't how I would describe it. Besides, this 'celebration' lacks the formality my classic tastes desire. How can anyone have fun rolling around in the dirt like this?" he asked, gesturing to the roughhousing children and Charlie.

Emily closed her eyes. "This isn't about just you. This is our way of introducing the newcomers and giving them something to look forward to. A time of the year to remind us of our true selves and to acknowledge our existence."

"Yet you speak as if this is a peaceful event." He shook his head. "Outside the walls of this village lies hatred and malice. Surely you know that better than anyone."

She glared at the Fusion as the air around her grew colder. "What happens outside these walls is none of my concern. The Pokémon do not concern me either. In fact, I wouldn't mind sending every last one of them into a wintery hell for the anguish they've brought upon us."

They stumbled forward a bit as they felt someone wrap their arms around their necks in a friendly, rough manner. "Now why y'all talking like that?" Their surprise third was a Sandshrew-Glaceon Fusion, named Dakota. She was a Sandshrew that had light blue fur with a blue diamond mark on her back and a white underbelly. She had the teal tuque on its head with the teal dangle hanging on each side. "No need to be a bunch of sourpusses. Especially you, buster," she directed at Hawkins, poking his nose.

Hawkins shrugged her off. "Honestly Dakota, I have no reason to be here other than to watch over Wantanabe."

She grinned. "He seems perfectly fine to me. Why not enjoy some of the games we have lying around?"

"Oh please, what joy would I have out of shooting a motley face freak with a squirt gun or rolling a ball up a ramp?"

"Give it a shot and you might be surprised."

He scoffed, turning away from her. "As I said, I much rather train than suffer any more of this outrageous, uncivilized madness."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Just stay around long enough for the Fusion Council to give their yearly speech before you go storming off."

He folded his arms behind his back. "…very well. After that, I'm heading back to my hut." He walked away from them, far enough to keep his distance, but still in sight of Wantanabe.

Emily glanced at Dakota. "Was it necessary to butt in like that?"

"Oh, don't go complaining to me," she warned, lower her eyelids. "What was that I heard about you wanting to send ALL Pokémon to a wintery hell?"

She looked away. "Not like they don't deserve it…"

Dakota crossed her arms. "I can think of a lot of Pokémon who need a good slap of reality, but to say you want to punish all Pokémon is just plain stupid. Need I remind you that a lot of Fusions here come from good families who are Pokémon? Ren's family? Sheila's family? Even Hawkins' folks cared about him. You have no right to make such a threat on all lives, especially after the number of times you've almost killed an intruder."

Emily closed her eyes, then proceeded to leave. "I've yet to see how trying to do the same to us makes their case any easier…"

Dakota scratched the side of her head and sighed. Much like Ren, she was one of the first Fusions to enter the village. She was thirteen when she first arrived and has grown to try and help any Fusions she could, mostly as a teacher. She did well at helping the younger generation of Fusions, but Emily's case shows that the older, more experienced villagers are more hardened on their past.

A ball rolled up to her feet, shifting her attention to Charlie as he ran up and grabbed the ball. "Oh, hi Ms. Dakota." He looked around. "I thought Emily was here too."

Dakota smiled. "Oh, she just went to do something. I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Harper and Wantanabe ran over to them, jumping up and down. "Ms. Dakota!" Harper excitedly exclaimed. "You want to play soccer with us?! Please!"

"Yeah, yeah! Please, Ms. Dakota!" Wantanabe begged, wagging his long tail.

Dakota smiled down at their innocent faces, then patted their heads. "Maybe after the ceremony speech is over. Which reminds me, it should be starting soon. Go get some dinner and I'll join you three."

They smiled. "Okay!" They ran off, laughing.

Dakota chuckled and followed after them. She looked back once more, seeing that Emily was also heading over to the buffet table to. Guess she was still keeping an eye on the kids before deciding to join in. Dakota smiled to herself. "Well…at least you remain true to the people who care about you here…" Arms folded behind her back, she left to get some food.

Over at the gaming area, Artemis was in a heated skee-ball battle with the Corphish-Crabrawler Fusion, Crawford. He was a purple Corphish with the right arm of a Crabrawler. Despite only having pincers, he was doing surprisingly well at throwing the balls up the ramp and into the holes.

Standing behind them and watching were Crawford's hut-mates. The first was Spaz, the Pikachu-Celebi Fusion. He's a Pikachu whose fur color was the same shade of green as a Celebi's. He had two antennas protruding from his forehead and tiny fairy wings on his back that only allowed him to hover for several seconds. He held a cup of the unknowingly 'spiked' punch.

Next to him was Codex, the Rotom-Porygon-Z Fusion. He was basically an entire Rotom connected to the body of a Porygon-Z by his ghostly electricity. The usual red and blue body was now purple and white respectively. He was observantly analyzing the skee-ball battle between Artemis and Crawford, taking note of their shots and techniques with keen detail.

Crawford grinned. "A very fine battle, lassy, but I'll have ye know that I shall take the most points from this battle!" He raised his last ball.

Artemis scoffed. "In your dreams!" She held up her last ball in her ribbon.

They winded back, then rolled the balls down the ramp. They flew up and landed into the 50,000 pocket at the same time. With the game over, the machine lit up the final scores, with Artemis sitting at 500,000 and Crawford scoring 410,000.

The cheeky Eevee-Fusion snickered. "Perfect high score."

Crawford waved his pincer at her. "I know ye were cheating, lass! Some of those shots weren't even actual throws! Ye just dunked them in when me back was turned!"

Artemis smirked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Codex tilted his head, rather confused. "I beg your pardon, Ms. Artemis, but I recall Crawford's claim to be quite true, as I have been analyzing every moment of the match. Are you perhaps suffering from any form of short term memory loss?"

Spaz shook his head. "Codex, she-didn't-mean-it-literally. She's-just-messing-with-Crawford." Spaz was constantly in a state of fast movement, as his time abilities seemed to have accelerated his every action, even speech. He normally spoke like this if he was excited or high in energy. Which is why he doesn't drink caffeinated beverages or eat too much sugar.

Back before he became a member of the village, he lived around in the city messing with Pokémon. One day, he accidentally drank a beverage called Red Tauros, unaware of the caffeine inside, and the results were less than pleasing for Julian Roteman when he saw the video feed. It was only one second, yet the Fusion somehow managed to cause damage down an entire street. Once Spaz was brought into the village, Julian made it clear that Spaz must limit his sugar intake to avoid another mishap like that again.

In the case with Codex…well, he was a living computer, basically. He took everything literally, so telling him a joke might result in him deciphering the joke in its entirety or completely missing the point in general. The techno ghost blinked at his hut-mate for moment, then smiled. "Oh, I see. She is making a taunt in order to boast her victory in the form of an exaggerated lie, correct?"

Artemis chuckled. "Never change, Codex. You are a hoot."

"I do not possess any traits that would allow me to hoot naturally, Ms. Artemis. I am quite clearly not an owl Pokémon." This only made her laugh harder.

Spaz chuckled, then swirled his drink around. "Well, I'm-parched. Wonder-how-good-this-punch-is."

Artemis rubbed her paws together deviously. "Yes Spaz…do it. Drink the punch…"

Spaz blinked. "Ooookay…" He pressed the edge of the cup to his lips and…

"NO!" Rebecca suddenly appeared in front of him through the use of Extreme Speed and slapped the cup out of his hand. "None of that!"

"What-the-heck?!" Spaz jumped back in shock.

Chris ran over, panting slightly. "Oh thank goodness, he didn't drink it." He glared at Artemis. "Artemis, do you want him tearing the party apart? It took us all day to get this set up! We don't want him tearing down our homes too!"

The devious Fusion pouted. "But it would have been funny…"

Spaz blinked in confusion. "I'm-sorry…what-happened?"

Rebecca patted his shoulder. "Artemis spiked the punch with a lot of sugar, hoping you would drink it."

"Really?" He blinked twice, then laughed along with Artemis. "Wow! Almost-got-me-there, Artemis! I-would-have-gone-nuts-if-I-drank-that!"

"Aww, thanks, Spaz!" Artemis exclaimed, patting his head with her ribbon.

"Please don't encourage her," Chris deadpanned.

A skipping of air sounded over their heads, ending with Tamara dropping down in front of the group. Spaz's face immediately lit up red before facing away from the ninja cat. Unaware of this, Tamara says, "Hey guys, start heading over to the center of the village. The festival speech will begin shortly."

"Thank you for the update, Ms. Tamara," Codex thanked.

Tamara narrowed her eyes on Spaz. "Hey Spaz, you heard me, right?"

He flinched, then tapped his finger together. They appeared as blur from his speed. "Y-Y-Yeah, of-course-I-did!"

She smiled. "Good. See you all in a few!" She crouched down, then leaped into the air before vanishing out of sight.

Once she was gone, Spaz dropped his head, hiding his shame. Codex floated over him and scanned his body. "Spaz, there seems to be increased blood flow in your face, specifically around the cheeks. And your heart is beating abnormally fast…more so than usual."

Crawford laughed aloud. "Oh Cody, the boy's just shy around the lass!" He slapped Spaz across the back, knocking him over in shock.

"I do not see how timidity is the culprit. He is likely suffering from a fever."

Spaz picked himself up, then spoke normally. "Crawford, she's amazing and…stunning, yes, but I'm also downright terrified of her…" He tapped his foot rapidly. "She has been trying to race me ever since I came here! I can't say yes! If I beat her, she'll never stop bugging me! But if I let her win, she'll hate me!"

"Ah, come now, she isn't that hotheaded."

Spaz deadpanned. "She chased me around the village when Harper said I was faster than her. It took me half an hour to get her off my back."

Crawford laughed. "Well, at least she thinks you're worthy of being called her rival!"

Spaz's head faltered. "Lucky me…"

Artemis pushed the trio in the direction of the center of the village. "Alright, enough chitchat. I'm hungry!"

* * *

The villagers gathered in the center of the village, taking their seats after serving themselves at the buffet table. The many varieties of Fusions talked lively with each other as they waited for the speech to begin.

Quinn sat down with a plate of rice and berries with a separate plate of fries. He took a bite out of his berries when he felt someone press up against his side. He swallowed his berry and chuckled. "Having fun, Artemis?"

She snickered. "Oh, you know it." In front of her was a plate of meat. Burgers, hotdogs, bacon, etc. She, of course, got herself some berries as well. She snagged a fry off his plate and nibbled on it. "What about you?"

He shrugged. "I was just chatting with York and his friends."

She nudged his side with a smirk. "You could join me for a game of skee-ball. Or maybe I can whoop your butt in a dance off?"

He rolled his eyes with a grin. "Perhaps you could try beating me in something more academic?"

"Aww, but I don't like studying~!" she whined, waving her forelegs cutely. "I would wather beat people up~!" she added with a babyish, cutesy tone.

Quinn poked her cheek. "Not today, missy."

She slapped his claw away, chuckling. "Fine, whatever."

Ren slid into the table with a bright grin. "Hey guys!"

Quinn smiled. "Hey Ren." He narrowed his eyes lightly. "You look worn out."

Ren wiped some sweat off his forehead. "Yeah, I was dancing my heart out tonight." He raised his fist at the sky. "It was to show my compassion to this glorious village and my commitment to it!"

"By running yourself ragged?" Artemis questioned, raising a brow.

He waved her comment off. "I may be exaggerating a bit, but I was having fun either way."

The surrounding noise seemed to quiet down as six individuals came made their appearance. One of them was Liam, walking with his staff in hand. He waved to everyone with a friendly, welcoming smile. Many of the Fusions waved back excitedly.

The other five were part of the Fusion Council, who helped Liam run the village. The first of them was Peregrine, the Farfetch'd-Empoleon Fusion. He was a Farfetch'd with black feathers, a blue underside, and a trident shaped crest. He carried a finely sharpened leek under his right wing. Peregrine was the second in command of the village if Liam had to take a business trip.

Next was Gracelyn, the Bewear-Regigigas Fusion. As a Bewear, while the color of her head, back, and tail were still pink, her body was white with six gemstones on the front. She had yellow rings around her shoulders and wrists. She had black stripes running down her arms and a thick bush of moss on her back. She was the head doctor of the tribe and took care of the sick and injured.

Next was Abraham, the Smeargle-Ninetales Fusion. He was a Smeargle with gray fur and a dull blue paw print on his back. His most notable feature was the nine long fox tails he had, which were double his height with the tips of the tails colored dull blue. He helped make sure the younger Fusions got a proper education, so he was head of teaching.

Then there were the two heads of security, Lewis and Cade. Lewis was a Lucario-Samurott Fusion with a Samurott head shell that was as hard as steel and white whiskers growing out of both sides of his snout. He had shell plating on his chest with his chest spike sticking through, and on his forearms and upper arms. He had plating attach to his thighs that acted as sheathes for his twin scalchop blades. Finally, his tail looked normal, aside from being more fish-like.

Finally, there was Cade, the Pangoro-Spiritomb Fusion. He's a Pangoro with a gray swirl in his left eye. His arms were gray and stone like, with a single carved line on each twisting downward until reaching his wrists. He and Lewis served as the main protectors of the village, defending it from serious harm. Thankfully, it has never reached a point where they had to go all out in a fight. Mostly, they just dealt with aggressive Pokémon that didn't have any bite to match their bark.

All six of them served as the founders of the village, with Liam serving as the one who brought them all together. They were seen as symbols of change for the Fusions, as protectors of their kind. This was not only a symbol for the Fusions, it was also truth. They were the most powerful members of the village, with Liam ranking above all of them. If there was a point where they needed to protect their members, they will gladly put their lives on the line to protect them.

They took their seats at a large table that allowed them to face the crowd of Fusions. Abraham leaned back in his seat with a relaxed expression. Lewis and Cade took seats next to each other, the former looking stern and the latter looking rather bright and optimistic. Liam sat next to cade, with his other side being taken up by Peregrine, who looked a bit grumpy. Gracelyn took her seat at the other end of the table and smiled kindly at the many faces in front of her.

The crowd took a moment to quiet down. Once it did, Liam was the first to begin. "Good day, residents of Gappei Village! I take it everyone is enjoying the festival?" A collective chorus of cheers rang through the air. Liam laughed. "Splendid, truly splendid. Nothing makes us happier than seeing you all in high spirits."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Speak for yourself. Too high in energy and they become a nuisance."

Gracelyn glanced down at him. "Peregrine, honestly, there's no need to act so rude to everyone."

He scratched his back with his leek. "Hey, everyone needs to know that I'm willing to bring the hammer down should any of them step out of line. That's always been my policy when running a village."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "How we haven't gotten revolts because of you is a mystery…"

Abraham chuckled, then continued with the speech. "Anyway, I feel we should give a big round of applause to the newest members of our ever-growing family. Give a hand to them, folks!" He clapped, leading most of the crowd to clap along with him while some of the Fusions looked down with bashful, embarrassed smiles or upbeat, proud smiles.

Cade spoke next. "I feel we should give a hand to Mr. Roteman for providing for the festival once again. He has been a big contributor to our village, after all." This earned another round of applause, though it was a bit softer due to some of the Fusion's distaste for the Pokémon, even if one of them was generously allowing them to live here.

Gracelyn clasped her hands together. "Oh yes, simply wonderful. Reaching the twelfth year of our village's creation certainly is an amazing thing to celebrate. I hope we have another bright new year ahead of us with new members to join in on the fun."

Liam chuckled. "Wishful thinking, Gracelyn." He sighed. "Though, it is hard to say all Fusions can be welcomed into our village." He closed his eyes. "As you all are aware, rogue Fusions exist outside these walls. Rather than hide from the hostility, they bring it back in full force." He shook his head. "A truly terrible thing to witness. Some of you have been on that side of the chaos, bringing misery and anguish to those around you out of spite. Out of loneliness. Out of desperation."

Lewis sighed. "Some of you go out of your way to change their violent behavior so they can live in our haven. Sadly, most of you know that kind of hoping leads to disappointment. We try to teach you all the value of morals, knowing that too much of one side can lead to disaster for another. Utter chaos those Rogues bring. It's an appalling sight."

Peregrine twirled his leek. "That's why _some of us_ have to be tough on you all. We do this to keep a proper balance in the order. If we tip too far into one side of the scale, this home we created will be lost to us forever." He narrowed his eyes. "It's why we make a big deal about trust around here. These are not just people you live alongside. They are your neighbors. Your family. We watch out for each other and pull one another back from those deadly feelings should anyone go down the wrong path." He closed his eyes. "It isn't a friendly path many can return from once their journey goes into motion."

Cade folded his hands together. "Many of you wish for there to be a bright tomorrow of peace between Pokémon and Fusion. Some of you don't see a chance for peace. Some of you have a poor outlook on Pokémon, though that doesn't mean we're any better."

Abraham shook his head. "Some of you have done terrible things before coming to this village. Those actions were either intentional or done out of desperation or anger. This village is a sanctuary of second chances. We need to be a strong example to the Pokémon that we are capable of change."

They looked to the crowd and saw Artemis raising her ribbon. "Yes Artemis?" Gracelyn called out.

She lowered her ribbon and asked, "You say that the Pokémon don't deserve this anguish just like we don't. But what about the ones who've tried to harm us, whether it be through physical or mental abuse?" She shrugged. "I'm just saying, giving them a taste of their own medicine wouldn't hurt."

Lewis sighed. "There are many people in this world who have done horrible things and deserve punishment for their actions, but what you're suggesting is revenge. As we said, this village is for second chances. Do any of you really believe what you did to get here was the right thing to do? Lie, cheat, and steal?" Artemis looked away awkwardly.

"Violently harm an entire town?" Cade brought up, which made Wash look down at his feet.

"Murder your own parent and/or others out of anger and fear?" Peregrine asked, which made Emily looked away with a sharp glare while Tamara bowed her head shamefully.

Liam shook his head. "We wish not to remind any of you of the prejudice and discrimination most of you were forced to endure. Some of you are the lucky ones, born into a family of caring Pokémon who only seek the best out of you. Yet you have a lot to learn from the ones who had to survive, whether it be on the streets or in your own homes."

Gracelyn nodded. "Many of you had to suffer for our history stained in blood and distrust. While it may have left scars too deep to go away, it does give you a perspective on how the Rogues must feel. You're the Fusions that stepped away from that dark path before it was too late."

Liam placed a hand over his heart. "I, too, have been through a lot when I was a boy. I was only lucky to be founded by a trusted Pokémon, one I use to call my friend." He narrowed his eyes. "Even if we have drifted apart, it gave me time to reflect on a future where I can keep a new generation of Fusions safe." He looked out to the crowd. "Do you know why we provide you all with an education? Give you assigned jobs around the village? It's because we believe in change. When the time comes where we are allowed to integrate into Pokémon society, you will all be ready to lead your own lives."

Abraham nodded. "Exactly. Real jobs, freedom to go wherever you please…"

"Starting families…" Cade added. "Raising your own child to pass down these exact lessons. We want this generation to exceed where our history has failed. While you may not know it yet, you all could be the key to breaking this barrier of hatred between us."

Liam grabbed a glass of water in front of him and raised it. "Until then, let us enjoy our time here for as long as we can. Eventually, we will break the mold our two societies has created. We will bring peace back to our name."

Quinn stared intently at the six councilmen, then raised his hand. "Chief Liam, sir?" Liam gestured him to speak. "I…" He lowered his hand a bit, feeling hesitance in even asking. "I, uh…" He gulped, then asked, "…what if that never happens? What if we're doomed to be seen as…monsters in their eyes?" This question wasn't far too different to what he asked earlier, but he wanted hear it again for...reassurance.

Liam stared back at the Charmeleon-Darkrai, pondering his question. Then he smiled wholeheartedly. "Well, quite the claim you're making, my boy. However…I don't believe in 'what ifs'. They are questions spawned from doubt." He swirled his glass around. "Doubt is something we all have in the back of our minds, whether it be a minor inconvenience or a possible catastrophe."

He chuckled lightly. "To me…taking a risk and failing at least means you have the heart to try again until success is achieved."

Quinn looked away for a moment. Taking a risk to incite change? He wasn't one for risk, but…doing nothing didn't seem like the best option either. He sighed, then smiled at the godly ape. "Thank you, sir."

He nodded. "You're quite welcome." He raised his glass once more, gesturing the Fusions before him to join in. "To another year of good fortune and change."

"Here, here!" they cheered, before taking a sip of their drinks.

* * *

As the festival continued to go on throughout the night, their secluded forest received nightly visitors walking along the dirt path to the village. Julian Roteman walked along the path with his hands behind his back. Following him closely was his secretary by his side and two bodyguards, a Nidoking and a Carnivine, wearing black suits and sunglasses while wielding guns in the event things got out of hand. Julian tried to plead that he didn't need protection, but they were persistent in keeping the man safe.

"Seriously, gents, I'll be fine. This is just a simple business matter I need to discuss with Chief Liam."

The Nidoking shook his head. "Absolutely not, sir. It is our job to protect at every possible hour of your day."

Carnivine nodded. "Besides, we can't trust those Fusions will behave as cooperatively as you believe."

Julian sighed, then looked to Brea. "You just HAD to tell them I'd be heading out, didn't you?"

Brea pushed her glasses up. "I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't keep tabs on you, sir. In all fairness, they are correct. Some of those Fusions don't like you, even if you are the one who gave them their new home. As I recall, a select few have tried to kill very passionate protesters."

"I trust they'll keep their calm around me. I don't blame them for their hatred, but I know they wouldn't blindly attack me out of bias." He closed his eyes. "However, after today, I'm not sure if that fact will remain true."

"You're playing a wild card with this plan of yours, sir. Liam will not be pleased with what you have to offer."

"I know my way around people, Brea. I wouldn't be a good businessman if I didn't know how to pull a few strings and get people to cooperate." Julian clenched his teeth. "Whether Liam is willing to agree with me or not, I'm not allowing him a decisive choice."

Brea narrowed her eyes at him, then looked ahead as the front gates came into view. "Are you sure you're not reconsidering hiring the Fusion Hunters?"

"What I have planned will not only benefit me, but it might have some positive outcomes for them, too." He smiled. "Again, I can pull a few strings and turn this into a good thing for the Fusions. This gives them a chance to prove their worth."

Brea sighed. "I really hope you know what you're doing…"

They stopped in front of the door. The music playing loudly within the walls of the gated off village. The sounds of cheering and excitement, child-like happiness and freedom from the hate, almost made Julian feel guilty for what he was about to do. However, he was a symbol of progress for the two opposing worlds. His own feelings didn't matter anymore. The Rogues are a danger to his kind. This single action could determine the future for the Fusions, so long as they cooperate in the end.

Julian raised his upper right fist, with his lower arms still folded behind his back. He took a few reassuring breaths, trying to calm his nerves. There was no turning back one his knuckles connected with this wall.

"I hope so too…"

He swung his fist and connected with the gate, resonating a loud knock across the village.


	3. Julian's Ultimatum

The party continued on through the night, with the Fusions partying and celebrating with all their vigor. Some turned in within the night, having tired themselves out from all the fun. Or out of sheer boredom and wishing to retreat in the comforts of their hut.

The Fusion Council, after finishing up with their speech, decided to join in the festivities themselves. Gracelyn tried to play a game on the skeeball machine, but she wasn't putting a lot of strength into the toss. Aside from lifting heavy objects, she refuses to use her monstrous strength. She tended to handle everything she did with a level of grace and delicacy, even with a simple game like skeeball. She knew if she put too much effort into her toss, the ball would smash through the machine and go soaring into the sky, landing who-knows-where.

Cade and Lewis merely hung out around the dance floor, specially near the buffet table. Abraham decided to let loose and go out on the dance floor, contrasting his sophisticated and laidback behavior. Artemis made it into a dance off that, unsurprisingly, she was doing far better at than him. Even so, the teacher was having a good time.

Peregrine went back to his hut to watch his shows, while still keeping an ear out if anyone needed his assistance. That just left Liam, who was sitting at a table and listening to the children as they talked about random kid stuff, such as school activities and games they played. He personally enjoyed listening to them chatter, as he did with any Fusion that require his presence.

Focusing back on the dance floor, Artemis was busting a move. One of her moves was the 'oh-so-classic' moonwalk, as she walked backwards with fluid movement. She bopped her head back and forth as she cheered herself on.

"Oh, oh, oh yeah! Go Artemis! Go Artemis! Get down with your bad self!" She flipped and stood on her forepaws, then performed a tap dance routine, clicking her claws against the floor. She smirked and glanced at Abraham. "Can you keep up, old man?"

He shifted and moved in the same spot, pacing himself unlike the energetic Eevee Fusion. He danced like he was moving in beat with disco music. "I'll have you know I did quite a bit of dancing back in my day! I snuck into some wild and crazy parties when I was your age!"

Artemis rolled her eyes and laughed. "Whatever you say, old timer, but I'm winning this challenge!" She spun on her paw, then on a single ribbon, before spinning on her back and dramatically posing once she finished. "And pose!"

Quinn smiled with his eyes narrowed lazily, clapping for his girlfriend. "Ten out of ten, best performance of the night."

She waved his praise off with a flirty smirk. "Oh stop it, you~!"

Abraham held his back and chuckled. "Oh my…I may need to take a rest. That was certainly entertaining, though. I should really participate in the village activities more often."

Quinn smiled. "Oh yeah, everyday offers a little something to do for everyone."

Artemis smirked. "How good are you at video games?"

Abraham rubbed his chin. "Hmm…I dare say I've never touch one in years. Last game I played was on an arcade machine."

The mischievous Fusion grinned. "Oh…excellent!" she said with a dark, scheming undertone, tapping her digits together.

Abraham chuckled awkwardly with his hands folded behind his back. "You're quite the spirited and…unique personality, dear Artemis." He smiled. "Well, this has been fun, but I have to plan for my next class. You all have fun."

"See ya!" Quinn and Artemis shouted, waving goodbye as the Smeargle-Ninetales walked off.

Wash hung out on the side with his arms crossed, leaning against one of the huts. Tamara walked up to him with a plate in her hand. It had berries and salad. She stabbed a berry with her claw and ate it. "Wearing down already?"

Wash shrugged. "Eh, I mean, parties aren't my typical thing."

Tamara picked up some lettuce and chewed a piece off. "So why you still hanging around?"

"Well, I didn't want to leave." He looked around at the crowds of Fusions. "Old faces…now new faces added to our family." He smiled as he saw some of the newcomers gathering around Sheila, as she was showing off her cooking skills for them. "We all have to live with each other, so it's only right that we stick around and get to know them."

Tamara smiled. "Point taken." She threw a berry into her mouth and chewed lightly. "I remember when I first came here." She sighed. "Boy…I've changed a lot."

"Oh yeah. Didn't you say you were really shy before coming here?"

"Hard to believe now, but yeah. But all the welcoming faces helped turn my shyness around." She picked up a berry slice and squeezed it gently. "Juniper and especially Ulysses helped me turn myself around. I didn't start out lucky, but it was well worth it." She threw a berry slice in her mouth. "You know, you could actually talk to the newcomers rather than standing off to the side like a weirdo."

He shrugged. "I mean, I don't want to frightened them or anything."

"Well, standing around here certainly won't do you any good. You could sit down and relax like a normal mon…" She grinned teasingly. "Maybe with a certain panda girl…"

Wash glanced at her questioningly. "What are you implying?"

"Oh, don't give me that. I know you would rather hang out with Juniper than talk to little ol' me." She chuckled. "For…certain reasons."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Tamara…"

She shrugged. "What? I'm only teasing."

Wash straighten himself up. "Whatever you're thinking, it's not like that. I see Juniper as a good friend with…questionable behavior. Nothing more, nothing less."

She shrugged. "Okay~! If you say so~!" She turned her back to him and walked away with a smirk across her face. _He totally likes her._

Wash held his face and shook his head. "That cat can be so irritating sometimes…"

Hanging out to the side, Lewis and Cade were both enjoying a glass of beer reserved for the adult Fusions. They clanged their glasses together and took a drink. Cade sighed happily. "Haha! Boy, oh boy, this is the fun life!"

Lewis swirled his cup around. "If you say so…" The Lucario Fusion fell forward as Cade gave him a mighty pat on the back, nearly making him spill his drink over.

"Ah, don't be such a downer, Lewis! Come on, drink! We're going to party until we're drunk!"

Lewis deadpanned. "If we're drinking just beer, that isn't going to happen anytime soon."

"It's a figure of speech for me!" The large panda sighed. "Kind of wish Annabeth and Marion were here for the party." He groaned. "But making them pay for a plane just to visit for one night…that's asking for too much."

Lewis sipped on his glass. "Well, that and they'd feel cornered by the more hostile Fusions around here, even if they're your family."

"I know." He looked up at the sky. "It's kind of sad that I can mostly see them over video chat." He clenched his fists with a large grin. "But I really want them to visit the village, at least once!"

Lewis smirked dryly. "You are the only Fusion here who married a Pokémon and had a kid with her. Still, if I can help in anyway, I'll make sure they come down for a visit."

Cade smiled. "You're a great partner and friend, Lewis!"

"So I've been told." They clinked their glasses together once more and took a sip. Suddenly, Lewis felt a twitch in his ears, as he picked up a faraway sound coming from the front gate. He narrowed his eyes, setting his glass down. "Did you…"

"…hear a knock on the front gate?" Cade finished. He nodded. "Yeah, I did."

Lewis glared suspiciously in the direction. "Who could be out here this late at night?"

"Protesters?" Cade suggested.

The Lucario Fusion shook his head. "No. If it were protesters, they wouldn't be knocking on the gate in such a civilized manner." He set his drink down and gripped his blades. "I'll get rid of them."

Cade's eyes widened, then he grabbed Lewis' shoulders and sat him down in a chair. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Be rational! They're clearly not hostile, so force isn't necessary." He crossed his arms. "I'll go handle it. You just sit back and enjoy yourself."

Lewis raised a brow. "You sure?"

"Between the two of us, I'm the people person. If anyone has to check this out, it's going to be me."

The Fusion stared up at his partner for only a moment, then returned to drinking his beer. "Whatever. The moment you see weapons or stuff to vandalize the gate, remove them from the premises."

Cade cracked his knuckles. "Oh, I'm secretly hoping it comes down to that." He wound his arm up as he made his way to the gate. Lewis eyed the direction of the gate suspiciously, before dropping the attitude entirely and finishing off his beer.

The large panda made his way up to the gates and undid the locks. He gripped the two handles and pulled the doors open, greeting the Pokémon before him.

"Kind of late to be taking a nightly stroll, wouldn't you say?" he asked as his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness in front of him. "To what do I owe the pleasure of…?" He squinted at the darkness as it became clearer, then he blinked in surprise. "Julian Roteman?"

The Machamp smiled politely and bowed. "Cade. Always good to see such a friendly face around here." He held his hand out.

Cade grabbed it and gave it a light shake, mostly ignoring the two bodyguards that had their guns aimed at him. "Always a pleasure to see you too, Julian."

Julian chuckled, then gestured to Brea. "You remember my secretary, correct?"

He nodded. "Of course. Nice to see you again, Brea." He held his hand out, but she rejected the friendly gesture with a turn of her head, pushing her glasses up. A drop of sweat formed on his head as he smiled awkwardly. "Still…Still being you, I see." He finally acknowledged the two bodyguards. "And, uh…they would be?"

Julian groaned, glaring over his shoulder. "Yes, please forgive their brash behavior. They're my bodyguards, so it's in their job description to keep an eye out for all dangers pressed against me. However, as I keep trying to tell them, I don't require protection from these folks."

Nidoking pointed his gun at Cade's head. "Sir, half of these villagers are known criminals! Are you truly that surprised we're only doing our best to watch over you?"

Cade narrowed his eyes. "Lower those things before you hurt someone."

Carnivine held his gun up. "We don't take orders from lower lifeforms."

Cade glared at them. His left eye and arms lit up with purple and green energy for a mere moment before he took a few relaxing breathes and dispelled the energy. "Very well…but if I see you aim those things at the children, I'm confiscating those."

They tried to fight back, but Julian interjected. "They will comply." He glared at them. "Right?"

They glared at Cade for a moment, then lowered the rifles, still keeping themselves on high alert. "Yes sir."

Cade sighed in relief. "Thank you." He crossed his arms and shifted the leaved shoot in his mouth around. "So, what brings you out so late?"

Julian smiled. "Why, I came to see how everyone is enjoying the festival. They wouldn't have this without the generous support of Profectus Inc., so it's only right that I see how the newcomers are fitting in."

The phantom panda was much more perceptive than the Machamp thought. "This is the first time you've ever greeted the newcomers on the day of the festival. The only other time you came was during the grand opening of the village."

Julian shrugged. "I've decided to change things up a bit, you know? Staying in my stuffy office all day would drive me bonkers."

Cade shook his head. "Nice try, Julian, but I know there's more to your arrival."

The Machamp sighed with a sheepish grin. "Am I that transparent? How shameful of me." He folded his arms behind his back. "While I am happy everyone is having fun, I did come here for a much more personal reason. I need to speak with Liam on a matter I'm currently dealing with."

"That's what I thought," Cade said. "Should I arrange a private meeting?"

He held his hand up to decline. "No need. Actually, an audience would help spread the word. This is, more so, an announcement for the entire village, with the matter being handled by Liam and you Fusion Councilmen, of course."

The phantom panda raised a brow suspiciously. "The whole village needs to hear this?"

"Of course." He felt Brea tugging on his suit. "What?"

"You're going to drop this news on them and you thought coming alone was a brilliant idea?" she asked with a dry tone.

Julian glared at her. "I told you, I have it covered."

The way they were speaking raised Cade's curiosity and suspicion. If Brea believes he needs bodyguards just to deliver news, then something was definitely up. Still, it would be rude to toss him out. Plus, Julian was a respected friend to the village, even if certain members thought otherwise. It'd be best to hear him out and see where it takes them.

Cade folded his arms behind his back. "Well, since you came all this way, I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

Julian grinned. "Oh, excellent. Lead the way, my good man."

The phantom panda nodded and led them into the village, while making sure to shut the gate doors behind him. Julian's bodyguards acted fidgety as they scanned the surrounding area for any signs of sneak attacks, even though most of the village population was gathered in a single area. Brea just stared off into space with a bored expression, floating by Julian's side.

As for the businessman himself, he kept a cheery demeanor whenever Cade look his way. However, the moment he turned away, his expression would shift into one of worry and regret, along with a light scowl as he clenched his fist behind his back. His only hope for this entire plan to go smoothly rested solely on Liam's response. Regardless of his answer, though, Julian wasn't leaving until he got what he wanted.

They came closer to the center of the village. At first, Julian went unnoticed by the Fusions as they minded their own business. However, it only took one Fusion to gain everyone's attention. It started off as a simple glance, quickly turning into surprise as they stared at the businessman. Then, one by one, Fusions turned to their friends and whispered the news to them, where they saw for themselves and spread the word, too.

The whole party slowly died down in cheeriness as everyone's attention was now set on the president of Profectus Inc., who merely stood with his arms behind his back and a neutral smile.

Artemis, who still dancing, didn't notice that the music had suddenly cut off halfway through. It was only with a simple elbow nudge from a stunned Quinn that came to her senses. "Huh? What?" She looked around in confusion. "Why did the music stop? Come on, people, where's the…hype?" She locked her attention onto Julian. "…oh…"

Liam chattered with the kids, but quickly realized that the crowd suddenly grew quiet. He squinted over the crowd, then blinked in surprise. "Julian?"

Gracelyn and Abraham walked over to him, equally confused. "What a bizarre surprise," Abraham commented. "I wasn't aware Julian would be paying us a visit."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Neither did I."

Gracelyn smiled. "Oh, perhaps he came to celebrate for the ceremony."

"The twelfth anniversary of the village doesn't seem like the appropriate time to grace us with his presence," Abraham said. "Fifteenth, maybe." He rubbed his chin. "Still, why come without dropping us a letter of warning first?"

"That's what I'm going to find out." Liam stood up, grabbed his staff, and slowly made his way into the crowd.

The crowd continued to stare in stunned silence at the Machamp. He smiled and raised his hands high. "Greetings, residents of Gappei Village! My, my, what a spectacle we're witnessing! Truly a marvelous time to celebrate, wouldn't you say?"

Emily glared at the businessman coldly. "What are YOU doing here?"

Julian crossed his upper arms. "A pleasure to see you too, Emily." He laughed. "Why friends, I've come to give my congratulations on your twelfth year! Who wouldn't be excited?" He rubbed his fingers together. "I mean, I deserve to at least see what my resources are being used for every year. I'm glad to see my generosity has brought upon happiness to you all."

Rebecca smiled. "Yeah, we're having a great time! We plan to make the next year of our lives just as good as the last!"

 _Believe me, things are going to get interesting for you all._ Julian smiled. "I'm glad to hear that."

Shane narrowed his eyes suspiciously, which Chris noticed. "Shane, is something wrong?"

"I'm getting a bad feeling. Something…not _bad_ is going to happen, but definitely troubling." He pointed at Julian. "And it's mostly centered around him."

Chris scratched his head and looked at the Machamp curiously. "You really think so?"

Julian paced back and forth with his arms behind his back. "Many of you know that I only seek to keep the balance of peace between Fusions and Pokémon a sacred, treasured one." He held his fist over his heart. "It breaks my heart to know this war between our two sides has caused so much turmoil and mistrust. It's all too much for a simple man like me to bear." He sighed dramatically. "If only things turned out differently, maybe peace would have been possible. Alas, it has only grown worse with time."

Quinn narrowed his eyes and kept considerable notice on his exaggerated behavior. He could tell that there was an underlying motive behind his words. Like any good businessman, he was buttering up the crowd for something. If he had to gain their sympathy and trust like this, he had something that was going to cause issues.

Artemis seemed to be catching on to the same impression as him. "What do you suppose he wants? This is the first time he has ever attended one of the festivals, right?"

Ren nodded. "Yeah. He was here for the opening ceremony, but…that's about it. I don't get it, did the council invite him?"

Quinn looked over his shoulder and saw Liam moving through the crowd with a sharp glare. The Charmeleon Fusion frowned. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no."

Julian glanced into the crowd and smiled. "Chief Liam! Ah, so nice to see you again." Liam stepped out of the crowd and stared at the Machamp with a stern glare. "I'm happy the festival is going well as usual. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Liam's expression shifted to a more neutral one, as he didn't want to appear rude in front of his family. Though, he couldn't help but feel disturbed by Julian's arrival. "Why are you here, Julian?"

Julian grinned. "What? A philanthropist such as myself can't stop by for a visit every once in a while?"

"The many times we've met with each other, it was at your office, not mine." Liam pointed his staff at him, alarming Julian's bodyguards. "You know coming here is a dangerous decision, given the hostility some of my residents harbor towards your kind."

Julian sighed with a light shrug. "Well, I suppose I should quit stalling and get straight to the point." He smiled. "I've come bearing gifts!"

Liam raised a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Gifts?!" Harper ran out of the crowd and towards Julian, wagging her tail happily and ignoring the paranoid bodyguards that were pointing their guns at her. "I want gifts!"

The Machamp laughed and patted the young Fusion's head. "Hello, dear Harper. Have you been a good girl?"

She nodded. "Uh huh! I've been extra, extra good!" She jumped up and down. "I want a gift please! I want a pretty bow!"

Wantanabe stumbled out of the crowd and jumped giddily, too. "I want candy and cake and chocolate and-!"

Julian raised his hands with a merry laugh. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, little ones! Let's control ourselves! I'm not Santa Claus." He smiled, holding his hips. "Besides, the gifts I bring aren't in tangible form."

Harper tilted her head. "Huh?"

Dakota spoke up, "It means he didn't bring a physical gift, sweetheart!"

Harper blinked, then pouted in annoyance. "Aww…"

Julian patted her head again. "Sorry to sour your mood, kiddo." He waved her off, where she rejoined Wantanabe and Charlie. Julian crossed his arms. "No, the gift I bring is an opportunity for all of you to partake in, with the right amount of compliance of course."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Compliance?"

"We'll get to that part shortly. First things first, I need a collective opinion on the living space." He clasped his hands together, asking, "Tell me, is everyone happy with the home they've come to know and love for all these years?"

Dez smiled. "Oh, absolutely! The time I've spent in this village is some of the best moments of my life!"

Crawford laughed joyously. "Aye, it's a fine village! Gives me more time to train with me new neighbors without having to worry about the police!"

York nodded. "I know how that feels. This place has helped me move pass my old thieving days. I'm glad I came here."

Julian chuckled, rubbing his chin. "Well, I'm glad you all feel that way. Now, ask me this: do any of you feel…trapped here?"

Ulysses blinked in confusion. "Trapped? How so?"

The Machamp shrugged. "Trapped. You know, restricted, chained down, like there's a part of you that feels like being here is only holding you back in some way?"

The crowd murmured quietly, considering the thought. Hawkins, who had came out of his hut some time ago when he heard the lack of commotion, scoffed. "While I can't say I despise my three years living here, it is rather bothersome today's boorish society has casted me away from my own family and forced me to seek refuge in this haven for their own protection."

Emily sighed cold air. "If we're being honest, it is infuriating that some of us had to come here with no real choice. Don't get me wrong, the connections I've made with everyone here made me feel welcome…" She glared. "But it is hard to call this place paradise when we all know why it was created in the first place." A lot of the crowd murmured in agreement.

Julian nodded. "And that is exactly my point. Being limited to just this village, despite the pleasant memories you've had, can eventually wear you all down." He looked at Liam. "The forest can only take up so much space, Liam. Sooner or later, you won't be able to house anymore new Fusions that decide to make the long trek here. That's still years from happening, sure, but you never know. One day there'll be a large spike in Fusions migrating to Kanto just to get away from all the fuss. Change needs to happen."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I'm aware of the issue with spacing, but we will manage if and when that time comes."

Julian raised his finger and wagged it. "Tsk, tsk. Sweeping the problem under the rub now will only bring trouble. What I propose will solve two of your problems, with the right amount of dedication and, ultimately, luck." He smiled. "The ability to enter the city legally AND boosting the Fusions' reputation for the people of Grandis City."

Lewis walked over to Liam and faced Julian with a suspicious look. "Okay, you still haven't answered the earlier question. Why are you here?"

Julian folded his arms behind his back. "I'll get straight to the point. We're having a bit of an issue in the city as we speak. A spike in Fusion related crimes from a specific group of troublemakers. I believe all of you are familiar, if not personally connected, to the Rogues, am I right?"

A select few narrowed their eyes in anger, one such Fusion being York. "Yeah…we know about them…"

Julian sighed. "They've been causing us quite a bit of trouble. Every other day, it's destruction, chaos, mayhem…and checks written out by me." He groaned. "That's what I get for verbally stating that I'll take care of the Fusions in this city." He scratched the side of his head. "I ask you, are any of you familiar with a Golduck-Electrode Fusion?"

York glared. "Norris…"

"Ah, so you know him?"

"Know him? I worked alongside him when I was with the Rogues." He growled. "But his hotheaded temper and hatred towards the Pokémon drove me away from them."

Crawford laughed aloud, expressing the exact opposite of the reptilian Fusion. "HAHAHA! Oh, good ol' Norris! I haven't seen that loudmouthed, temperamental psycho since my underground fighting days!" He laughed loudly for a good five seconds before those laughs grew increasingly quieter, ending with him dropping his arms. "Ha…haha…ha…um, yeah, ye may have a problem on yer hands."

Spaz scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Yeah, I've known him a bit. He was a little…much to deal with…"

Julian nodded. "Exactly. They're becoming a threat to our lives."

Liam sighed. "Forgive my rudeness, Julian, but I fail to see how this is any of our concern."

Abraham crossed his arms. "Wouldn't it be more sufficient to have the police handle it?"

Brea pushed her glasses up. "It's not as simple, unfortunately. While the city authorities have captured resisting or misbehaving Fusions before, these particular Fusions are some of the stronger ones. The right combination of DNA was given to them…or they've simply grown stronger and adapted their forms into their own style of battle."

"Brea is correct," Julian said. "Fusions are growing stronger with each passing day." He pointed at the crowds. "Which is why I'm enlisting the service of Gappei Village to handle them personally."

Ren's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

Juniper sipped her soda and grinned. "Neat!"

Liam glared. "You're enlisting my village to help you deal with your own mess?"

"There's more to the deal than just that, Liam." Julian grinned. "It's a great deal if you think of the possibilities. Assisting the city and suppressing the Fusions of their evil actions. Not to mention a chance to travel the world."

Now Artemis was growing interested, as she rubbed her paws together with a devilish smile. "Travelling the world?"

"I'm sure Liam can tell you that we have Rogues all around the world. They interfere with important meetings and plans specifically made to help Fusions around the world. You all would be allowed to freely walk through the city for important tasks made by me."

Liam crossed his arms. "You really think I'd allow you to use my family in such a disrespectful manner? They're not your police force."

Julian glared. "Liam, I didn't come here without considering the alternative. We wouldn't be having this conversation if you'd just agree to letting me hire the Fusion Hunters."

This made the godly ape's nostrils flare in rage. "Absolutely not!" He stomped his foot forward, alerting Julian's bodyguards to aim at him. "I thought we made it clear that I never want those shady mercenaries handling Fusion affairs for whatever reason!"

Codex's eyes flashed as information crossed his eyes. "The military branch that created these elite mercenaries do have questionable business practices. I cannot find any data as to where the captured Fusions are held captive, specifically to be untraceable by any rogue Fusions that wish to rescues their capture acquaintances."

"Exactly what I mean!" Liam glared down on Julian. "I refuse to let you hire them!"

Julian grunted in annoyance. "You're not giving me very many options to work with. It's either I hire them or you all do this one thing for me and get progression out of it." He pointed at the ape accusingly. "While you're all tucked away in this cozy little paradise, you could have been using these twelve years to actually make a change to our world's mistrust. Instead, you've been twiddling your thumbs, hoping this THOUSAND YEAR HATRED between the Fusions would just blow over." He shook his head. "I don't know what else to tell you, Liam. I'm at least trying to make change. You're just stalling so you can keep your _family_ safe.

"What I'm suggesting not only allows the villagers to exit this heavenly cage you've made for them, but also could help boost the recognition and reputation that you all clearly need!" He held his hands in front of him. "Picture the headlines: _'Gappei Village Fusions Bring About Hope in our Darkest Time.'_ Now doesn't that sound like the kind of message your villagers should wake up to in the morning?"

"They're not ready to handle dangerous threats!" He gestured to the crowd. "I'm telling you, something like this is going to cause more problems than solve them! Besides, do you really expect the masses to go along with your little plan? It's like you said, it's been a millennium since this mistrust between Pokémon and Fusions occurred. I have Fusions here who have been mentally scarred or tortured by your kind! Will anyone truly accept a sudden change like this without responding with the same general reaction that has been engraved into their minds since birth?!"

Julian clenched his fist, finding difficulty to hold his anger back. "Liam, you're making this harder than it needs to be. I'm trying to be the reasonable one here. You're stuck on your stubborn ways that you can't accept a change!"

"I want change, but not a type of change that requires a direct interaction of this scale! How would it look if the public saw the Gappei residents and the Rogues clashing with each other?! I don't see recognition, I see pitchforks and torches! Would they be able to tell the difference?!"

"I'm having a direct hand in all of this, so you have nothing to worry about! Besides, the public isn't as one-sided as you believe! I'm sure if given a chance to see for themselves, they'll consider a different attitude towards it!"

Liam growled. "I'm sorry Julian, but it's too risky to implement. I don't want my village looking like a haven of savages." He turned his back to him and began to walk away.

Julian glared darkly. "I don't take refusal lightly, Liam. You're helping me suppress the Rogues, whether you like it or not."

"You can't change my mind. This discussion is over."

The Machamp glared at the godly ape for a moment longer, then sighed. "You've forced my hand. I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice. There's one last part of the deal you may want to take into consideration before hastily making decisions."

Emily groaned. "Will you give it a rest already?!"

Wash crossed his arms. "The chief made his decision. What could you possibly have that'll make a difference?"

Julian sighed, about to regret the actions he was going to take. He kept his emotions hidden under a cunning smirk. "Leverage."

Spaz narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Leverage?"

Sheila held her arms up against her chest worriedly. "What are you talking about?"

"I should remind you all that Profectus Inc. is responsible for your new lives. Without my generous donations, you would all still be living where you were before: in environments filled with hate and discomfort. I provided each and every one of you with everything you've ever wanted. I have the receipts to prove it," he muttered under his breath before continuing, "As such, you all owe me.

"And as the final nail in the coffin, there's one thing I can do that none of you can stop." He glared at the crowd, making them tense. "With just a simple change to my banking account, I can and will cut off all the revenue being poured into this village. In other words…I can take your home away from you."

"WHAT?!" the crowd cried in horror.

"What?!" Liam shouted in anger.

The only one who didn't react strongly was Juniper, who blinked in surprise. "Huh…got to admit, that's a definite clincher."

Emily growled viciously. "What's the big idea, wise guy?!" Dez and Charlie grabbed her arms and held her back as she tried to march over to the businessman.

"Emily, please calm down!" Charlie begged.

Wash and Sheila found themselves doing the exact same with York. "I swear, if you take our home away, I'll give you a world of hell, bastard!"

"York, cool it!" Wash scolded.

The Fusions went into an uproar of anger, shouting and shaking their fists while the passive Fusions tried to calm and hold them back. Julian's bodyguards took aim at the crowd once more, placing their fingers over the triggers. Julian glared at them. "Will you two put those down?!"

They declined, but Brea used her Psychic to forcibly point the guns downward. Whether she was against this or not, she was not one to be considered an accomplice in a Fusion massacre.

Julian sighed. "Thank you, Brea." He glared at the crowd before bringing his fingers and letting out a sharp whistle that halted the uproar. "Will you all calm down?!"

"Calm down?! CALM DOWN?!" Tamara screamed in rage. "You're threatening to throw us back onto the streets!"

"Do-you-know-how-hard-it-is-to-find-warm-blankets-on-the-streets?!" Spaz cried. "I-can't-go-back-to-living-on-a-sidewalk!"

Ren collapsed to his knees and threw his fists in the air. "THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN!"

Quinn stared at his roommate awkwardly, shook it off, then glared at Julian. "What brought this threat on?"

"I would like to know that myself!" Liam added in, poking Julian's chest with his staff. "You have no right to be taking our home away!"

Julian batted the staff away. "No right, huh? Answer this simple question. It's a basic common sense problem that a child could comprehend. What have YOU given back to ME?"

Liam stepped back, with a confused look. "What?"

"Oh, don't give me that 'what.' You know exactly what I'm talking about." He gestured at the entire village. "I'm not sure if you've taken a basic economic class, Liam, but I think you can figure out that everything I've poured into this village is pretty darn expensive! That's not even accounting for all the personal items I've bought for everyone here! I didn't just stop at houses, plumbing, food, etc. No, I went the extra mile and provided everyone with their personal wish lists come true!"

Liam growled. "You said these were generous donations!"

"Do you know how much I provide for this village just to keep it running?! Generous or not, it's still a pretty big dent in my wallet! But I put up with it because, A) I'm rich and can easily keep paying this stuff off. And B) I AM a generous philanthropist. I would have gladly went on with funding for Gappei Village until the time came where our two different societies can finally merge into a collective unit.

"But now things are rough on my end and I need to do something about it without disrupting the core message of our deal!" He poked Liam's chest. "This can go either way. You can swallow your pride and let me hire the Fusion Hunters, lose your homes and I'll still hire them, or you put up with a little manual labor and have your village give back to the company that gave so much for absolutely nothing!"

Liam clenched his teeth tightly. "Julian, I swear, I'll-!"

"Swear you'll do what? Blackmail me? Threaten me? Beat me up? That'll only tear apart what little respect you all have! Face facts, you can't do anything to pull yourself out of this. I gave and gave and got nothing out of it. Now my city is being torn apart and you won't help me despite EVERYTHING I've done for this village!"

He glared at the crowd. "Call me a jerk if you want! Call me an absolute scumbag for all I care! A good chunk of you should have been arrested ages ago for the crimes you committed! Disruption of peace, thievery, vandalism, MURDER! I let some of you go scot-free despite being linked to a MURDER! Do you know how much crap I had to put up with when explaining THAT to the public?!"

The crowd bowed their heads shamefully. Liam continued to glower down on Julian, clenching his staff so tightly that it was a miracle it hasn't been snapped in half by now.

"It's a simple a deal, Liam. In the end, there's a chance, what little there may be, that this can push us to a new and better direction. I don't want to play the bad guy here." He narrowed his eyes. "But you have to take responsibility for the lives of your people."

Liam relaxed his muscles, then looked to the crowd of worried Fusions. What was he supposed to do? What CAN he do? No matter how much he could argue, despite how unfair it was, Julian had a legitimate reason to be upset and to use such a drastic threat against them. There wasn't anything they could do without damaging their reputation further.

"Chief?" He looked around the crowd before landing his eyes on Quinn. He stepped forward and held his hand against his heart. "Whatever you decide, we will be behind you every step of the way."

Shane nodded. "We trust your guidance and your leadership status. You've helped a lot of us become better people."

"But…" Liam tried to say in objection.

York sighed, relaxing himself. "We have to face our worse selves sooner or later. Might as well take the high road."

Asadi shrugged. "No matter what happens, we know you'll make the right decision."

Liam stared at all of them in awe. He looked to his council members. They looked at each other with hesitant looks, before nodding their heads in agreement with the village. The chief lowered his head, with his hand trembling in worry.

"Well?" Julian asked, arms crossed.

The godly ape turned around, then sighed. "I…need time to think this over. Please give me until morning to give you a definite answer."

Julian nodded. "Alright." He gave everyone a short wave. "Take care, everyone." He turned around and started walking away. "We're leaving," he said to Brea and his bodyguards. They nodded and followed him to the front gate.

Once they were gone, Emily forced herself out of Dez and Charlie's holds and growled. "That guy is so dead!"

Asadi glanced at her. "Will you chill out?" Emily deadpanned at her. "You know what I mean. Getting all worked up won't make everything better."

York held his head, clenching his teeth. "Easy for you to say…ugh, I can't believe he would do this to us!"

Sheila grabbed him by the shoulders. "York, maybe you should go to sleep and rest up."

"Y-Yeah…maybe…"

Ulysses clasped his hands together worriedly, with his slime wings mirroring his movements. "Oh dear, I hope he doesn't actually take our home…"

Juniper patted his back. "Aww, don't worry, you big softy! Everything will be okay!"

Tamara glared at her. "You're not taking this as seriously as everyone else. He just threatened to kick us out of our own home."

Juniper shrugged with a lighthearted grin. "Hey, I can't let little stuff like that plague my mind. How else am I going to get some sleep?"

Tamara face-palmed. "You are a walking mystery…"

Spaz tapped his foot wildly, running his fingers through the fur on top of his head. "I-can't-believe-this-is-happening!"

Crawford patted his back. "Oh, don't worry, me friend! I know a thing or two about surviving in the streets! Ye'll be right as rain, I tell ye!"

Codex tilted his head. "Crawford, I don't believe-"

"It's an expression, Cody," he interrupted.

"That was not what I was going to say. What I meant was that Chief Liam will not allow us to live on the streets. I am sure he will devise a solution to this whole problem."

Crawford sighed. "Hopefully…"

Hawkins crossed his arms. "I knew it was too good to be true." He looked at Wantanabe, who looked a little down. "What's with you?"

He rubbed his eye. "I'm…just worried…"

Asadi picked him up and patted his back. "Oh, don't you worry, little guy. Everything's going to be okay, I promise."

Harper wasn't reacting as calmly as Wantanabe, as she was whimpering and sniffling, tears flowing down her face. "I don't…want to leave…"

Rebecca picked her up and rubbed her head. "Shh, shh, shh…" she hushed gently. "It's okay, no one's going to make you leave. You're fine."

Chris patted the little Fusion's head. "Everything's going to be okay."

She sniffled. "P…Promise?"

He smiled. "Of course. Would I ever lie to you?" She whimpered softly, then nuzzled up to Rebecca's chest. The Braixen Fusion stroked her back and carried her off to her hut, with Chris and Shane following.

Liam looked at the ground with a concern expression. He felt horrible that everyone was counting on him for an answer. He didn't want to disappoint or worry any of them. He had to come to a decision soon before it was too late.

He turned around and made his way to the councilmen's hut, shouting, "Fusion Council! Meeting, five minutes!" He pointed his staff at Abraham. "Get Peregrine." He nodded and dashed off.

Quinn, Ren, and Artemis looked at each other worriedly. Suddenly their festival took a major downturn. No one looked like they were in the mood to continue partying. Everything just…stopped abruptly. Their only solace is that the Fusion Council can sort all of this out.

* * *

Peregrine grumbled as he followed Abraham to the councilmen's hut. "This better be important. I was in the middle of my shows." He held his wing up to his forehead dramatically. "Charleston was just about to propose to Isabelle and now I'm left wondering if they'll make it in time for the big dramatic gang rivalry between their two families!"

Abraham glanced at the aquatic wild duck in curiosity. "One of these days, I need to pick at your brain." He sighed. "Besides, none of that matters. Important business needs to be discussed."

Peregrine glanced around, only now realizing it was quiet out, which was rather odd. "Did the party end early?"

"Something like that."

They entered the councilmen's hut. Right in the middle of the room was a large, rectangular table. There were seven chairs, three on both sides and one on the far end of the table. The table sat on top of a red rug. The corners of the hut had pots with small trees growing inside. There was a table purely to acquire beverages such as water or beer. The room was being illuminated with faintly glowing lamps in the center of the table, giving the room a rather eerie vibe.

Lewis and Cade sat across from each other, taking the seats closest to the door. Gracelyn and Abraham took the seats in the middle. Peregrine took the seat next to Abraham. Liam sat himself down in the far end seat. Only one seat remained, empty and bare.

Liam leaned his staff against his chair, then folded his hands together as he rested his chin on them. With a heavy sigh, he said, "Thank you all for coming. I think we all know why we're here."

"Uh, I don't!" Peregrine rudely exclaimed. "What's the big deal, Liam? Did Wash go on a rampage again? Did Artemis sneak out and steal alcoholic beverages?" He gripped his leek tightly. "Please don't tell me Emily killed an intruder! The last thing I want to do is deal with that crap!"

Liam shook his head. "Nothing like that, Peregrine. Just recently, Julian Roteman came by to greet the village."

The wild duck looked off to the side. "How…nice of him?"

Gracelyn folded her arms on the table. "The visit was a bit more sinister than that. He came by requesting our help with recent issues concerning the Rogues."

"Liam, of course, shut the offer down because he didn't want us painting targets on our backs," Lewis said.

"That is," Cade continued, "until he pulled out his trump card. If we didn't agree to help him, he would cut off all funding to the village."

Peregrine's eyes widened in shock. "Excuse me?!" He stabbed his leek into the table. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"I wish we were…"

The wild duck gripped his head in frustration. "Of all the rotten luck! He can't be serious!" He slammed his left wing on the table and shook his other wing, balled up into a fist. "What right does he have for this?! What did we do to deserve this?! Oh, I know, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!"

Gracelyn waited a moment for her hot-tempered coworker to ease up before saying, "Unfortunately, that's the exact problem, Perry."

He raised a brow in annoyed confusion. "Huh?!"

Liam groaned. "Julian had me pinned back there. I tried to argue against him, but there was no way around it." He looked at Peregrine with sad, narrowed eyes. "When was the last time we've repaid Profectus Inc. for their contributions to Gappei Village?"

"Last time?" Peregrine muttered. "Was there even a first time?"

Abraham leaned back in his chair. "And that's the unfortunate clincher that has us cornered. Despite this being Julian's way of keeping the peace, we've never really done much to pay him back for twelve years of providing for us."

Lewis pulled out a computer from the drawer under his side of the table and opened it up. "Lighting, food, material for shelters; all this stuff was expensive, especially with our increasing numbers. Not to mention he threw in internet, electronics, TV's, personal laptops; just about anything a kid or teenager could ask for." He deadpanned at one of the purchases. "Is anyone else a little concerned that he ordered one hundred casings of Diet Cola specifically at the request of Juniper?"

Cade rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. "Of all the Fusions here, that one eludes my knowledge for several reasons…"

Lewis crossed his arms. "As harsh as Julian was, we can't ignore the glaring issue here. We owe him, whether we like it or not."

Liam clenched his hands tightly. "Even so…threatening my village…my family…and all to do his dirty work?"

Gracelyn shook her head. "Liam, you're thinking too negatively about this. Like Julian said, the police can only do so much against the Rogues. Your distrust of the Fusion Hunters led him to seeking our assistance. Regardless of circumstances, we can't ignore our own blunders."

"But I can't just…"

Peregrine groaned in annoyance. "On and on with you! Acting all melodramatic!" He pulled his leek off the table and pointed it at Liam. "Listen closely, you albino ape! This passive attitude of yours needs to change! You keep whining on and on about how change needs to happen! Yet here you are wailing like a Misdreavus when our HOME is at stake here!"

Liam glared. "What else can I do?!"

"Oh, I don't know, how about getting off your sorry butt and actually DO SOMETHING?!" He slammed his wings down. "For Arceus' sake, you're way too overprotective of them! They need a taste of the real world if they want change!"

"I don't want things to get worse! The fragile relationship we've already established is-!"

"Stop acting like a freakin' hypocrite! Stop saying you want change AFTER you're on the fence about accepting a deal that could push us all ahead! Meetings, conferences, ADVERTISEMENTS! You've been doing everything you could from a distance to incite change, but you're too much of a coward because you can't follow your own damn logic! What was that crap you said earlier?! I don't believe in what ifs or whatever?! Well guess what?! That's all you're doing!"

Liam gripped his head. "Peregrine, please!"

"You're too nice, Liam! You're too worried about this fragile peace between us and the Pokémon that you don't want to provoke that brittle barrier! This cautious nature of yours is the exact reason why Gero quit the Fusion Council nine years ago!"

Silence befell the six councilmen at the mention of their old coworker. They hesitantly glanced at the empty seat next to Gracelyn. It was in better condition than their chairs, as it was the least used.

Liam gazed at the chair, then held his face. "Dear Arceus…"

Peregrine exhaled loudly, then crossed his wings. "Look, I'm not too keen on sending the kids out into the city to fight a bunch of wild and unstable criminals who refuse to let go of the past. That much I can understand, but refusing this request is your way of saying you don't trust them."

Abraham folded his arms behind his head. "The loudmouth has a point." Peregrine glared at him, red faced with annoyance. "You need to suck it up and let your villagers make that delicate choice themselves. We're holding them back like this."

Liam looked down. "Most of them have basic training, but a lot of them have never had to go up in real, life or death battles like this…"

Lewis closed his eyes. "We are their protectors. If anything goes wrong, we will hear their cries and come to their rescue. That was the promise we made when we created this village. All of us agreed, even Gero."

Cade sighed. "It pains me to say this, for I want what's best for the children, but keeping them locked away in this village could affect their own confidence." He crossed his arms. "Some of them don't believe change is possible. They believe war will continue between our two sides for years to come."

Gracelyn got out of her seat and placed a hand on Liam's shoulder. "They're trusting you with this decision. They said it themselves that they'll support whatever action you deemed fit for our survival."

Liam kept his eyes down as he contemplated the right course of action. Regardless of what he does, Julian still needs someone to suppress, flat out stop at best, the Rogues and their attacks. Even if they're causing mayhem, they were still confused souls who had it rough like the village. He wouldn't wish them a fate as drastic as being taken by the Fusion Hunters. It would go against everything he stood for if he allowed such a deed to be committed.

The village gave him their trust. He didn't want to damage the bonds he made. The village was comprised of Fusions of differing combinations. Every one of them was a part of this big family he created. He will never let that bond be shattered, even if he must take a route he wished he could avoid.

With a heavy sigh, he said, "…alright, I'll do it." He looked up at the councilmen. "I will allow one group to enter the city and track down the Rogues."

Gracelyn smiled. "This is a brave move you're making, Liam."

He stood up and grabbed his staff. "I'm still against this whole ordeal. That is why I'm going to observe the results for myself. If this goes well, then I should have nothing to worry about. If it doesn't…" He narrowed his eyes. "Julian and I are going to have a serious discussion tomorrow."

"Don't worry, sir. I have total faith in our villagers."

"I don't," Peregrine snarked, scratching his back with his leek.

Abraham raised a brow. "Ah yes, the pessimist disagrees. How shocking," he sarcastically stated.

He shrugged. "I know what's going to happen tomorrow. Those kids are going to go overboard with whatever they're doing and cause an equal or greater mess than what the Rogues could have accomplished. I'm only stating objective fact here."

Lewis gripped his scalchop blade, visibly annoyed with Peregrine's lack of faith, but Cade placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's a stubborn old duck…but he's rude because he cares. He wants what's best for these kids, whether he shows it or not." Lewis took his words into consideration, then let go of his weapon.

"Alright, fine." The aura samurai looked at Liam. "So, who should we send out?"

Liam rubbed his chin in thought, then said, "Quinn, Ren, and Artemis."

Peregrine raised a brow. "Quinn and Ren, I can understand. But…Artemis?"

Gracelyn looked at Liam worriedly. "Sir, even I have to agree with him. You know how she fights."

"I think the word you're looking for is 'cheats,'" Peregrine corrected.

Liam shook his head. "No, I have full confidence in those three. I have confidence in everyone. However, I feel those three are better suited for this. Some of the others either are too inexperienced, personal vendettas against the Rogues, or could pose a danger specifically for the public. I feel these three are the better choices, at least until we're certain about what we should expect in the morning."

The councilmen looked at each other thoughtfully, then nodded in agreement.

Liam sighed. "Good. Abraham, please call Julian and inform him of my answer. I must speak with Quinn and his hut mates at once. Meeting adjourned." They exited out of the hut.

* * *

"Sssooo…you want us to fight the Rogues?" Quinn asked the chief as he stood at their door.

It was nearing one o'clock at night and they were just about ready to do to bed. With the party prematurely ending the way it did, there was no point to staying up. Liam had just knocked on their door before they went to bed.

Liam sighed. "It was the only decision I could make in these desperate times."

Artemis rubbed her eye. "So you took up Julian's deal?"

He bowed his head. "I had no choice. I couldn't bear to watch you all on the streets again. It is my duty as a protector to guide and shield you from the dangers out there. However…perhaps I was being too protective." He sighed. "This is a heavy burden I'm placing on you three. I understand if you might feel anxious about accepting. I will not fault you for refusing."

Ren twiddled his fingers nervously. "W-Well, uh…do you really trust us? Do you think we're up to the task?"

Liam smiled wearily. "Without a doubt in my mind. You three, all of you, are strong individuals. I'm placing my faith in your abilities, to show the Pokémon that we can be much more than their enemies." He looked directly at Quinn. "As I told you, progression is key for us. Only now, we're giving fate a mighty push to move things along."

Quinn looked down at his feet, then looked up, asking, "And if we fail?"

He chuckled. "Like I also said…we learn from our failures and try again."

Artemis groaned, rubbing her head. "Good grief, I was looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow." She smirked deviously. "Still, a chance to meet some new faces and crack some skulls? Totally worth waking up early."

Ren stood tall and saluted stiffly. "Sir, I shall do this in the honor of Gappei Village! I will not fail you, sir!"

Liam smiled awkwardly. "T-Thank you, Ren." He turned to Quinn. "Well?"

Quinn looked between his two hut mates, then sighed with a neutral expression. "Why not? If there's a chance, no sense in avoiding it. After all, if I don't take it…" He smiled up at Liam. "…I might miss the opportunity to succeed."

Liam smiled warmly, then bowed. "Thank you, my children." He turned around and walked away from the hut. "Get some rest. You three have a big day tomorrow."

They nodded, then said, "Goodnight, Chief Liam!" They shut the door right after.

Liam's smile faltered a bit as he walked farther away from the hut. "Goodnight…"

With the godly ape gone, the three hut mates finally climbed up to the second level of their hut and went to their rooming sections. Quinn slipped into his covers, then pressed his hands against the bed, extending a shadow down to the first floor and towards the light switch, flipping it off.

He folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. With narrowed eyes, he asked, "Did anyone expect this to happen?"

Artemis wormed her way under her sheet and yawned, "Nope…"

Ren jumped into his bed. "I can't believe it. It's been so long since I've been outside the walls!"

Quinn raised a brow. "When was the last time you've been outside the village?"

"I think I was four years old."

"Twelve whole years?" Artemis mumbled. "Yeesh, you've missed over a decade of change in the city."

He chuckled. "Oh come on, it's no big deal. Besides, we're all going to have a grand ol' time tomorrow!"

"You do realize we're going to be beating criminals up, right?" Quinn asked as his eyelids drooped sleepily.

"Details, details."

Quinn yawned aloud, rubbing his eyes. "Well, best of luck, you two. Night Ren. Night Artemis."

"Night Quinn. Night Artemis."

"Night Spooks~!" Artemis purred aloud, then said, "Night Renny."

They shut off their individual light sources before closing their eyes, wrapped around in their blankets. Whatever tomorrow brings them, they weren't going to let their home get taken away.

* * *

Deep within the city, under the busy streets of Grandis City, was a long network of sewer systems traveling far and wide. Sounds echoed down the large pipes from various drips of dirty water and clangs from unknown sources. These tunnels were practically unhospitable for Pokémon not suited to the mucky environment.

For the Rogues, though, it was the only place they could call home.

Far down in the sewer system was a condemned section cut off due to damage caused around it. It should be unlivable with the state it's in, but the Rogues did their best to keep it in good shape. At least, as good as a group of felons could do with stolen supplies.

The condemned part of the sewer was one big space. The walls were black with a tint of dark green mixed it. Hanging on the walls were lights which were hooked up to multiple stolen generators, powered by the Electric-Types of their party. Hammocks were attached to the walls for all the Rogues. Scattered all over the large space were boxes, big and small. Most of them stored food that didn't need to be refrigerated while some other boxes contained items they stole.

All the Rogues looked dirty and unclean, as if they haven't seen a proper bath in years. It was to be expected, given that their only source of bathing was a bucket of clean water. Unlike the Fusions of Gappei Village, they weren't living in the lap of luxury. It would have been so easy to just steal from them and take their goods, but they had no quarrels with the village. Their main focus was causing mayhem to the Pokémon of Grandis City, along with the rest of the world for their harsh treatment.

One of those Fusions in particular was the Golduck-Electrode Fusion, known as Norris. He was angrily munching on an apple, rather annoyed with how his raid went earlier. He tried to rob a tech store, but the police open fired on him. He got hit with a lot of attacks and got grazed by a few bullets, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. One quick swing of his fist was enough to shut them up.

He had bandages wrapped around his arm and a bandage on his right cheek. He growled lowly as he squeezed the half-eaten apple. "Those rotten Pokémon are driving me nuts…" His wrist orb sparked with electricity. "'Oh no, there's the freak again! Quick, call the police so they can open fire on him! I really hope they nail him in the head!' BAH!" He threw the apple across the room, nailing one of the Rogues across the head and knocking him over.

A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. "Norris, watch your temper. We don't want this place collapsing on us."

He shook off the Fusion and faced her. "Oh, give me a break, Mikayla! I should be back up there and pounding their skulls into the pavement!"

The Fusion that was trying to comfort him was a Slurpuff-Vanilluxe Fusion. While she remained white in color, the collar around her neck and spot on her body were dark blue. Her hair was light blue and swirly, with a red sphere resting on top of it. Sticking out on the left side of her hair was a crystal, straw like structure, which occasionally released cold mist. Her feet were light blue and she had light blue crystal on her back.

She crossed her arms. "Hey, I'm not the one who nearly brought the ceiling down on us last time. That would be you." She looked away with her eyes closed. "Your temper tantrums can be so unbearable."

"I don't throw temper tantrums!" he shouted furiously.

She opened one eye to glance at him. "I rest my case."

He clenched his fists tightly as electricity sparked off his wrist orbs. He was about ready to slam them against the ground have it not been for the interruption that soon followed.

"Yo, boss? Come over here," a deep voice called out to him.

Norris and Mikayla walked over to a Heatmor-Clawitzer Fusion. The only real noticeable change between him and a regular Heatmor was that his right arm had the massive Clawitzer pincer, which he was able to move around and use surprisingly well, even grabbing things with the massive pincer.

Norris crossed his arms. "What do you want, Sullivan?"

"We're kind of running low on medicine." He gestured around the room. "Some of the Fusions are getting sick."

Norris held his face, then sarcastically shouted, "Oh wonderful! How exciting!" He grabbed the Fusion by the snout and glared into his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me this when I left this morning?!"

"It wasn't a big deal at the time!"

"We are running low on medicine and only now, after I got back, it becomes an issue to address?!" He shoved him to the ground. "Typical. Now we have to go rob the pharmacy in the morning."

Mikayla raised a brow. "You don't sound excited."

"Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to cause more destruction, but not when I have to run an errand I could have done earlier!" he yelled directly at Sullivan.

A Fusion jumped down next to them suddenly. "Well, it might be best if we get medicine soon. Augustus needs it." The Fusion was a Toxicroak-Honchkrow Fusion. He had a feathery crest resembling a hat and a wing cloak covering his body. He had a puff of white feathers on his chest.

Norris raised a brow. "Augustus?" He glanced to the side and saw a small Fusion sitting in the corner of the room, staring at the wall. "Oh, right…"

The Toxicroak Fusion nodded. "He's having trouble sleeping again. He destroyed part of the sewer the other night in his rampage."

Norris sighed. "That kid is more violent than me sometimes…fine, I'll go out tomorrow. Mikayla and Sullivan, you're coming with me." He pointed at the Toxicroak Fusion. "Eli, you're in charge of Augustus. Make sure he doesn't lose his head again."

Eli nodded. "Affirmative, sir."

Norris cracked his knuckles. "Another typical day to look forward to…" His wrist orbs sparked with excitement.

Mikayla chuckled. "I haven't gone out in a while. Forecast for tomorrow calls for snow with a hundred percent chance of blizzards." Her straw released thick snow clouds.

Sullivan snipped his pincer, which released steam from inside. "I can get some shooting practice in, too."

Norris grinned crazily. "Yeah…" He chuckled to himself. "The Pokémon of this world want to treat us like monsters? We'll show just how vile and evil we can become."


	4. Fusions in Grandis City

The morning sun shed the land with the first peeks of light, shining down beautifully on the still sleeping Gappei Village. The remnants of the festival last night were present. Again, with everyone turning in early after last night, there wasn't a lot of motivation to stick around and clean up. Ren TRIED to clean everything up, but…well, he had other matters to worry about, along with his hut mates.

Last night, as expected, took a pretty heavy toll on the Fusions. The threat of losing their home was not an easy pill to swallow. Peregrine went around the village, informing everyone of Liam's decision and that Quinn, Artemis, and Ren were selected to handle the requested task. If things go well, then that's great. If not…well, they had their fingers crossed.

Though, this did spark some interest among the Fusions. Since they had access to multiple TV networks, they also had access to the local news. No matter how diplomatically Quinn and the other two try to handle the Rogues, everyone knew a fight was likely to break out. Since the local news station will stop whatever they're doing when news on Fusions was involved, they were definitely gonna see some action.

Liam _should_ be against that kind of behavior, but he figured it was for the best. Good or bad, this experience will at least give the Fusions an idea of what to do or not do if they are ever selected to handle a task for Julian. The godly ape knows this was going to become a regular thing.

With the early morning, Quinn, Artemis, and Ren were prepping themselves at the front gate. Quinn and Artemis looked tired, though Artemis arguably looked more dead than the Charmeleon Fusion. She wasn't a morning person. She woke up when she wanted to and that time was certainly not seven in the morning. Ren, on the other hand, looked wide awake and ready for action.

Artemis held her ribbon feeler up to her mouth and yawned. "Ugh, why is he making us get up so early?!" she complained.

"Because the chief said that the Rogues could strike at any time," Ren reminded. "It's essential that we get a fresh start on our search so we intercept them in time."

She groaned. "You know, if I were a Rogue, I wouldn't be doing any scheming until at _least_ noon."

Ren tapped his chin. "That reminds me…who are we looking for?"

Quinn crossed his arms. "It shouldn't be that hard to spot them. Fusions tend to stand out in crowds like neon signs to a bar." He scratched his head. "What we do know is that one of them is a Golduck-Electrode Fusion, and likely the leader."

"Yeah, some of the Fusions mentioned him. I'll be honest, despite being our soon-to-be enemy, I have to give credit for his creative use of Explosion. I never figured that move could be used without knocking yourself out."

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "I'll make a mental note of that for later."

"So, you three are ready to head out?" They turned around and saw Sheila and Shane walk up to them. Sheila gave them a small smile. "Feeling pressure from it?"

Ren shook his head. "Nah! We can handle these guys!" He slapped his hand over his heart. "After all, with the spirit of Gappei Village by our side, we can accomplish the impossible!"

Artemis smirked tiredly. "We're looking for criminals, not defusing a bomb."

"Well, considering the potential damage that could be brought from this…Norris fellow, you might as well be," Shane said. "Do you even have a plan thought out?"

Quinn shrugged. "We walk, we search, we punch."

"That sounds like something Artemis would say," Sheila stated.

Artemis chuckled. "Yeah it does!"

Quinn sighed. "Look, I'll think of something when we actually run into them. I don't come up with plans until the heat of the moment, especially since I have no idea what we're dealing with."

Shane blinked, then looked up. "I see…well, just a fair bit of warning." He pointed at Quinn. "Be cautious if you enter a building."

Quinn raised a brow. "Uh…right." He crossed his arms and looked at his hut mates. "I guess we're heading out."

"Not like that, you're not." Before they left, Asadi and Ulysses walked over to them. Asadi flashed a light smile. "While I wanted to go to sleep, I stayed up a bit to make something for you three." She handed them tiny little earbuds. "I was messing with a few two-way radios and made little earpiece communicators. I have no use for them, but I thought you three could get some use out of them."

They each took one and looked it over. "Wow…thanks Asadi," Artemis thanked.

"You didn't have to do this," Ren insisted.

She waved it off. "Eh, I wanted to." She stretched her arms and yawned. "Kind of sucks that I had to get up early to give them to you. I'll just have to take some extra long naps."

Artemis smirked. "So you're going to miss us on the news?"

"More than likely. You can give me the details later. I think I'm going to spend the morning sunbathing."

"You do that." Quinn bounced the earpiece in his hand, then looked at Ulysses. "I'm assuming you came to wish us luck for a similar reason."

He blushed in embarrassment. "Heh, sorry, but yeah, I did come over to give you something." He held out three sets of clothes. "Before I left my family, they provided me with a set of clothes to hide my appearance. Though, in my rush, they provided me with some rather…uh, unfitting clothes to cover myself up. They wouldn't be able to fit someone of my size, but you guys could make use out of them."

They each grabbed a set of clothes. Artemis place a black fedora on her head. "Neato!"

Ren grinned brightly. "You all are too kind! I don't know how we can thank you!"

Ulysses chuckled meekly. "W-Well…just don't get hurt, that's all I can ask for."

Sheila nodded. "Agreed." She scratched the back of her head with an awkward chuckle. "Though, I bet the rest of the village is waiting for you guys to be on the news."

"They better place bets on me!" Artemis exclaimed. She cupped her paws around her mouth and shouted, "You hear that, you greedy weirdos?! Place your bets now!"

"What would they be betting on? I don't think they want us to lose," Quinn said.

She snickered. "Maybe to see which limb I'll break first!"

Quinn sighed. "Of course…" He shook his head. "Best we head off. We'll see you all later."

"Take care guys," Sheila wished.

"And remember to be cautious inside a building," Shane warned again.

"We remember that!" Ren exclaimed.

Quinn opened the front gate. After sharing confident nods with each other, they took their first step out of the village and made their way down the forest path leading straight to the city.

As they left, Peregrine was perched up in the watchtower with stern look. He picked up a two-way radio and said, "They've left, chief."

Inside his hut, Liam was meditating on his bed. He sighed shakily when the message came through. He picked up the radio and responded, "Thank you, Peregrine. Make sure everyone doesn't get to rambunctious while I'm out."

"I still don't agree with you letting the other Fusions observe all of this on the news. It could send some bad messages if things go awry."

"Let me deal with the consequences myself. I just…want to see how this goes." He set the radio down, then stood up from his bed. He grabbed his staff, then sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Please…Arceus, if you can hear me, please don't let anything bad happen."

He stared ahead at his wall. He tapped his staff against the ground twice, then vanished with great speed.

* * *

They were halfway down the path, having already placed on their disguises for the mission. Quinn was given a green sweatjacket and pants, which did fairly well at covering his midnight skin. He had to tuck his tail in without catching the clothes on fire, barely sticking the tail flame out.

Ren wore red jacket, jeans, and a blue baseball cap. He tucked in his scarf and tipped the hat over his face so it'd hide his purple face better.

As for Artemis, Ulysses seemed to take into account that her rubbery membrane would make putting clothes on a bit difficult. So, along with the fedora, she was given an oversized poncho that completely covered her altered features. Although, the size and bright orange, green, and red color scheme made her look ridiculous.

She glanced at her snickering friends as they tried to keep their fits of laughter down. She scoffed lightly, flicking her feelers at them. "Laugh all you want. You two are just jealous because I make this look good!"

Quinn chuckled jokily. "Yes Artemis, it makes you look like an angel."

She smirked. "Flirting won't save your skin, buster."

He shook his head, letting out the last of his laughs. He stuffed his hands in his jacket's pockets and looked down the path ahead. "I haven't been in the city in years. I think I stopped sneaking out when I first met you."

She nodded. "That goes double for me." She looked at Ren. "I still can't believe you haven't been outside the walls for twelve years. You never left ONCE in your life?"

He smiled. "Well, yeah! I am one of the original residents, remember?"

"I'm just surprised you never snuck out before," Artemis said.

"Well, unlike you two, I'm a model resident of the village! I couldn't bear the idea of defying the sacred rules of our treasured land!" He laughed. "Besides, why would I? The village is awesome!"

Artemis shook her head. "Well, you've missed a lot. Trust me, you'll want to come out here more often after today."

He scoffed jokily. "As if. Nothing could ever sway my appreciation of Gappei Village."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "No matter what, though, we need to focus on the task at hand." He pulled on his hood. "Hopefully these disguises fulfill their purposes."

Artemis smirked dryly. "Oh yes, they'll work like a dream. We just need to make sure everyone who sees us is blind, stupid, or both."

Quinn sighed. "Just keep your heads low and don't make eye contact."

"Now that is advice I'm willing to take."

They stepped out of the forest, with the path leading to a road. They stepped behind a tree as a car drove by. They peered around it and saw the car entering the city. They could make out all the Pokémon that were walking around in huge clusters.

Ren gasped in excitement. "Wow! The city is huge! It looked smaller on the news!"

Quinn stared at the large crowds, then his face started paling. "Ugh…" He held his hand up to his mouth. "Suddenly feeling sick…"

Artemis patted his back. "Crowds getting to you already, Spooky?"

He swallowed his nervousness, then exhaled calmly. "I'll…I'll be fine. Just…Just don't think about and keep my head low, that's what I need to do." He pressed the back of his head against the tree and pinched between his eyes. "Now I remember the _second_ reason I stopped sneaking out."

Ren clenched his fists and raised them excitedly. "Well, I'm pumped! This is basically an adventure waiting to happen for us! Plus we get to fight new Fusions!"

Artemis cracked her paws with a devious grin. "My birthday has come early."

Quinn relaxed himself, then straightened up. "Hold on, you two. I think we should establish some ground rules first. Obvious one being, don't use your attacks, especially your Fusion Moves. The power and uniqueness of either would give us away. Only do so if the Rogues throw the first punch."

Ren nodded. "Of course!"

"If any of us get into trouble, use Asadi's communicators to contact each other. Second rule…" He glared at Artemis specifically. "Stay out of trouble."

Artemis stared back at him with cute shimmering eyes and an adorable smile, raising her forelegs up innocently. "What~?"

"Don't give me the cute act, missy. You bring trouble wherever you are." He poked her forehead. "I don't want to hear that there's a vendor thief on the loose who was last seen wearing a poncho."

She flashed a flirty smile and nuzzled against his side, purring. "I'll be on my best behavior, Spooks." Seeing that she didn't faze his cold stare, she pouted. "Aww, you're serious."

He sighed, then wrapped his arms around her. "This is important for our village and a possible future for us. Please try to be on your best behavior for everyone's sake."

She smiled, then gave him a peck on the lips. "I promise I won't cause any trouble…intentionally. If it comes to me, all bets are off."

He rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Deal." He straightened up. "Okay, you two know what to do. Spread out and look for suspicious Fusions."

They nodded and walked towards the city before heading in separate directions.

* * *

Artemis walked down a sidewalk that was, for the most part, calm. Not too many people around, so she was able to freely walk among the crowds without bumping into anyone. She kept her fedora tipped down, even though it covered the red strip of fur on her head. As Quinn said, try to avoid eye contact with people.

She grumbled to herself. "Ugh…yeah chief, let's search this massive city for a certain group of individuals. THAT won't take forever or anything." She rolled her eyes. "Thanks a lot, Mr. Roteman, you've officially ruined my morning."

She stopped walking and held her stomach. They left so quickly that she completely forgot to get breakfast. She didn't have any cash on her either, so she couldn't buy herself breakfast.

She groaned in annoyance. "UGH! I'm going to die on the street if I don't find something to eat!" She slumped to the ground. Passing Pokémon stared at her weirdly as they walked around her.

The Sylveon Fusion looked around tiredly, hoping to find something that'll tame her growing hunger. Her eyes landed on a vendor just across the street. Her eyes lit up with glee when she saw the vendor was selling muffins. She could large, Pecha berry muffins being served.

"Ooh boy! Momma's got a hankering for muffins!" She sprung off the ground and raced across the street, which annoyed a couple of drivers that nearly ran into her.

The vendor turned away from the front of his stand, where Artemis found her opportunity to strike. She crouched down and crawled along the side. Her devious grin grew as she extended her feeler over the stand and aimed for one of the Pecha berry muffins. She licked her lips in anticipation. She could already taste the mouthwatering goodness.

However, her feeler suddenly stopped. She blinked in confusion. She didn't feel the vendor stopping her feeler. She knows it wasn't a psychic attack because she was immune to those. Something was forcing her to stop from taking the feeler. And, for some reason, she could feel a great weight in the pit of her stomach, something greater and more intolerable than her hunger.

Her eyes widened in shock. She was feeling guilt.

She clutched her face in anger. _ARG! Stupid Quinn and his stupid moral compass! He's messing with my head!_ She glared at the display case as she tried to force her feeler to grab the muffin. _Must…ignore…moral ethics! Need to…quench…hunger!_

No matter how hard she tried, Quinn's influence was hitting her troublemaking mind with no punches pulled. She collapsed in defeat and retracted her feeler.

"You happy now, Quinn? Letting me die on the streets from hunger just to stay morally sound?" She raised her balled up feeler and waved it at the sky. "IS THAT IT?!"

She sighed, then, with a great deal of willpower, stepped away from the stand and continued down the sidewalk. She looked back with a little whimper before continuing down her way.

"Life was easier when I could just take what I want…" She groaned. "Whatever, I'm smart. I'll _legally_ con some folks out of their food." She held her stomach. "And hopefully soon."

She stopped when she heard nearby chanting. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It sounded like it was coming from around the corner. She could make out the words 'disgrace', 'monsters', and 'retribution.'

She poked her head around the corner and saw a large mob of Pokémon standing in the middle of the street. There was a portable stage, evident by the wheels underneath, with a podium sitting at the edge. A Swalot was at the podium with a stern look.

He slammed his hand on the podium. "You see the injustice these monsters have brought to our city!" He gestured to his left. "Once again, the Rogues have disgraced our fair city and continue to spread misery to all!"

Artemis raised a brow in curiosity, then stepped out from the corner and slowly walked over. She looked to where the Swalot was pointing and gasped. There was a massive hole in the side a building. Smashed windows and a destroyed wall. The debris and rubble sitting inside looked as if an explosion scorched them. In fact, most of the sidewalk had scorched marks running down it. Something ran through the sidewalk with mayhem on the mind.

This made the Fusion cringe. _Yeesh, someone went to town on this place._ She narrowed her eyes. _It must be that Golduck Fusion who did this. I'd hate to be the guy who pissed him off._ She rethought her thought, then grinned deviously. _Actually, no. I would revel in the enjoyment!_

She turned her attention back to the crowd as the Swalot continued. "This is the danger Julian Roteman has brought us with the construction of that horrid village! His act of peace has encouraged these horrible monsters to migrate from all over the world to a single point! He has brought their destructive wrath to us and now we must face the consequences for it!" Swalot held his face in horror, albeit dramatically. "Why must we suffer from their sinful ways?"

This got the ground riled up with rage. "A Fusion once pilfered my car of all its belongings, then melted it right in front of us!" a Primeape cried out angrily.

A Gabite raised her claws, shouting, "They snuck into my home in the middle of the night and trashed the place!"

A Crustle snipped his pincers furiously. "I remember a group of those hooligans stealing my shell and covering it in gasoline! I've been trying to get the smell out for days!"

More and more Pokémon cried out in outrage, voicing their complaints about their horrible encounters with the rogue Fusions. Artemis, who was advancing towards the crowd, continued to give a curious stare. _These people are seriously wasting their time by standing in the middle of the street and throwing fits like bratty preschoolers?_ She rolled her eyes. _Good grief, this is so stupid._

Swalot pointed out to the city limits. "That village that sits outside our fair city is the true menace to our times! Profectus Inc. ensures us that it is meant to help troublemaking Fusions, but we all know the truth!" He counted off his fingers. "Thieves, vandals, brutes, murders; all of them our guilty! They bring misery and disaster to us, hardworking citizens of this beautiful world that they've tainted with their sinful presence! They are a disgrace and should be ashamed of their births!"

Artemis snorted a chuckle. _Oh my Arceus, this is almost comical! Are these people really that stupid?_

Swalot raised his hands high. "The authorities may label the crimes against the village as illegal, but to the public that hasn't been corrupted by this Fusion Saving Campaign being run by Profectus Inc., those 'criminals' are heroes to our people!"

The crowd's eyes widened as they heard someone burst out into laughter. They all turned to the laughing Sylveon wearing a large poncho and a fedora. She wiped a tear from her eye with her feeler. "Oh man, you all are just a bunch of idiots, aren't you?!" She fell on her back and kicked her feet in the air as she went into hysterics. "H-Hey everyone, let's give a round of applause to the criminally insane arsonists and killers who were trying to off a passive village!" She pounded her paws on the ground with tears streaming down her eyes.

Swalot's face burned red in anger, then he slammed his fist on the podium. "You dare laugh over such a serious topic?! That village is housing the criminally insane, not us!"

Artemis finished her fits of laughter and rubbed her eyes. "Oh, I needed that…" She dried her eyes, then smirked. "Listen buster, I'm not sure if you're familiar with hypocrisy, but you're not making your point any clearer when you have to praise the attempted act of murder against other murderers. It makes your WHOLE argument fall flat on its face."

The Primeape in the crowd shook his fist. "They robbed my family of valuable items from our car!"

She grinned evilly. "What a darn shame. I'm sure you're totally innocent yourself, mister."

"Of course I am!"

"Then why did they steal from YOUR car as opposed to the hundreds of other houses they could have robbed?" She gestured to the crowd. "I've only heard a couple complaints about auto theft, so these were obviously targeted!" She snickered. "They wouldn't target you if you didn't do something bad to them." She grinned mockingly. "What did you do? Call the police on one of them for existing?"

Primeape blinked, then crossed his arms and turned away from her. "I…am not answering that…"

Artemis held her face. "And there's my point! All that talk about how horrible the Fusions are and yet they're no different than the others criminals that exist in this world. You just care about shaming the Fusions." She laughed. "It's so stupid!"

Swalot growled. "Listen here, young lady! The folks of this city have worked very hard to earn their right to be called a Pokémon. Those Fusions are not Pokémon, they are abominations created by the gods!" Artemis moved her lips mockingly as he spoke. "They have been trouble for centuries! They are dangers to us normal folk! They are-WILL YOU CUT THAT OUT?!"

Artemis shut her lips into a wicked smile. She shrugged. "I hate to break it to you, but how is anything that you're saying any different from what Pokémon thieves and murders do on a daily basis? Sure, they're superior to Pokémon in power and can certainly cause local damage whenever they want…" She smirked. "But you're just singling them out to fill your sad delusions." She shook her head. "Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic…"

Swalot crossed his arms and rested them against the podium. "From the way you speak, you obviously have a story to tell."

Artemis raised her paw. "Brilliant observation, Sherlock, but these lips are sealed. My past is not something I go around telling to random strangers, especially ones that willing got out of bed to stand in the street to vent."

Swalot gestured to the crowd. "These are people who have been deeply scarred by the Rogues and their villainous deeds. We are an openminded people."

Artemis deadpanned, looking to the side. "Openminded? Might want to rephrase that."

"You too have been hurt by a Fusion, haven't you?"

She rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous. I have more important things to do than stand on a stage and-" She cut herself off when she saw a heavenly sight sitting on the stage, just behind Swalot. It was a thing of beauty. An elegant, captivating sight that captured her attention the moment she laid eyes on it. Her eyes shimmered brightly. A bit of drool escaped her mouth.

…it was a muffin platter.

She licked up her drool and swallowed. "Uh…are those muffins?"

"Hmm?" Swalot looked at them, then shrugged. "Yes. They're handed out to those who participate in the speeches."

Artemis' stomached growled at her. Her eyes never swayed from the delicious treats. She tapped her chin for a moment as a wicked plan started to formulate into her mind. _Hehehe…well, I'm not doing anything illegal._

She smiled brightly. "You know what, I do have some tragedies I want to get off my chest."

* * *

While the troublemaking Artemis found her breakfast, Ren was wandering the city, captivated by the tall buildings and wonderful selection of stores surrounding him. With his only source of information being the local news, seeing it all in person gives depth and size to this world he existed out of.

"So…awesome!" he squealed, bouncing up and down. Pokémon walked around him, shooting him strange looks at the eccentric 'tourist.' Ren spied a window that was showing off high definition flat screens. He pressed his face against the window and stared at them in awe. "Wow, these must be new models!"

"Hey you!" Ren recoiled in surprise, then turned to the Ursaring who was waving a broom at him in a threatening manner. "Stop fogging up my glass!"

Ren shrieked, then bowed respectfully. "I am so sorry!" He dashed off in a hurry, leaving the shop keeper bear confused.

The frog knight stopped and leaned against a wall to catch his breath. He wasn't expecting the city folk to be so hostile. Was his disguise failing him? Probably not. He had enough common sense to know that screaming people equals he was found out. So…was this how everyone naturally behaved?

That made him frown. "Wow, that's…really sad."

Ren was taught by his parents to give a bit of kindness to all around you. He was lucky to be raised under advice like that. Heck, he was lucky to be born to such a respectable family. Now he sees that Pokémon can act naturally hostile to each other, almost like the tension between them and the Fusions has created distrust in everyone.

The frog knight sighed, pulling down on his cap. "Well, I'm bummed out…" However, he glared up and raised his fists. "…but I have a mission to complete!" He stood up, tall and proud. "Cruel or not, these Pokémon are under my protection now! I shall defend them with my life!"

He posed dramatically from his heroic episode, but quickly shifted to awkward when he saw random strangers were staring at him. They were utterly perplexed by his over-the-top behavior. Ren chuckled sheepishly, then slid through the door of the store he was next to.

He shut the door, then sighed. "Note to self, keep a low profile." He looked around curiously. "Where am I, anyway?"

He appeared to have stepped into an antique shop, which caught his interest. There was a whole slew of aged knickknacks and aged treasures that held rich history and value from their previous years. Quinn would probably love this place, too.

"Whoa…" he expressed, looking around at the shelves. "This is all neat!"

"I don't see many kids your age who appreciate old junk like this?" Ren directed his attention to the old Beautifly running the counter. "Anything catch your eye?"

Ren blinked, then looked away awkwardly. "Oh, uh…no. I mean, everything looks nice, don't get me wrong. I would love to purchase some of these things." He smiled embarrassedly. "But…I don't have any cash on me."

Beautifly gave him a long, hard stare, then chuckled. "Well, that's a first. I've never had a customer walk into a store without any money on them."

Ren chuckled. "Yeah, well…I really only came in here to avoid the crowds."

Beautifly closed his eyes, amused. "Oh, I know, Made a real fool of yourself out there."

"I'm used to it, to be frank. I goof off a lot in front of my friends."

The clerk laughed. "I bet. Anyway, what brings you out here on the streets at this hour?"

Ren folded his arms behind his back. "Oh, I have to do something for some family of mine. It's kind of a personal thing."

Beautifly raised a brow. "I suppose it is, given you're a Fusion."

Ren chuckled. "Yeah, you're right." The frog knight stood silently for a moment, then he recoiled in surprise. "W-W-W-Wait, WHAT?!"

Beautifly flicked his proboscis out, indicating he was smirking. "I'm not that easy to fool."

"H-How did you know?!" Ren cupped his face. "Was it my face?!"

"Well, that probably would be the giveaway, but no." He pointed at him. "It's the bulge in the back of your jacket, along with that hilt sticking out."

Ren looked over his shoulder and paled. His shield was clearly shown pressing against the sides of his jacket. His sword's hilt was seen popping out behind his neck. He forgot he normally had these items on hand. He should have realized they would be sticking out like that.

Beautifly crossed his arms. "Now, I'm not sure if those are just things you carry around, but I don't think Pokémon normally walk around with a sword and shield inside their jacket like that."

Ren faltered forward in shame. "Oh dear Arceus, how have I not been caught yet?"

"Everyone was probably too busy thinking you were some sort of weirdo." He shrugged. "Don't worry, kid, I'm not going to report you."

Ren looked up in surprise. "Really?"

"I'll admit, my experiences with the Fusions haven't been the best. Dare I say they've made me hate them." He sighed. "However, seeing how you were behaving outside, you were acting more like a crazy tourist than you are a public menace. Even though I don't have the best judge of character, I'm not reporting you."

Ren smiled. "Oh…thanks, mister."

"Eh, don't mention it." He folded his arms onto the counter. "I still need some clarification, though. What are you doing all the way out here? Did you migrate here or…?"

The frog knight rubbed the back of his head. "Well, actually, I've lived around here for twelve years. I'm a member of Gappei Village."

Beautifly raised a brow. "You don't say? Twelve years, huh? So you're one of the first."

Ren chuckled. "Yep! Been here ever since I was four years old. Though, this is really my first time seeing the city in person. I've only ever seen it on the news, so the scale and size threw me off guard."

Beautifly chuckled. "Understandable. So, why are you out of the village?"

Ren rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you see…the president of Profectus Inc. was pretty ticked off with the Rogues and the recent crime waves. He…well, 'hired' the village to control their actions."

Beautifly raised a brow. "Huh, never expected him to take those measures. I always assumed he would hire the Fusion Hunters."

"That's what I've been noticing." He folded his arms behind his head. "Barely anyone knows much about those guys."

The butterfly shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry your head over, boy." He crossed his arms. "I have to give that Machamp credit. It's basically free labor for him."

"And recognition for us!" Ren cheered excitedly.

Beautifly laughed. "Yes, I suppose so." He rubbed his chin. "It would be nice to get the Rogues off our backs, though I'm personally not worried. They've never targeted me."

"They haven't?" the frog knight questioned.

"They're rampaging, ostracized kids who've seen the worse parts of pokemanity through their eyes. Unlike you lot, they can't let go of the past without making someone hurt." He landed on the counter and leaned against the register. "I've seen all the signs for their attacks. The destruction they cause is for personal gain or revenge. While there are a select few who mindlessly ruin others' lives out of spite, you'll likely come across a Rogue who is doing it to get even with those who wronged them.

"As I said, I'm not particularly friendly with your kind solely on the beliefs I was raised on. It's not in the ways our world was created." He shrugged. "However, despite my distrust for you all, I make it my business to stay out of yours. That's why I don't participate in those silly riots or marches the city throws. Sure, voicing their concerns over an issue in numbers can make a change." He narrowed his eyes. "But I don't want to be standing around in broad daylight voicing hate at creatures who could tear down whole buildings in a single blast. I might as well ask someone to use Lock-On and blast me with Thunder over and over until I smell like a fireplace." He tapped his head. "I'm using my wit and maintaining peace."

Ren held his chin in awe. "Whoa…so, the Rogues aren't completely spiteful."

"Don't misunderstand. I said _some_ Rogues enjoy the destruction, just to get a laugh. Even folks like me who stay away from the Rogues aren't safe. There's entire history books dedicated to the Fusions. Even the past has its own version of the Rogues."

The frog knight looked down at the floor. "Now I kind of feel bad for them…"

Beautifly sighed. "Believe me kid, I would want nothing more than to put an end to the distrust." He looked out the shop window. "But that isn't going to happen anytime soon."

Ren looked away for a moment, then grinned brightly. "Maybe I can make a difference today!" This confused the butterfly. "I said I came here to stop the Rogues! Maybe if my friends and I show them that we're on their side, we can sway their minds a bit!"

Beautifly's proboscis twitched up, shaking his head in amusement. "Don't get your hopes up too high, that's all I can say. Many through history tried to do what you want. Obviously, they weren't all that successful."

Ren smirked. "Maybe, but I'm not like those people! You'll see, I'll show this city that we are just like them! We'll show them that we're a part of the world too! Then we can all live in harmony as fellow neighbors!"

The butterfly shrugged. "Well, I can't stop you. All I can say is 'try your best.'"

Ren smiled. "Thanks! Oh, by the way, my name's Ren." He held his hand out.

The butterfly stared at the hand, then shook it. "Martin. Nice to meet you, Ren." He closed his eyes. "If you ever have the money, or just need a place to hide, come back any time."

Ren grinned. "Thanks!"

* * *

Quinn's roommates, unknown to his own knowledge, were having fun on their separate searches. The Charmeleon-Darkrai didn't have the same joy. Aside from being completely out of touch with the city and having no clue where to begin his search, the crowds were making him nervous.

True, there were times where the village felt cramped, but it was easier to deal with because they were all his family. He knows those people. It's a familiar environment for him. Out here, though, he felt meek, awkward, and a little sick.

He bumped into some Pokémon by accident as the crowd became thicker. He quietly apologized, then tried to escape the growing crowd. Luck struck him upon finding an alleyway to duck into. He jumped out of the crowd first chance he got.

He pressed his back against the wall and sighed. "That was uncomfortable…" He really wished he could fly over the city instead. It was a unique ability that most Legendary Pokémon have, so it was something Fusion Legendary can do. Problem? He'd get spotted the second he entered the city. Unless you were a Flying-Type, people are going to ask questions and blow your cover.

Quinn picked himself up and walked down the alleyway. With any more luck, he'll make some progress on his search.

He stepped over glass shards haphazardly littered on the ground. He glanced around and saw graffiti sprayed over the walls and trash cans. Hate messages towards Fusions and…artistic, yet graphic responses to those hate messages, curtesy of the Rogues no doubt.

Quinn scratched his head. "Is that supposed to be a fountain of blood?" he commented on one of the images. "Is the fountain made from bones?" He narrowed his eyes. "I'm looking for actual psychos, apparently."

He heard metal shifting against the ground down the alleyway. His head turned, spying a corner. Something was going on around it.

Quinn glared suspiciously. "I either found a hobo…or the start of a crime." He tiptoed over to the corner, then gently placed his back against the wall. He heard the metal sound with better clarity. The echoing sound that followed indicating an opening of some kind. A secret passage, perhaps?

"…and then suddenly, I look like the idiot!" an angry voice spoke out, surprising Quinn. "We should sneak into the pharmacy after hours, he says! It'll be easier and quieter, he says! You know what I say?! Why the hell should I care?! They're going to blame us anyway! Might as well skip all the stupid sneaking and move onto the actual stealing bit!"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. _Pharmacy? They're planning to rob a pharmacy?_

A female voice spoke out. "Norris…keep your voice down. There won't be any stealing if you keep flapping your beak off."

"I can complain all I want!"

Quinn deadpanned. _Beak? Explosive temper? Name's Norris? I think I found the explosive Fusion._ He narrowed his eyes and continued to eavesdrop.

"Norris, relax," a deep voice said. "Eli doesn't want any of us getting caught."

"What difference will that make? I'm a walking bomb!"

"Stop swinging your arms! You're going to kill us!" the female scolded.

"UGH! Fine, whatever! Can we please just get this over with?!" They sounded like they were climbing up a ladder now.

Quinn looked around, making sure no one was around. He flew up along the wall until he reached the top of the building. He grabbed the edge and pulled himself over. He could see the three Rogues in full view. _Golduck-Electrode…check. A Slurpuff-Vanilluxe and a Heatmor-Clawitzer, too? Interesting._

Norris stood on the edge of the rooftop and peered down at the city. He sneered at the Pokémon. "Well, would you look at that? Minding their business like the pretentious scum they are."

Mikayla rolled her eyes. "Better than your daily tantrums."

"I don't throw tantrums!" Norris roared.

Sullivan crossed his arms. "So how are we going about this? Ambush or going crazy?"

"I would love to blow the place up, but I have other things to do." He pointed at Mikayla. "Which is exactly why I had you come. You'll be perfect for getting us in safely AND giving those lousy fools a bad time."

Mikayla grinned. "I like this plan already." She blew icy mist out of her straw.

The explosive Fusion pointed at Sullivan. "As usual, you're our sniper. Take out the police if they arrive."

Sullivan nodded. "Roger."

Norris rubbed his hands together. "As for me…well, I'll decide once I land on the ground."

Quinn glared. _They said they're going to rob a pharmacy. I need to stop them._ He took out his communicator and placed it against his head. "Artemis, Ren, pick up. Artemis, Ren?" he whispered. There was no answer. _What are you two doing?_ "Artemis, Ren, I found the Rogues."

"Did you guys hear something?" Quinn's eyes widened.

Norris glared. "…I think I did." He snapped his fingers. "Mikayla, freeze the upper level of the building."

"You got it, boss."

Quinn gulped. _Crap, what the heck do I do now?_ He scratched his head, running his brain for solutions. _Ren and Artemis aren't picking up, so I need to buy myself some time. Enough so I can plan an attack._ He narrowed his eyes. _Hold on, they shouldn't know who I am. Maybe…that might work._

Mikayla inhaled deeply, preparing to fire off her attack. "Winter-!"

"Wait, hold up!" Quinn shouted, appearing over the edge.

The frosty Fusion exhaled, faltering forward a bit. Sullivan glared. "Who the hell are you?" He aimed his pincer at him. "Boss, I think he's a spy."

Norris narrowed his eyes on Quinn, who stepped onto the roof. "No, no, I'm not a spy." He grabbed his hood and pulled it down, showing his face. "See? Not a normal Charmeleon."

The explosive Fusion crossed his arms. "I can see that." He looked hard at the new Fusion before glancing at Sullivan. "At ease…for now." Sullivan nodded and lowered his pincer. Norris folded his arms behind his back and stepped forward. "What's with all the sneaking?"

Quinn laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I just flew in from Sinnoh, so I'm new around here. I saw you three scheming or whatever, so I got curious." He rubbed his hands together. "I didn't mean to intrude or anything. Is this a private matter by any chance? I can leave if I'm bothering you folk."

Norris raised a questioning brow, then shot his cohorts a look. They shrugged in confusion. The explosive Fusion looked back at Quinn, then said, "I suppose there's no harm in it." He, suddenly, jabbed his finger against Quinn's chest. "However, you're going to have shitty luck out here. Anywhere for that matter."

Quinn waved it off. "Oh, trust me, I've been around the block and know how things work." He gestured to the streets. "They can be vicious savages to our kind for no reason. It's why I hide myself under these clothes."

Norris rolled his eyes. "Don't get me started on that. Though, I choose to go out in public as myself." He leaned over the ledge, resting his arms on his bent knee. "Just a little bit of fear into their daily lives."

"You make that an active routine?"

"I make it a mission." Norris straightened himself up and held his hips. "Take it from me, the Rogues make it a mission to deliver swift justice against their false sense of entitlement. They live in their own little worlds under the assumption that they can bully us and beat us down, all because we're the minority." He sneered. "Makes me sick…"

Quinn raised a brow. "Sounds like you Rogues had a rough life."

"That's an understatement. Some of the guys back at base are screwed up in the head. Can't stay around them without looking over your shoulder."

Mikayla smirked. "Much like you in a bad mood."

"SHUT UP!" he shouted furiously.

Quinn rubbed the back of his head. "So, uh…I heard you guys were going to rob a pharmacy."

Norris exhaled his anger, then crossed his arms. "Yeah. Some of our guys are getting sick. It's hard for us to obtain medicine when Fusions are considered bad omens." He pointed down at the street. "They're the real monsters, not us. They rather have us suffer than fork over medicine for our sickened allies."

"That is kind of harsh, but even they need to buy medicine. Aren't you just stealing it?"

Mikayla slapped Quinn across the back, toppling him over. "You must have been one of those sheltered Fusions," she said before laughing. "Buddy, they've robbed us of a life. They brought this upon themselves."

Norris narrowed his eyes. "Mistreating us…scarring us…hurting us…" He sat down on the ledge and dug his claws against the concrete roof. "I still remember it all…every single, minute detail of that experience." He bared his teeth. "Their screams brought out the first signs of joy in my life…"

Quinn picked himself up, then gave the Golduck Fusion a perplexed stare. "Are you okay?"

Sullivan crossed his arms. "Give him a minute. He's a tad…broken."

Quinn looked at Mikayla, who said, "Don't ask. Like, at all."

The nightmare Fusion rolled his eyes awkwardly, glancing to his right. "Oookay then…" He scratched his neck. "I'm just saying, what you three are doing is just going to make everything worse."

"Is improving anything going to make it better?" Mikayla asked.

"Well, have you tried?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Tried. Failed. Suffered. That's all you need to know about me."

"Not going to ask, then." He looked at Sullivan. "What about you?"

He glared at the distance. "I got into a fight, end of story."

Quinn stared at each of them with an equal amount of perplexity. "You all love to be cryptic, don't you?"

"No one likes talking about a traumatic past," Sullivan stated. "It's like pulling a wound open after it healed. You're only asking to be hurt again and remember the pain in a duller form."

Quinn looked down at the street. "…yeah, I can relate."

Norris snapped out of his lapse of reality and looked at Quinn. "Perhaps you could join us."

"Join you?"

"Participate in the raid, we mean." He rolled backwards and got onto his feet. "We could use the extra hands, just in case." He shook his head. "Not like we need any, but it's nice to see another Fusion like us around these parts."

Quinn held his hands up. "I said I can relate to you guys, but I'm not one for destruction."

"Think of it more as payback." Norris hooked his arm around his neck. "Listen pal, none of these Pokémon deserve mercy. They say they're on your side, but they're just biding their time until they rat you out to the cops." He shook his head. "Ask anyone of my guys and they'll tell you that we'll always be hated. All because we're different." He threw his arms up in the air. "I mean, what's wrong with being different?"

"Well…nothing?" Quinn answered hesitantly.

"Exactly!" He shoved Quinn away and swung his arms around carelessly. "We're menaces because they think we're dangerous! We're sinful! We're…different." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm not giving them a chance to take me down. Last thing I ever want is to be shipped off to where they take captured Fusions." He crossed his arms. "I've seen the effects on one of our guys…"

Quinn pushed himself up, having fallen over after being shoved. "Ever tried voicing your concerns?"

Norris sneered and jabbed a claw over his shoulder. "If we're not going to listen to those idiot protests a few blocks down, then our complaints will fall on deaf ears." He groaned. "They complain about everything, from us to those weaklings in Gappei."

The nightmare Fusion's jaw tightened. "Weaklings?"

Mikayla chuckled. "Gappei Village takes in Fusions of all kind and frees them of any charges against them. Their personal get-out-of-jail card." She held her face, laughing. "So stupid. We're out here avenging our ancestors from THEIR suffering while those passive babies are living up the highlife."

Sullivan scoffed. "What did they do to deserve luxury like that?"

Quinn looked to the side, then glared at them. "They're probably living out there so they can control crimes like this."

"Well good for them!" Norris shouted, throwing his arms up. "They're living their lives happily while we're getting our point across." He sneered. "Those Gappei wannabes have some nerve. Some of my old buddies abandoned me to live in that _paradise,_ " he angrily spat. "They think I'M the evil one! 'Oh, I'm leaving because you're totally evil! No use denying it because I'm making a difference and fighting for peace and truth!' BAH! Rubbish!"

Quinn tightened his fist. "So destroying public property and other Pokémon's lives is the only option?"

Norris glared. "They started it. We're ending it. No amount of forgiveness will ever undo the damage they left on us."

The nightmare Fusion took a step forward. "I understand where you're coming from, but I can't allow you to continue like this. Gappei Village may not be actively doing anything, but change can come."

Norris grinned mockingly. "And what makes you so sure?"

"I know more about that village than you think. They're not taking anymore of this hatred like you all. But they…no, WE are going to turn everything around." He raised his fists and punched them together. "I am a member of Gappei Village."

Norris' eyes widened. "What?!"

Sullivan aimed his pincer. "I knew there was something fishy about this guy!"

Mikayla glared. "What are you doing outside your paradise?"

Quinn clenched his teeth. "Making a difference." He took a stance. "You're right about one thing: we've been passive for too long. It's time to put an end to that." He glared. "Starting with you three and the rest of the Rogues."

Norris, after regaining his composure, growled. "You think anything's going to change after today? You think a group of Fusions like you can make a difference?" He then angrily shouted, "The Pokémon have made it their sole duty to bring us misery! Nothing will change! EVER!"

Quinn formed a Dark Void in his hand. "Then prepare to be wrong! Dark Void!" He fired out a barrage of black spheres from the Dark Void.

Norris never faltered as Sullivan took aim and fired off precise Aura Spheres that eliminated each of the Dark Voids, never missing one. Smoke blew into their faces, but they didn't flinch.

Quinn staggered back in shock. "Huh?!" He saw Norris leap over and land right behind him.

He raised his right fist. His wrist orb sparked with electricity. "My childhood was taken. My life was taken. All I know is anger, hate, and misery. These are the sins the Pokémon have brought us. We will use their sins as our drive to set this world ablaze."

Quinn turned around, taking his stance once more. "Norris, it doesn't have to come down to this. We can settle this peacefully."

Norris bared his teeth into a feral snarl. "Peace has lost all meaning. All I know now-" He leaped at Quinn, his wrist orb glowing white. "-IS WAR!"

* * *

Artemis threw her head back and pressed the back of her paw against her forehead, sighing dramatically. "…and it only grew worse and worse! With the death of my dear sister's cousin, her beloved husband was forced into exile for his crimes! She was being forced to marry a Fusion against her will! Oh, the horror! In her desperation, she asked the priest who married her and her beloved to fake her death! Her exiled husband got misinformation, believing she was truly dead! Oh, the tragedy we witnessed in the catacombs when we found them! They both died with each other, which brought our two families together! But at what cost?!" She grabbed a tissue from under the podium and blew her nose into it, before raising her balled up feeler and shaking it at the sky, shouting, "Curse you, you vile Fusions!"

The crowd stared at the disguised Fusion in shock and pity, deeply moved by her dramatic tale.

Fake tears streamed down her eyes. Once she wiped them away, she turned to the Swalot with a bright smile that contradicted her earlier mood. "May I have another muffin please?"

Swalot, who was sobbing his eyes out, handed her the delicious pastry. "Oh, you poor, poor thing…" He wrapped his arm around Artemis and cried, "Do you see the horror the Fusions have brought onto our people?! How much as this poor girl loss for their greed?!" He pressed his hands against his eyes and sobbed loudly.

Artemis calmly ate her muffin. _Okay, might have done more damage than intended._ She shrugged. _Then again, what's the difference?_ She smirked. _Oh, who cares? Free breakfast!_

A Cherrim in the audience raised her hand. "Um…excuse me?"

Swalot blew into a tissue, then pointed her out. "Y-Yes? Do y-you have a question?"

"Yes, I do." She looked at Artemis. "Miss, I was deeply moved by your dramatic tragedy and I do mourn the lives you lost in your life."

Artemis half-heartedly agreed with chunks of muffin still in her mouth. "Yah, yah, very twagic…" she mumbled.

"With that said, I do have to ask. Doesn't your story sound suspiciously like the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet?"

Artemis swallowed her muffin, then stared blankly. "What?"

"Yes, the famous play? The tragedy of two star-crossed lovers?"

Artemis' facial response was a calm grin and a nervous sweat dripping down the side of her head. "Huh…you don't say."

Gabite tapped her chin. "You know, she's right. It sounds like a paraphrased version of it."

This got the whole crowd in on the conversation. Artemis' eyes darted side to side. She ate the rest of her muffin, patted her feelers clean, then leaned forward on the podium. She chuckled lightly. "Okay, I know what some of you are thinking. 'Did she make that whole story up?' Well, hahaha…I have an explanation for that."

She had the crowds attention, now she needed to come up with a convincing lie. Unfortunately, by the time she did, the crowd might catch on to her ruse. _Moments like these, you wish for a distraction to fall out of the sky._

Her praises must have been heard, because a loud explosion pulled her out of her thoughts. A Primarina recoiled in shock. "What the heck was that?!"

A flaming figure came flying off a building and crashed into the streets below, shrouded in dust. The crowd was shocked, but Artemis was beaming with glee. _Huh, what do you know? A distraction fell out of the sky._ She rubbed her paws together and prepared to sneak away. She took one glance at the figure as the dust cleared.

Sitting in a large crater against the side of the building was Quinn. His disguise was incinerated off from the blast.

The crowd gasped. "A Fusion!"

Artemis' face paled. _Oh crap, that distraction's my boyfriend!_ "Quinn!" she called out as she turned around and leaped off the stage. She threw off her disguise in midair and threw it into Swalot's face.

"AH!" He pulled the clothes off, then gasped. "Wait, what?!"

"She's a Fusion, too?!" Primeape yelled.

Swalot was a mix between outraged and betrayed. "How…could you?! I mourned for you! How could you pull on my heartstrings like that?!"

Artemis ignored him and landed by Quinn's side. "Quinn? Quinn?! Don't go passing out on me!"

His eyes fluttered open. He sat himself up, holding his head. "Ugh…Artemis?"

She slid under his arm and helped him up. "What happened? Did you find the Rogues?"

"Unfortunately…"

The crowd stared angrily at the two Fusions, but their attention was directed over to three figures jumping off the building Quinn flew off. It was Norris and his two cohorts.

The Golduck-Electrode Fusion stood tall and shouted, "Scram before I turn this area into a wasteland!" This sent the crowd into a panic, running away from the fight scene.

Quinn got his second wind and stood up on his own. "You pack a punch."

Norris waved his smoking hand. There was damage on it. "That was a warm-up punch."

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Don't go too easy on me. Dark Pulse!" He fired off the rings of darkness.

Mikayla got in front of Norris. "Ice Beam!" She countered his attack with her own, with both exploding at the center.

Artemis glared, then positioned her feelers in front of her face. She charged up a yellow, sparking ball of powerful energy. "Focus Blast!" She fired it off, tearing up the ground with the pressure.

Sullivan took aim. "Dragon Pulse!" His pincer fired out a multicolored dragon shaped beam that intercepted the Focus Blast and destroyed it.

Quinn and Artemis guarded themselves as the blast pushed them back. "D-Dang!" Quinn shout.

Artemis smirked in excitement. "Oh yeah, now the real fun can begin!"

Down the street as Pokémon were fleeing for their lives, Ren was calming walking through the panicking crowd. "Excuse me, pardon me. Has anyone see two Fusions? One of them is a…" He narrowed his eyes down the path and could make out the destructive forces clashing back and forth. "Oh…never mind!" He threw his disguise off and dashed towards the fight.

Quinn slashed at Norris with his Shadow Claw, who was taking the hits with his wrist orbs. He pushed the nightmare Fusion back and slammed a Water Pulse against his chest, blasting him back. Quinn dug Shadow Claw into the ground and stopped himself.

Norris crouched down, then leaped at the two Fusions. Both his wrist orbs glowed brightly. "Explosion!" He threw his fists at them.

Ren skipped across the ground like a ninja and dropped down in front of Quinn and Artemis with his shield out. "King's Shield!" A hexagonal shield projected from his shield and blocked the Explosions impact, letting the blast wash over them.

Quinn and Artemis smiled. "Ren!"

Ren grinned. "Hey guys! Did I miss anything?"

Artemis cracked her paws. "Not much."

Norris growled. "Ugh! Another one?" He snapped his fingers. "Sullivan, separate them!"

"Aura Sphere!" He fired off a barrage of Aura Spheres.

Quinn flew upward to avoid the attacks. Artemis and Ren went in separate directions. Quinn pulled out his earpiece communicator. "Guys, put your communicators in so we can keep in touch!"

"Right!" They took them out and placed them in their ears, or side of their head in Ren's case.

Ren put his shield away. He snapped his fingers and summoned two Cut blades. Sullivan lumbered over to him, then aimed his pincer. "Think you can take me on?"

Ren smirked. His face became serious and competitive. "Just try and stop me!"

Artemis and Mikayla walked around in a large circle, glaring at each other with fierce glares and confident smirks. "I'm going to freeze you solid," Mikayla threatened.

"I'll dance around on that ice while I'm kicking your butt," Artemis retorted.

Quinn stepped back on the roof and wrapped Shadow Claw around his arms. He took a stance as Norris scaled the building and jumped onto the roof. He growled. "I have no time for this."

Quinn glared. "Then stop. Maybe we can help."

Norris snarled. "I don't need help from you lousy pansies!" He cracked his neck, then raised his fists. "This is the path we chose and we're not turning back!"

Quinn sighed exasperatedly. "Fine…" He crouched down. "Bring it on!" He lunged at Norris.

"With pleasure!" Norris dashed at him.

Shadow Claw and Explosion were activated. They clashed with one another. Shadows and fiery debris splashed off their attacks, expanding the first collision of their battle on their now scorching battleground.


	5. Unbridled Fusion Chaos

Wisps of shadow and sparks of fire rained over the rooftop after the first collision was made. The rooftop that was once clean and without imperfections was now at the tipping point of collapsing from its unstable form. The epicenter of the collision created a large crater that nearly caved in on itself. A second attack would surely make it collapse and bury all that sat beneath them.

The force of their attacks knocked each other back. Quinn dug his claws into the ground and stopped himself while Norris did a rolling maneuver before flipping up onto his feet. The Golduck-Electrode Fusion stood up with a fierce stare. He punched his smoking fists together.

Quinn kept a calm demeanor as took a stance. He winced slightly. The blast was much stronger than he thought. His hand was burnt up a bit. He has a way to heal himself up, but he'll have to catch Norris off guard to properly execute it. For now, he needs to focus on keeping his own guard sharp. The angry duck blew a lot of hot air, but his bark rivaled his bite.

Norris growled lowly. "Heh…you took two of those blasts like a champ. Guess you're not a pushover." He narrowed his eyes. "That's good. It gives me the drive to tear you down."

Quinn glared at him. "Someone's going to get hurt if we continue like this."

"We just started. Besides…" His wrist orbs sparked. "I'm hoping it comes down to that! Discharge!" He jumped in the air and screamed angrily, releasing a violent storm of electricity that rained down on Quinn.

He backed up a bit before leaping backwards. He glided across the air and swerved through the electricity. He flew to the edge of the roof and went upward, out of range of the electricity.

Norris cut off his attack and growled before shaking his fist. "You can freakin' fly?! ARG! You Legendary halves get on my nerves so much!" He held his hands together and formed an orb of water. "Water Pulse!" He fired it at Quinn.

The Charmeleon Fusion dodged the attack, but more came flying at him. Norris even mixed electricity into them for extra damage. Quinn did his best to avoid them, though they were doing a number on the building right behind him. Window glass shattered from the explosions and rained down on him and Norris.

The angry duck glared. "Using the sky to your advantage will not save you!" The jewel on his forehead glowed. "Signal Beam!" A rainbow beam fired out from it.

Quinn's eyes widened. "Crap!" He flew to the right. The beam grazed his side, making him flinch. He glared down at the explosive Fusion and thrusted his hands out. "Dark Pulse!" The rings of darkness blasted down at the roof.

Norris was quick to avoid, jumping to the adjacent building and clinging to the walls with his claws. The Dark Pulse was the blow the roof needed to collapse into the building. The roof crumbled in and sunk inside. Quinn didn't hear any screaming below, so it was reasonable to assume the building was evacuated.

Norris scaled the building in an attempt to meet Quinn's level. "Lousy, flying lizard…" He fired off Water Pulses from his right hand.

One slammed against his back, nearly staggering him out of flight, but he was able to react to the rest with a barrier of Will-O-Wisps. Steam surrounded him, obscuring his vision. He waved the steam away, then noticed that Norris has disappeared.

Quinn looked around vigilantly. "How did he disappear so quickly? There's nowhere he could have gone except…he noticed one of the lower windows was smashed. None of their attacks were aimed that low, so that could mean…

"Perish!" Quinn was caught off guard from the surprise flying tackle from Norris, who ran up the stairs to his current level. He grappled him by the arms and gave him a vicious beating through the use of headbutts. "Down, down, down!"

Quinn winced in both pain and annoyance. He glared through his peripherals. "Get off of me!" He wrapped Shadow Claw around his hands and manipulated them to stretch around him, then slash Norris across the back. This force the duck off, allowing Quinn to turn around and fire Flamethrower, with the fire white like his tail flame.

Norris raised his arms defensively as the flames did little to harm him. He landed on the edge of the collapsed roof, which crumbled from his landing, yet stayed stable enough so he didn't collapse with the rest.

He raised his fists and punched them together. They sparked as he activated Explosion. "Face me like a man, coward!"

Quinn flew down a bit. "You stick to your manner of battle." He formed Dark Pulse. "I'll stick to mine." He fired off Dark Pulse, with Norris raising his fist and countering it with Explosion.

* * *

Drowning out the explosion in the background, Ren focused his senses on countering and attacking Sullivan. He dashed at the Heatmor Fusion and slashed with his two Cut blades. Sullivan used his large pincer as a defensive barrier. It did well to lessen the severity of the strikes.

Sullivan shoved Ren back and took aim. "Dragon Pulse!" He fired off the multicolored dragon beam. Ren crouched, then leaped high into the air.

"Water Pulse!" He dispelled his Cut blades and formed two Water Pulses. He threw them down at Sullivan, hitting their marks dead on. The frog knight landed on the side of a building and sprung off. "Cut!" He summoned the two blades again and crossed them, slamming against Sullivan's pincer.

The anteater skidded back, keeping his footing grounded. He swiped Ren away. He positioned his pincer forward, then leaped. "Aqua Jet!" The back of his pincer opened up like vents and fired out pressurized water that rocketed him forward, then a veil of water surrounded him.

Ren used his Cut to block the attack, but the force was enough to push him back. _Crud!_ He redirected Sullivan so he would fly pass him. "Water Pulse!" He fired the attack. It curved in the air and met with Sullivan's Aqua Jet, knocking him out of it.

He recovered quickly, performing a rolling stop before taking aim once more. "Incinerate!" He fired off two fireballs.

Ren slashed through both to them, then clasped his hands together. "Swords Dance!" Eight swords materialized around him, then clashed with one another. The sparks of the clashes surrounded Ren in a red aura, raising his attack power. Once they ended, he opened his eyes and reformed Cut. "Here I come!" He dashed at Sullivan.

Sullivan narrowed his eyes. _He already has me on the ropes. With that boost, he's going to pack a punch._ He raised his pincer upward. "Aqua Jet!" He used the move to boost himself into the air just in time to dodge Ren's attack. As he flew up, he aimed down. "Scald!" He fired off the boiling water.

Ren took out his shield and held it over his head. "King's Shield!" The hexagonal barrier projected from his shield and protected him from the hot water. Once it stopped, Ren gripped the edge of his shield and spun around. "Fling!" He threw his shield up.

"Huh?" Sullivan muttered in confusion. The shield ricocheted off a building and slammed into the side of his head. "AGH!" The hit sent him careening to the ground, landing on a car and into the driver's seat. He held his head as stars swirled around it. "Ugh…"

Ren jumped and caught his shield before placing it back on his back. He landed, then sprinted over to the dazed Rogue. Sullivan recovered from the hit and sat up. He kicked the door open, got out, then clamped down in the car. Much to Ren's surprise, Sullivan was not only able to lift the car up, but he was also able to pivot on his foot to spin around and toss the damaged vehicle right at him. Ren formed Cut again to slash down the middle, but Sullivan had other plans in mind.

"Incinerate!" He aimed his pincer and fired off the fireball. Norris wasn't kidded when he said Sullivan was an excellent sniper, because the Incinerate was just small and accurate enough to fly into the exhaust pipe of the car. Ren shrieked and tried to reach for his shield, but the Incinerate did its job before he could.

The car exploded into flaming debris, with the flaming hood hitting Ren and slamming him against the street. The flaming debris flew everywhere, landing it buildings and denting signs or other cars.

Ren pressed his feet against the hood and kicked it off. He flipped up, then patted his body in pain. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…" He had burn marks from the hot metal. He shook the pain off, then glared at the Heatmor Fusion, who fired off another round of Incinerates.

Ren reached behind his back and wrapped his fingers around his sword. He dashed towards the Incinerates, then skillfully snaked his way around them. He drew his sword as energy channeled through it, turning the blade blue. "Sacred Sword!"

Sullivan aimed his pincer up and activated Aqua Jet once more. _Can't let that hit me!_ He rocketed himself into the air, but Ren wasn't having that.

"Not this time!" He wound his arm back. "Fling!" He threw the Sacred Sword right at his pincer.

It slashed across the large pincer, dealing waves of damage to the Fusion. He lost his concentration over the Aqua Jet and fell to the ground. Ren came flying it with his shield and slammed it against his face before he hit the ground. They landed, with the frog knight bounced off his face with the shield in hand. He slid to a halt and caught his sword, then sheathed both weapons on his back.

Sullivan picked himself up, panting. He looked over his shoulder, glaring at the frog knight. "You got moves, kid." He stood up, then turned around. "Alright, I'm done fooling around." He took aim at him. "I'm not letting you get any closer."

Ren narrowed his eyes, then took a battle stance, forming Cut again. However, he held the right one in a reverse grip. This will give him both reach and close quarters advantage. "That's fine by me. I won't let you land a single hit." He kicked off the ground and sprinted at him.

* * *

Artemis was battling in a drastically different way compared to her friends. That does double for Mikayla. Rather than fight in close proximity of each other, they were both sprinting down the street at breakneck speeds and fire off Moonblast at each other. They either countered each other's Moonblast or they veered off course and destroyed the many buildings surrounding them.

The devious Fusion was laughing with innocent glee. "This is WAY too much fun!"

She stopped running, then fired off Focus Blast right next Mikayla. The frosty Fusion jumped over it, evading the explosion, and used Flamethrower. Artemis raised her feelers, then spun them defensively in front of her face. She batted the flames away so they'd fly over her. She did this fast enough to where the flames weren't hurting her.

Mikayla dusted her shoulders clean. "Well, I must say, you're proving to be a real nuisance."

Artemis smirked. "Hey, if you think I'm bad now, you should see when I'm being obnoxious."

Mikayla smirked back. "You act tough, but a sheltered pansy like you could never keep up with the Rogues." She shrugged her shoulders. "You pansy wannabes don't know the first thing about life or death out here. Everything is handed out to you on a silver platter."

Artemis poked at her ear with disinterest. "Can you speak up? All I hear is 'waah, waah, waah, life sucks.'" She crossed her feelers. "I've gotten over my rotten life."

The frosty Fusion glared. "We're not as lucky as you. There are somethings-" She formed Moonblast. "-that you can't just forget!" She fired it right at her.

Artemis countered with her own Moonblast. She had to cross her forelegs though, because the blast radius was within range of her. She was flung off her feet and flown into a fire hydrant. Stars circled around her head as she stood up dizzily. Despite slamming head first into the fire hydrant, which had a leaking dent now, she shook it off like it was nothing.

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "I have no time playing counselor with you. You do you, sweetheart. As for me…" She grinned evilly. "I'll stick to fighting for my entertainment!" She sprinted at her.

Mikayla sneered, then fired off multiple Moonblasts. Artemis batted them away with her feelers, though she flinched a couple of times from the stronger ones. How odd that, despite being a Fairy-Type herself, she had a four times weakness to her own type. It was a strange thing to think about.

Either way, she didn't let the type matchup affect her focus in battle. Once she got in close, she reeled her head back. "Iron Head!" A thick white aura surrounded her, making her appear black and white herself, then she slammed her head into Mikayla's torso.

Her eyes bulged out as she lifted off the ground and thrown through the building behind her, which was a flower shop. She slammed into a shelf and hit the floor. Flowers rained down on her.

She opened one eye and touched the wound. Steel-Type moves were a pain to deal with. Oddly enough, though, it didn't hurt as badly as she expected. It stung, but nowhere near as bad as she would imagine from a Fusion who was part Fighting-Type. The sudden realization made her smirk.

"Your special attack is remarkable…" She pushed herself up, grinning provokingly. "Your physical power, on the other hand, doesn't quite live up to the same potential."

Artemis smirked a bit, mildly impressed. "Brilliant deduction skills. Put them to good use and you might actually be worth a little effort."

The frosty Fusion clenched her teeth in annoyance. "Smug brat…Ice Beam!" She fired off the icy energy.

Artemis grinned. "Focus Blast!" She countered with the attack, then dashed towards her.

Mikayla looked around at the shop, then smirked. She grabbed some rose stems, then coated them in ice. "Take this!" She flung them at Artemis.

She slapped them away with her feelers, shattering them into pieces. One did, however, strike her in the shoulder blade. Her rubbery membrane provided extra protection, so it didn't jab into her skin. Though, this provided Mikayla enough time to use another attack.

"Dazzling Gleam!"

White light released from her body, then rays of rainbow light exploded from the light, hitting everything in front of her, including Artemis. The Sylveon Fusion's eyes widened in shock. She crossed her feelers as the barrage of light struck her like a storm of needles.

She growled in pain. "Moonblast!" She barely fired off the attack, forcing Mikayla to stop in order to dodge. Artemis jumped back several feet to give herself distance. She panted heavily. Her body was covered in scratches.

Mikayla dusted herself off. "Heh…you're pretty strong." She smirked. "Okay…let's try this, then. Hail!" Her straw appendage shot off a condensed ball of cold energy. It reached as high as the sky and exploded into dust. Gray storm clouds rolled in. Snow and, more notably, hail rain down from the sky.

Artemis looked up in awe, then flinched as chunks of ice pelted down on her. She staggered down, almost collapsing onto her stomach. She glared at the laughing Slurpuff Fusion.

"Aw, the cold sure is lovely." She snickered. Her body glowed green periodically, as her Ice Body ability was taking effect. "Hope you don't freeze to death."

Artemis growled under her breath, then she smirked. _We'll see._

* * *

Back with Quinn, he was evading Water Pulses flying up at him. He dodged them just fine, but he only now noticed that Hail was in effect. He looked up curiously, then got pelted with ice that forced him to touch down on the building he was over. Thankfully, it was several stories tall, so it would take a while for Norris to climb up. It gave him time to think.

Norris ran over to the building and dug his claws into the sides. "When I get up there, I'm going to beat the shit out out-!" He shrieked as hail pelted down on him. He almost lost his grip, but he reclaimed his hold. He sighed in relief, then glared down at Mikayla, who was preparing fire off a Moonblast. "HEY! IDIOT! We're here, too, you know?!"

Mikayla stared up at him in annoyance. "Oh, quit whining! It's just a little ha-!" She cried out as Artemis performed a surprise Iron Head attack.

Norris rolled his eyes aggressively, then continued his trek up the building. "Surrounded by idiots…"

Quinn peered down, spotting Norris. He stepped back from the edge, then took a moment to formulate a plan. The only thing he's picked up on Norris' fighting style is…well, how stupidly simplistic it is. Whenever he wound himself up for Explosion, he placed a lot of force into his tackles and punches. But why?

The nightmare Fusion will need more time to contemplate this. Time wasn't something he had, as he felt the building shake. He could see smoke rising.

More hail rained down on him. He growled at the sky in annoyance. Somehow, rain was more appealing than this. He focused back on the matter at hand. He raced to the edge of the building and jumped off.

Norris ceased climbing, noticing the nightmare Fusion leaping off the building. "What is he up to?" he mumbled.

Quinn aimed his hands out, then formed a sphere of darkness. "Dark Void!" The sphere expanded, then released a volley of smaller spheres.

Norris' eyes widened. "Oh, for the love of-!" He kicked off the building and avoided the sleep-inducing attack. Quinn angled the path of fire to chance down the explosive Fusion. He blasted away nearby ones with Water Pulse while doing his best to dodge. His running was proving tedious, though. He growled in frustration. "Screw it!" He stopped and raised his arms. "Discharge!"

Lightning flew off his body. It made for an effective barrier, destroying all Dark Voids. The space between Quinn and Norris filled with smoke. Quinn covered his eyes as the smoke soon covered him. He couldn't peer through it, but he didn't want to risk flying down and meeting the wrong end of an Explosion. Instead, he flew himself up higher for a better view.

Norris fanned the smoke away, but there was still a large ceiling of it. Taking Quinn down was going to be difficult since he had the flight advantage. However, the angry duck cared little for such benefits. There was nothing he couldn't bring down.

Norris raised his arms again and released a wave of Discharge into the smoke. Quinn noticed the light peeking through the smoke, then yelped as he barely dodged a bolt of lightning, soon followed by more. He snaked around the bolts, but one nicked him in the side and sent him flying into the tall building adjacent to the one he was previously on.

He came to a rolling stop, then looked around vigilantly. "Where are you, Norris?"

Norris went for a running start and leaped onto the buildings. He felt more hail beating down on him, but he muscled through it this time. Which greater drive and anger, he scaled the walls faster.

Quinn kept an ear out on his surroundings. It was hard to distinguish which noises were coming from where. The hail only made it worse as he heard the constant beating of ice. It made for an effective cover against sneak attacks.

However, his opponent was not at all subtle with his battle style. A loud war cry alerted him to the flying duck behind him. He slammed his hand down and stopped Norris in midjump with Shadow Claw. He can see the sparking wrist orb that failed to detonate.

Norris clenched his teeth in frustration. "You're pissing me off!" He, unexpectedly, struck Quinn in the chin with his foot, which made the nightmare Fusion lose his focus on the Shadow Claw. Norris jumped back and formed Water Pulse. "All we wanted was some stupid medicine from the stupid pharmacy! Then you and your stupid friends show up and…and…AAAAGH!" He threw the attack with violent force.

Quinn ducked under it. He could feel the pressure exerting from the throw. He kicked off to the side and dashed around the explosive Fusion. "That supposed to give you leeway?!"

"No, but it'll make me feel a hell of a lot better!" He closed his eyes for a moment, then snapped them open. They were glowing green. "Foresight!"

 _Oh crud!_ Quinn knew exactly what that move entails and he didn't like it.

Norris charged at Quinn, charging up Explosion. "Try and stop me now, idiot!"

Quinn jumped back, hoping it would be enough to stay out of his range. Norris, however, could see right through his movements. He fired off two Water Pulses that curved around Quinn. The farthest exploded, reversing the second's direction to nail Quinn in the back. He was flung right into the explosive punch that set him ablaze.

He rocketed across the air. He forced himself to stop midflight. The sudden stop caused the flames around him to blow out. He panted heavily. The damage was becoming more unbearable. A few more Explosions like that and he'll be down for the count. His only advantage was distance and that wasn't going too well for him.

He narrowed his eyes. "In that case, I'll need to wear him down." He flew back into the fight.

Norris punched his smoking fists together impatiently. "Come on! I know there's more to you than that!"

Quinn formed Dark Void in his hand. "Let's try this again." He released a Dark Void barrage at him.

Norris growled. "That lame attack again?!" He thrusted his arms out and fired off Discharge, once again obliterating the attacks. "If you want to put me to sleep, you're doing a better job of boring me to death!"

A shadow slithered under his feet and stood behind him. The shadow rose up, resembling a cloak of black fog. "Will-O-Wisp!" Quinn shouted as the shadow cloak dispersed, firing off white fireballs from his hands. They quickly engulfed the angry duck in fire, inflicting burns.

"AAAHHH!" He flailed in pain, with Quinn barely dodging his wrist orbs. "OW, OW, OW!" His body was covered in white flames, nicking away at his health. "You bastard!"

Quinn smirked. "Your Explosion won't be doing as much damage anymore."

The angry duck growled furiously. He punched his own head in frustration. "Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" He clenched his teeth tightly, making his jaw sore. "Break me down all you want! Only I'm allowed to break others down!" He fired a closed range Water Pulse.

Quinn slashed it with Shadow Claw, then lunged at him. Quinn slammed his palms against his chest and unleashed a blank point Dark Pulse that sent the duck flying across the street.

He rolled across the rooftop, then rolled onto his feet. He clenched his head and shook violently. "AAAAAGH! I am so DONE with this!"

Quinn watched the mad duck from afar in complete bafflement. How can anyone be harboring this much unbridled rage at once? It was almost impressive. His rage wasn't burning out or anything. He could keep that up for hours.

Norris screamed at the sky in fury, then glared at Quinn. "Okay…fine. Let's get serious!" He took several steps back, then ran to the edge of the roof. Just before he jumped off, he activated Explosion and flipped forward. The orbs struck the roof, then the explosion sent him flying across the street as a flaming ball.

Quinn could only stare in bewilderment. _There's…no way he planned for that to work._

Norris performed midair flips, then plummeted onto Quinn with the sparking wrist orbs slamming down on the nightmare Fusion's head. The explosion collapsed the roof and sent him three levels down.

Quinn pushed himself up, with his limbs shaking. "Ugh…not…feeling too well…" He managed to get back on his feet, but he staggered forward. He rubbed his head, while thanking himself for placing the Burn Status on Norris earlier. That Explosion could have done more damage than it did.

He glared at the ground, trying to formulate a strategy for beating the explosive Fusion. _There's no denying his absurd power. Being able to use Explosion without fainting is an incredible skill to have. Even so, there has to be a trick to it. He has the ability Damp…yet he can still use Explosion. However, he can only use it at close range, always throwing his fists with great force._ His glare lightened up. _I think I may know how to counter Explosion. Though…I'm going to need help._

Remembering the communicator in his ear, he placed a hand against his head and contacted Artemis. "Artemis, it's Quinn. How are you holding up?"

" _To be honest…"_

On the ground, Artemis was being hit with Blizzard, which was freezing the ground and forming ice around her body.

"Not so well!"

She dodged a Moonblast as Quinn asked, _"I may need your help with something."_

"Quinn, I would love to, but my baddie, while not as INSANE, is being a pain in the butt!" She flipped up, dodging an Ice Beam that flew under her. "What about Ren?"

" _I can't really help, either!"_

Ren slashed through several Dragon Pulses that came his way. The wounds on his body indicated that he was having trouble keeping up with Sullivan's long range advantage.

"I can't get close to this guy! He's doing everything in his power to keep me at a distance!"

Quinn sighed. "So all three of us are having problems?"

"Well, it could be worse!" Artemis shouted as she dodged a Dazzling Gleam.

" _How so?"_

She shrugged. "Oh, I don't know! We don't exactly know what their FUSION MOVES are!"

Quinn's eyes widened. Fusion Moves were the embodiment of the two halves that make up the Fusion. When a Fusion discovers their personal Fusion Move, it was a force of nature. Their power was one that should be feared. What does a Golduck and an Electrode Fusion mean?

"Soak!"

Quinn looked up, then got drenched in water. He sputtered, having gotten water in his mouth. He spat it out and attempted to shake himself dry. He noticed a blue sheen passing along the length of his body. He felt different all of a sudden. He can feel his type has changed.

"Oh boy…" he muttered.

"Appropriate reaction," Norris said, crouched on the edge of the roof's hole.

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "So, you're planning to fry me with Discharge? Hasn't worked before, so it won't work now."

Norris smirked. "That would be a good idea, considering I can predict your movements with Foresight." He glared. "However, I have a little something for you." He stood up and held his hands out. "See, I can't use this particular move on you if you're a Dark-Type. But you're not a Dark-Type anymore."

Psychic energy channeled between his palms. It condensed at the center and formed a sphere of raw psychic energy. Psychic energy resembling bolts of lightning flew off the sphere.

"If you thought Explosion was a pain in the ass, just wait until you get a taste of this bad boy." He let it slip out of his hands before jumping back.

Quinn watched it fall to his level in stun silence. If it was worse than Explosion, he shouldn't be staying around here. He crouched and prepared to kick off into the air.

"Don't leave just yet!" Norris shouted, throwing Water Pulse, with the added accuracy of Foresight, and knocking him back down. "You won't want to miss this!"

Quinn sat up and saw the sphere was close to hitting the ground. Norris laughed, then uttered two words:

"Psionic Bomb."

Down on ground level, Ren and Artemis ceased battling for a moment when they heard a loud boom go off above them. They turned to the source of the sound and were horrified to see an expanding blast of psychic energy completely annihilate the upper half of the tall building. A large shockwave from the blast hit them and the two Rogues, pushing them into the ground a bit.

"Quinn!" Ren and Artemis cried in horror.

Flaming debris and shrapnel rained down. Ren and Artemis, including Mikayla and Sullivan, gasped in shock, then ran in circles to avoid the dangerous debris. Glass shattered against the streets. Shrapnel stabbed into the ground. Cars blew up from the impact. Fire hydrants exploded and sprayed water onto the damaged streets.

Ren covered himself with his shield. Artemis smacked away debris with her feelers. Sullivan blocked debris with his pincer. Mikayla, who had no real way of defending herself, ducked into the alleyways.

Mikayla glared up at the sky and shook her fist. "Norris, I swear to Arceus, I'm going to kill you!"

Ren shook the debris off his shield, then resumed staring at the flaming building. "Holy…Quinn!" He dashed towards the building. He needed to make sure he was alright.

"Best pay attention, runt!" Ren backflipped from an Incinerate, then an Aqua Jet slammed into his back, slamming him against the streets. Sullivan rolled forward, spun around, and fired off Dragon Pulse. Ren crossed his arms and endured the hit as it washed over his body.

Ren panted, then glared through his crossed arms. "Grr…"

Sullivan aimed his pincer. "We're not leaving until we finish our mission."

Ren clenched his teeth angrily. "Dishonest folk like you make me sick…"

" _What the heck does that make me?!"_ Artemis screamed through his earpiece, making him flinch.

"Y-Y-You know what I mean, Artemis!" He held his earpiece. "Hang on! Quinn, Quinn?! Can you hear us?!" There was no response. "Artemis, I think he's unconscious!"

" _Or his earpiece is broken. We need to make sure he's okay!"_

"We need to protect the Pokémon first!" He summoned Cut and blocked Aqua Jet. "I'll call you back!" He redirected Aqua Jet and kicked Sullivan in the gut.

He slid back, then fired off Scald. Ren used King's Shield, nullifying it, then used Fling with his shield. The shield nailed his stomach, knocking him back. Ren sprinted, jumped, and slammed both his feet into his face.

Sullivan fell on his back and groaned. Ren picked up his shield and sprinted at him. The anteater aimed Incinerate at the frog knight's feet, making him jump instinctively. He fired Scald and blasted him in the air.

Ren ricocheted off a building, jumped to the one across the street, then bounced directly at the anteater. He put his shield away and pulled out his sword, activating Sacred Sword. He spun vertically and slashed him down the middle, leaving behind a blinding blue slash against him.

"AGH!" Sullivan stumbled back as the light died, then he held his stomach. "Ugh…"

Ren sheathed his sword, then glared over his shoulder. "Now, if you don't mind, my friend needs help. Please stand down and I'll refrain from inflicting any more harm on you."

Sullivan supported himself up with his pincer. He panted heavily. "You heroic types…are a real pain in the ass…" He glared. "We're doing our best living out here…yet folks like you get in our way…"

Ren pointed at him accusingly. "Hey, I'm not the one breaking up buildings and causing mass mayhem here. All of this can be avoided if you just come to Gappei Village. That way, you wouldn't have to struggle."

Sullivan groaned. "On and on with this…" He narrowed his eyes tiredly. "Your optimism is truly unwavering…you sad, little fool."

Ren glared. "Excuse me?"

"How much do you believe in that good-natured shit when we've had to struggle first?" He got back on his feet and swung his pincer. "You really think living in some isolated village is going to change anything? All the pain they've caused us…and all we can do is ignore it?" He shook his head. "That isn't a philosophy I can get behind. It's basically saying…surrender and admit defeat." His eyes sharpened. "And I don't admit defeat."

The frog knight raised a brow. "All this effort just to pay back the suffering our species has endured?"

"Why not?" He aimed his pincer. "Not like you lot are doing any better!" He shot Incinerate.

Ren clashed it with Cut, then dashed at him. "We're going to make a difference in the world! Just you wait!"

"You're living in a fantasy world!" Sullivan raised his pincer and blocked a slash from his Cut. "Fire Lash!" His fiery tongue extended out, then whipped Ren across the chest.

"AGH!" He kicked off his pincer and landed several meters away. He checked the searing wound on him. He touched it, then cringed in pain.

"Aqua Jet!" Sullivan shouted, flying towards him.

Ren pulled out his shield. "King's Shield!" Sullivan bounced off the shield projection once it was summoned.

He skidded back, feeling a blue aura surround him and debuff his attack power. He groaned, then took aim. "Dragon Pulse!"

Ren jumped up to avoid the attack, then flung his shield. "Fling!"

Sullivan sneered. "Fire Lash!" He used his fire coated tongue to cancel out the shield's momentum. It flipped in the air, then he wrapped his tongue around it to toss it away from battle.

"My shield!" Ren cried out. He attempted to run after it, but Sullivan blasted him back with Dragon Pulse.

Smoke rose out of his pincer. He snipped it intimidatingly. "I wonder. How many fights have you gotten in?" He narrowed his eyes. "You don't look like the type of guy to start fights."

Ren flipped onto his feet, panting heavily. "I've been in plenty of battles with my friends…"

The anteater shook his head. "Doesn't count. You're just another weakling looking to make the world a better place. You don't know the first thing about combat."

Ren growled. "Say that to my face once more." He gripped his hilt. "I still got a few tricks left up my sleeve."

Sullivan glared. "So do I." His pincer steamed, glowing red with heat.

* * *

Artemis was having trouble fighting Mikayla. Not only was she persistent and difficult to knock out, but her mind kept wandering to the smoke building overhead, wondering if Quinn was okay. For her sake, he better be unconscious and nothing else. Then again, with that crazy duck as his opponent, is being unconscious really that relieving?

Artemis took another Blizzard to the face, pushing against it as she advanced towards Mikayla.

The frosty Fusion didn't let up on her assault, pouring as much power as possible without overdoing herself. She, however, took notice of surround area lighting up. The snowfall and hail stopped. She glared up at the sky and saw her Hail has ended.

Artemis noticed this, too, then smirked. "Iron Head!" With Mikayla distracted, the Eeveelution Fusion used this opportunity to kick off the ground and deliver a headbutt to the forehead. Mikayla staggered back in pain, then grabbed the devious Fusion by the forelegs.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Blank point light beams blasted through Artemis. She gasped in pain, then was sent flying back. "Moonblast!" Mikayla fired off the lunar energy ball, knocking Artemis through a small store. "Ice Beam!" She used it to coat the front in a thick ice wall. Once she finished, the wall was a meter thick, so brute force wasn't going to cut it.

Artemis picked herself up and groaned. "Am I lightheaded or is the air covered in fairy dust…?" She felt a cold breeze behind her, then saw the ice wall through the corner of her eye. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Ugh…fantastic…"

Mikayla tapped her foot, waiting for Artemis to break out. Or at least attempt to. If the ice wall proves to be too much, she can finish off the mission while Norris and Sullivan are distracting the other two.

She heard a faint pounding against the wall. She squinted, barely making out the silhouetted Artemis as she bashed her skull against the ice. This made the frosty Fusion smirk. "I've heard of using your head, but she can't be that stupid."

She noticed Artemis jumping back, leading her to think she might have given up. However, what Artemis was really doing was planning her escape. On the other side of the wall, Artemis used Iron Head to make some cracks in the ice. Not enough to break it down, but enough to make a structural weak point.

Artemis smirked as she charged up her attack. "Focus Blast!" She fired it into the wall and shattered it, sending ice shards flying.

"WAH!" Mikayla covered her head as ice pelted her. _Did she actually blast her way out of there THAT EASILY?!_

"Surprise!" All of a sudden, Artemis slingshot herself using her feelers to deliver a sharp High Jump Kick to the face with both her hind legs. She pushed Mikayla back until her back was planted against the wall. Artemis jumped back and pierced her feelers into the walls, shocking Mikayla. "Once more, but with feeling!" She launched herself at blank point and used High Jump Kick with her forelegs this time, jabbing them against the frosty Fusion's stomach.

The wind was pushed out of Mikayla's lungs. She couldn't breathe for a solid moment. She got a good look at Artemis' eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who didn't care. Someone who will fight without moral reflection or fear of karmic forces.

 _This bitch is insane!_ Mikayla thought angrily.

The force of Artemis' second slingshot maneuver tore down the walls of the building she anchored herself to, with the momentum firing Mikayla into a counter.

The frosty Fusion gripped her stomach in pain. It was bruised. Really, really bruise. Any more direct hits like that could do serious damage.

She glared up at Artemis, who was laughing her head off. "Finally! I get to fight without holding back! And this time, I won't have the cops on my tail!" She threw her paws up and laughed evilly, clearly enjoying her fun a little too much.

Mikayla pushed herself up, supporting herself against the counter. Air was moving into her lungs again, letting her take much needed breathes. She closed her eyes and gripped tightly on the counter's edge.

"You're no different from us…" she mumbled.

Artemis ceased her laughing, then smirked. "In what regard?"

"Violent, uncaring, looking out for yourself…now I'm hearing you've had trouble with the cops." She glared at the devious Fusion. "You're just as much a Rogue as we are."

Artemis shrugged, still smirking. "That moral stuff doesn't suit me, at least the finer details." She balled up her right feelers and punched them into her left ones. "But I can at least tell the difference between right and wrong."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "Somehow…I don't believe that's true." She smirked. "No one ever taught you…so you just do your own thing, believing you're exempt from all consequences."

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "…I'm not dignifying that with a response."

"So, I'm right." She chuckled as she stood herself up. "Well…it doesn't matter. You have your family to look after. I have mine." She glared at the Eeveelution Fusion. "So I'll only say this once before I lost my patience: stand down…or suffer."

Artemis smirked. "Do your worst."

Mikayla smirked back. "Wrong choice of words." She arched her head back and inhaled deeply, much to Artemis' confusion. "Now the real storm is coming. Hope you brought a jacket."

Artemis narrowed her eyes as the frosty Fusion released icy mist from her straw appendage. She took a cautious step back, unsure if she should be nervous or interested. Fighting an opponent she didn't know about could prove to be dangerous, but she wanted to see where this was going.

She closed her eyes and smirked, chuckling mockingly. _Oh, who am I kidding? A little ice won't hurt me._

Mikayla could see her smug expression, which made her mentally chuckle. _Time to bring on the cold._ "Winter Storm!"

She exhaled, but not through her nose or mouth. She exhaled through her straw appendage. She released a jet of mist that accumulated into a massive cloud that surrounded her and stretched out across the area.

Artemis' eyes widened, as the cloud grew faster than she thought. Before she knew it, she was engulfed in the fog. She noticed how cold the mist was, feeling a wave of shivers run up from her paws, up her back, and to her head. She rubbed her sides, then looked around. Everything was obscured in whiteness. She could barely make out Mikayla.

Mikayla breathed in the frigid air and sighed with satisfaction. "Oh, the wondrous cold! Don't you feel captivated by its chilling embrace?"

Artemis smirked. "So, your Fusion Move is the ability to make everything colder? Wow, that's lame."

Mikayla smirked. "Laugh all you want, sweetheart, but this'll make sure those annoying attacks of yours can't hurt me."

Artemis shook her head with a smug grin. "If you think I can't see you, then you're not thinking this whole plan through." She charged up Focus Blast and fired it at her.

Mikayla dodged it, then charged at Artemis. The Sylveon Fusion attempted a sidestep, but Mikayla came in faster than she expected and got hit by a direct Moonblast. Artemis tumbled across the street, but caught herself by digging her feelers into the asphalt.

Artemis rubbed her lip. "Let's try that again." She used Iron Head and charged.

Mikayla held her hands behind her back and, with arrogance, dodged her attacks with gentle steps. Artemis swung her head wildly, but they weren't connecting as quickly as before. Was Mikayla faster with this fog up?

"Moonblast!" Artemis was blasted off her feet and skidded across her back. She spun onto her feet, then glared at the laughing Fusion. "Ohoho! Payback is 'OH' so sweet!"

Artemis leaped into the air and spun down with High Jump Kick. Mikayla dodged the attack, not only leading Artemis to miss, but to also inflict recoil damage to her hind leg. She rolled back and held her leg in pain. "Agh!"

"I'm sure you're noticing an increasing gap in our speed," Mikayla said with a smug grin.

Artemis picked herself up and glared. "Okay, what is this? Some sort of area effect that boosts the speed of Ice-Types?"

The frosty Fusion shook her head. "Far from it." She narrowed her eyes darkly. "The exact opposite."

Artemis finally took a good look at her body and noticed frost was forming over her body, which slowly turned to ice. As she looked at them, she became more aware of the stiffness in her muscles.

"No, Winter Storm doesn't speed up Ice-Types. It slows down everyone else." She chuckled. "Your speed will continue to decrease, effectively shutting it down. Eventually, after some time passes…you'll be frozen."

Artemis clenched her teeth as the ice continued to freeze over her body. She shivered heavily, exhaling rapid breathes. "Y-You can't be s-serious!"

Mikayla grinned. "Oh, but I am." She walked up and held the Eeveelution Fusion's chin in her hand. "I told you not to get in our way." She narrowed her eyes. "We're suffering out here. So, we make do with what we got. Dazzling Gleam!" She blasted Artemis back with blinding light.

Artemis flipped back onto her feet, but her movements became more sluggish. She clenched her teeth tightly. _And here I thought I was done with the cold…_

* * *

Ren slashed his Sacred Sword repeatedly against Sullivan's heated pincer. The frog knight can feel the heat it was generating. It was absurd. What was Sullivan planning to use? He highly doubted it was an amped up Scald, so it had to be his Fusion Move. He didn't want to take chances, so retrieving his shield was of utmost importance.

Sullivan bashed Ren away, then tried to lasso him with Fire Lash. Ren was able to avoid getting caught by the ankle, then he kicked off the ground to slash him with two Cuts.

Sullivan was too busy charging his Fusion Move, so he couldn't use any of his ranged attacks. Keeping Ren within range was all he could do until he had the perfect shot ready.

Ren flipped onto his hands, then kicked Sullivan in the jaw. As the anteater staggered back, the frog knight reached his hand out in the direction of his shield. He focused intensely on the protective metal. His ghostly influence followed his commands as it shook and inched towards him. This made the knight smile in joy. The shield was picking up speed and close to flying back into his hand.

The moment it began to levitate, Fire Lash wrapped around Ren's wrist, making him cry out in pain. He lost his connection to the shield. Sullivan arched his head back and flung Ren against a building.

"No more of that," the anteater mumbled. He aimed his pincer at him. "Ready to fire."

Ren desperately held his hand out, trying to call his shield over to him. _Hurry! Hurry! HURRY!_

Sullivan narrowed his eyes as he opened his pincer, revealing a swirling red energy. "Boiling…Jet!" Steam shot out the back like an exhaust vent. His pincer fired out the red energy into a massive beam.

Ren, without a shield to protect himself, crossed his arms to lessen the damage. However, that was only wishful thinking. Boiling Jet lived up to its name as contact with the move not only smashed Ren through the walls, but it also seared more than Fire Lash and Scald. He felt as if his skin was being boiled.

The beam made little effort to tear apart the support beams it either directly hit or grazed. The grazed support beams showed off the heat of Boiling Jet, as a chunk of it was ripped off with a melting gap in its place. The building tipped slightly to the left from the loss of balance.

The destructive force did, however, bring down several stories of debris down on the collision point, burying Ren under hundreds of drywalls, desks, office chairs, and other large items.

Sullivan lifted his pincer and expelled the remaining steam out. "…and that's game."

* * *

The destructive power the Psionic Bomb had was incredible. Quinn felt like passing out from the pain, unable to bear the thought of enduring another round of those. He knew the Rogues were going to be a challenge, but…nothing like this.

He was buried under scrap and debris from the blast. He used Shadow Claw to slash and push his way out of the mess, then used the claws to pick himself up. He coughed harshly as there was a lot of dust in the air. He looked around at the damage and saw whatever floor he was on was now scorched beyond recognition. Chairs were torn to pieces and desks…well, they were just piles of splinters and metal scrap.

He wiped his hand across his lip, then saw there was blood smeared across it. He glared, then looked around for Norris. The mad duck had to be around somewhere. There was no way a hothead like him would call it day so soon.

Quinn felt around his head for his communicator, only to realize it was gone. It very likely got blown apart from the blast. He sighed, then held his face. He needed to heal himself before he passed out. He needed at least one clean shot with Dark Void and he'll work his magic.

As the nightmare Fusion looked around, he came across an object that barely survived the blast. He picked it up and dusted it clean. It was a first aid kit. Curious, he opened it up. Sadly there wasn't much to help him. This type of first aid kit wasn't met for battle injuries, just regular ones. Though, one item caught his eye: a roll of gauze.

He took it out, then bounced it in his hand. He rubbed his chin with a contemplative expression, then smirked. _If my guess is correct…this might work._

He heard crumbling from behind. He tucked the gauze into his mane, then peeked over his shoulder. Crumbs of drywall sprinkled down. His eyes darted up, then he rolled away from a surprise Explosion.

Norris pulled his fist out of the ground, then growled. "What does it take to put you down?!" He pounded his fists together. "I'll bring down this whole building to kill you!"

Shane's warning echoed through Quinn's head. _'Be cautious if you enter a building.'_ The cryptic prediction clicked, resulting in an unamused expression from Quinn. _So, that's what he meant._

Norris leaped at Quinn and swung his arms. Quinn dodged in time, but Norris ended up blasting a support beam to pieces. The upper half of the building shook.

Quinn held his ground, then shouted, "Are you insane?! We're both going to die if you keep that up!"

Norris smirked. "I know." He kicked off backwards and flew at Quinn upside-down. He grabbed him by the shoulders, flipped right-side up, and double kicked him in the back. "Discharge!" Still gripping Quinn's shoulder, the mad duck released tons of electricity throughout his body. With Quinn's temporary water typing, the damage was exceedingly worse.

"AAAHHH!" Quinn screamed in agony.

Norris laughed. "This is but a sample of what I'll do to the Pokémon for ruining our lives! Take note that I'll be the hero of all Fusions!"

Quinn clenched his jaw, glaring at the duck through his peripherals. "A hero?! What kind of hero-" Shadows wrapped around his arms, "-destroys the planet he protects?!" He backhanded Norris across the face, then slammed him against a wall with Shadow Claw.

The building shook from the impact. Norris wildly shook his head and roared in rage. "I shall not be contained!"

"Dark Void!" Quinn shouted, pitching the dark orb right at him. Not willing to take chances, Quinn tugged on Shadow Claw and threw Norris into the Dark Void.

Contact with the orb trapped Norris in a dark crimson bubble. He pounded on the bubble. "Let me out of here, you- _yawn-_ no good… _yawn…_ jerk…" The bubble made fast work on his mind, rendering him tired and unable to stay awake. "Too tired…to put up…with this shit…" He dropped to his knees and collapsed tiredly.

Quinn panted, relieved that he finally got a Dark Void off. "Thank goodness…" He held his knees for a moment, then glared at Norris. "Now then, Dream Eater!" His eyes flashed red, then a shadow of himself with glowing red eyes sprung out. He flew across the air and phased into Norris.

The duck flew up, clutching his head as the nightmare spawn messed around in his head. The shadow flew out of him, clutching an orb of green energy. It absorbed into the shadow, transforming it into green energy itself, and flew into Quinn. Green aura surrounded him and healed him. Cuts were disappearing and aches in his bones and muscles healed up.

Quinn smiled happily. He clenched his fist. "Perfect."

Norris flew up into a sitting position, wide awake and completely baffled by what happened. "Wh-Wha…?!" He glanced at Quinn, then glared as his grinded his teeth together. "You rotten, son of a-!"

Quinn smirked. "The Fusions of Gappei Village aren't quite as weak and puny as you said. My friends aren't going down, so neither am I."

"I'LL DESTROY YOU!" Norris roared in rage, lunging at Quinn with his wrist orbs sparking violently. "RAWR!"

* * *

Mikayla used another Dazzling Gleam, inflicting more damage onto the weakened Eeveelution Fusion. From the frosty Fusion's perspective, Artemis looked about ready to collapse have it not been for her legs already freezing up. Just a little longer and she'll be a Fusion popsicle.

Mikayla chortled. "Oh, you were right! This is too much fun! I might have a problem!" She narrowed her eyes on the Fusion, who remained silent. "Aww, is someone too defeated to make a quip or insult?" She smirked. "That's right, keep quiet. Think about your mistakes while I claim my prize."

Artemis stared at the ground for the longest time. Ice froze everything but her head. Even then, ice kept crawling up. She had very little time left. She was numb, freezing, and couldn't move her body. It was like being thrown out in the snow without a jacket. Her body was locked up and couldn't do a thing about it.

She should be feeling distress over her possible defeat, but…she was smirking instead.

"Oh, you naïve child," she said, confusing Mikayla. "Your little Fusion Move is certainly an effective one. Even I can't do much to fight off its chilling grasp." She narrowed her eyes. "But…you don't know the troubles I've been through to get this far."

Mikayla noticed that the ice around Artemis was shaking. She was trying to muscle her way out. She growled. "Stubborn bitch…"

Artemis smirked evilly. "Not the first time I've been called that…and certainly not the last!" Ice encased around her face, almost freezing over her mouth. She uttered two words before she was frozen solid:

"Duality…Dance."

Mikayla held up her guard for a sudden explosion or blast of fairy dust. Instead, a swirl of pink and red formed under her feet. Artemis' body shined within her icy prison. The ice cracked from a buildup of pressure. Chips fell off. Entire pieces flew away. Soon enough, Artemis used her brute strength and shattered the ice off her body.

Mikayla covered her face as shards of ice flew at her. She glared at Artemis, then gasped as the Sylveon Fusion underwent a small change. While nothing about her physical body has change, two colors on her body swapped places: pink and red. Everything on her body that was once pink was now red. Her strip of hair on her head was now pink.

Artemis took a battle stance with a cunning grin. "Time to end this."

Mikayla lightened up a bit, then chuckled nervously. "W-What? That's it? You swapped colors? H-Ha! And you thought I had a terrible move!"

Artemis bent back. "Yes…and just like before, I was wrong!" She kicked off the ground. "Iron Head!"

Mikayla inhaled. "Flamethrower!" She blew flames at the Fusion, but she charged through with hesitance. Mikayla crossed her arms to protect herself, believing she could endure the Iron Head because of Artemis's insignificant attack strength.

She was wrong…oh, so wrong. Not only was the damage super effective, but the actual power of the hit went from a five to a twenty. The strength of the Iron Head was vastly greater than the weaker state of it. Mikayla almost passed out on the spot.

She smashed through a car door, which tipped the car a full 180 and lay on its roof. Mikayla gripped her stomach in pain. "AGH! Damn! OW! Shit!" She sat herself up in pain, panting. "What…happened?"

"Remember when you said my attack power was weak?" She glanced up at the smirking Sylveon. "Yeah, well…not anymore. See, my Fusion Move is called Duality Dance. With the power of a Fairy-Type and the raw strength of a Fighting-Type, my ability allows me to swap my naturally high Special Attack with my normally low Attack." She chuckled. "Those Iron Heads must be taking their toll on you, huh?"

Mikayla looked around in a panic. There was no way she could survive a second hit. It was impossible. She had to escape as soon as possible.

Artemis raised her feelers, balling them up and activating Thunder Punch. "You've been a pain in the neck! Now it's time for revenge!" She punched furiously at Mikayla.

Fortunately, the frosty Fusion rolled out of the car in time as the devious Fusion pummeled it with dents. Artemis prepared to blast her with Moonblast, but Mikayla was making her getaway now.

"Winter Storm!" She exhaled the misty cloud, shrouded herself within it. Artemis jumped away from the cloud and kept her distance. The cloud didn't last long. It disappeared, along with Mikayla.

The devious Fusion narrowed her eyes, but didn't bother giving chase. Instead, after deactivating Duality Dance, she collapsed onto the ground, panting. The adrenaline pumping through her was wearing off. "Ugh…yep, everything hurts…"

* * *

Sullivan narrowed his eyes down the street, seeing that his comrade has fled the scene. "Arceus dammit, where are you, Mikayla?" He noticed Artemis collapsed on the ground, which made him chuckle. "Well…might as well finished where she left off." He aimed his pincer, lining up for a damaging shot with his Boiling Jet.

He heard metal scraping the ground, right in front of him. He lowered his pincer, then got bashed between the eyes with Ren's shield. He held his face in pain. "AGH! You have got to be kidding me!" He rubbed his face, then glared at the shield as it flew into the building. His vision was blurry, but he could make out a figure catching the shield. "Oh no…"

It wasn't easy to make Ren mad. He took life's punches and accepted reality as it was, all the while trying to better it. However, in those rare moments where he let the cap off on his anger, he was through with pulling punches. His expression spoke volumes as he placed his shield back on his back.

"…okay…now you've done it." His skin glowed red from the insane, boiling energy he endured. Steam seeped off his body. It hurt to move, but he muscled through it. He gripped his hilt, saying, "Fancy move you got there. I believe I'll have a go with mine."

Sullivan glared, then aimed his pincer at Ren instead. "Gappei doesn't take in weaklings, I guess. I've never seen anyone take a Boiling Jet and still be able to stand."

"Guess that makes me special." He slowly pulled his sword out.

Sullivan's pincer heated up. "I'm not sure what move you're pulling, but a second Boiling Jet ought to finish the job."

Once the sword was fully out, Ren swung and twirl it forward. Golden energy trailed with the spinning blade. He then gripped the hilt with both hands. The golden energy swirled around the blade, then coated it in its light. The blade glowed golden, while also doubling in length.

Sullivan narrowed his eyes. "What the…?"

"All the damage you inflicted on me today…is being channeled through my blade. My virtuous nature…my integrity…my will…they will all take me to victory, with this decisive strike." He raised his sword. "Prepare yourself!" He kicked off the ground and dashed at Sullivan at a breakneck pace.

The anteater opened his pincer, revealing the swirling red energy inside. "I'll boil you alive!" The back of his pincer slowly released steam. He prepared to fire. "Boiling…Je-!"

He gasped in pain as a swift strike crossed his chest. His Boiling Jet canceled out immediately after. The strike left behind a golden slash that was bursting with energy. Faster than the eye could see, Ren appeared behind Sullivan with his sword supported on his shoulder.

"Divine Slash," he whispered.

Sullivan gargled in pain, staggering forward with stiff steps. His knees buckled, then he collapsed onto his face. He was out cold, unable to take any more damage.

Ren sighed in relief, then sheathed his sword. "Thank goodness." He turned to Sullivan, pressed his palms together, and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for an amazing battle. You truly are a strong individual." With that out of the way, Ren collapsed onto his knees. He chuckled sheepishly. "Guess I overdid it with that one…"

* * *

Norris screamed in anger as he swung his fists wildly at Quinn, who was dodging for the most part. Norris' unpredictable behavior has led him to destroy numerous support beams. There was no use denying the inevitable. The building was going to collapse at any moment, but Norris was adamant on keeping him locked in to battle until one or both fall.

"Just die already!" Norris screamed as he exploded the floor.

Quinn narrowed his eyes. _I can't delay any longer. I'll need to finish him off now._ He pulled the gauze out of his mane and pulled out a strip.

Norris kicked off and threw his sparking fist. "Now I got-!" Quinn sidestepped the attack. But, rather than just dodge, he quickly wrapped the gauze around Norris' wrist, tying in down. "Huh?!"

Quinn cut the piece off and gripped the one strip. "There we go!"

"What is this?!" Norris growled before throwing his other fist. Quinn repeated the same process, now gripping a second strip in his hand. Norris had both his wrists tied with gauze. He clenched his fists. "Are you trying to heal me or something?!"

Quinn smirked. "No…but I've finally figured out how your variant of Explosion works."

"How so?!" Norris used Explosion and threw his fist.

Quinn reacted accordingly. He tugged on the right gauze, which jerked Norris' arm and slowed down the speed of his punch. The nightmare Fusion quickly raised his hand and blocked it. No explosion went off. He felt a bit of pride for his discovery. "Bingo."

"Wha…WHAT?!" Norris pulled his other fist back and threw it. Quinn tugged the left gauze, redirecting and slowing down the forceful punch. "What is this?!"

"I know what you're doing. Your battle style around Explosion is fairly reliant on brute strength and force. Your psychic traits allow you to mentally set off Explosion, even though Damp limits your range and the blast around your arms. However, in order for you to trigger it, a strong, forceful punch is required. You put so much effort into your fighting style because that's the only way you can explode your wrist orbs."

Norris narrowed his eyes. _Shit!_ "Grr…so you know how it works? Big freakin' deal!" He held his hands together and charged psychic energy between them. "I'll just blow the place up with another Psionic Bomb! We'll see who's laughing in the end!"

Quinn glared. "Not on my watch!" He whipped the gauze, forcing both of Norris' hands to swing to the left. Quinn jumped and kicked the duck in the face. He then swung the gauze over his shoulder, with Norris as well, and slammed the explosive Fusion into the ground.

Norris pushed himself up. "Damn…you!" He spun around and threw his fist…only to be knocked out by Dark Void. He fell to the ground on his knees.

The nightmare Fusion glared, then picked Norris up by the nape. "The Rogues have caused enough trouble for today. I'm ending this, now." He ran to the broken windows and threw Norris out.

Quinn held his hand out and conjured a purple fireball. The fireball had skull patterns flaring up with the flames. He bounced it in his hand, then threw it. "Nightmare Fuel!"

The fireball nailed Norris, then exploded him in a pillar of purple fire. The properties of Nightmare Fuel hit Norris on a mental level. From his perspective, his dream world burned before his eyes before he was forced out of his forced sleep and screamed in pain.

He fell to the ground as a flaming comet and crash landed into the streets. Quinn panted lightly, then jumped off the building and lightly floated down.

Norris pushed himself out the crater. He held his hand to his beak as he coughed out blood. He looked at his bloodied hand in horror, then clenched it with the flames of rage burning in his eyes. "I'll…kill…you!" He pushed himself up harder, straining his body.

"Norris, no!" He glanced into his peripherals and saw Mikayla running over. She had a bag on her back, bulging with unknown items. She wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Sullivan is unconscious. I got the medicine. We need to leave, now! I saw the Pokémon coming out of hiding."

Norris growled. "Not until I…"

Mikayla shook her head. "Now is not the time to fight! We got what we came for! We. Are. Leaving!"

He lowered his head with a fiercely annoyed expression. "Grr…fine!" She smiled in approval, then helped him over to where Sullivan was.

Quinn narrowed his eyes on them. "Oh no, you don't!" He formed two Dark Voids.

Norris growled and fired off Water Pulse, shouting, "Buzz off!"

The water orb smashed into Quinn's face and knocked him out of the sky. Ren, who heard Norris' angry shout, turned and saw his friend falling. "Quinn!" With new strength flooding his legs, he sprinted over to Quinn, pass Norris and Mikayla. He leaped and caught Quinn in his arms, tumbling across the ground.

Mikayla, after readjusting Norris onto her other shoulder, swung Sullivan's arm around her. She groaned. "Ugh…you idiots are heavy!"

Norris glared. "Shut up and get us out of here."

"Very well. Winter Storm!" She exhaled the icy mist, pouring more power into it so they'd have a wider range to escape. It lasted for only a moment before fading, with the Rogues gone.

Ren gently set Quinn down, then collapsed onto his back. "Phew…that was close."

Quinn sat up and held his head. He had a pounding headache. "Ugh…I don't feel so well…"

"Spooky~!" He yelped as Artemis jumped onto him and nuzzled his cheek. "Oh, I knew you were alright! I was so worried about you!"

He chuckled sheepishly. "The feeling is mutual." He wrapped his arms around her neck. "Are you okay?"

She shrugged. "Meh. Bruised legs, bruised abdomen, and other injuries too numerous to count. Other than that, I'm feeling great!"

"I'm not…" Ren moaned.

Artemis smirked, wrapped her feelers around his wrists, and sat him up. "Up you go, sleepyhead."

Quinn chuckled, then saw something to his left. Pokémon were coming out of hiding. Their wide eyed expressions of shock and horror told them that they saw that whole exchange. Some were looking around in disbelief while others looked on in a state of bafflement.

"They don't look happy…" he muttered.

Artemis waved her paw. "Bah! Don't be silly. They're happy we got rid of the Rogues." She pressed her paw against her chest. "They're bursting with excitement, ready to see that we have saved their wondrous city."

Ren bent his head back in exhaustion, then suddenly choked on air. His eyes bulged out in terror. "A-A-Artemis?"

She ignored him and raised her paws. "Citizens of Grandis City! Look on at us in awe! Your saviors have come to defend you!" She smirked with a smug grin. "I know, I know, you're all just waiting to praise us for our awesomeness. There's no need to thank us. We're just kind folks looking out for the little guys."

"A-Artemis, shut up," Ren whispered nervously, still staring at the horrific sight behind her.

"Yeah, yeah, in a moment, Ren." She raised her feelers. "Now come, express your gratitude and-!" A tomato smashed into her face. Her eyes blinked through the red sauce. "…what?"

The crowd suddenly went into an uproar of boos, shouts, and complaints. "You call this help?!" one Pokémon screamed.

"Who do you freaks think you are?!" another cried.

"You're monsters!"

Another tomato was thrown at Artemis, but she batted it with an irritated expression. She wiped most of the tomato off her face, then shouted, "What's the big idea, you idiots?! We just saved your butts! Perhaps a little appreciation!"

"Artemis, seriously, stop!" Ren shouted.

"Why?!"

He grabbed her head and turned it around. "That's why!"

She, along with Quinn, gasped at the sight behind them. Everything…was destroyed. Cars were wrecked and ripped to pieces. The streets were deformed and broken apart. Fire hydrants were broken off, spraying water out like a geyser. Entire buildings were smashed and shattered. The building Quinn fought Norris on had finally tipped over and rested against the adjacent building, breaking the windows.

The entire area they fought at was in total chaos. From the looks of things…this was exceedingly more damage than anything the Rogues previously done. A couple of destroyed cars here and there and broken sidewalks, but…nothing of this magnitude.

The three Fusion stared in with dropped jaw. _Oh…crap._

They faced the sneering crowd once more. The Fusions gulped nervously, feeling their legs shake. "G-Guys…" Ren mumbled. "…I want to go home."

"M-Me too…" Artemis agreed.

Quinn clenched his shaking fists. The only way home was through the crowd. Talk about insult to injury. "Let's…Let's go…"

With their heads lowered in shame, they walked through the crowd. As they did, the crowd fired insult after insult at them.

"That's right! Go back to the monster camp where you belong!"

"You freaks deserve everything that's coming to you!"

"Ruining our lives once again! Why am I not surprised?!"

"Where's the Fusion Hunters when you need them?"

"I hope all of you suffer for your crimes!"

They tried their best to ignore the hate, but it was hitting them hard. Ren's eyes watered. He clenched them shut as tears streamed out. Artemis didn't shed a tear, but the misery on her face was far more unbearable. Quinn let some tears drip down his face.

They tried so hard to help, yet…they made everything worse. They wanted to help lives, but now they only stoked the flames of hatred to burn hotter. They let their village down…they let their friends down…they let Chief Liam down.

They made it out of the crowd after what felt like an eternity and dragged their feet back to the village, never looking up or looking back. They could feel their burning glares in the back of their heads.

High above, standing on top of a building away from the chaos, was Liam. Words could not describe the utter loathing he felt towards himself. None towards Quinn, Artemis, or Ren, nor any for the Pokémon. He loathed himself for his decision. He likely scarred those three for going through all that.

He watched the entire battle unfold. He chose not to intervene (unless absolutely necessary) for he wanted to observe their progress. They were blinded by their desire to win that they disregarded the land around them. They've never had to do something like this before. They've never had to worry about the safety of those they didn't consider friend. They followed basic instinct and battled.

He gripped his staff tightly, ashamed by the damage he indirectly caused. He pressed his fingers against his eyes and rubbed them in annoyance. "Peregrine's going to chew me out when I get back…"

He believed that even Julian foresaw this possibility. He knew the risks of hiring Fusions who've never been in battle such as this. He was probably looking over the damage from his office building right now.

Liam glared at the Profectus Inc. building. He can feel Julian observing the damage. "This was you wanted, Julian?" Liam muttered. "To scare my children into believing they're monsters?" He sighed, then held his face. "What have I done?"

He shouldn't stick around for too long. He had to report the damage back to the Fusion Council so they can decide the next course of action. Once done, he had three grieving Fusions to attend to. With any luck, the villagers will do their best to comfort them.

If and when he's done counseling them…Julian was next on his list.

He glared at the building once again, then bared his teeth. "You and I are going to have a LONG talk, Julian…" He tapped his staff twice, then vanished with Extreme Speed.


	6. Two Steps Back, One Step Forward

It's been five hours since they returned. Their moods didn't change from the walk home. They booing and insults still echoed in their minds, cruelly reminding them over their failure. It was…painful to listen to. Their words hit them pretty hard, even if they tried their best to hide it from all their friends.

As expected, the villagers asked if they were okay. They saw everything on the news, including the mob of angry Pokémon. They asked if they needed anything, but they politely declined. Instead, they went to their hut and locked the door. They haven't been out since.

Some of the villagers stood outside their hut: their closest friends with the exception of Hawkins and Wantanabe, the latter of whom was in the middle of classes. They've tried getting their attention for a while, but they weren't coming out any time soon. Not that they blame them for feeling so down. They saw it all on the news. All the destruction they caused. All the buildings and property totaled in their way. The Pokémon had a right to be mad, sure, but those mean-spirited comments thrown at three Fusions who just wanted to help…it was too much to bear.

Tamara pressed her ear against the door and listened out for any changes in mood. The others waited patiently for her response. "Well?" Dez asked.

She frowned. "Weeellll…Ren's not…crying as hard, I suppose. Then again, he could be crying into a pillow."

Rebecca frowned. "Poor Ren…"

"He was not prepared for that kind of hostility," Shane said. "He's too innocent."

"Were any of them prepared for a reaction like that?" Chris asked rhetorically.

"Fair point."

Emily crossed her arms, scowling. "Annnd, this is why I knew this was going to blow up in our faces. Pokémon are uncaring and bigoted monsters."

Charlie patted her back. "Come on, Em, not all of them are like that."

"Today isn't helping your case. It's Roteman's fault that we got into this mess. We were perfectly fine in our little paradise, away from those jerks. Now all of a sudden, he forces us to fight rogue Fusions when that's _his_ problem, not _ours._ "

Asadi glanced at her. "You do realize we technically owe him for letting us stay here, right?"

"And LOOK where that got us!" she complained.

"Em, they had a right to be mad," Wash defended. "You saw the damage yourself. How would you feel if that happened to the village?"

"I'd be pretty ticked off."

"Exactly."

She pointed an accusing finger at him. "Don't go acting like you have a point. We're minding our own business here. Don't forget a few 'protesters' tried setting the village up in flames."

"Yes, but-"

The fizzing of an opened soda can interrupted him. Juniper sipped her drink, then sighed. "No arguing, you two. We can't do anything about it now. Might as well take the punches and call it a day."

Emily raised a brow. "How can you be so calm about this? Any minute now, we're going to face a mob!"

Juniper smiled lightly. "I'm not worried about a mob forming. Won't be any different from the other nuisances that've tried attacking us before." She sipped her drink again, smacking her lips afterwards. "What I do know, though, is that panicking won't get us anywhere. Sure, Quinn and the others inadvertently made everything worse and possibly damaged our reputation-"

"There better be a 'but' to this point," Wash warned.

She rolled her swirly eyes with a lighthearted grin. "-but not all hope is lost. This is nothing new compared to the crimes all around the world. Fusions have caused public damage at a far worse scale than us." She shrugged. "Even though they messed up, Quinn, Ren, and Artemis did their best. At the very least, no one got fatally injured or killed."

Dez looked to the side. "She has a point. The damage _could_ have been worse."

"Maybe…" Wash muttered. He sighed, lightly hitting the hut with his fist. "Those Rogues were powerful. Despite living on the streets, they're well trained."

"I wouldn't say 'well trained,'" York inputted with his arms crossed. "They just know how to fight with all their strength. Unlike most of us, they've had more time to experiment in a battle. They know their own core strengths and weaknesses. Here, we are safe. Out there, it's life or death."

Sheila rubbed her chin. "You were once acquainted with the Rogues, right?"

He sighed, then nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. The three they fought were Mikayla, Sullivan, and Norris. There are much stronger Rogues where they're hiding out. Where, exactly? I'm not sure. They change up hideouts every so often to avoid capture.

"Point is, all of them are dangerous. They've seen the dark side of Pokémon and, unlike us, let the hatred fester." York shook his head. "It happened to me, too. I'm glad I saw the error of my ways before…" He closed his eyes. "Never mind, that's not important."

Spaz tapped his chin. "I have run into the Rogues a lot. I was never really a part of them, but I kept in close contact." He gulped. "Norris gave me the creeps sometimes…a lot of the Rogues did."

Chris leaned against the hut. "Okay, so we've established the Rogues are dangerous? That's all fine and good, but what are we going to do next time?"

"What do you mean?" Rebecca asked.

"It's obvious that Julian foresaw an outcome like this. He wouldn't send untrained Fusions into battle if he didn't consider the level of destruction." He shrugged. "Meaning, even if today was a failure, he's not going to let up on his plans. He still has a tight hold over our village. We've had basic _battle_ training, but not to the extent of a real fight."

Asadi rubbed her chin. "Meaning…we're pretty much screwed if he sends us back out there." She sighed. "Bummer."

"W-What do we do, then?" Ulysses fearfully asked. "We can't go out there! T-They hate us, more than usual!"

"We don't have a choice, Ulysses," Tamara said. "Like it or not, it's either comply or live on the streets."

Emily cracked her knuckles. "Then I say we pay Julian a visit and teach him a lesson. He'll want to give up on his stupid plan afterwards."

"Ah yes, brilliant idea, Emily!" Juniper spoke up cheerfully. "Let's go beat up the guy who provided us with homes and blackmail him!" She sipped her drink with a sarcastic grin. "I'm sure that won't have ANY repercussions."

Emily glared at her. "Well, do YOU have a plan?"

She shrugged. "Go to sleep and hope the sun rises in the morning."

The Mawile Fusion face-palmed. "You are too laidback."

"Hey, it's the same motto I lived by for over half my life. It's gotten me this far, so I'm not stopping now." She sipped her drink again.

Tamara raised a brow. "And where did you pick up such a motto?"

"I made it up, of course," she responded with a grin.

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "Uh huh…" She placed her ear against the door again. "Okay…I think Ren stopped crying."

"Can we get an update on Quinn and Artemis?" Codex asked.

"I don't know, I haven't heard a peep from them." Tamara paused for a moment. "Of course, emotionally speaking, they aren't Ren levels of sensitive."

Chris sighed. "Well, if they've calmed down by now, the best we can do is knock and see how they're holding up."

"Chief Liam said to not disturb them," Rebecca reminded.

"It's been five hours and Ren's finally lighten up on the waterworks. They deserve a little company."

Rebecca looked down with an unsure look. "Um…well, I suppose you're right, but…I don't want to upset them. What do we even say?"

"We won't know until one of ye knocks on the freakin' door!" Crawford shouted before scuttling over to it, raising his Crabrawler pincer.

Tamara shrieked and pulled back on the pincer. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! We should think this over for a moment!"

"Thought it over. I'm knockin'!" He struggled to knock on the door. Tamara even took hold of his other pincer. "Lass, ye're making this more difficult than it needs to be!"

"We should be giving them space!"

"They need a good talkin' too!"

"Excuse me?!"

"I don't mean a scoldin'!"

York tried to push them apart. "Guys, chill. Crawford has a point, Tam. They aren't going to get better sitting in the dark. Someone needs to speak with them."

Tamara let go of Crawford and glared sternly at him. "I don't think reminding them of what happened is going to make them better."

"It's not supposed to, just so they can reflect on it. You've made mistakes, too. Remember yesterday with the lantern?"

"That lantern was poorly made! Besides, I didn't blow anything up when it knocked over!"

Before their bickering escalated, they heard feet shuffling to the door. They jumped away from the door as the lock was undone. The door opened lightly, enough to see part of Ren's face. His eyes were reddish and he had tear stains on his cheek.

He sniffled quietly, then offered them a weak smile. "O-Oh, uh…hey guys. How you…How you doing?"

They flinched internally. His voice lacked that natural cheer and optimism that followed him around. It was so strange to hear him sounding somber, especially with him trying to hide it.

None of them were sure what to say, so they 'volunteered' Sheila to speak first, pushing her forward. She casted a quick glare at them, then turned to Ren with a friendly, sympathetic smile. "Hello Ren. We're doing fine. We all came by to check on you and the others."

"Oh! Uh…" His grin widened, though it looked forced. "We're doing great! Yeah, we're just having a good laugh in here! Nothing else!"

Juniper blinked. "…dude, we heard you going in and out of crying."

He chuckled. "Uh…no I haven't."

Sheila bent down, meeting him at eye level. "Ren…please, don't lie to us. We want to make sure you three are alright. You don't have to hide it."

"We all saw the news," Shane reminded him.

Ren moved his eyes at all of them, then frowned. "…I've never felt so…humiliated in my entire life." He pressed his hand against his eye. "I…I'm ashamed…"

Rebecca stepped forward. "Oh Ren, please don't cry." She held her arms up. "Come on. Someone looks like they need a hug."

He sniffled with watery eyes, then lunged out of the hut to accept her gesture. She yelped, nearly falling over. The frog knight buried his head into her shoulder, whimpering. She smiled sadly, then hugged him back.

"You looked like you wanted one," she whispered.

"…I do. I really do," he quietly replied.

Wash stepped around them and pushed the door open. The lights were out. He switched them on and walked around. "Quinn, Artemis. Where are you?"

"Up here."

He glanced up at the second level and saw the two cuddled together in Quinn's bed. Their faces were expressionless, but the group can tell they weren't crying as badly as Ren. Actually, Artemis was tear free for the most part. Her expression, though, did show the loss affected her negatively.

Ulysses stepped in and poked his gelatinous wings together. "Oh dear…" he mumbled. He gulped, then gave a nervous grin. "H-Hey, you two. You're looking well." He then lowered his head. "U-Unless you're not, in which case…um…s-sorry."

Spaz crossed his arms. "ARE you two feeling alright?"

Artemis waved him off with a grumpy expression. "None of your business."

He glared. "Hey, no-need-to-be-rude!"

"Chill, Spaz," Tamara said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "She didn't mean it."

His face reddened, then he looked away. "Uh…r-r-right."

Shane bounced over, then said, "Look guys, you win some, you lose some. That's part of life. You did your best and that's all that matters."

"Our 'best' turned part of the city into modern art," Artemis mumbled before burying her face into a pillow.

Asadi crossed her arms. "Of all the people to be worked up, I'm surprise _you_ are taking this so hard."

She pulled her face up. "I'm not completely nuts!" Her face returned to sinking in the pillow.

Chris shrugged. "Come on, it wasn't that bad. For the most part, the damage was controlled to a single area, and none of the bystanders got hurt."

Quinn sighed, then shifted his head around to look at them. "Guys, I know you're trying to make us feel better, but you weren't there like we were. The blame was being put on _us,_ not _you._ "

Spaz raised a brow. "Pretty sure the Pokémon see no difference."

"Regardless, we screwed up and got bombarded with guilt and anger." He rubbed his face. "We'll be fine, we just need a moment to chill."

Dez shook his head. "Sorry guys, but we're not letting you all lay in bed all day and mope. You all are going to get up and do SOMETHING to take your minds off today."

"But I'm _so_ comfortable," Artemis complained lightly, snuggling deeper into the blankets.

Sheila sighed, then looked at the others. "There's no way we're getting them out of bed." She looked out the door and saw Ren was _still_ hugging Rebecca, who kept awkwardly patting his back. "Poor fella…"

Juniper finished off her soda and threw the can into their recycling bin. She patted her hands together, then stepped forward. "Alright, enough with the miserable tone. Let's look at the positives from this whole experience!"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Oh goodie, I can't wait for you to name all _zero_ of them."

Juniper grinned. "Hardy har, missy, but I'm serious. You've, at the very least, shown the city just how powerful your potential is. Control is obviously needed, but you got spirit. Besides, you've given them something they never thought they needed."

"A fine example of the apocalypse?" Artemis grumbled.

Juniper chuckled. "No, silly. That we're strong." She folded her arms behind her head. "I'm going to level with you, the Fusion Hunters would have been the smarter choice, no doubt about it. Course, that wasn't an option. The deal is, the Rogues have always been one step of the authorities and practically anyone that tries to stop them." She looked at York. "Hey Yorky, how often do the Rogues lose fights?"

York scratched his head. "Uh…not often, I suppose. Almost never."

Juniper laughed. "Well, I count today's little mishap as a victory." She pointed at Quinn and Artemis. "You two, plus Ren, prove that the village is more than capable of taking on the Rogues. With the right attitude and tenacity, we can bring peace to this world whether the Pokémon like it or not!" She crossed her arms. "In other words, we're upholding the responsibility of bringing everyone together."

Wash smiled, then joined her side. "Juniper's right. This village is a symbol for a bright future. Accepting this defeat with misery tarnishes that symbol we strive so hard to work for. Do you really want that?"

"NNNNOOO!" cried a whimpering Ren, who apparently was paying attention to the conversation.

Rebecca laughed awkwardly. "Uh Ren, while I do enjoy hugs, you, uh…can let go now…"

"Five more minutes…" he mumbled.

She sighed with a defeated smile. "Oh, alright."

Wash chuckled, then turned back to the other two. "Ren has the right attitude. We want to prove the Fusions aren't monsters. Even like this…"

"We're still Pokémon," Juniper finished. "And we're going to prove that to all the Pokémon out there, even if we have to beat it into their skulls!"

Shane raised a brow. "You know the idea is to be peaceful, right?"

"Details, details," she waved off with a lax grin.

Quinn sat up in his bed with a neutral expression. "Guys, I…I'm just not sure…"

"Well, I believe your fellow villagers are on the right track." Entering the hut was Chief Liam, who had to crouch under the door to step in. He gave everyone a friendly smile. "Hello, everyone."

"Hello, Chief Liam!" everyone greeted, bowing respectfully.

He laughed. "Didn't we say to give them space?"

Emily crossed her arms and scoffed. "Well, someone had to cheer them up after what those cruel monsters said to them."

"I think you missed the point of our whole speech, Em," Tamara deadpanned.

Liam smiled. "Well, regardless, I'm happy to see all of you supporting each other. Moments like these make me glad that I started the village." He looked up at the second level. "And it seems to me they need a little more support."

"Chief…" York started, but never finished.

"While support from friends is necessary, I must speak with the three of them in private. You may all return to your usual duties."

The group looked at each other, then nodded. "Okay, sir." They began exiting the hut.

Rebecca gently pushed Ren off. She gave him a gentle smile. "If you need anyone to talk to later, my door is always open."

Ren sniffled, then smiled back. "You're a great friend, Rebecca."

She laughed sheepishly, with her cheeks glowing red. "Aww, thanks!" She walked off. "Get better."

He waved her goodbye, then closed the door. He then frowned as he turned to Liam. "Sir, I'm-"

"No speaking," Liam interrupted. He pointed to the couch. "Sit down." The frog knight obeyed and quietly did so. Liam looked up at Quinn and Artemis. "Come on down, you two. This is a matter to discuss together."

"Nnnnooo…" Artemis moaned in complaint.

Liam sighed. "Very well." His body flickered and vanished, leaving behind his staff that slowly tipped over.

Quinn and Artemis yelped as they felt their chief picking them up. They were then speedily brought down and dropped onto the couch. Liam reappeared next to his staff and caught it before it hit the ground. He leaned back and took a seat in the armchair.

He rested his staff against the wall, then crossed one leg over his knee to get comfortable. He folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. He drummed his fingers on the back of his hand, while the three Fusions stared at him worriedly.

He sighed, then said, "I've spoken with Julian over the damages to the city." This, as he expected, made the three flinch. "The good news is that the damages are being covered. It'll take some time, but the city will be back to its former state in time." He sighed. "The bad news…you three didn't make the greatest impression today."

They bowed their heads in shame. "We're REALLY sorry, Chief!" Ren cried out. "We didn't mean to! We just…reacted! Please punish us for our mistakes!"

"I don't condone to this!" Artemis shouted.

Liam held his hands up. "Now, now, do not fret. No one is being punished."

"We're not?" they said in disbelief.

"No. In fact…" Liam bowed his head, gritting his teeth. "I should be the one punished for allowing this."

"Chief…" Quinn mumbled.

Liam pressed his palm against his forehead. "I knew…I just knew this was going to happen. I shouldn't have allowed it, but there was no other choice. Putting you three through that…not again. I should have stepped in when I could, but…"

"Wait, stepped in?" Artemis questioned.

Liam lowered his hand. "…I was observing your fight. From beginning to end."

Ren yelped, flew back in his seat, and nearly fell behind the couch. Thankfully, he caught himself. "Y-Y-You were?!" He jumped to the ground, on his knees, and clasped his hands together. "I'm so sorry we embarrassed the village! Please make me take over cleaning duty for everyone as punishment!"

Quinn deadpanned. "Ren…you practically already do that."

Liam rested his hand on the frog knight's shoulder. "I said no punishment will be given to you three. I made my choice, so I must live with the consequences."

Artemis crossed her feelers and pouted. "So, you were watching us, huh? Why didn't you help us, then?!"

Liam narrowed his eyes. "I have my reasons. Two, in fact. First off, I feared this would become a regular thing between the village and Julian. I wanted to be sure if all of you were prepared to handle the task of becoming guardians. The three of you have been through something that the village equally went through. Betrayal." Quinn looked down. "Abuse." Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Isolation." Ren closed his eyes, clenched his fingers against the floor. "These are feelings a lot of Fusions experience, from history to modern times. If one takes these feelings and bottles them up, they turn into something darker. Confusion. Rage. Hatred. There are feelings we all have felt, but some do not know how to control or release it.

"Sending you all out there was a mistake, yet I don't regret the choice. The village needs to learn that bright futures aren't given to us, they are earned." He sighed. "As much as it pains me, Julian is right. None of you earned your stay here. It was given to you. I can't allow this fury to fester much longer. That is why I pity the Rogues. They've never had a guiding hand to teach them." He looked between each of them. "Which is why I've done everything in my power to make you better Fusions. To make you better Pokémon."

Liam rubbed his eyes. "Secondly, it has more to do with my own abilities." He narrowed his eyes. "You all are aware that your elders, the Fusion Council, have trained themselves to be superior fighters. We've trained hard to protect you." He chuckled lightly. "Frankly, we made small game out of it to see who is the strongest of the sev…six of us. It has changed time and time, but…your elders unanimously consider me the strongest." He closed his eyes, frowning. "And that scares me."

"What do you mean?" Quinn asked.

"Fusions, even Pokémon, have untapped potential they don't always realize. Even from something as small as a Caterpie holds great strength. It depends on how that strength is used." He sighed. "But I'm no Caterpie. I'm a physically strong ape with the power of Arceus and was lucky enough to be born without my species' natural ability. I'm the closest thing to a god on the mortal plane.

"Kids, if you thought you caused damage out there, you haven't seen what I'm fully capable of when I unleash my power. It…scares me, thinking that I could wipe out…thousands in an instant. Maybe even greater than that." He closed his eyes. "I hold back. I stay away from battle. I refuse to fight…because I fear what I _could_ do. That is the curse a Fusion must bear: learning to deal with their power."

The three stared up at him in awe. "Wow…we…didn't know you felt that way," Quinn said.

Liam scratched his head. "It's the truth. The last time I let myself lose control was…" He shook his head. "N-Never mind, that's not important. Look, I'm only telling you this because, even someone like me is not exempt from failure. Not me, not the council, and certainly no activist who has tried countless times to improve Fusion lives."

Ren leaned back in the couch, sinking into the cushions. "I don't like failing…"

"It's the unfortunate part of life we must accept, but without failure, there would be no success." He smiled. "Victory can bring arrogance. Failure can bring wisdom."

Artemis looked away. "No amount of wisdom is going to undo our mess."

"Then try harder. Learn and adapt." He sighed. "I'm not sure when Julian will call upon Gappei Village again, but I do know one thing. You three are suspended from any activity outside the village."

"What?" Quinn asked.

"But sir-!" Ren tried to argue.

"I will only allow it when I know you three have accepted your failures and learned from them. Dwelling too much on a single mistake leads to more mistakes." He smiled. "The village may know what to expect if they are called on, but they'll be just as unprepared as you three. You are not alone in your troubles."

Quinn narrowed his eyes sadly. "Will the city ever forgive us?"

"It may take time, but…if your actions reflect your goals, there is a chance you could sway some opinions."

Artemis sighed. "I doubt those bigoted buffoons will listen."

Liam smiled. "Why not? You got their attention with your little act at their protest."

Artemis blushed with a surprised expression. Quinn raised a brow. "What is he talking about?"

She raised her paws and shook them, smiling nervously. "I-I wasn't doing anything illegal, I promise!"

Liam looked to Ren. "And if my knowledge is correct, you made a little friend."

Ren rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think we're 'friends,' but he was really nice and tolerant of me."

Liam smiled at Quinn. "And, in a way, you did befriend the Rogues, even if it was for only a moment."

Quinn raised a brow suspiciously. "Okay, now you're beginning to feel like a helicopter parent."

Liam laughed. "Can you blame me?" As he laughed, the three found themselves slowly laughing along with him, bringing them out of the gloominess. Liam exhaled his laughter, then smiled. "Change is hard. It's hard to accept or enforce. But…with time, things will improve. But always know, no matter what, I will always be here to protect you."

The three friends looked at each other. Their corners of their mouths twitched up a bit. Artemis looked up at the godly ape. "Thank you, Chief."

"Always here to help. Are you three feeling better now?"

Ren shook his head. "No, it still stings." He still smiled. "But…we'll be fine."

Liam grinned with his eyes closed. "That's all I wanted to hear." He grabbed his staff and pushed himself up. "I have to take care of some things and sort this mess out with the other villagers. You three take it easy for the day. I'll make sure your shifts are covered." He walked towards the door. "If you need anything, my door is always open."

Quinn smiled thankfully. "We appreciate it, Chief."

He smiled gently over his shoulder. "Take care." He stepped under the door and let himself out.

The three sighed and pressed their backs into the cushions, taking a moment to reflect on their leader's words. That memory of the damage was going to haunt them for days, maybe weeks. It'll be tough, but all they had to do was learn from their mistakes and adapt. If they can manage that, they'll go far.

Artemis looked at the television in front of them. "…anyone up for a game of Super Fighter Bros?" she asked.

Ren groaned. "Are you going to cheat again?"

She smiled. "Not today. I just want to have fun."

Quinn smiled. "You know, after today, letting out my frustration on you two sounds good."

"I'll boot it up and get the controllers," Ren offered, leaping out of his seat.

As they set up their game, Liam was standing outside their hut with a content smile present. _Do not dismiss your failures, and do not let them control you. Just relax and accept that they happened._ He stepped away from the hut. _I'm glad I was able to calm their worries._

His expression then turned bitter. He glared up at the sky, knowing it was only the afternoon. He barely got a call in with Julian when asking about the damage. All he got was that the Pokémon were furious. It didn't take them long to figure out why Gappei residents decided to come down from the village unexpectedly. The newspapers were not going to be friendly for either of them.

However, he had much more to say, but Julian was going to be up to his neck in documents and complaints for the remainder of the day. Liam will have to speak with him when he was out of the office.

* * *

The Machamp knew it was going to backfire somehow. He knew he would be swimming in complaints and bills to repair the damage to the city. He most definitely knew he'd be coming home weary and exhausted.

The damage, part of it at least, could be seen from the top of his building. The smoke and one toppled building were hard to miss. And, of course, he got bombarded by the city in a matter of minutes. He managed to calm everyone down and promised to cover the damages, though that didn't exempt him from an entire day of getting paperwork organized and running numbers through his computer. The next few weeks were going to be troublesome, indeed.

He dragged his feet to his suite, which was on the top floor. He held a briefcase in one hand, his suite keys in the second hand, a cup of coffee he bought in the third, and his cell phone in the fourth hand, which he had placed up to his ear.

"I thought today would never end," he groaned as he reached his door.

"I told you this was a stupid plan," Brea said over the phone.

"Yeah, well I'm stuck with this stupid plan." He inserted his keys into the lock. "Did you get those numbers on the repair costs we'll be expecting?"

"Still looking into it, but we're looking at numbers around the hundred thousands, at worst."

Julian sighed. "Oh, how exciting." He unlocked the door and let himself in. He sipped his coffee as he set his briefcase on the floor and stuffed his keys in his pocket. "I'm going to have number related nightmares later."

"Wasn't the issue of money what got you into this?"

"I didn't do this because of my bank account. Frankly, though, it's becoming an issue in of itself." He loosened his tie. "I'm too tired to head out for dinner. Brea, what was the number for that takeout restaurant I…" He paused and turned to his balcony in confusion.

"Sir? Is something wrong?"

He narrowed his eyes and, after setting his drink on the coffee table, walked over to the glass doors. Wind blew into his face as he stared at the swinging door. "I don't remember opening these."

He heard the door slam shut and lock behind him. He calmly looked over his shoulder and saw a large ape standing next to his front door, glaring at him with a stern expression.

"We need to talk."

Julian blinked slowly, then briefly returned to his phone call. "Brea, can you do me a favor and order me takeout? Something just came up."

"As you wish, sir. You have a goodnight."

"You as well. Goodnight, Brea." He ended the call, then put his phone in his pocket. He sighed before fully facing Liam. "Breaking in and standing in the dark? Yeah, that's not creepy at all."

Liam stepped forward. "I have no time for jokes."

Julian scoffed. "And you think I do?" He walked pass the ape and took his blazer off. He grabbed a hanger on a coat rack, then hung the blazer on it. "I've had a LONG day, Liam. Turns out Fusions weren't the best solution for handling unstable Fusions."

"And that's why I came here. To discuss this ridiculous plan of yours."

Julian walked around his couch and sat down. "You say ridiculous, but I was desperate. Be thankful I didn't take any extreme measures to get you to cooperate."

"What could have been more extreme than taking our home away?"

Julian glanced over his shoulder. "I am the one who's made it illegal to hire Fusion Hunters to attack the village. I _could_ make it legal."

Liam glared. "You sick bastard…"

"That's life for you, Liam." Julian crossed his lower arms and folded his upper arms behind his head. "That reminds me…how are _they_ doing?"

Liam huffed in annoyance. "If you must know, they were shaken by the negative response to their battle. They've been upset almost all day."

Julian sighed, pinching between his eyes. "Arceus dammit…maybe I can make it up to them. Whose birthday is closer? Maybe I can get them some nice gifts or-"

He stopped talking when Liam struck his staff down, making the suite rumble. A nearby lamp nearly fell off his drawer. Liam glowered at the Machamp. "Do you honestly believe you can _BUY_ their forgiveness?!"

Julian glared. "Well, excuse me for being sympathetic."

"Sympathetic? What, going straight to them and giving an honest apology to their faces is too much?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm exhausted from today. I'd pass out before I reach the city limits."

Liam pointed his staff at him. "This needs to stop, Julian. There's no way I can allow this to continue."

"I understand you're upset, but there was no other choice."

"The police could have handled it."

" _Could,_ Liam. _Could._ But they can't. Those Rogues grow stronger to stop authorities from getting in their way." Julian picked up his remote and tried to turn on the television, but Liam smacked the remote across the room. The impact with the wall knocked the batteries out. Julian glared up at Liam. "Rude."

" _I'm_ the rude one? You're not taking this seriously!"

Julian pushed himself off the couch. "Yeah, well that's because I know how this argument is going to end." He walked over to the remote and bent down. "We're going to keep bickering until we come to an impasse." He picked up the batteries and placed them back in the remote. "We'll never agree on a solution because both of us are stubborn old men."

Liam glared. "It's your fault for sending those kids out there!"

"Fine, I'll take full responsibility for that. However, you need to acknowledge your own shortcomings." He glared over his shoulder. "The Fusion Hunters wouldn't have let a fight like that escalate to such measures."

The godly ape clenched his fist furiously. "Enough with the Fusion Hunters. I don't trust them!"

"And you think I do? I'm not an idiot, Liam. Even I question what those mercenaries do with their captives. BUT…I'm at least mature enough to know when it's time to swallow your pride and take the necessary measures to win."

Liam sneered. "Why can we never reach an agreement?"

"Because we are but two activists on opposite ends of this war. Same side, different perspective." Julian tossed the remote onto the couch. "I want to help Gappei Village, but I'm doing things my way." He pointed at Liam. "This is why activists in the past have failed. They went too soft in their goals. You're repeating their mistakes." He threw his upper hands up. "Well you know what, I'm done playing. Even if it causes hardship, I'll continue to enforce my plans until the message sticks."

Liam jabbed his chest, knocking him back. "If you continue down this path, the village will lose their trust in you."

"Trust in me? Liam, this isn't about trust anymore. You may be their caretaker, but I'm just as involved in their lives as you are. Maybe not on the same personal level, but enough to know their interests." He pinched between his eyes. "I have entire boxes filled with receipts, specifically for all personal items I've bought for the village. I've tried my hardest to make their lives here comfortable." He glared. "This isn't about trust anymore. It's about repaying me for all my hard work. And that's more than I can ever say about you."

"Julian," Liam growled.

"I'm not trying to be the bad guy, Liam. I'm doing what I feel is right. Even if that means I have to be a jerk." Julian crossed his arms. "Either you swallow your pride and sort it out yourself or you can forget about my contributions to Gappei Village."

Liam bowed his head, clenching his staff tightly. "…is this payback?"

Julian raised a brow. "I wouldn't put it that harshly, but-"

"Not against the village. I mean me." He looked into the Machamp's eyes, gritting his teeth. "Is this revenge for all those years ago?"

Julian narrowed his eyes, understanding what he meant. He folded his arms behind his back. "No, nothing of the sort. This is nothing more than a simple business matter." He grabbed his coffee and took a sip. "I don't harbor any animosity towards you. Not anymore." He took another sip before setting the cup down. "Though, if you're asking such a question, it only means you haven't forgiven me." Julian looked up at the ape. "This true?"

Liam glared, then made his way to the balcony. "I'm leaving."

Julian crossed his arms. "All I wanted was peace between us, Liam. You turned your back on me."

"I said I'm leaving," he repeated, this time with a stern tone.

The Machamp scoffed. "You can't ignore me. Sooner or later, we need to end this senseless feuding."

"It's not a feud anymore."

"Do you hate me?"

"I don't hate you."

"Your tone says otherwise."

Liam clenched his staff. "Goodnight, Julian." He tapped his staff down, then vanished.

Julian sighed. "Goodnight, Liam." He walked back over to his couch and threw himself backwards, laying ungracefully. He rubbed his face. _Why can't you see I'm only trying to help?_

* * *

"Sometimes I can't believe Julian! He doesn't realize the dangers of these measures!" Liam shouted as he paced back and forth in the meeting room. "Does he not realize what he put Quinn, Ren, and Artemis through? And he just brushes it off, just like that!"

As he voiced his frustrations, the other councilmen were minding their own business. Liam usually is a peaceful individual, but fits of rage can happen. They chose to wait it out until he simmered down.

Abraham was messing with a magic cube while kicking his feet up on the table. Without taking his eyes off the cube, he asked, "How long has he been at this?"

Peregrine had his face pressed against the table surface. "Ten…minutes!"

"Huh, new record," Lewis grumbled. "Last one went for six minutes."

Gracelyn sighed, then stood up. She grabbed Liam by the shoulders and forced him to sit in his seat. "Liam, please calm down."

"I'm sorry, but I just can't stand him sometimes! Julian doesn't listen to reason!" Liam shouted.

"Not like you are," Peregrine retorted, picking his head up.

"I-!" Liam tried to defend himself, but the duck continued.

"Let's be clear, I'm not in total agreement with ANY of this. However, this entire experience has brought up the issue of our Fusions not knowing how to properly fight. They don't know how to control their power. We are on the fine line that separates regular Pokémon from the Legendary Pokémon."

Abraham solved his magic cube and set it on the table. "Peregrine's right. As their guardians, it's our job to look out for details like this. There will come a time where they may have to face an enemy and fight for their lives." He narrowed his eyes. "That's how most of them survived out there."

Liam held his face. "I can't put them through that again…not yet. I want them to learn from their failures, but not get permanently scarred from it. I was lucky Quinn, Ren, and Artemis are mature enough to realize that."

Cade placed a hand on the ape's shoulder. "Now Liam, you know we can't baby them forever. You're too protective. A child needs to learn and grow at their own pace." He sighed. "That said, it is wise to help them control that power they have deep within them. We can't afford any more mistakes."

Liam lowered his hands and folded his arms on the table. "Then what should we do?"

"Simple. We train," Lewis said. "It's high time we turn this place from a paradise into a boot camp. They need formal training. And, between my military training, Peregrine's combat training, and our equal knowledge of power control, we should be able to help them develop their abilities."

Liam looked down. "…if we can't get out of this, then it's only right that we help them learn." He sighed. "Alright Julian…I'll play your game for now." The ape stood up. "Starting tomorrow, the first days of formal training begin."

"Should we make an announcement?" Gracelyn proposed.

Peregrine smirked. "Nah. Let's surprise them." He wrapped his wings around his leek. "I'm going to have fun with this. Time to give those kids some old fashion discipline."

Abraham chuckled, then scooted out of his chair. "I suppose the surprise announcement will keep them from trying to chicken out. Should we consider a similar program for the younglings?"

"Might as well," Cade said.

Gracelyn nodded in agreement. "It would be best that they got training in as well. Though, less…severe than the older Fusions."

Abraham nodded. "I'll inform Dakota."

Liam pointed to Peregrine, Cade, and Lewis. "You three will be in charge of training the older Fusions. Don't start off too rough. We don't want to discourage them."

"Oh, I'll be gentle," Peregrine promised with a wide smirk.

Lewis sighed. "I suppose Cade and I will take shifts on who's teaching and manning security."

"Sounds good, buddy!" Cade exclaimed, punching Lewis in the shoulder. The Lucario Fusion flinched and rubbed his now sore shoulder.

Liam stood out of his seat, pressing his fingers against the table. "If we're going to change the world for the better, this is a step in the right direction." He narrowed his eyes and looked between the five councilmen. "We're their guardians. Now we must become their teachers. We've never had a paradise to call our own. It's time to show these kids what it was like to be a Fusion. Is everyone with me?"

Abraham grinned. "All the way, sir."

Lewis and Cade saluted. "Yes sir!"

Gracelyn folded her arms behind her back and nodded. "I'll do whatever I can to give guidance."

Peregrine supported his leek on his shoulder. "I've been looking for a reason to teach those brats a lesson."

Liam nodded. "Then prepare yourselves. We have work to do."

* * *

Norris sat calmly on a box as Mikayla wrapped bandages around his torso. He had patches of burn cream over his face and especially his arms. His knuckles were wrapped up, due to frequent use of Explosion.

The duck dug his claws into the box. He bared his teeth into a vicious snarl. "Those Fusions…I can still remember that Charmeleon. The burning…the burning…the burning…"

Mikayla tied the bandage up and stepped back. She had a few adhesive bandages on her face and gauze wrapped around her stomach. "Oh, pipe down! It wasn't that bad!"

"They humiliated us. They…They are traitors to their own kind." He scratched the box repeatedly, digging deeper into the wood.

Sullivan sat off to the side, polishing his pincer. "In all fairness, you are not the friendliest face on this side of the planet."

Norris sneered. "Who asked you?!" He doubled over and held his stomach. He breathed raggedly before simmering down. He straightened back up, then asked, "Anyway, did Eli give Augustus his medicine?"

"I gave it to him about five minutes ago," Mikayla said. "He should have by now."

"Good. And the others?"

Sullivan stood up. "It'll take time, but the medicine will help with their fevers."

Norris sighed. "At least today wasn't a total bust." He gripped his side. "Still, I won't be able to do anything until I recover."

"Maybe that's a good thing," Mikayla suggested. "You could use a few days to cool off. You're one more outburst away from blowing a blood vessel."

Norris sneered, giving her an annoyed eyeroll. "Haha…" He lay down on the box and stared up at the ceiling before shouting, "Eli!"

The Toxicroak-Honchkrow jumped down from out of nowhere and bowed. "Yes, boss?"

"Until I recover, I want you to keep the others in line. Make sure they complete their jobs when asked to. Make sure all our plans go as planned. Is that understood?"

Eli smiled lightly. "I'll keep them all in line, sir."

"You better." Norris sat up, then slid off the box. He staggered forward, seething in pain. "Agh…Mikayla, help me to my bed."

She threw his arm over her shoulder and led him to his designated space in their hideout. His spot in the sewer area was nothing more that foam to act as a bed and some blankets. She helped him onto his back. "Want me to tuck you in?" she asked with a teasing grin.

He growled. "S-Shut up!" He grabbed the blankets and roughly threw them over his body. "Don't bother me until I wake up!" He turned his head and closed his eyes.

Mikayla stood quietly by his side for a moment. "…what's are relationship between Gappei Village now?"

"What?"

"I'm only asking, given our earlier confrontation with their villagers." She narrowed her eyes. "What do you propose we do? Are they our enemies now?"

Norris took a moment to consider. He didn't think too much of it, what with the bruised abdomen taking up most of his frustration. He's still curious as to why Fusions from that village were suddenly entering the city. He was certain they implemented some law stating no Fusion who enters Gappei was allowed to leave. Something was up.

He opened his eyes into a narrowed expression. "We'll look into it later. For now, I need to sleep."

She shrugged. "As you wish. Sleep tight, Norris." She gave a little wave as she walked away.

Norris closed his eyes once more. His thoughts pictured Quinn in his mind, along with Artemis and Ren. They specifically came down to stop him and his allies. For what reason, he wasn't sure. It'd be best he kept on his toes about this. Something told him this wouldn't be the last time he runs into Gappei Village.


	7. Inner Potential

The morning sun rose over the village and bathed the huts in the warming light. It was normal for most Fusions to sleep in an enjoy their day as it went. However, today was a little different.

At exactly eight o'clock, Peregrine woke everyone through the village intercom system, with his voice booming across the huts and into the sleeping villagers' ears. This, of course, annoyed and forced them out of their sleep. The steel duck informed everyone that there will be a meeting at nine, ordering them to get clean and eat breakfast before meeting in the center of the village.

Halfway through the hour, most of the village was in the mess hall and grabbing food from the individual counters. Each counter had a different branch of food, though most of the counters were closed since they were designated for lunch and dinner. One counter served freshly cooked food while some others had food prepped and ready to take on the go.

York slid his tray down the fresh cook counter, where he greeted Sheila. She wore an apron and had her ears tied back. "Hey York. Pancakes?"

He rubbed his eye and yawned. "The usual three, please." He sighed. "What's with the surprise meeting?"

"Not sure," Sheila said as she flipped up some pancakes that have been cooking on the hot griddle. "None of the staff was informed, so I guess it's something the council is doing."

They heard a groan, then saw Artemis who was next in line. "Oh great, they're making us wake up early again. Can't a girl sleep until ten in the morning?" She slammed her face into the tray.

York smirked. "Morning to you too, Artemis."

Sheila flipped three pancakes onto a plate and handed them to York. "Are you and the boys feeling better?"

She pulled her face up. "Yeah, I guess. I'd be feeling spectacular if I could sleep in for once!" She then grumpily said, "I'll have three pancakes please."

Sheila flipped over three pancakes. "Oh, I'm sure the council has a reason."

"Given what happened yesterday, this surprise meeting could be related," York suggested.

Artemis rolled her eyes as she took her plate from Sheila. "Oh goodie, even BETTER!"

Dez was walking by and decided to insert himself into the conversation. "Hey, lighten up. Maybe this is a good thing. I mean, it's not like they're dedicating an entire meeting to berating you, Quinn, and Ren. You guys did just fine yesterday, if not a little overboard."

The devious Fusion scratched her head. "I suppose so. Maybe I'm still a little out of it from yesterday."

York nudged her. "Trust me, we've seen you in slumps before. You'll be back to being obnoxious before you know it."

She smirked, then tilted her head slightly as she fluttered her eyes. "Don't you mean back to being lovable and adorable?"

He rolled his eyes, smirking. "Like I said, obnoxious…and egotistical." He walked away.

Artemis chuckled deviously. "Read me like a book." She smiled at Sheila. "See you later, Sheila!"

The illusionary rabbit smiled. "Take care, Artemis." The devious Eeveelution walked away.

Artemis looked around at the tables, then spotted her hut mates at one of them, accompanied by Tamara's group. She walked over and sat herself next to Quinn. "Sup my homies!" she exclaimed.

Ulysses smiled. "Oh Artemis, it is good to see you. Quinn and Ren said you were feeling better today."

She grinned. "Eh, nothing keeps my burning spirit down forever." She stabbed her pancake and stuff a whole one in her mouth. She chewed on it noisily.

Juniper chuckled. "Well, we're glad to see that." She sipped on her soda. After a quick hiccup, she asked, "So, I'm guessing you're in the dark about this surprise meeting?"

She nodded. "Completely out of the loop. Sheila even told me the staff aren't sure what it's about."

Ren took a bite of his eggs. "Well, I did see a large object on my way out this morning. It's being covered by a sheet, so I wasn't sure what it is."

"Large object, you say?" Artemis pondered, rubbing her paws together. "Ooh, perhaps it's something expensive!"

Quinn rolled his eyes. "If it is, I'm putting you on a leash."

Ulysses rubbed his chin. "Well, I guess only the council themselves know." He gulped. "What if the news is really scary?!"

Tamara took a bite of her apple, munching and saying, "Don't be a baby, Ulysses! It's obvious this is about our new 'partnership' with Roteman! There's no other reason to call a surprise meeting!"

Juniper grinned. "I'm looking forward to this, then."

Quinn looked around. "Looks like everyone's anxious to see what they have in store for us today. Meetings are either good news…or really, really bad news."

Ren smiled meekly. "Oh, I'm sure it isn't anything to worry our heads over. We have half an hour before the meeting starts. Let's…not put too much thought into it and just have a good time today."

Quinn sighed. "I'll take your word for it."

* * *

Once everyone was done with breakfast, they gathered to the center of the village. Everything from the festival two days back has finally been hauled out, giving a lot more space for everyone to crowd around. As expected, all the chattering in the crowd mostly consisted of guesses as to what the meeting was about. Some seemed sensible. Others felt unlikely, such as believing this meeting was about starting a riot in front of Profectus Inc.

Spaz tapped his foot rapidly. "Come-on, come-on, come-on! What's-the-hold-up?"

"Patience, little dude," Asadi said, patting his head. "You need to chill. All that thumping is going to drive you nuts."

"I can't help it, alright?! I can't stay in place for a second without jittering!"

Hawkins sighed, holding his face in annoyance. "I cannot believe I have to stand out here with such undisciplined pests like you."

"Who-you-calling-undisciplined?! You-want-to-fight?!" Spaz challenged, raising his fists. "I-can-take-you!"

"Hey, don't start fighting, you two," Wash warned. "We want to behave ourselves in front of the council."

Spaz pouted. "He started it…" He crossed his arms and turned away from the materialistic Fusion. Hawkins rolled his eyes and focused back on the stage.

The crowd quieted down as the Fusion Council made their way onto the stage. First thing they noticed was the excitable smirk across Peregrine's beak. That was never a good sign. The rest of the council looked equally neutral and stern.

Liam stepped up to the microphone and tapped it twice. "Quiet down, everyone. Quiet down." The crowd ceased all speaking. "Thank you." He took the microphone off the stand. "Ahem. Good morning, Gappei Village! I trust you all slept well."

"Oh shut up!" Artemis shouted, clearly still cranky.

Liam sighed. "I apologize for the surprise wake up call. I know some of you are upset by this, but we needed to discuss the future of our village." He gestured to the crowd. "As all of you are aware, we didn't the greatest impression yesterday with Grandis City. I've spoken with Julian and he said he'll cover all the damage dealt. Thankfully, the village will not be punished for it."

Emily scoffed. "And yet we're still at his mercy?"

Lewis took the microphone from Liam. "Yes, yes, we know all of you are still upset about what happened. Frankly, we thought the damage would have swayed Julian's consideration, but it seems he's adamant on continuing this unwilling partnership of ours. There's not much we can do about it."

Crawford pounded his pincers together. "I beg to differ!"

"We're not taking a violent approach to solving this. The best we can do is go along with it and hope our deeds help sway the public." Lewis handed the microphone to Cade.

The spectral panda said, "The benefits to this deal is that we have free access to exit the village. It will allow all of you to get to know the world you were born in. Julian is putting a lot of trust into the village. We could be the shining example of a bright future."

"Bright future?" Hawkins repeated. "A bold claim since he had to _threaten_ us into agreeing." The crowd shouted back in agreement.

Cade sighed. "His actions weren't honest or kind, but he's at least pushing us in the right direction. As long as we go through with it, we might see the results."

Gracelyn took the microphone. "Please understand, dearies, that we're doing what is best for all of you. We, too, aren't fond of what Julian did, but we believe this is a glorious plan to unite Pokémon and Fusion. Even if we didn't do well yesterday, we're not going to give up. The Fusions have never given up before and never will for as long as we exist."

Abraham took the microphone. "That being said, Quinn and his hut's battle with the Rogues yesterday has revealed a glaring problem with this partnership. As you all might have guessed, the deciding factor in going along with this was the involvement of the Fusion Hunters." Abraham shook his head. "They are considered to be the enemy of all Fusions, good or evil. As it is, we couldn't allow any Fusions be taken into their custody.

"However, even then, it's come to our attention that a lot of you don't know how to properly control your power output. This is a problem even most untrained Pokémon face, but it's considerably dangerous when involving a Fusion. No control means a life CAN be taken by accident. We're all lucky everyone evacuated the area."

Gracelyn nodded, taking the microphone back. "We, as your elders, have been in the same boat as you. We, too, didn't know how to control our power. We had others to teach us, to suppress our full potential." She pointed to herself. "My specific combination, for example, grants me strength that outmatches the toughest and strongest of Fighting-Types, even all Pokémon in general. My masters taught me to find inner peace with my strength. I wish not to harm anyone by accident."

Shane shrugged. "Okay…so what are you saying?"

Abraham smiled. "Quite simple, actually. See, we're-"

Peregrine pushed him out of the way and pointed his leek at the crowd. "We're going to whip you runts into shape!"

Abraham rubbed his arm. "Sure…that's one way of putting it."

Rebecca raised her hand. "Wait, do you mean training?"

"Exactly!" Peregrine exclaimed. "All of you have been living in a paradise world, worrying about nothing, and going on with your lives!" He rolled his eyes. "Sure, you're not deadbeats since you took on jobs, but you're soft! Those Rogues have experience, something you all lack! You couldn't take on every Rogue on the planet if you tried! None of you know what's out there or what's in store for the future!"

Liam sighed. "What Peregrine is trying to say is that you've never had a reason to fight back. Most of you, at least. Ever since you came here, you were never presented with a real life or death situation. You all may have been in your fair share of battles, but nothing to the same scale of what's to come."

Peregrine shrugged. "And frankly, we don't want you kids getting hurt. So, we've to the ultimate solution." He grinned wickedly. "Putting all of you through the most rigorous training session of your lives!"

Artemis deadpanned. "Is anyone else worried he's _too_ eager to do this?" Her friends nodded.

Lewis crossed his arms. "The idea's quite simple. All you need to do is participate in the training sessions so we can teach you how to control your power. Simple as that."

"That's right!" Peregrine slapped his leek into his wing. "We're talking hardcore workouts that'll make your limbs fall off!"

Gracelyn chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, Perry? We're not going that far."

"Says you," he replied, twirling his leek.

Liam narrowed his eyes. "We understand some of you might be hesitant with complying. This is all sudden and we wouldn't want to force this change on you so quickly."

"But you're not getting out of it," Peregrine added. "So, you either comply or whine. And I don't want to hear any whining."

The crowd looked at each other with hesitant expressions. Were they up to such a task? What if the training doesn't work out and they still fail? All that hard work would be for nothing. Could they really risk another failure?

As everyone mumbled, Quinn looked at his fist. He couldn't afford to let that happen again. He had time yesterday to reflect on his actions. Good intentioned at heart, but massive consequences in execution. There was so much to learn about being a Fusion. Ever since he came here, like most Fusions, he focused more on being himself and disregarding the outside world. He never felt he needed to fight back.

Failure was a learning moment for great fighters. If he wanted to step up and prove to all Pokémon that they were not horrible monsters, then he needed to take a stand.

Quinn's hand shot up from the crowd, then he shouted, "I'm in!" Everyone faced him. "I'm not repeating what happened yesterday! Whatever the challenge, hit me with all you got!"

Peregrine smirked. "That's what I want to hear!"

York stared at Quinn, then gave a light smile before raising his hand too. "Count me in, too. I have a score to settle with the Rogues, anyway."

Codex smiled. "I do enjoy gathering knowledge. I have been in very few battles, so I wish to see how others respond in stressful combat."

Shane chuckled, then crossed his arms. "I guess I'm in, too. Anything for my home."

Juniper shrugged with a carefree grin. "Eh, I rather be sleeping, but I guess there's no harm."

Hawkins closed his eyes. "I supposed broadening my training will be satisfying. Perhaps I'll get a decent challenge out of you weaklings."

Wash smirked at the Roserade Fusion. "Just wait and see, rich boy."

Emily scoffed. "Fighting for the Pokémon? How insufferable." She crossed her arms. "Still, I have no issue with getting stronger. Guess I'm in."

Charlie smiled. "That's the spirit, Em!"

Soon enough, the crowd was in total agreement. They looked up at their elders and gave their nod of approval. Liam smiled at their willingness. "Thank you, my children."

Tamara smirked and cracked her knuckles. "Alright, so what's the first part of our training? Combat? Battling?" She threw a kick to her right, making Spaz flinch at how close it was.

"Not exactly," Cade said. "Like any good training, we need to make sure you all are in proper condition."

Peregrine crossed his wings, chuckling. "Now, the gym can only hold so many of you, so we decided to try something different. My personal idea, of course." He pointed his leek to his right. "Direct your attention to the large sheet off to the side."

They faced the large, unknown object covered up by a massive white sheet. Peregrine flew over. "I figured we needed something to really get the blood pumping, so I had this made last night in my excitement!" He grabbed the sheet with his webbed feet and pulled it up.

Under it was an obstacle course. A finely made one, too. It was a ring of various obstacles designed to test endurance, coordination, persistence, and other attributes.

Peregrine laughed. "Well, what do you think?"

"Did-you-build-that-in-one-night?!" Spaz cried in shock. "How?! Why?!"

"I've been waiting for years to get permission from the chief to make an obstacle course! I've come prepared!" He laughed aloud once more.

The crowd stared at him in disbelief. They were thinking the same thing. _This…is going to be rough._

Peregrine held up a whistle. "Simple exercise. Complete fifty laps around this obstacle course."

"Fifty…laps?" Ulysses muttered with a shocked expression.

Tamara grinned. "Too easy."

Dez sighed before getting into a starting position. "Well, guess there's no turning back."

The Fusions mirrored his position and readied themselves for the signal. They eyed the obstacle course fiercely. One way or the other, they were going to get stronger. Putting up with Peregrine's insane training routines was a test that needed to be passed.

The steel duck held his whistle close to his beak, waiting a moment to build tension in their minds, then blew on it. "GO!"

The Fusions kicked off the ground and raced towards the obstacle course. Everyone, but Juniper. She ended up falling asleep at the last minute. She was curled up soundly on the ground.

Shane looked back at her as he bounced, then face-palmed. "Oh, for goodness sake! Can someone grab her?!"

Wash sighed, then turned himself around. "I got her!" He ran back to the center to grab her.

Everyone raced into the course and faced their first obstacle: a rock wall. The plastic rocks barely left any room to wrap one's fingers. It was a test of grip strength.

Artemis smirked, then threw her ribbons at the rocks. She wrapped around them, giving a good tug to make sure she had her hold, then flung herself over the rock wall with ease. Tamara didn't stop to evaluate the wall. Using her ninja like speed and agility, she hopped up the rock wall rather than climb up.

Dez had some issues getting over the wall due to having paws. Even so, he persisted on and managed to climb his way over the wall. Spaz tried to go up the wall as quickly as possible, but he had trouble gripping the rocks. He attempted to heave himself up, but ended up falling flat on his back.

Not everyone made an effort to get over the wall, especially those who could fly. Ulysses and Codex were main examples, going over the wall with flight. Though, Ulysses ended up feeling guilty for cheating and went back around.

Once they got over the rock wall, the next challenge was a mud pit with stone slabs as stepping stones. The key was to hop from one slab to the other.

York had no trouble hopping from slab to slab, though he noticed one slab that looked unstable. Just as he landed on it, he sprung off before it collapsed. Shane was doing well, too. He easily bounced between the slabs without disturbing some of the unstable ones.

Asadi hopped across the slabs pretty well for a while, but she ended up landing on an unstable one and fell face first into the mud. Bubbles of air rose to the surface before she pulled herself up, gasping for air. She shook her head and groaned. "Well, this is a drag…"

Juniper, after being woken up by Wash not too long ago, hopped across the slabs. Though, she put little effort into her jumps, doing each one at a time. She stopped next to Asadi and smiled. "Enjoying the mud bath?"

Aasdi gave her a light grin. "Oh yeah. My skin and fur are going to feel GREAT later," she jokingly stated.

Juniper chuckled. "Well, good luck on the rest of the course." She hopped to the next slab. She teetered when she landed, though she was so used to these dizzying motions that it did little to knock her over.

The next obstacle was a rope field, where everyone had to swing from rope to rope over another mud pit. The rope was lubricated, which put emphasis on getting to the next rope. Crawford scuttled to the edge of the platform before leaping towards a rope. He clamped his pincers down on the rope and swung across. He didn't have to worry about slipping off.

Ren jumped at the ropes and gripped tightly. However, his hands started slipping as he swung. He frantically tried to get his grip together, but inevitably fell into the mud with his upper half submerged.

The obstacle after was hurdles. Sheila jumped over all five of them with remarkable skill, along with Chris, Emily, and Quinn. Rebecca, though, only got over three before tripping up on the fourth.

Next was a field of thin poles that stuck up in, as expected, another mud pit. This one tripped up a few of the Fusions as it required balance to get through. Hawkins and Tamara had no trouble getting through it.

Wash tried to sprint across it and got halfway down the field, but end up sliding his foot off a pole and crashing into the mud. Charlie wobbled unsteadily as he hopped across the poles.

"Easy Charlie. Easy," he said to himself as he slowly put one foot in front of the other. He missed the next pole and fell forward. He spread his hands and feet out and caught himself before he fell into the mud. He stared down at the pit with wide eyes. "Don't move, don't move, don't move…" he repeated to himself.

A few more obstacles stood in their way, such as crawling under wire, walking on balance beams, and climbing through an elaborate jungle gym obstacle. As said, they had to lap around this entire course forty-nine more times.

Eventually, after half an hour, everyone completed the obstacle course. They were far from happy. The moment they were done, almost everyone collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.

"So…tired…" Artemis groaned. She liked working out, but not like this.

Spaz lay face first in the ground with his limbs sprawled out. "I'm dead…plan me a nice funeral…"

Peregrine flew over to them and stabbed his leek in the ground. "What? Tired already? That was just the physical portion of today's training!"

Quinn glared up at the duck. "You're…sadistic…"

"So, I've been told." He crossed his wings. "You all agreed to go along with this. I'm expecting all of you to run laps around this course every single day."

"Oh, except on the weekends, of course!" Gracelyn interjected cheerfully.

Peregrine glared at her. "I never agreed to…" The colossal bear stomped her foot on the ground, shaking the area with a miniature earthquake. He blinked, then looked back at the kids with a stern, proud expression. "Like I said! You're doing this every single day…except the weekends!" His legs were shaking, contradicting his expression.

Dez groaned. "You mean we have to do fifty laps EVERY weekday?"

Peregrine smirked. "Oh no, that was just to get you all prepared. It'll actually be ten laps a day."

The exhausted Fusions glared at him. _You sick, cruel duck._

Though, not everyone succumbed to fatigue from the tiring experience, as Tamara leaped over the collapsed crowd and performed some stretches. "Ooh boy, that's what I call a workout!" She glanced at the fallen Fusions. "Yeesh, seriously? Down already?"

York stepped to the front, stretching out his arms. "Give them a break, Tam."

Wash glared at his hut mate. "Really? You're still standing after that?"

"I've had to survive on the streets, remember? I'm used to this kind of stuff."

Codex floated over with a smile. "I have analyzed everyone's performance in the course. I must say, the results were rather dissatisfying."

"You weren't even trying on half of them!" Artemis shouted. "At least Juniper put some darn effort into it!" She blinked. "Wait, where is Juniper?"

Wash sat himself up, then looked over his shoulder. He sighed with a sweatdrop. "Doing her own 'workout.'" The sleepy panda was fast asleep on her belly, right on top of the rock wall.

Peregrine flew over and whacked her on the head. "Wake up!"

"Eep!" Juniper squealed before flailing backwards and landing on her back.

Wash flinched, then shouted, "Jun, are you okay?!"

She raised her hand. "Don't worry, nothing's broken!" she responded cheerfully. She then yawned. "Is the training thing over?"

Peregrine landed on her forehead and glared down. "Not even close."

Juniper grinned, tongue sticking out. "Aww…"

Once the panda rejoined the group, Peregrine stood in front of them. "Our goal from now on is to get you all in shape, both in physicality and soul. This course will simply act as a warmup to prepare you for the real training." Peregrine looked at Cade. "If you would."

Cade stepped forward. "It takes more than building muscle to become a fighter." He held his fist up. "It also takes soundness of mind. For a Fusion to reach their maximum potential, they must find balance in themselves. That, of course, means learning how much is too much." He turned around and began walking. "Follow me."

The crowd followed him as he continued, "I was young like all of you once." He placed a hand on his chest. "Naïve, immature, and alone. Not many Fusions have the opportunity to attend a real school. I was one of few. I've seen what it's like to be loved by fellow classmates…only for it to be torn away because of beliefs." Cade sighed. "Pleading your case could work on occasion, but not when under pressure. One thing after the other happened, and I ended up blowing a whole in the school."

Cade looked over his shoulder. "I let my emotions get out of hand. Emotion can be strength, but also a weakness. We either learn to control our emotions, or become the monsters our world labeled us as." He closed his eyes. "If it weren't for my wife, I may have let those thoughts consume me."

Chris sped up to his side. "So, you're going to help us control our power?"

"More than that. I'm going to teach you kids how to find peace with yourselves. If you can do that, you'll discover a potential beyond that of your basic form."

They stopped at the edge of the surrounding forest. Cade pointed out the five targets sitting out. "That, right there, is your next test: hitting the target."

This left the crowd rather confused. An obstacle was physically taxing, but hitting a target? It felt like a downgrade to the previous exercise.

Emily crossed her arms. "This looks deceptively simple."

"You'd be right, my dear." Cade raised his finger. "You see, the key to this exercise is much more than aiming for the target. It's a test to see how much you can hold back."

Lewis walked towards the targets and stood in front of the middle. "What you don't know is that the targets have been altered. While the goal is to hit them…the key is to not break them." He flicked the center of the target firmly. That one hit caused the targets to break apart.

The crowd gasped. "How did you-?" Charlie started.

Lewis continued before he finished, "A gust of wind can easily knock it down." He collected the pieces and reassembles them like a puzzle. "The task is simple. Blast the target without destroying the physical target. Do that and we'll gradually increase the difficultly until you can adjust your power in a snap."

Cade smiled. "It's a test to see how well tuned you are with your mind." He stepped out of the way and gestured at the targets. "Who's willing to go first?"

Tamara smirked, then took a step forward. "Allow me." She cracked her knuckles. "This'll be a piece of cake." She spun her finger around and created a ring of water. The ringed condensed, then reshaped into a shuriken. She grabbed it, then held it back. "Water Shuriken!" She threw it straight at the target.

It was dead on with the target, nailing it with an audible impact. Tamara held her hips proudly with a confident grin, but her composure fell when the target fell to pieces. "Wha-NO! I didn't throw it that hard!"

"Clearly, you did," Cade retorted lightly. "Like I said, those targets can break apart from a gust alone."

Tamara growled, then stamped her foot on the ground. "ARG! Why would we even need to hit that hard?! Where in a battle situation is that useful?!"

"Distraction," Lewis said.

"Huh?"

The aura samurai crossed his arms. "If you threw a Water Shuriken at full force, it can do serious harm. But, you can use it to get someone's attention from a distance. Say…it curved around somebody and splashed against the back of their head. No damage, just misdirection." He closed his eyes. "Not to mention, there will be times where you don't want to hurt somebody. You would need to learn how to minimize damage where it counts."

Tamara released the tension in her body and slumped forward. "I see…" She backed up into the crowd.

Dez raised his paw. "May I have a go?"

Cade nodded. "Of course."

The armored canine stepped up and cracked his neck. His horns sparked with electricity as he took aim. Eyes narrowed on his target, he reared his head back. "Thunderbolt!" He threw his head forward and shot a bolt of lightning.

It made contact with the target. He tried to keep the power under control, but it ended up falling to pieces. Dez sighed, then rubbed the back of his head. "Man, this is tougher than it looks."

"It's not a skill to get down in one day. Pokémon must learn to adjust their power, so must we. It just takes more effort and training for us. But trust me…" He held his hand up as green and purple, ghostly energy swirled through the impressions in his arm for a moment. "You can do wondrous things when your mind is balanced."

Once Lewis fixed up the targets, he shouted, "Okay, who's next?"

Ulysses, Shane, Emily, Hawkins, and Codex stepped up. They narrowed their eyes on their respective targets. They concentrated hard as they prepped up their attacks. Then, they struck.

"Power-Up Punch!"

"Night Shade!"

"Ice Shard!"

"Leaf Storm!"

"Zap Cannon!"

Ulysses went flying towards the target and tried to deliver a firm, but gentle hit. It still broke, which upset him. Shane's Night Shade held up for a bit, but some of the target ended up falling apart. Emily's Ice Shard hit the target's center, which knocked off the outer ring. Hawkins' Leaf Storm had some control in its impact, but that didn't stop pieces from falling off. Even though Codex could calculate the required force needed and the amount of power from his Zap Cannon from the observed data, he couldn't keep the power under control enough to keep the target intact.

Everyone took turns firing off attacks or landing direct blows to the targets. Everyone cycled through a line, each failure allowing them to reflect on how much they needed to exert. Who knew it'd be a struggle to hold back?

While progress was made, with fewer pieces falling off, no one could keep their target intact. Still, even after a half hour, they were understanding how much needed to be applied little by little.

Cade rubbed his hands together. "None of you passed, but your progress is phenomenal. A few more days of this and we'll get into the more advance fields later on."

Chris held his fist up. "Sounds like a plan."

Asadi crossed her arms. "What's next on the agenda?"

Abraham chuckled, which gathered their attention. "Well, with Peregrine's workout and Cade's power training, you all are learning how to condition your minds and bodies for optimal effect. That being said, simply working out won't cut it." He folded his arms behind his back. "This may be training you _for_ a fight, but not _how_ to fight."

Wash raised a suspicious brow. "Where are you going with this?"

"Follow me to the battlefield and all will be clear." He led them to the battlefield. The crowd looked at each other nervously, wondering what the normally peaceful teacher had up his sleeve.

The battlefield was rarely used for competitive fighting. More often, it was used for sparring against each other. No one's really went all out in the battles, so this'll be a first. Though, there was still the question of what Abraham was planning. Was he going to make them fight each other so he could evaluate them?

The Fusions stood at the side of the battlefield while Abraham stood in the middle. He smiled calmly. "To truly test your abilities as Fusions, we need to see how you all handle yourselves under pressure. Tough opponents are in existence, thus you must keep your composure to perform at your best. That is the purpose of my teachings: to help you understand the strategy of battle. Every Fusion has a uniqueness to their fighting ability. I'm going to nurture that raw talent into something grand."

Rebecca tilted her head. "So, are you going to have two of us battle each other?"

Abraham shook his head. "No. You all, for the most part, are close to each other and are at equal skill level. I want to demonstrate the raw intensity of battle when faced with a strong opponent. Which is why…" He walked to one end of the battlefield before turning around and shouting, "Two of you will step up and battle me!"

"Say what?!" the crowd shouted.

Liam rubbed his chin. _Not often we see Abraham propose a fight. I'm intrigued._

Abraham chuckled. "That's correct. I want two of you to fight me with everything you've got. It'll give you a taste of what a seasoned Fusion is capable of." He narrowed his eyes. "So, any volunteers?"

The crowd was unsure about facing their elder, especially given he was one of the strongest in the village. He didn't even come off as a fighter, making this whole scenario even more frightening. They've never seen Abraham in action. At least with the other five, they've briefly seen a small portion of their abilities. Abraham wasn't known as the fighter of the council.

A hand raised. "I'll do it," said York as he stepped to the front of the crowd. He cracked his knuckles. "It'll be an honor to fight an experience Fusion such as yourself."

Dez glanced at the plated lizard, then chuckled. "Oh, why not? I'll give it a go." He stepped up next to York. "I've always wondered what made you so strong, old man. Let's put that to the test."

Abraham narrowed his eyes. "I admire your confidence, boys. I'm looking for to an energetic and enriching battle."

The crowd sat on the grass. Quinn said, "This is a new one for me."

Codex nodded. "I agree. I look forward to observing Abraham's battle style."

Artemis grinned. "I'm just looking forward to some butt kicking!"

The two sides took their places and readied themselves. York and Dez took up battle stances while Abraham kept his formal posture. His nine tails gently swayed as he stared at their fiery eyes.

Abraham closed his eyes with a light smile. "Alright boys, come at me with everything you got. You may begin when-"

Before he finished, Dez used this opportunity to charge at full speed. "Heavy Slam!" A yellow aura surrounded him. He got within reach and slammed his head down on where Abraham was standing. The earth rumbled from the impact and sent small pebbles flying, making the crowd jump.

"That's a lot of power!" Crawford shouted.

Dez lifted his head up, then gasped upon seeing Abraham was gone. "-ready." Dez looked over his shoulder and saw the Smeargle-Ninetales standing on his back, retaining his posture. "Surprise attack while I was speaking? A bold and cunning strategy."

Dez smiled. "Just using what I can, sir! Thunderbolt!" He fired the bolt of lightning, but Abraham jumped off his back to dodge.

York opened up his frills. "Flash!" He emitted a blinding light. Abraham covered his eyes with an arm. "Dez, hit him!"

"Toxic!" Dez shouted as he fired off the poisonous sludge.

Abraham looked down and saw the sludge flying towards him. He raised his tails. "Extrasensory." His eyes glowed golden. His tails channeled energy into his hand before releasing a multicolor beam. It pierced the Toxic, then hit Dez.

"AGH!" It pushed down on him, but he kept a firm stance to stay up.

York dashed forward as his elder began to descend. "Dragon Tail!" His tail glowed in a green aura with a scale pattern. He leaped into the air and swung it at Abraham.

The elder held his hand out. "Protect." He formed a bluish-green barrier that nullified the impact of the Dragon Tail. With York in midair, Abraham counterattacked. "Flamethrower." He aimed the tips of his tails and fired nine streams of flames that merged into one. That blast knocked York to the ground.

York recovered from the impact immediately and flipped onto his feet. "Dez, combined attack!"

"Right!"

Once Abraham landed, he saw the two of them running circles around him. He smiled in amusement. "Oh? What's this about?"

York and Dez nodded at each other, then jumped in the air, directly above Abraham. "Thunderbolt!" they both shouted, combining the electrical bolts to create a massive lightning strike.

Abraham jumped away from the bolt. A blast knocked him back with a shockwave, along with pelting him with rock debris. He skidded to the edge of the field and dusted himself off. He observed the scorch mark in his original place.

"A combined attack is always welcomed in battle," Abraham stated.

Once York and Dez landed, they sprinted towards the elder with Dragon Tail and Heavy Slam.

Abraham closed his eyes. "Feint Attack." They tried to hit him, but his body flickered out of sight. Dez scanned the area for the Smeargle Fusion, then got kicked in the back of the neck. He turned around to see Abraham's tails pointed at him. "Flamethrower." He grunted in pain as the flames engulfed his body.

York faced Abraham before charging. "Wild Charge!" Electricity coated his body before he lunged forward.

Abraham ceased with Flamethrower and jumped into the air. "Put a little more effort into it, Mr. Krie!"

York canceled Wild Charge, then sprung into the air. "Okay, let's try this! Dragon-!"

Abraham narrowed his eyes. "Me First." His eyes flashed blue. He bunched his tails together before they glowed green with a scale pattern. He spun downward and slammed his tails on top of York's head. The plated lizard plummeted back to the ground, but he straightened himself out and landed on his hands and feet, sinking into the ground a bit.

As the elder fell, Dez grinned. _He's fast. Let's limit his mobility._ "Stealth Rock!" Silvery energy surrounded the armored canine before firing off light arrows that scattered across the field, burrowing underneath.

The moment Abraham landed, rock pierced out of the ground and flew at him, exploded on impact. Abraham crossed his arms to lessen the damage. He looked around at the field, knowing one wrong step could cost him the match.

Even so, he smiled casually. "Excellent strategy, Mr. Skull. With my Fire-Typing, these Stealth Rocks put me at quite the disadvantage." He folded his arms behind his back. "Always stay ahead of your opponents when in battle. Keep them on their toes."

York grinned. "We're just getting started, sir! Parabolic Charge!" He fired off an orb of electricity in the air, which rained down bolts of lightning.

Abraham took the risk and dashed through the field. He set off some Stealth Rocks, which followed him and exploded. He dodged and weaved his way through the electricity as he ran closer to York. The plated lizard knew better than to let him get close and dashed around him.

Abraham narrowed his eyes. _He's quite fast._ He formed psychic energy in his hands. "Extrasensory!" He fired two multicolored beams.

York saw them coming and leaped backwards, letting them fly under him. "Dragon Tail!" He slammed the draconic tail down on Abraham, who blocked it with his arms.

"Now we got him!" The elder saw Dez appear from behind.

Abraham raised a brow. _A diversion?_ Dez was waiting for the right moment to strike back. He waited until York had his full attention before claiming his moment. _The boy doesn't like to show it, but he's a remarkable strategist when in the right head space._

"Toxic!" Dez fired off the poisonous sludge, which connected with Abraham. York jumped away so it wouldn't hit him, too. Dez' horns sparked. "York, Thunderbolt him!"

The two built up electricity and fired into the center of the toxic cloud, lighting it up with a bright flash of yellow before exploding. The crowd ducked their heads as smoke flew at them, with the Fusion Council staring intently at the match.

York and Dez panted as the smoke began to clear. "Did we get him?" York asked.

"My Toxic definitely nailed him. It should be hindering him," Dez assured.

"Your mark was on point, Mr. Skull." Dez' eyes widened, then he looked around for the elder. His voice came out of nowhere. "But don't assume a status condition means certain victory."

York felt a light breeze behind him. He turned around and saw a bit of smoke was parted in a short burst. He narrowed his eyes. _He managed to tank that and can still move at top speed._

Random bursts of smoke popped out in the ring of smoke that faded around them. They could finally see their teacher appearing and disappearing in fast flickering motions.

"To understand true power, one must be able to brave life's misfortunes, especially something as bothersome as poison."

Dez crouched down and paid attention the elder's movements, but he was having trouble keeping track. Even with Stealth Rock in play, Abraham was moving in strategic areas. Anywhere he set off a Stealth Rock.

That gave Dez an idea.

"York, blast anywhere that Stealth Rock got triggered!" he shouted before firing Flamethrower at a spot Abraham appeared in.

York nodded, then fired Dragon Rage at the individual spots. They noticed that Abraham's movements were becoming decreasing. Either he'll end up in a free spot that is safe or runs the risk of taking more damage to Stealth Rock.

"We got him now!" Dez shouted.

Surprisingly, a cunning smirk stretched across Abraham's face. "Don't get cocky, boys!" He stopped his series of movements and rolled away from Flamethrower and Dragon Rage. He set off Stealth Rock and took more damage, but ignored it as he rose to his feet. The poison coursing through his body was slowly draining his stamina. He'll have to watch himself. "Nasty Plot."

He raised his tails as dark energy coursed through his body. His eyes flashed with a black light for a moment, then he dashed towards Dez.

Dez narrowed his eyes. "Heavy Slam!" He charged at the elder, preparing to ram him at full force.

"Feint Attack!" He vanished at the last second, making Dez stop and observe his surroundings.

York kept his guard up and looked around. _The elder seems to use ambush and surprise tactics a lot. The obvious move would be to hit Dez while he's on his guard, waiting for a blind spot. But, if I had to guess, he'll likely attack…from behind!_ He felt a breeze from behind.

York spun around with Dragon Tail. "Take thi-AGH!" Abraham vanished at the last second and kicked him across the back. York tumbled across the ground, but spun onto his feet. He dragged his heels into the dirt and halted himself.

Abraham folded his arms behind his back. "Impressive use of your senses, Mr. Krie. You were able to keep track of my movements with surprising ease."

York grinned. "Thank you, sir. I've had a lot of time to harness my senses over the years."

Abraham narrowed his eyes kindly. "I can tell. I admire effort such as that." He flinched a bit, feeling the poison inflicting more damage onto him. Though, he smiled through it. "Still, I'm not truly satisfied yet."

"Say what?" Dez asked.

Abraham shrugged his shoulders. "I mean you kids no disrespect, but I can't bring myself to go all out. I wouldn't want to run the risk of hurting you."

York clenched his fist. "Don't be ridiculous! We want to get stronger, no matter the costs! We can put up with a little bruising!"

"He's right!" Dez shouted. "We're not children! Give it everything you got!"

Abraham shook his head with a calm smile. "The youth of today can be so fascinating." He crossed his arms. "Very well. If you truly want me to show you the extent of my abilities, prove just how powerful the both of you are."

York glared fiercely. "Very well!" He kicked off the ground and sprinted at full speed. "Wild Charge!"

Dez followed suit in York's movements. "Heavy Slam!"

Abraham glanced between the two before holding his hands out. "Protect!" They both slammed into the protective barrier, forcibly stopped in their tracks. "Extrasensory!" The moment the barrier went down, they were each hit with a multicolored beam with the added power from Nasty Plot.

Dez dug his claws into the dirt, stopping himself, then sprung back into action. "Volt Switch!" His horns built up electricity, condensing into an orb, then fired it at Abraham's feet.

The elder jumped back as the electricity came close to hitting him. The blinding light, however, was used as a distraction for York to get close. He opened up his frills. "Flash!" He released a second blinding light that forced Abraham to completely shut his eyes.

Dez reared his head back, then fired off Flamethrower. Abraham could feel the heat flying towards him. He held his hand out. "Protect!" The barrier blocked the flames.

York sprinted and tried to hit Abraham with Dragon Tail while his back was turned. The Smeargle Fusion blocked the attack with his nine tails, then smacked the plated lizard into the air. However, this made York smirk.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Anyone else see that look on his face?"

Tamara squinted. "Err…barely."

Shane blinked blankly. "…everyone might want to duck and cover their heads." No arguing with the luck ghost as everyone did as told.

York straightened himself out in midair and looked down. "Dez, get to a safe distance!" The armored canine nodded and ran away.

Abraham peered upward at the Fusion. "Hmm, let's see what you've got."

Blue electricity coursed throughout York's body as his frills opened. "You want to see my full power? Let me show you what I can do! Dragonic Thunder!"

He aimed downward and fired off a massive bolt of blue electricity, mixed with ferocious, draconian energy. Everyone peered up through their arms and gasped at the large bolt. The Fusion Council continued to silently monitor the battle, though the power of his Fusion Move amazed them.

York, as he continued to pour energy out, shouted, "There's no way you can dodge this!"

Abraham stared up at it, then grinned. "Then I won't." He held his hands up. "Protect!" He formed the barrier over his head and pushed against the force of the lightning bolt. However, since he used Protect twice in a row, he ran the risk of it breaking on him.

York narrowed his eyes. _He's strong! We need to break through that Protect!_ "Dez, light 'em up!"

The armored canine ran into battle. "Right!" His body coursed with electricity. "Only get one shot with this, so let's make it count! Kami Volt!" He dug his horns into the ground and burrowed his way under.

Abraham looked around for any disturbances in the ground, all while focusing on the Dragonic Thunder and the poison eating away at him.

Suddenly, the ground began to split open, with light piercing out. Electricity sparked out of the cracks. The ground rumbled and shook as the light became brighter. Bolts of lightning blasted out of the ground, shooting high into the sky. Electricity sprayed all over the battlefield, ripping it apart with its destructive force.

Abraham could feel the ground splitting under him, too. He saw the light piercing through, then a bolt of lightning rose under him, engulfing him in its blinding glow.

The crowd kept their heads down as the lightning fired off in random directions. It came close to breaking the land in front of them apart, though Dez, thankfully, knew how to minimize the range of his Fusion Move, less it would have done more than destroy the battlefield.

York's Dragonic Thunder, finally no longer being pushed back by Protect, mixed with the Kami Volt and lit up the field. The plated lizard freefell down, not bothered by the electricity that flew pass him. He did some flips before landing on his feet.

The lightning dispersed with a field of smoke surrounding him. Even through the smoke, he could make out the scorched battlefield. The ground was blackened and littered with large holes due to Kami Volt. The ground felt hot, but York toughed it out as he looked around for Dez, along with Abraham.

The elder was nowhere to be seen. York was certain they hit him with that last attack. With Dragonic Thunder and Kami Volt in use, there was no way he had the breathing room to get out unscathed.

He heard movement and turned around. The ground parted and Dez pulled himself back onto the surface. He looked exhausted. "Phew…that sure takes a lot out of me…"

York ran over and helped him up. "Nice work."

Dez grinned. "Thanks." He looked around. "Wow, we did a number on this field."

York crossed his arms. "Yeah, but there's no sign of Abraham. I didn't expect to take him down easily, but there's no way he could have withstood all those attacks at once." He narrowed his eyes. "Where are you, Abraham?"

"Supernatural Masterpiece!"

Their eyes widened, then they looked down as a wave of psychic energy washed over the ground. The crowd stepped back, but the ground beneath them was also cover in the energy. A psychic dome stretched out over them, encasing them inside before glowing brightly.

Lewis held his arm over his eyes. _So now he's getting serious._

Liam narrowed his eyes. _Abraham…the sixth strongest member of the council. He may be the weakest out of the five of us, but he's dangerous once this move is set up._

The dome stopped glowing, then revealed it had altered the landscape. The world around them looked like it was made of paint. Plant matter turned teal, trees and huts were orange, the sky and clouds were yellow and purple respectively; everything looked surreal and colorful. Blobs of paint, which were likely illusions of the terrain, floated around them.

York and Dez took defensive stances while scanning the area. "Keep your guard up, Dez," York warned.

"I know, but…this is so weird. This is Abraham's Fusion Move? Do you know what it does?"

"Not a clue."

"Well then…" Their eyes widened as the elder appeared over them with the use of Feint Attack. "Let me give you a crash course. Flamethrower!" He aimed his tails and fired off Flamethrower. They rolled out of the way, but noticed two things different about it. One, there were colorful pink flames mixed in. And two, it looked even stronger than before.

"Whoa!" York exclaimed.

"His attacks got stronger!" Dez shouted.

Peregrine crossed his wings. _This battle's pretty much over. Supernatural Masterpiece boosts the power of attacks for the user and allies by fifty percent._ He smirked. _However, should they try to attack back, they'll be in for a devastating surprise._

"Extrasensory!" Abraham fired two multicolored beams, with an emphasis of teal mixed in, and landed a direct hit against the boys.

"AGH!" They stumbled across the ground, but rolled onto their feet.

Dez panted. "I can't…use my Electric-Type moves…after using Kami Volt…I'm low on options."

York opened his frills. "I'll have to end this in one shot! Parabolic-!"

Abraham's eyes flashed blue. "Me First!" He rushed at the two with his tails sparking with electricity. "Parabolic Charge!" An orb of electricity formed between his tails, mixed with purple coloring. He flung the orb over their heads and rained down a far more powerful Parabolic Charge. Just from looks alone, it looked far more powerful than the powered-up Flamethrower.

They made the attempt to dodge, but the electricity was shooting down virtually everywhere. They braced for impact and took the full force of the powerful, energy draining electricity.

Liam narrowed his eyes. _Supernatural Masterpiece gives the user and allies a fifty percent boost for attacks. However, if a copy move such as Copycat or Me First is used, the copied attack gets a one hundred percent power boost. Added to the fifty percent boost Me First already applies, any attack Abraham copies is guaranteed to hurt._

York and Dez endured the Parabolic Charge to the best of their ability, but the pain was searing. They both had resistances to electricity and yet this attack was ridiculously strong.

Once the attack ended green energy flew over to Abraham and refreshed his health and stamina. He sighed in relief, though the poison still gave him aches. He still kept up his smile and looked at the two, barely standing teenagers. They were panting heavily, about ready to collapse.

He raised a brow. "Do you yield?"

They panted for a moment before collapsing onto the ground. "…we yield."

Abraham chuckled. The colorful terrain reverted to normal. "That was quite the workout, boys." He grunted and fell onto one knee. "Ugh…might I say, you've put me in quite the bind."

Gracelyn walked over and handed him a Lum and Sitrus berry. "All of you did marvelously." She walked over to York and Dez, handing them Sitrus berries.

"That…was AWESOME!" Charlie exclaimed. "You're really strong, Mr. Abraham!"

He swallowed the Lum berry, feeling it purge the poison from his system. He stood up and dusted his fur clean. "Oh, I'm not that strong. Truth be told, those boys have me beat in physical strength." He looked at the two as they stood up. "So why do you suppose I came out on top?"

York ate the Sitrus berry before answering, "You knew you couldn't best us in a direct fight, so you used your own strengths and replied on catching us off guard."

He nodded. "Everyone needs to learn their own way of fighting. If I were to imitate your fighting styles, there'd be a good chance I'd lose. Plus, I've learned to control my abilities through years of practice." He smiled. "Still, you both demonstrated remarkable techniques and cooperation, even though the battle was tense."

Dez sighed. "Tell me about it. I thought for sure I could tire you out with the poison." He shook his head. "Man, I need a coffee."

Abraham looked to the crowd. "Not every day will be like this. We will not force you into battles with your elders. That said, we will be by your sides and help you improve your skills in one on one sessions. There will be days where you must do training on your own, and days where you'll have us to teach you."

Liam and the other council members went to Abraham's side, with the ape saying, "Today was nothing more than an introductory to the next several weeks of your life. We will help you improve your abilities until you're deemed true Fusions. Any complaints?"

Tamara raised her fists. "No sir!"

Asadi chuckled. "I don't mind. As long as it doesn't take up my free-time, I'm cool with it."

York and Dez walked over to the council, with York saying, "I will continue to better myself until I become a sufficient member of the village. I wish to get stronger for my new home."

Peregrine grinned mischievously. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, kid. I'll run you ragged."

"I look forward to it, sir."

The steel duck sighed, scratching his head with his leek. "Not as fun when you allow it…" He smiled. "But hey, I like someone with fire in their soul."

Lewis stepped forward. "That is it for the day. Return to your daily routines and activities. We expect all of you to be ready again in the morning, same time."

The Fusions saluted. "Sir, yes sir!" The crowd walked off, returning to their huts or heading off somewhere else.

Cade looked down at Abraham. "I must say, it's been a while since we've seen you battle."

The Smeargle Fusion rubbed his shoulders. "If you ask me, I felt like I was out of practice. The timing on my Feint Attacks felt slower than usual." He rotated his arm. "Training these kids will help me get back into shape, too."

Lewis crossed his arms. "They're eager to get stronger, all of them. I just hope we don't have a repeat of yesterday."

"The Rogues will need time to recover and Julian won't likely have us go after them for a while," Liam mentioned.

Gracelyn folded her arms behind her back. "I suppose we should be focusing on lesson plans for the younglings." She giggled. "Oh, how exciting! I've never dreamed of becoming a teacher, but I'm positively giddy!"

"Just don't rough them up, Grace," Abraham warned jokingly. "We don't want a villager punched halfway across the region."

Gracelyn crossed her arms with a teasing look. "At least I can hold my own in a fight without relying on my Fusion Move."

He held his hand over his heart with mock sadness. "Ouch…right in the heart."

Liam stepped forward, then faced his fellow councilmen. "Regardless, we must take our roles as teachers with utmost importance. We're not sure what lies ahead now."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Relax, Liam. The Rogues won't be a problem."

The godly ape closed his eyes. "For our sake, I hope you're right."


	8. An Impression of Change

"So, repairs are coming along nicely?"

Four days have passed since the beginning of training for Gappei Village. Progress was slow as everyone was still adjusting to the new system. Early morning wake up calls were undesirable to a select few. Of course, there were Fusions who welcomed the training with open arms.

With the exception of Liam and Gracelyn, the Fusion Council was helping the Fusions develop their abilities and skills. It was still early into the training, so not a whole lot of progress was made. Some Fusions were improving significantly while others needed the extra one on one time to develop.

Within those few days, they weren't assigned missions from Julian. He, understandably, wanted to give the city some time to adjust to this new action he's taking. There was still outrage and complaint about letting Fusions freely wander the city, but he was determined to keep going.

Currently, Liam and Julian were on the phone discussing business matters. Julian took a sip of his coffee, then answered, "We're at a slow start, but the repairs should be done within a month. You know, barring any other mishaps."

Liam rolled his eyes. "I can assure you that won't happen a second time."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Liam. I'm not expecting the same magnitude, but I am expecting damage." He turned around in his office chair. "Anyway, word is that you're training them?"

Liam raised a brow. "Who told you-?"

"Gracelyn informed me. She figured you were still steamed at me, so she gave me the details on your new training regimen." Julian grabbed a doughnut off his desk and took a bite. "How are they coming along?"

Liam leaned back in his chair. "Much like repairs on the city, slow, but gradual."

"I see. Well, if there's anyone who can help those kids, it's you."

The godly ape narrowed his eyes. "Was that a compliment?"

"I told you, those spiteful feelings are behind me. All I want now is to make progress on integrating the Fusions into society." Julian chuckled. "Sooner or later, you're going to run out of room in that tiny village."

"We can make room," Liam argued.

"Oh? So, you don't want peace?"

Liam groaned. "That isn't what I…ugh, never mind." The godly ape rubbed his eyes. "Have you gotten the city to calm down about your Fusion assistance proposal?"

Julian rolled his eyes. "In this city? Yeah, that's not happening. I did hold a conference to convince the public of the benefits and only got a small handful of compliance. The remainder of responses brought out some nasty sides from the regular protesters." The Machamp pinched between his eyes. "This is going to spark unnecessary conflict."

"For the most part, they can't do much against us. We're fairly well protected, and that's just the village walls." Liam narrowed his eyes. "We can handle whatever they throw at us."

Julian smiled. "I figured. Which reminds me…have you cooled off?"

Liam's expression fell to one of shame. "I…I'm sorry for breaking into your home…and for the other stuff."

Julian sighed. "It's…It's fine, Liam. The damage hit us both pretty hard, so I say we're even. Just next time, if you need to speak with me, use the door."

Liam stifled a chuckle. "Noted."

Julian spun around in his chair. "Now, I know I should make up for last time, so I have a simple task that needs to be done." He pulled out a file from his desk drawer and lay it out.

The godly ape narrowed his eyes. "Please don't tell me this is another Rogue crime."

The Machamp shook his head. "No, no, nothing of the sort. This is much simpler and the risk of failing is significantly low, provided that the Fusions you send know how to move boxes."

"Move boxes?"

Julian opened the file. "Profectus Inc. is the leading provider of new and improved technology and helping the cause for Fusion Rights. However, it is also the provider of Fusion related containment equipment."

"Julian…" Liam started in a warning tone.

"Before you say anything else, this technology is strictly provided to the police, who don't go around containing any Fusion they despise…which is basically all of them in a way."

"Haven't I heard reports of Fusion Hunters wielding tech like that?"

Julian shrugged. "You might have, but it was never my choice to provide them those weapons. Some of the tech they use isn't even of my own design." He pinched between his eyes. "I know this looks bad, but the police do need this stuff to protect the Pokémon and the city. The worse that'll happen is a Fusion being sentence to time in jail."

Liam groaned. "Okay, fine. So, you said you need some Fusions to move boxes?"

"That's it," the Machamp confirmed. "I feel this would be good for reputation building. They make a good impression and that marks a win in your book."

The ape stood up. "Do the workers know they'll be stopping by?"

"I informed them ahead of time." Julian groaned. "After their boss finished cussing me out, I convinced him to give it a chance. It wasn't easy, so make sure whoever you send are on their best behavior."

"I'll make sure they are."

"I know you will. Take care, Liam." Julian hung up.

Liam set his phone down, then grabbed his staff. He paced back and forth in his hut. Good news was that he had a chance to make progress in relationship building. Bad news was figuring out who would be the right Fusions to send.

"Dez and Emily don't trust Pokémon, with the latter of them being violently spiteful. York and Wash? Given their histories, not a good idea." Liam tapped his chin. "Hawkins and Asadi…I'm not sure if they would do the work. And Wantanabe is too young to be going out in the city. Spaz' group…well, I'm not sure."

There was considering Quinn's and Tamara's group, but the former may not be up to it and the latter had a mix of Fusions who can cause individual problems if things go awry.

After giving it more thought, he snapped his fingers. "I got it!"

* * *

Shane, Rebecca, and Chris stood outside the village gate, standing in front of Liam. "…and remember to make a good first impression when you get there," he finished after getting instructions across. "This is a good opportunity to improve our image. I expect you three to set a good example for the village. Everyone's looking up to you."

Rebecca saluted confidently. "Don't worry, Chief Liam! We'll be good!"

Liam smiled. "I have full confidence in all of you. You'll be working until the job is finished, so no slacking."

Chris shrugged with a relaxed smile. "Aww, I was going to flake out and do my own thing instead." Liam raised a brow, leading Chris to raise his claws, chuckling. "I'm kidding. We'll be diligent."

"I find it strange that we're moving equipment meant to trap us," Shane admitted.

Liam sighed. "Yes, but they are necessary. Similar equipment is used on regular Pokémon criminals, just not as powerful as the Fusion equipment."

Shane shrugged. "Fair point."

Liam handed them a map. "I circled the warehouse you'll be heading to. Don't get lost and don't cause any trouble. If the Pokémon give you a hard time, just stay calm and try your best to ignore it."

They nodded. "Yes sir!"

Liam smiled. "Alright. Best of luck out there."

"Thank you!" The three Fusions ran off.

* * *

The group entered the city and walked along the sidewalk. They kept their eyes off the Pokémon they passed by and focused on the map. They could feel the intense stares being thrown at them. Fear and anger was felt from the Pokémon. They did their best to ignore it.

Rebecca, who was in charge of the map, traced her finger along the path. "Okay, if I'm right, it's just another seven minutes of walking before we get there."

Shane smiled. "Great. Today should be a fairly easy day." He groaned as he rubbed his arm. "Peregrine made me do push-ups until my arms got sore. It was a nightmare."

Rebecca sighed, briefly stopping his massage her legs. "My legs were on fire yesterday. I fell into those mud pits so many times that I lost count." She shivered. "So gross."

Chris sighed as well. "Peregrine really did a number on us."

Shane shrugged. "Well, hopefully it gets easier."

"With Peregrine around?" Chris rolled his eyes. "Yeeeah, that's not happening."

After more walking, they turned a corner and spotted the warehouse they were supposed to meet at. Rebecca checked the map one more time just to make sure. She smiled. "Yep! This is the place!" She rolled it up and stuck it into her tail next to her stick.

Shane pointed at the warehouse. "It appears the moving crew is already here, too." Three trucks were parked in front of the large garage door. There were three workers and they looked like they were just finishing up their breakfast.

Chris patted his claws together. "Well, let's introduce ourselves. And remember, don't do anything weird."

Rebecca blew a raspberry and laughed, waving off his words. "Oh, don't worry! With my charming smile and positivity, they'll think we're awesome!"

Shane narrowed his eyes. "Okay, I don't need to predict misfortune to know something bad is going to happen."

"Oh hush!" She took a deep breath, then shook herself to get the jitters out. She raised her fists and said, "Alright team, move out!" They walked across the street.

One of the workers, an Excadrill wearing a blue shirt with a moving logo on the left, opened the garage door. He patted his hands together and said, "Alright, Mr. Roteman wants these boxes moved out by the end of the day. Anything labeled 'Fusion Equip.' gets put in the truck."

The other workers nodded. "Right!"

"Everything else stays. Everything should be out in plain view, but make sure nothing is left behind."

The Fusions walked up to the gate, then Chris lightly shook it to draw their attention. Their gazes directed to them, then their moods soured. They stood frozen in place, with thoughts of annoyance running through their minds.

Rebecca tapped her fingers together awkwardly. She wasn't surprised that this was their first response. She took a deep breath, then smiled. "Hello~! We're the villagers from Gappei Village! Now, I'm not sure if you were informed yet, but-"

"We know why you're here," Excadrill interrupted coldly.

"Oh!" Rebecca chuckled nervously. "I-I-I figured. I just wanted to make sure because…you know…"

Excadrill continued to glare at them, leading the Lunatone next to him to speak. "Mr. Roteman is a perplexing man. I don't see the benefit of working alongside destructive hazards such as you. We are fully capable of moving these boxes on our own."

Shane lowered his head. "Um…we…we understand, but…" He mumbled the rest of his words. He could talk just fine in front of his friends, but he wasn't the best speaker in public, especially when it was a group of spiteful Pokémon.

Chris took the burden off him and continued, "Mr. Roteman feels this will be a good learning experience for all of us. You know, getting along and putting aside differences."

The third worker, a Carracosta, crossed his flippers. "We're not here to make friends, kid. We're just here to get this stuff shipped off."

Rebecca smiled meekly. "We understand, but…I assure you, we're not bad Fusions. I'm actually considered the second most positive Fusion in our village! I would never intentionally do anything to upset people!"

"We don't care," Lunatone said dryly.

Rebecca frowned. "That was a little mean…"

"Like I said, we don't care."

Chris narrowed his eyes. "We were told to come down here and help. Like it or not, we're not leaving."

Excadrill rolled his eyes, growling through his teeth. "Ugh…fine." He walked to the gate, undid the lock, and opened the gate, letting the Fusions in.

Carracosta pointed at the boxes. "We're moving anything labeled 'Fusion Equip.' Do NOT grab any other boxes but those."

"Doesn't seem too hard," Rebecca commented.

"We didn't ask for your input," Lunatone said bitterly as he psychically opened the first truck.

Rebecca frowned. "Sorry."

"We'll be working until noon," Excadrill said. "We'll have a half hour lunch break before finishing up the rest of the load. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," the Fusions replied.

Shane's eyes widened. _Wait, do we even have lunch?_

"You'll be loading the boxes on the opposite side of the warehouse. Don't break anything or else." He waved over the other two. "Come on, let's get a move on." The workers walked into the warehouse.

Rebecca looked at the mountain of boxes in front of them. "Oh boy, this is going to be a long day."

Chris crossed his arms. "A long day of sneering and cold shoulders."

Rebecca smiled. "They're not so bad. They'll warm up to us eventually."

Shane raised a brow. "Becky, they clearly don't like us. Any attempt to be friendly will only irritate them further."

"Then what should do?"

"At the moment, our jobs. If they see us working, they'll at least see we're taking this seriously. That's the only thing we can do."

She sighed. "I suppose you're right." She raised her fists and smiled brightly. "Alright, then let's get these boxes loaded!"

"Yeah!" Shane and Chris exclaimed. The group ran into the warehouse and got to work.

They came across a stack of boxes with 'Fusion Equip.' labeled on the side. Chris grabbed one box and hauled it to the truck. Rebecca pulled out her stick and aimed it at the boxes. The end lit up in an aura blue flame. She channeled energy through it and used Psychic to telekinetically lift five. She could do more, but she didn't want to risk it. She carefully directed them to the back of the truck.

Chris set down his box and walked out from the truck in time to see the boxes flying over. "Alright, easy," he advised as he reached out and grabbed one. He set it down in the back before grabbing the other four as they came.

Rebecca kept her focus on the boxes, but she did hear Shane muttering in confusion. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the Gengar Fusion looking at the boxes with difficulty. "Is something wrong, Shane?"

He scratched his head. "Uh…how am I supposed to carry these?"

"What do you mean?"

Shane turned around to face her. "I'm not sure if you've noticed, but…" He directed her attention to his lower half. "I don't have actual legs. I can't carry boxes normally."

Rebecca chuckled. "Oh, you're overthinking it."

He deadpanned. "I need to hop to get around. I can't carry something that big and heavy."

Rebecca grinned. "Aww, you're smart. You can figure something out. Here, let me give you a head start." She psychically lowered another box and set it in front of the jinx ghost. "There you go!"

Shane examined the box, then tried to slide his fingers under it to lift. His spike didn't operate like legs, so he couldn't bend down or anything to pick it up. He gave up almost immediately before giving it another look. There was only one other option. With a sigh, he pressed his hands against the box and bounced forward. It moved forward a bit, but it became clear this was going to take him a while.

"You can do it, Shane!" Rebecca cheered.

"Oh, shut up!" he shouted.

Rebecca brought down another group of crates and floated it over to the truck. She stopped one crate, though, to take a look at it. She lowered it, then tapped the side with her stick. "Hmm…I kind of want to look at the equipment."

Shane got the box outside and slid to the ground. He looked over his shoulder. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Don't know, just curious. Sure, this stuff is used against us, but I think it's interesting."

Chris picked up the crate Shane pushed and slid it into the truck. "They're no different from the containment equipment used to restrain Pokémon. Just upgraded to take down Fusions."

Rebecca poked at the box some more. "What do you think's inside?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Collars, stun batons; look it up on the internet."

"Hey!" the Lunatone worker shouted from across the warehouse. "No slacking! Get back to work!"

Rebecca threw her stick up in fright, but grabbed it and regained her composure. "S-Sorry, sir!" She resumed moving the boxes over to the truck.

Chris glanced over his shoulder, watching the workers resume working. "You know, there are nicer ways of saying that."

Lunatone sneered. "You freaks are supposed to be focusing on getting those boxes loaded. Other cities need this stuff to suppress your villainous brethren."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Wow, didn't see that coming: a closeminded Pokémon."

Lunatone glared at the Hitmonchan Fusion, but chose not to argue back. He rather be focusing on work than wasting his breath. He psychically lifted his set of boxes and moved them over to the truck.

Chris groaned. "Can you believe those guys?" he asked, lowering his voice so only Rebecca and Shane could hear him.

Rebecca looked around a stack of large crates for more boxes. "I mean, they probably just find us unsettling."

Chris shook his head. "Unsettling? If I was a Pokémon and met you walking in all smiley and optimistic, I'd be more surprised than disturbed." He sat at the edge of the truck. "Just goes to show you that some people can't let go of the past."

Rebecca pushed some boxes to the side to read the labels on the boxes behind them. "You're beginning to sound like Emily."

The steel boxer crossed his arms. "That's not true. I can trust Pokémon if they give me a reason to." He closed his eyes. "I'm just getting tired of others judging us, especially from appearance."

Rebecca frowned. "Well, I know how you feel, but at least you didn't have 'friends' leave you just because of a few outwardly changes." She looked at her wrist spike. "Haven't I ever told you that I used to be popular in school?"

"May have come up once or twice," he said.

She looked at the wall of boxes dividing her from the workers. She could see their forms with her aura. "I try hard to stay calm and look on the bright side of things. It seems pointless, but I don't want to give up."

Chris chuckled. "Sometimes I think you're more levelheaded than me." He looked over at Shane. "What do you think, Shane?" He raised a brow at the jinx ghost, who was currently staring off into space. "Shane?"

"Is he okay?" Rebecca asked as she rotated a box around and checked its label.

"He's staring off into space again."

"Oh boy."

Chris hopped off the truck and waved his hand in front of the Gengar Fusion's face. "Yo, Shane? Wake up. We're supposed to be working."

The jinx ghost blinked and shook his head. "H-Huh, what?" He looked around. "Oh right, we're in a warehouse."

Chris crossed his arms. "You were staring off into space again."

Shane blinked. "Oh…sorry about that." He narrowed his eyes and tapped his chin.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yeah." He looked up at the support beams above. "Just got a weird feeling."

"This anything like your other weird feelings?" Chris asked.

"Definitely." He looked at the garage doors, then asked, "Chris, can you get a bucket of water and set it just around the corner of the garage?"

Chris raised a brow. Shane's bad luck sensing ability always made him cautious, more so confused. Still, if he asked for a bucket of water somewhere, he was going to put a bucket of water somewhere. "I'll go see if they have one lying around." He walked off to find a bucket.

Shane bounced over to Rebecca, who found another box. She psychically moved it over to him. "So," the ghost started, "what were we talking about?"

She hopped up a couple boxes and checked the labels on the stacks. "Just talking about how we're off to a poor start with the workers." She narrowed her eyes. "Who the heck organized these boxes? They're everywhere." The one she found was stacked on and under unimportant boxes.

Shane pushed against the box he was given and bounced slowly towards the trucks. "Well, that's life for you." He groaned in exhaustion, then put more effort into shoving the box. "I've put up with a lot of garbage from the Pokémon. If they want to give us crap, then I don't care."

"Yeah, but I still want to get along with them."

"You can't change years of vandalism and hate in the span of one afternoon."

She shrugged as she moved the one box down and guided it to the truck. "I don't see why not. Maybe we can find some common ground." She smiled. "Ooh! Maybe I can lift their spirits with a joke! I know this great one about-!"

Shane narrowed his eyes. "I don't know which joke it is, but it's going to make at least two of them annoyed."

Rebecca frowned. "Well…we could talk?"

Shane sighed. "Rebecca, I don't see them changing their attitudes anytime soon." He glanced over at the workers. Even though they were keeping to themselves, they still bared irritated expressions. "Our kind has brought too much harm." He closed his eyes. "Their kind has brought us misery."

Chris came back, carrying a bucket of water. "Our mission is to show them that we can be productive members of society. We don't have to be friends with them. The point of being here is to show we're not destructive." He set the bucket down where Shane wanted it. "Whether they like us or not, they'll eventually get used to our presence."

Rebecca sighed. "I suppose. I just don't like all this conflict happening between us."

Chris smirked. "You've been hanging around Ren too much."

Shane chuckled. "I wonder why?"

Rebecca's face lit up red. She flailed her arms wildly, shouting, "Hey! Now hold on a minute!"

The workers looked at the Fusions while they were distracted. Excadrill sneered. "They act like children."

Carracosta, barely paying attention, slid a box into the truck. "To be fair, they ARE kids."

Lunatone scoffed. "Yes, kids born from chaos. Honestly, I don't understand why Roteman sent those little devils."

Excadrill crossed his arms. "We're stuck with them until we're done loading. After that, they aren't our problem anymore."

"Music to my nonexistent ears," Lunatone mumbled as he psychically placed boxes into the truck.

With both sides preoccupied on their work, something was lurking above them. A dark figure dropped down from the roof of the warehouse and swung inside, grabbing hold of the beams before he fell. He flipped himself over and stood on top of the beams before bouncing down to get a direct view of the workers and Fusions.

The figure sneered. "They weren't kidding. There are Fusions here." However, his eyes fell upon the boxes they were loading, which made him gleefully rub his hands together. "Ooh hoo hoo, and there's the equipment I've been hearing about." He smirked devilishly. "Oh yes, those will do nicely."

* * *

Two trucks were finished being loaded, with the third nearly done. Excadrill checked the time on the wall clock before bringing his claws to his lips and whistling sharply.

Rebecca and Shane jumped in surprise, while Chris peeked his head out from the truck curiously. "Yes?"

Excadrill cupped his claws together and shouted, "Hey freaks! Lunch break! You've got a half hour, so no dillydallying!"

Rebecca smiled and jumped up with glee. "Woohoo! Lunch! I'm starved!"

Shane bounced over to her. "Uh, Rebecca? There's a bit of a problem with that. We don't have lunch…or money."

"What?!" she screeched in shock.

Chris scratched his head. "Guess the chief didn't expect us to be working for so long. Those guys got the trucks loaded faster than us."

Rebecca dropped to her knees and wept. "But I'm hungry!"

Shane scratched his head. "We could head back to the village and grab a quick bite to eat."

Chris shook his head. "Too long of a walk. Break would be over by then." He glanced over his shoulder. "I don't think they'll give us extended time to get food."

Rebecca bowed her head sadly. "This sucks…"

Shane patted her head. "Hey, I'm sure we'll pull through before we collapse from hunger." His eyes widened as his rumbling stomach interjected itself into the conversation, along with Chris'. The jinx ghost sighed. "I could go for some food right now, though…"

Chris groaned, then leaned against the truck. "We'll just pull through until we're done loading boxes. Then we can head home."

"I won't survive!" Rebecca groaned dramatically as she fell onto her side.

The workers watched the Fusions in annoyance. "Ugh, now what are they doing?" Excadrill grumbled.

Carracosta raised a brow. "I think they're hungry."

Lunatone rolled his eyes. "I'm sure they'll just steal some food." He looked at his lunchbox, then lifted it up high with Psychic with a cautious expression.

Excadrill pulled an apple out of his lunch and took a bite. "Just ignore them, Peter. They aren't our problem."

The Carracosta, Peter, narrowed his eyes on the Fusions. Their groans were getting on his nerves. Not to mention they'll just keep complaining until they're dismissed to go home. They could say they were allowed to leave, but they were obligated to stay and finish their work.

The bipedal sea turtle face-palmed and slid his flipper down his face. "There is no way I'm going to endure listening to this." He marched over to the Fusions. "Hey!"

The Fusions jumped up, standing at attention. "Y-Y-Yes sir?" Shane mumbled quietly.

"Follow me, now." He turned and started heading towards the fence gate. He looked back and saw them standing there in confusion. "I don't have all day!" They gulped and quickly followed after him. Peter pushed the fence open and led them across the street.

Rebecca sped up so she was right by his side. "Um, mister? Where are we going?"

"I typically eat out on my lunch breaks. There's a café over here."

Chris raised a brow. "Wait, are you taking us out to lunch?"

Peter closed his eyes. "Don't get any ideas. I'm only doing this to shut you brats up."

Rebecca frowned. "Oh…I see." She lessened her pace and rejoined walking alongside her hut mates. Shane patted her back comfortingly.

They came up to the café and went inside. The little bell rung, notifying the patrons of their arrival. It took a few patrons to start a commotion, as the Pokémon suddenly tensed up upon seeing them. It didn't take long for everyone to notice they had Fusions among them.

Peter ignored them, focusing on getting his…their lunch. He walked up to the counter and greeted the shaking Herdier at the cash register. "Hello. I'd like to order a Custap Berry Sub and a short macchiato." He glanced at the Fusions. "Make that four Custap Berry Subs, a macchiato, and three waters."

The Herdier gulped, then lifted his paw. "Uh…yes, sir." He punched in the order. Peter paid him, then guided the Fusions to a table before sitting down.

As expected, a moment of peace was not going to happen. The Fusions awkwardly glanced at the other patrons, who were staring with narrow eyed and suspicious expressions. They were acting like the Fusions were going to blow the darn place up for no reason.

Though, some of the stares did go to Peter, who kept his head low and refused to make eye contact with anyone. He just wanted to eat his lunch, then finish his work.

The Fusions looked at each other, then huddled together. Rebecca briefly smacked her lips together as she formed words in her head. "So…this is…"

"Uncomfortable?" Shane finished.

"Yeah, that's the word."

Chris looked over his shoulder to see if they were still staring. They were. He turned his head back into the group. "We should just leave."

"We can't now. He already paid for our lunch, which we didn't ask for," Rebecca reminded. "It'd seem rude."

"Tell that to the crowd of staring Pokémon and see if they'll comply," he said with a deadpan expression.

Shane took a deep breath, then said, "Look, we're not going to get anywhere like this. I propose we make the most of it and try to greet this guy on a personal level."

"You think he'll be in the mood for conversation?" Chris questioned.

"Can't get any worse than this," Rebecca said.

"What are you three doing?" Peter spoke up, only now noticing the Fusions were huddled close together.

They separated and crossed their arms over the table. "Nothing," they said. Peter rolled his eyes, then went back to staring at the floor.

Rebecca nudged Chris, prompting him to speak. The Hitmonchan Fusion tapped his claws on the table with a neutral expression. He looked around casually. "Sssooo, Mr. Peter? I'm curious. How long have you been in the transport business?"

Peter looked at him with narrowed, cold eyes. "Why?"

He raised his claws innocently. "Just trying to make small talk, nothing hostile."

The sea turtle narrowed his eyes a bit more, then sighed. His expression relaxed as he directed his attention to the wall. "…five years."

"Oh! That's…cool."

Rebecca tapped her fingers together. "Do you like your job?"

"I suppose. Nothing great, but…nothing terrible, I guess."

The Fusions looked at each other with wide-eyed expressions. They weren't getting anywhere like this.

The Herdier walked over to their table with a tray balanced on his head. He slid the plates and drinks onto the table perfectly. "So, um…" He looked between the Pokémon and three Fusions with nervous eyes. "Err…you all enjoy!" He dashed off hastily.

Almost immediately, Peter grabbed his sub and took a bite. The other three grabbed their subs hesitantly before taking their own bite. The sub was surprisingly good, though they felt bad someone had to pay for it instead of them.

Rebecca drummed her fingers on the bread. "…you, uh, got any family?"

Peter stopped midbite, then lowered the sub. He glared sharply. "You three ask a lot of questions."

Shane looked down. "W-Well…" he muttered. "W-W-We only asked three…" He was barely audible.

Rebecca raised her hands. "We don't mean anything bad. We just want to, you know, get to know each other. I know this is probably the only time you'll see us, but it'd be nice if we could-"

"I don't care." Rebecca stopped talking as the sea turtle set his sandwich down. "Kids, teenagers, adults; it doesn't matter how old or who you Fusions are. I've had to deal with your kind's spiteful behavior for years, even when I was a boy." He glared. "My family had to move to three different houses because of what your kind did. We were poor because we had to keep repairing our home or find a new one.

"I got to where I am with hard work, not conniving mischief that selfishly benefits myself. Your kind has caused so much trouble and anguish that entire families went bankrupt. Entire cities had to suffer because of you." He crossed his flippers. "All your kind is a bad omen waiting to be unleashed. And I'm sick of it."

The Fusions were stunned. To think their kind could go so far for revenge. Sure, their history wasn't perfect. Heck, not all Fusions should be exempt from their crimes. The Pokémon weren't evil or lashing out for the sake of harming. They were harshly affected by their kind's actions, horribly misguided or not.

But that doesn't mean all the blame should be placed of them. That was one glaring issue that continued to divide the Pokémon and Fusions.

Peter grabbed his sandwich and held it up to his mouth. "Now, shut up and finish your lunch. Break will be over soo-"

"Mr. Peter!" Rebecca spoke up, standing in her chair. The patrons tensed up, some even ducking under their tables for safety.

Peter narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked sharply.

The aura fox took a deep breath through her nostrils, then said, "I'm…sorry if we're causing you trouble."

The sea turtle raised a brow in confusion. Even Shane and Chris weren't sure where she was going with this. What was she apologizing for? For their kind's actions? For just coming down to the warehouse?

Peter groaned and set his sandwich down. "Kid, I'm miffed and all, but you don't have to apologize for anything."

"I know, but you must understand that we're trying to make up for our previous brethren's mistakes. We shouldn't be blamed for the actions from before. I understand that the Fusions brought you misfortune. They were only acting off hostility and anger." She clenched her fists. "But that anger came from the miserable treatment we've had to put up with because of your kind!"

Shane and Chris saw the patrons were looking annoyed. Shane reached for Rebecca's wrist. "Rebecca, get down," he whispered through his teeth.

She ignored him and continued, "We're trying to be nice and not cause any problems. I say we've done a pretty good job, but you still think we can't be trust. I assure you, we are good people. I'm sure you're a good Pokémon, too. I don't want unnecessary conflict between us."

"Rebecca, you're making a scene," Chris whispered.

Rebecca looked down at them. "I'm sorry, but I need to say this! We came down here with the goal of bringing goodwill." She looked back at Peter. "We're sorry for everything that has happened to you, but please don't blame us for-!"

"Hey freak!" Rebecca winced as one of the patrons shouted at her. "Shut the hell up! I'm trying to eat!"

"Yeah!" another patron shouted. "Get off your soap box and shut up!"

"Or better yet, leave! You'll be doing all of us a favor!"

Rebecca frowned as the whole café turned against her. She sat down, but it didn't stop their complaining. Chris kept his eyes off the patrons, remaining calm. Though, he was gripping on the table's edge to keep himself sane. Shane patted Rebecca's back comfortingly.

Peter looked at the angry patrons with a raised brow, then looked back at the Fusions. "Is this a normal thing for you three?"

Rebecca looked up at him briefly, then looked away. "We try to avoid it."

Peter mulled over his thoughts as the Pokémon's shouts increased, with everyone yelling for them to leave. He heard the words that came flying out. They were harsh, some words even sounding like they were overdoing it. Some of the complaints involved property damage and personal attacks. He didn't blame them for being ticked off, but…they were throwing their insults at _them._ Not the actions of the Fusions, just these three.

They were acting like these three had a hand in hurting them. The Carracosta wasn't innocent of being fair, but he wasn't throwing ad hominem attacks against these three. He was annoyed with having them around and didn't care much for their kind, but…did they really deserve this?

What surprised him was how well the three were holding up against the verbal attacks. They ignored it and focused back on their food. It was obvious they wanted it to stop, but they didn't want to stoke the flames.

The sea turtle bared his teeth, then faced the crowd. "Will you all…SHUT UP?!" The crowd froze up. "Show some freakin' dignity, you morons. At least these three are acting civilized."

The crowd was baffled. In his own way, he was defending the Fusions. It was disgraceful. "How can you sit there and defend these-?!"

"They aren't doing anything, are they?" Peter asked rhetorically. The crowd went silent. "Grow up and sit down." The Pokémon were blank faced, unable to respond. They did as told and went back to their seats.

The sea turtle pressed his flippers against his forehead, grumbling in annoyance. The Fusions were surprised he stuck up for them. Not too long ago, he didn't give a flying feather about their kind.

"Um…" Chris started. "Thanks…but why did you-?"

"Because they were getting on my nerves." He folded his flippers and leaned against the table. "That, and…" He sighed. "…you three didn't deserve to put up with that."

Rebecca blinked. "R…Really?"

Peter closed his eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea. I still see the Fusions as trouble, especially those Rogues that pop up." He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "But…perhaps I was being unfair. To be honest, despite my complaints, at least I can show respect for Gappei Village for trying to change our current state." He glared at the Pokémon. "And, to be frank, I'm getting sick and tired of walking out of my house and seeing another freakin' rally marching down my street."

Rebecca chuckled lightly. "Y-Yeah, I can see why that would get annoying."

Peter rested his chin on his flippers, staring intently at the Fusions. "Hmm…so, you three want to end this conflict?"

"We…all do," Shane said, raising his voice so he could be heard. "I mean, do you really want Fusions and Pokémon to be enemies forever?"

Peter sighed. "I don't trust them…but I can't say I like the idea of being mortal enemies." He narrowed his eyes. "If your village can put an end to the fighting, you'll have my support." He shook his head. "Sorry for badmouthing your kind…"

Chris shrugged. "It's not like it isn't true. All of us are making up for the past, so should the Pokémon."

Peter grabbed his sandwich. "No side is innocent, I suppose." He sighed. "Finish up your lunch, then we can get back to work."

The Fusions smiled and nodded, returning to the sandwiches in front of them. While there was noticeable tension lingering between them, this was a step in the right direction.

* * *

Back at the warehouse, Excadrill and Lunatone had just finished their lunch and were getting ready to finish up the last of the loading.

Excadrill, as he cleaned his claws, said, "I'm surprised Peter took those freaks to lunch. He's the last person I know who would be charitable to Fusions."

Lunatone scoffed. "He didn't look pleased with it, though. I bet he did it out of frustration."

Excadrill threw his napkin into his lunch box. "Oh, most definitely."

As they talked, the warehouse was currently being rummaged through by a thief. He swung down from the ceiling and landed on the ground. The thief, who was a Gourgeist with a duffle bag around his body, bounced around the warehouse and examined the multiple boxes lying around. He checked the labels to find the particular one he was looking for.

"No. No. No. No. Ooh, yes!" He found a box labeled 'Fusion Equip.' He dug his hands under the lid and threw it open. He glanced inside with a gleeful expression. "Ooh hoo! Yes, yes, yes!"

Inside the box was a number of items. Electronic collars, which were used to nullify a Pokémon's, or in this case Fusion's, abilities and moves. Magnetic handcuffs to restrict movement. Stun batons that emitted a pulse to paralyze enemies, even Ground-Types. A few other items were inside, like night vision goggles and two-way radios, but the first three items were on the Gourgeist's mind.

He reached in and pulled a bunch of them out. He dropped the duffle bag down and unzipped it before stuffing a load of collars, batons, and handcuffs inside. "Those freaks won't know what hit them." He held up the stun baton and turned it on for a moment, admiring the glowing tip of energy. He snickered. "Finally, us normal Pokémon will give them hell."

After collecting enough items, he swung the bag over his shoulder and quietly sneaked against the walls. He kept his eyes on the workers, who had their backs turned. Gourgeist was aiming for the garage door, then he'll make a break for it.

He reached the edge of the garage door and took one last look to make sure the workers didn't notice him. _Hehehehe! Who knew stealing stuff was so easy?_ He gripped the garage sill and swung himself around, flying out and ready to get away unseen…

…too bad a bucket of conveniently placed water foiled his plan.

"WAH!" he screamed as he landed in the bucket and fell over with a loud splat. His duffle bag flew off his body and rolled across the ground.

Excadrill and Lunatone shot up in surprise. "The hell was that?!" Lunatone yelled.

"Come on!" Excadrill ordered as they ran to the scene of the crime.

Gourgeist kicked the bucket off his pumpkin and scrambled to the duffle bag. "Shit, shit, shit!" He unzipped it and quickly looked inside. He sighed in relief. "Phew, nothing's broken."

"Freeze!" A shiver of terror shot up his back. He turned around and faced the two workers. Excadrill pointed his claws at him, with Metal Claw activated. "Who are you?"

Gourgeist scrambled back and held his hand up. "Wait, wait, wait! This isn't what it looks like!"

Lunatone looked at the water spilled on the ground and the bucket. "Wait a minute…I think I saw the Fusions put that bucket there." He sneered. "Boy, you got unlucky, pal."

Gourgeist kept his hand raised defensively, while his other hand secretly patted behind him before reaching inside the bag. "N-Now come on, gentlemen. I'm just getting a few of your hunting equipment to get rid of the Fusions. I-I'm sure we can work something out."

Excadrill narrowed his eyes. "Fusion or Pokémon, you're still a rotten thief." He pressed the tips of his claws against his chest. "You're in no position to defend yourself. Now, hand over the equipment and we'll make sure the police don't rough you up."

Gourgeist sneered. "Stopping me is you defending the Fusions. I'm taking the actions necessary to end our suffering." He wrapped his hand around a baton. "If you can't see that, then you're in my way."

He whipped the baton out of the bag, flicked it on, and jabbed it against Excadrill's stomach. The metal mole gasped in pain as the energy pulsing out of the baton made his muscles tightened. His Metal Claw flickered before deactivating. He fell over on his back with a smoking mark on his body.

"Boss!" Lunatone cried. He glared at the Gourgeist, his eyes lighting up with psychic energy. "That's it!" He fired Psychic as a condensed beam.

Gourgeist leaped in the air to dodge, then spun the baton until it was in a reverse grip. "HAHAHAHA!" He flew downward with the baton tip aimed for the moon's head.

* * *

Peter and the Fusions finished lunch and left the café. Shane patted his stomach in content. "That was pretty good."

Rebecca looked at Peter. "Thank you again for buying us lunch. If you want, we can pay you back for your trouble."

He waved her offer off. "Eh, it's fine. Don't make a big deal about it." They stopped when they heard a scream coming from the warehouse. "What the?!"

Chris glared. "What's going on?!"

"I don't know! Come on!" Peter ordered before dashing to the warehouse.

Lunatone crashed into the ground, unable to move. Gourgeist twirled the baton with glee. "Oh yes, yes, yes! I knew these things were good against Fusions." He ran his finger along the weapon. "Guess that makes them even more effective against Pokémon." He walked over to his bag and picked it up. "Now, if it's all the same to you, I'll be taking my leave-"

His bag flicker vanished out of his hand. He gasped in shock, then he heard the sound of rushing water. He turned, then got slammed by a Whirlpool. He was thrown around violently in the vortex of water.

Peter ran over to the workers while the Fusions stood in front of them and took fighting stances. Rebecca was holding the bag of stolen objects. "What's going on here?" Chris asked demandingly.

The Whirlpool ended and dropped the soaked Pumpkin Pokémon. He pushed himself up and shook himself dry. He grabbed the baton and flicked it a couple times, then groaned. It shorted out. He glared at the Fusions and pointed at them accusingly. "YOU! You Fusions think you're clever! But I'm one step ahead of you!"

Rebecca blinked, very confused. "He seems overly dramatic."

He snickered and grabbed the bucket on the ground. He held the broken stun baton and bucket up. "Trick!" The two items enveloped in psychic energy, then disappeared. Another stun baton and a pair of electronic handcuff appeared in his hands. Rebecca immediately felt the duffle bag bulging inside, likely the bucket. "HAHAHA!" He jumped away, into the warehouse.

"Hey!" Rebecca shouted. She threw down the bag and ran after him, followed by Chris and Shane.

Peter helped the workers up. "You two okay?"

"For the most part," Excadrill muttered.

Lunatone shook himself. "Did those Fusions know someone was breaking in?"

"What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"That bucket. It was placed there and it tripped him up. He could have gotten away if it weren't there," Lunatone explained. Peter narrowed his eyes, then looked into the warehouse.

Gourgeist laughed as he jumped up the tower of boxes, disappeared from sight. The Fusions skidded to a halt and looked around. Rebecca whispered, "Shane, bounce after him. Chris and I will flank him from the sides." They nodded, then separated.

Gourgeist hid behind a box, peeking around it for any sign of the Fusions. "Come on out, my pretties." He turned on the baton. "I only want to play…" He smirked as he heard someone 'walking' along the boxes. He leaped over the box and lunged at Shane. "Got you!"

"Acid Armor!" Shane melted into a puddle and let the pumpkin fly over him before reforming.

Gourgeist landed on his feet. "Bullet Seed!" He fired off the seeds.

Shane held his hands out. "Whirlpool!" He formed a small whirlpool that acted as a defensive shield. He concentrated on keeping it small, since any bigger could destroy the surrounding crates. Once Gourgeist stopped firing, Shane threw the Whirlpool at him, nailing him with his Bullet Seed, too.

Gourgeist endured the hit since he had the type advantage. He held his hands together and formed an orb of darkness. "Shadow Ba-!" He gasped in pain, disabling the Shadow Ball. Shane delivered a surprise punch from out of nowhere.

"Sucker Punch."

Gourgeist took a moment to compose himself, as the wind was punch out of him. He glowered at the jinx ghost. "Leech Seed!" He threw down the seeds and summoned vines.

Shane tried to escape, but they wrapped around him and trapped him, slowly sucking away his energy.

Gourgeist prepared to fire Bullet Seed again, but he was hit by a beam of Psychic and slammed against a support beam. Psychic wrapped around him and threw him to ground level.

Rebecca dashed at him. "Flame Charge!" She coated herself in flames and slammed her elbow into his face.

Gourgeist held his face in pain. "AGH! Shit!" He glared. "Leech Seed!" He threw seeds at her.

"Will-O-Wisp!" She fired off multiple flames from her stick and reduced the seeds to ash. She twirled her weapon and fired off another round of Will-O-Wisp.

"Bullet Seed!" He countered with his Bullet Seed, then lunged at her. "Shadow Ball!" He fired the attack down at her feet.

She jumped over it and kicked him across the face. "Psychic!" She grabbed him in a psychic field and slammed him repeatedly into the ground.

"AGH! Bullet Seed!" He fired directly at her.

Rather than counter, she held her palm out and, with an added Extreme Speed, blocked the projectile seeds with little damage taken. She grinned with her eyes narrowed. "That won't work."

He growled, then smirked cunningly. "Alright…try this on for size!" He threw one of the electronic handcuffs at her. She attempted to dodge it, but a root sprouted out from the cuff and latched around her wrist. He planted a Leech Seed before he threw it. The cuff attached to her wrist, with the activation sensor glowing green.

Gourgeist attached the second cuff to a metal pipe. Once that activated, Rebecca was thrown off her feet and slammed into the wall. The two cuffs connected to each other. "HAHAHA! Perfect!"

Rebecca stashed her stick away and gripped her wrist, trying to pry her cuff off the other. "Come on! Come on!"

Gourgeist pulled out a baton and spun it. "You Fusions are so easy to outsmart."

"Night Slash!" He cried out in pain as a purple slash went across his back. He stumbled forward, then glared angrily at the Hitmonchan Fusion. "Look, I'm not one to start fights. So, step away from my friend and I won't have to hurt you."

Gourgeist sneered. "Don't toy with me!" He threw a punch at him.

"Iron Defense." His body glowed in steely energy. The punch nailed him in the face, but he didn't flinch. Gourgeist staggered back, clutching his fist.

"AGH! That smarts!" He growled and pulled out the stun baton again. "You freaks will pay for everything!" He jabbed it forward, with Chris backing away and dodging the strikes.

Rebecca looked at the electronic cuffs, then narrowed her eyes. "There's got to be a locking mechanism I can undo." She fiddled with the cuffs.

Chris was backed into a wall. Gourgeist thrusted the baton, but Chris caught and threw it out of his hand. He headbutted the pumpkin, then kicked him back. "Enough of this. You're going to get hurt."

Gourgeist sneered. "I don't need your pity!" He blasted a blank point Shadow Ball.

"AGH!" Chris staggered back and held his smoking face.

"Shadow Ball! Shadow Ball! Shadow Ball!" Gourgeist screamed as he repeatedly blasted Chris. The iron boxer crossed his arms and endured the attacks. "HAHAHA!"

However, it didn't last long. A puddle of liquid snaked under his feet. "Sucker Punch!" It sprung up and reshaped into Shane, who delivered a sharp uppercut to his chin. "Night Shade!" His body glowed purple, then released crimson rings that damaged the pumpkin.

"AGH!" He stumbled back in pain. "H-How did you escape my Leech Seed?!"

Shane stopped attacked, then deadpanned. "Dude, I can melt my body. Take a guess."

Gourgeist screamed in frustration and lunged at the jinx ghost. "You Fusions are so infuriating!"

Shane bounced over him and fired off Night Shade again, slamming the pumpkin into the wall.

Rebecca continuously fiddled with the cuffs, picking at the lock, before it came off her wrist. She grinned. "Sweet!" She glared at the battle, then sped over with Extreme Speed.

Gourgeist formed a Shadow Ball and tracked Shane's movements as he bounced around. He fired at him, but an Aura Sphere intercepted the shot. He turned, then got Flame Charged to the back.

Chris rubbed his face, then faced the pumpkin. "Good work, team."

The Fusions surrounded the thief as he picked himself up. He staggered a bit, but he wasn't down yet. "Once I get away with those weapons, my fellow protesters will make you pay for ruining our lives!"

"So, this is just a petty theft heist to attack our village for the umpteenth time?" Chris guessed.

"You say petty. I say revolutionary!" He raised his stun baton. "Now bow to your superiors!"

Rebecca glanced at Shane. "Do it."

He nodded, then focused on the Gourgeist. "Jinx!"

Gourgeist lunged forward, until he unexpectedly felt himself flinch. His body grew weaker and a Paralyze effect spread over his body. "Wha…What?!" He tripped over his feet and fell. "Wha…What's happening?!"

"It's my Fusion Move, Jinx. It weakens my opponent and applies two status effects against them randomly. Guess you got hit with paralysis. How…unlucky."

Gourgeist growled and tried to stand up, but his body tensed up involuntarily. Rebecca spun him around and slapped the electronic cuffs he used against her on his wrists, binding them together. Chris grabbed him by the head protrusion and dragged him out of the warehouse.

"Let me go! Let me go! LET ME GO!"

* * *

As they were battling, Peter called the police. They arrived just as the Fusions took the thief down. They handed him off to the officers. They were surprised to see the Fusions, but chose not to think too much of it. They forced the Gourgeist into the back of their car.

Gourgeist slammed his face against the car window. "You think you're special?! You're not, not, not! I'll be back, I say! Back, back, BAC-!"

One of the officers, a Mothim, smacked him against the head. "Quiet down." He looked at the Fusions. "Ahem…um…thank you for…apprehending the thief."

Rebecca smiled. "It was no problem, officer! Just doing our civic duty!" Shane and Chris nodded.

"Riiight. Well, we'll make sure this guy doesn't cause you anymore trouble." The officers got back into their car and drove off.

Shane exhaled in relief. "Phew…good thing I predicted that when I did."

"So, you had all of this planned?" Chris asked.

"For the most part. I sensed something bad was going to happen involving the equipment. So, when I saw how things we're going to go wrong, I countered it with that bucket."

"Nice!" Rebecca cheered. She looked over her shoulder and saw the workers walking over. "Oh, uh…yes?"

Peter cleared his throat. "Well, thankfully, he didn't get away with anything. One baton got broken, though."

Shane rubbed the back of his head. "Um…sorry."

"It's fine. We'll just file it was an accident involving the thief." He glanced at Excadrill. "Right?"

Excadrill glared at the sea turtle, then the Fusions. They gulped, worried he was going to insult them. Instead, he sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Right. Kids…thanks, I guess. We couldn't let that guy get away with the equipment."

Rebecca, as well as her friends, smiled. "Oh! Well, you're welcome, sir!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get too happy about it. We still need to finish loading the remaining boxes, then you can leave."

Lunatone nodded. "So, no slacking, got it?"

They nodded. "Yes sir!" The workers nodded, then returned to business.

Peter stayed behind for a moment and looked over his shoulder. "Hey kids." They looked back as they entered the warehouse. "…you've done good. If your village has anymore freaks like you…well, might make a stubborn jerk like me change his mind." He returned to loading the truck.

The Fusions blinked. "Sssooo," Shane started, "did he call us freaks and…complimented us?"

"I believe he did," Chris said.

Rebecca smiled brightly, squealing. "Oh my Arcrus! An actual compliment from a Pokémon! Yippee!" She jumped into the air. "Do you know what this means?! We've made a good impression for our village!"

Shane laughed. "Haha! You're right. And all we needed to do was beat a thief up."

Chris crossed his arms, smiling. "Heh. I'm sure everyone's going to look forward to hearing this."

"Especially Ren," Rebecca sighed, clasping her hands together. Her eyes widened as her hut mates snickered, making her blush. "Y-You know what I mean! Shut up!"

Chris laughed for a moment, then sighed. "Alright gang, let's finish up our work and head home to give the good news!"

"Right!" They rushed into the warehouse, with their spirits higher than ever.


	9. The Enemy of the Fusions

The sun was beginning to lower down into the horizon. Shane, Rebecca, and Chris had finished their job earlier and headed back to the village to give the good news to their friends. The workers, while they weren't friendly towards them, were kind of warming up to them. They managed to get the boxes loaded without any more interruptions, so who could complain?

The moment they got back, they went to the Fusion Council to inform them of their progress. Abraham folded his hands together and leaned back in his seat. "So, how did it go? Did you behave like we wanted?"

Rebecca stepped forward for her group and cleared her throat. Hands behind her back, she proudly stated, "We're happy to tell you that everything went smoothly!" She glanced off to the side. "Disregarding a few minor hiccups."

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

Shane laughed nervously. "Oh…nothing of consequence, sir. We just had to deal with the usual, along with empty stomachs."

Chris rolled his eyes. "Yeeeah, we forgot to bring lunch."

"Oh!" Gracelyn gasped. "You poor things must be starving."

Rebecca shook her head. "Actually, we aren't. One of the workers was kind enough to buy us lunch."

Cade smiled. "Ah, so you won one of them over?"

Rebecca chuckled sheepishly. "Err…sort of, I guess. The workers stopped scowling at us after we stopped that thief."

"Wait, a thief?!" Peregrine cried. He slammed his wings down on the table. "Alright, how much stuff did you break?!"

Chris looked up in thought. "Other than a slightly dented bucket and maybe a few cracks in the floor, I don't think anything of value was damaged."

Shane nodded. "We kept the fighting in control when we took on the thief."

Lewis closed his eyes and smiled. "Hmm, not bad, you three. Your training has shown better improvement over your control."

Rebecca grinned. "Thank you!"

Peregrine smirked wickedly. "Guess that means I'll have to double the work."

The young Fusions stared at the duck with worried looks. _Not again!_

Abraham chuckled. "Perhaps we can hold off on that until after they master their current training. We don't want them to strain their muscles."

Peregrine pouted in annoyance. "Ugh, you're such a buzzkill."

Abraham shrugged. "I suppose I am."

Liam smiled. "I'm proud of you three. You set a good example for the village today. Your efforts will be marked as a special occasion to look back on."

Rebecca laughed with an embarrassed blush. "Oh stop!"

Chris patted the aura fox's head with a light smile. "Heh, we'll make sure it doesn't go to our heads," he assured the council jokingly.

Liam chuckled. "Yes, well…best you three head off. Your friends are probably looking forward to hearing how your day went."

They nodded. "Yes sir! Goodbye!" They waved and ran out the door.

Abraham chuckled, then reached out to grab a mug of hot tea. "Well, I must say, today went better than expected." He took a sip of his tea and sighed contently.

Peregrine scoffed. "Oh yeah, they stopped a novice thief," he praised sarcastically. "Grand breaking news, everyone!"

Gracelyn shook her head. "Every bit of good standing helps, Peregrine."

"All I'm saying is their potential was wasted on that idiot. They could have taken on an international thief! They're my students, after all!"

" _Our_ students," Cade corrected.

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, 'our' students."

Liam groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Regardless, we didn't have a repeat of last time. That's all we can ask for. If they keep this up, we won't have Julian pulling the rug out from under us."

Peregrine sneered. "Like he wouldn't at the first opportunity."

Liam shot him a brief glare. "He won't." He sighed and stood up. "We're doing this for our sake and other Fusions' sakes. The moment we slip up again, Julian will have a reason to call on the Fusion Hunters."

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "That reminds me. Have any of the villagers actually seen a Fusion Hunter?"

"As far as I know, no. And I choose to keep it that way. Pokémon may be weaker than us on average, but the Fusion Hunters show that we can't be careless." He bared his teeth. "I refuse to let them come near my family."

Peregrine scratched his chin. "Oh relax. With my specialized training, a Fusion Hunter will be a daily workout." He raised his leek and slashed the air wildly. "Just you wait! Once I get those younglings into shape, they'll be unstoppable! Like their amazing teacher!"

Gracelyn rolled her eyes with a humorous grin. "We have total faith in you, Perry."

"Of course you do!" He stood up and hopped off his seat. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my shows will be on later. Take care." He walked out of the hut.

Liam stood up as well. "I suppose that does it for today. I'll give Julian the report."

Abraham scratched his chin before leaping off his chair. "Sounds good. Anyone care to join me for dinner?"

"I'm in!" Cade exclaimed.

Gracelyn smiled. "That sounds lovely."

Lewis shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

The council went to the exit, with Abraham shouting over his shoulder, "Feel free to join us when you're done, Liam."

Liam smiled. "Of course. I'll be a moment." They exited the council hut. The godly ape narrowed his eyes. He picked up the phone and dialed the number. As he waited for someone to pick up, he pondered over the previous thoughts. _Can they handle the Fusion Hunters?_

* * *

Shane, Rebecca, and Chris walked throughout the village to find their friends. Rebecca's first option was to see Ren and his hut mates, which didn't come as a surprise to Shane and Chris. They just rolled their eyes and went along with it.

They reached the hut and Rebecca skipped up to the door. She raised her fist to knock on it when the door suddenly opened. Quinn stepped his foot out when he saw the Fusions. "Oh! Hey, you're back."

Shane smiled. "Hey Quinn. Yeah, mission went well. We actually came by to tell you and the others."

Quinn smiled. "Hmm. Well, maybe you can tell everyone else when we head over to Juniper's."

Chris tilted his head. "How come?"

Ren jumped out the door, over Quinn's head. "Because she invited us to her room so we can watch a marathon of World's Stupidest! She has a bunch of the recent episodes recorded."

"Artemis left earlier to make us some pizzas. Juniper was kind enough to spare some of her soda stash." Quinn rolled his eyes. "Though, not much of a loss given how much she stores for herself."

Ren smiled. "You guys want to join us? You can tell us all about how your day went!"

The three hut mates looked at each other before smiling and sharing a nod. "Yeah, we're in," Shane said.

"Cool, let's go," Quinn said before they headed over to Juniper's hut.

* * *

Everything was set up for a relaxing hangout. Juniper brought in some folding tables to hold the food items, then threw a collection of beanbags on the floor.

Her room was one big comfort zone. Unlike Quinn's hut, her hut had divided rooms, so Tamara and Ulysses had their own personal spaces. As for her room, she had a bed with a pile of pillows stacked on top. It made a fortress that she typically climbed into when she slept. She had some blankets and, of course, kept her beanbag chairs lined around the bed.

She had a minifridge off in the corner, which stored her favorite soda and a couple of snack items. She kept extra casings of soda in her room, specifically in a floor compartment she had built in.

She had an entertainment center with a TV, movies resting in the shelves, and a music stereo she kept underneath with a collection of relaxing music. Sitting in front of the TV was her ball chair, those chairs that were dome shaped. The inside was blue.

She hopped into her chair and turned the TV on, flipping through her recordings. She already had some guests in her room. York, Wash, Spaz, Dez, Asadi, Wantanabe, and soon Quinn and his group.

Wantanabe wagged his tail excitedly. "Can I have some popcorn?"

Asadi smiled. "Artemis is bringing snacks soon, so be patient." Wantanabe grinned and bounced on Juniper's bed.

Wash was trying to find a comfortable position on the beanbag chair, but he kept collapsing into it. "Ugh, come on…" He sat up, then fell backwards. He stared up at Wantanabe upside-down. The Eevee-Salamance laughed and flipped onto his back, kicking his feet hysterically. Wash groaned. "Juniper, don't you have actual chairs?"

She turned herself upside-down to look at him. She flashed a giggly smile. "Nope! My room is a palace of absolute comfort. Don't you feel relaxed?"

"Not-really!" Spaz exclaimed as he sank into his beanbag chair headfirst. He kicked his feet wildly. "Someone-get-me-out-of-here!"

"You're fighting the serenity too much!" Juniper shouted. "You need to accept its embrace!"

"What-does-that-mean?!"

"It means stop flailing like a Magikarp and sit down," she said with a silly grin. "It's a beanbag chair, not quicksand."

"I'd take her advice, little dude," Dez advised as he rolled onto his back. "Go with the flow."

The Pikachu-Celebi contorted his body before flipping himself up. He lay perfectly still on the beanbag chair as he sank into it. He stopped sinking and managed to find the perfect position. He sighed. "Much better." He tapped his fingers together. "So, is…Tamara joining us? A-And, of course, Ulysses, too?!" he added quickly with a bright red face.

Juniper spun herself upright and shook her head. "Nah. Tamara's exercising on the roof. Ulysses went to hang out with Emily and Charlie. He wanted to try his hand at gardening, so Charlie's giving him a crash course."

Spaz was a little relieved Tamara won't join them, but at the same time disappointed. He liked hanging out with her, if he could keep himself from passing out. Though, she could be difficult when she demanded a race from him.

A knock at the door raised their attention. It flew open with Artemis carried trays of pizza with her feelers. Around her was a duffle bag that contained the other snacks, such as popcorn and chips. "Anyone order a helping of party food?!"

Wantanabe jumped in the air. "Woohoo!" He raced over and pressed his paws against her side as he stared at her cutely. "Popcorn, please!"

Artemis giggled. "Greedy little munchkin." She walked over to the foldable table and set the pizzas down. She reached into her bag and gave the draconic Eevee Fusion an uncooked bag. "Knock yourself out, kid."

He took it in his teeth. "Thank you!" He raced off to pop it in the microwave. He ran by Quinn and the others. "Hello!" he greeted quickly as he jumped onto Juniper's kitchen counter.

Quinn chuckled. "Hello, Wantanabe." He entered Juniper's room. "Full house, I see."

Juniper giggled. "Welcome to my relaxation paradise! Grab a pillow," she said as she leaned back with her hands behind her head, "and enjoy my palace of coziness."

Artemis smiled. "Oh, count me in, sister!" She leaped onto the bed. Juniper's tower of pillows collapsed onto her. She poked her head out of the pillow mountain, then patted a spot next to her. "Spot's free, Spooks."

Quinn chuckled. "Let me grab some pizza and I'll join you." He went over to the food table just as Ren and the others came in.

"Hey everyone!" Ren exclaimed. "Guess who came back from their mission?!" He pointed at the three. "These guys!"

Shane chuckled sheepishly. "It's not that big of a deal, Ren."

"Oh yeah," York said as he picked himself up from his beanbag chair. "How did it go?"

"Did anyone chase you down?" Juniper asked as she opened a soda.

Chris shrugged. "Eh, not exactly." He smiled. "Though, I'm happy to say we made progress today. The workers, after today, found our presence tolerable!"

Rebecca grinned. "That's the best news any Fusion can get!"

Spaz grinned. "You guys actually got their respect? That's awesome!"

Asadi pointed at them with a cool smile. "You guys…you guys are amazing."

Wantanabe walked in with a cooked popcorn bag in his mouth. "Yeah, woohoo!" he cheered through his teeth. He leaped back into Asadi's lap and opened the bag. "Why are we cheering?" Asadi laughed and patted his head.

Ren smiled. "Oh my Arceus, we're doing something right for a change!" He threw his arms around Rebecca. "You guys just made my day a million times better!"

Rebecca blushed Tamato berry red. She smiled and rolled her eyes with a wave of her hand. "Oh pshaw, it was nothing." That was how she was feeling on the surface. Her inner thoughts? _OMA, I'm awesome! Play it cool, don't look weird in front of everyone! OMA, Ren's hugging me! EEE!_

Wash smiled. "I say you all deserve to join us for some fun. We're about to start the marathon up in a moment."

Spaz gestured to the table. "Food's ready and available."

Shane smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Chris crossed his arms. "I'm game."

"S-Same here!" Rebecca cheered. She tried to raise both her arms, but Ren was still hugging her, locking down her other arm. She chuckled. _He really loves hugs._

Juniper raised her soda can. "Then quit standing around and take a seat! I'm about to start the marathon!"

The Fusions took their seats on the provided beanbag chairs and the lazy panda's bed. Once they were comfortable, Juniper pressed start and began the recordings.

* * *

" _In Mauville City of Hoenn, a Dodrio enters a local bank to make a quick withdraw. The intention was less than civilized."_

The TV showed a Dodrio entering a bank, trying to act casual. He, or rather they, walked up to the counter and threatened the banker with his claws.

" _The Dodrio, however, wasn't prepared for the bank's recent security upgrade."_

Suddenly, metal doors flew down, separating the three-headed bird from the bankers. The Dodrio, in his panic as an alarm went off, raced to the front door. He slammed into it and desperately tried to push it open. He was trying to push open a 'Pull Open' door.

" _The Dodrio faced his greatest weakness in his attempted escape: illiteracy."_

The show featured comedians that made fun of the Pokémon showed in the footage, which was usually the best part of the show. The Fusions threw their heads back and laughed at the idiocy being presented.

Artemis shoved popcorn into her mouth, then shouted, "Hey moron, first rule of bank robbery: make sure you're smarter than an elementary school!"

Wantanabe giggled with glee. "Hee! He's stupid!"

Asadi patted his head, chuckling. "And this is why Hawkins and I want you to do well in classes, buddy. You don't want to end up on this show."

York laughed. "And I thought the segment with the Sneasel was ridiculous! That idiot didn't even bother putting a mask on!"

Spaz grinned, laying on his stomach in the beanbag chair. "At least he was smart enough to run. That Luxray from earlier decided it'd be a good idea to flirt with the cashier he _just_ robbed!"

Juniper leaned back in her seat and sipped her soda. "Oh, I love this show. The Pokémon can hate us all they want, but this is humiliation at its finest."

They've gone through two episodes in full and were halfway through the third. The show typically went on for forty-five minutes, so there was plenty of content to enjoy.

Juniper tapped her chin with her soda can. "I wonder if I should become a comedian on this show. I have plenty to say about these idiots."

Artemis smirked. "Hey, if you do, mine getting me a spot? I love insulting morons."

Juniper grinned. "Can do!"

Wash crossed his arms. "Juniper, if you were a comedian on the show, you'd fall asleep halfway through recording."

She spun herself upside-down and smiled. "I'm still awake now, aren't I?"

"My point is still valid."

"D'aww." She booped his nose with an adorable 'squee'. "You know me so well." Wash rolled his eyes, then smiled lightly.

"Hey, quiet down," Dez said. "I want to see what this next idiot is going to do."

Juniper smiled. "Sorry, Dezzy."

They returned their attention to the TV, but Juniper had to pause when they heard running inside the hut. They looked at each other in confusion before the door flew off its hinges and slammed down. York, who was sitting in front of the door, flew back in shock and fell off the beanbag chair.

In front of the collapsed door was Tamara, who was panting heavily. Not from exhaustion, though. She pointed at the TV and shouted, "Channel 4! Now!"

The Fusions blinked in bewilderment and silence. Juniper broke the silence as she casually pointed at her door and said, "…you broke my door."

Tamara pulled on her whiskers in frustration. "I'll fix it later! Just change the darn channel!"

Juniper raised a brow with curiosity. "Why?"

"Change the channel and you'll see for yourself!"

The Spinda-Mienfoo rolled her eyes. "Oh, fine." She picked the remote up and pulled out of her recordings.

Spaz looked away from Tamara as his cheeks glowed red. "H-H-Hey, Tamara. H-H-How are you?!"

"This is no time for small talk, Spaz!" she shouted.

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Okay, what's got your gears so wound up?"

She sighed and composed herself. "If you must know, I was on the roof doing my usual exercises. When I was doing some stretches, I got a peek of Peregrine's living room. I saw the TV on and thought he was watching his soap operas. However, I saw it was a live news feed of runaway Fusions."

Dez tilted his head. "And…this is news to _us_?"

"Yes, because they're being chased down by…the Fusion Hunters!"

"The Fusion Hunters?" Artemis repeated. She rolled her eyes and lay on her back. "Welp, those Fusions are going to a remote prison. They had a good life, I suppose."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Tamara, why on earth would we want to watch a news feed of our enemy? I rather not watch our kind being taken."

"Oh come on, aren't you guys a little bit curious?" Tamara asked. "Seriously, has anyone seen a Fusion Hunter in action?" The Fusions scratched their heads, trying to come up with an answer. They shrugged in response. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Shane frowned. "Tam, why all the interest?"

"Because, as Gappei Village's number one hero-!"

"Self-proclaimed hero," Juniper whispered under her breath with a smirk.

"-I have to uphold justice in this village! To do so, I must study my enemy with absolute care! No weak points shall escape my sight! If I can learn how the Fusion Hunters battle, then I will do my best to protect the village with my life!"

The Fusions blinked, unsure how to respond to…that. Tamara was highly extroverted, but this was taking it to a whole other level.

Juniper chuckled. "You've been reading too many comics."

Tamara clenched her teeth and growled at her. "I don't read comics!" She turned away and crossed her arms with a huff.

"Yeah, you do. I saw them under your bed."

The ninja cat's eyes widened, then she faced the sleepy panda again with a vicious snarl. "Were you snooping in my room again?!"

Juniper stuck her tongue out. "Maybe." The Spinda Fusion eventually found her way to Channel 4. "Ah, here we go!"

Wash sprung onto his feet. "You can all watch if you want, but count me out." He stomped out of the room. "I'm gonna go train."

"Wash looks upset," Wantanabe said.

Asadi wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, don't worry about it, kiddo. This is just a sensitive topic for him." She looked at the others. "Though, I have to admit, I would like to see how these Fusion Hunters handle themselves."

Quinn scratched his nape. "I…suppose it would be worth looking in to."

Dez sighed, then looked at Juniper. "Play the news."

Juniper nodded and switched to the channel, then turned up the volume. Everyone leaned in to get a good look at the action taking place.

* * *

Far off from where they were, in a different part of Kanto, was an escape attempt through the desert. Three Fusions were on the move, rushing to get away from their pursuers. They were far away, but they'll catch up soon.

Following them from the sky was a news team, capturing the chase scene for all their viewers to witness. A Grumpig leaned out from the helicopter, holding onto the sides. He pressed his hands against his headset and shouted, "The three Fusions are attempting to make their grand escape, ladies and gentlemen! They're picking up the pace to outrun the Fusion Hunters! Can they escape their clutches or will they fall prey to the cunning Fusion Hunters?! If you wish to know, do NOT change that channel!"

A Pidgeot, who was flying alongside the helicopter with a camera attached to him, raised a brow at the news reporter. "Uh, what was that?"

"What was what?" the Grumpig asked.

"You sounded like you giving live commentary to a sporting match."

"Oh, that. Uh, well…I've always wanted to be a commentator. I'm just SO full of energy!" The Grumpig pumped his fists. "WOO!" He calmed down almost immediately. "But, this is fine, too. Plus, gives the broadcast a little pizzazz!"

Pidgeot rolled his eyes. "If you say so."

The three Fusions constantly looked back to see if the Fusion Hunters were still following them. Each of them were carrying a sack of jewelry. The lead Fusion was an Arbok-Slugma. He basically looked like an Arbok made out of magma. His cobra hood projected the image of a Slugma's eyes. He had stable drops of magma hanging from both sides of his upper jaw.

The second Fusion was a Blaziken-Golisopod. He was a Blaziken wearing the shell armor of a Golisopod around his head, back, arms, and legs. Over his face was a purple mask. While he retained his normal arms, he also had four thin arms with a sharp, black claw.

The final Fusion was a Donphan-Whirlipede. His hide was the segmented shell of a Whirlipede, with two horn protrusions coming out both sides of his head. His eyes were yellow.

The Arbok Fusion looked back once again. "Are they still after us?!"

The Blaziken Fusion clenched his teeth. "I can still hear their engines! I think they're getting louder!"

The Donphan Fusion growled in frustration. "This is all your fault!" he shouted at the Arbok-Slugma.

"Me?! How is this my fault?!"

"You got greedy when we ran into that brat from earlier! She said the alarms at the jewelry store were down and you took advantage of that!" He clenched his teeth. "I swear, if I see that feathered insect again, I'll run her over and smear her into the road!"

"We can worry about that later!" the Blaziken Fusion shouted. "We need to run before the Fusion Hunters-!"

A Psycho Cut flew over their heads and slashed into the dirt, uplifting a wall of sand. They stopped and looked around as several Psycho Cuts flew around them and trapped them in a ring of sand.

Blaziken groaned. "-before the Fusion Hunters catch up with us," he finished dryly.

They heard the motorcycles come to a complete stop, then the riders jumped off. "Turn around," a gruff voice ordered.

The Fusion turned themselves completely around and faced the Bisharp, Blaziken, and Gallade standing before them. They each wore a black vest with Giratine logo on the left side. They each had a high-tech rifle strapped to their backs, with the Bisharp and Blaziken carrying metal rods with clear orbs on the top.

The Gallade snapped his fingers. "Maddock, Archie. Train your weapons on them. You have my permission to fire should they attack or escape." The Bisharp and Blaziken nodded, then pulled out their rifles. They aimed at the Fusions and kept their fingers hovering around the trigger.

The Blaziken Fusion raised his hands in panic. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Arbok hissed at the Fusion Hunters. "Should I be honored my presence is being graced by the infamous Dario?"

Dario the Gallade narrowed his eyes. "Silence. Refrain from speaking."

"I take orders from no one!" The Arbok-Slugma jumped with a fright as an energy bolt fired in front of him. He glared at Archie the Blaziken, whose gun barrel smoke from the shot.

Dario shook his head, then folded his arms behind his back. "Now, on to business. We were hired to track you three down after your little escapades in multiple cities." He raised a brow. "I have to say, though. You three were surprisingly easy to track down. Then again, I don't see many criminals set off security alarms so frivolously."

Donphan hid his face in shame. "That…That was partly our bad."

Arbok growled. "Oh, shut up! We wouldn't have set the alarms off if it weren't for that pint-sized twerp who tricked us!"

Maddock lowered his gun a bit. "An accomplice?"

He shook his head. "Far from it. She was just some brat who needed directions to the airport. We tried leading her with a map, but she kept getting confused, even over the simplest directions." He growled irritably, with steam coming off his head. "She managed to trick us, yet can't comprehend directions! How does that work?!"

Maddock looked at Dario. "So, a Fusion boarded a plane. Should we look into it?"

Dario shook his head. "Fusions are hated, but it isn't illegal for one to get on a plane." He narrowed his eyes. "Still, best we send a team to investigate just to make sure she isn't dangerous. As for you three…" He stepped forward. "Unlike your 'accomplice', we have actual evidence against you."

Arbok rolled his eyes. "Congrats, detectives. I thought it would have been impossible to tell from the jewelry bags."

Maddock chuckled condescendingly, irking the magma cobra. "Yeeeah, there's more." He pulled out a tablet and scrolled through his profile. "Let's see, we have acts of hostility, vandalism of public AND private property, and-oh! Here's my favorite!" he exclaimed with a scornful expression. "Hospitalization of several Pokémon with an unknown venom. Victims claim to suffer from severe burning, like every inch of their being is on fire." He narrowed his eyes. "Sound familiar?"

Arbok hissed. "Give me a break! Those imbeciles got in my way! They got what they deserve!"

Archie crossed his arms. "Half the patients are children."

Arbok snarled. "They were being annoying brats!"

Donphan narrowed his eyes. "Okay, I might be willing to topple a few buildings, but that's a low blow." Blaziken nodded in agreement.

Arbok hissed. "Oh, who asked you two?!"

"Enough!" Archie shouted, silencing the snake. "For your multiple crimes and acts of violence, you're under arrest by the Fusion Hunters. Come quietly or…" He flexed his claws. "Well, you get the picture."

Donphan growled. "I'm not going to that hellhole you take Fusions! You'll have to catch me first!"

Dario narrowed his eyes. "That's the idea."

Blaziken spun on his heel and hightailed it. "Let's get out of here!"

Once they started running, Maddock and Archie opened fire at them. Blue energy bolts flew at the fleeing Fusions. They did their best to dodge them, but direct shots hit their marks, leaving burns on their skin. Regardless, they didn't stop or falter. They were desperate to escape, even dropping the jewelry they stole.

Dario snapped his fingers. "Lock down the area."

"Yes sir!" Maddock and Archie holstered their rifles and dashed forward. They pulled out the mechanical rods from their backs and leaped into the air. With precise aiming, they threw the rods down, piercing the ground and perfectly spaced out from each other. They resembled the four corners of a large, perfect square.

The orbs lit up with energy and fired energy to their adjacent rods, connecting at the orbs. Once the connection was complete, it expanded upward to create a cube shaped dome, trapping the Fusion Hunters and the Fusions inside.

Maddock landed and saluted. "Area secured, Dario!"

"Excellent," the Gallade approved.

Donphan used Rollout and smashed into the barrier, believing he could break through, but the barrier repelled him into the air. He landed with a loud crash. "AGH! Damn, that's a strong barrier!"

Blaziken threw a punch at it, but his fist flew back. He nearly fell over backwards. Fortunately, he caught himself. "Ugh, we're trapped in here."

"But so are they," Arbok pointed at, as the Fusion Hunters were standing in the dome as well. "Meaning they have something to shut this thing off." The Fusions glared, then took battle stances as they stared down the Fusion Hunters.

Dario narrowed his eyes. "Oh? So, you wish to fight back?" The Fusions growled at the condescending Gallade. "If that is your wish." He snapped his fingers. "Maddock, the Donphan Fusion. Archie, the Blaziken Fusion."

"Right!" They sprinted at full speed, reaching behind their backs and arming themselves with stun batons.

Arbok hissed. "Kill them!" He lunged forward, slithering around Maddock and Archie and going straight for Dario.

Donphan stomped towards Maddock, then leaped upward. "Steamroller!" He curled up into a ball with white energy glowing around him, then rolled at full speed.

Maddock narrowed his eyes, focusing on the speeding elephant. He raised his arms, then the blades glowed white and extended. "Fury Cutter!" He lunged and slashed Donphan down the middle.

"AH!" The slash disrupted his momentum and sent him spinning out of control before crashing into the dome, which repelled him off. He tumbled on the ground, but quickly recovered on his feet. He stomped the ground angrily. "You no good-! Earthquake!" He raised his front legs and slammed them down, shaking the earth.

Maddock teetered unstably, trying to keep his balance. The ground shifted and split, threatening to cave in. Despite this, the Bisharp kept his cool. "Impressive. This Earthquake holds great power. However…" He leaped in the air. "It'll take more than that to stop me!"

Donphan snarled, then raised his front legs again. "Okay smartass, try this! Rock Climb!" He slammed his legs down, this time uplifting a mountain of rock. Maddock flipped and landed safely as the pillar crashed into him. Donphan roared and charged up the mountains surface. "I'm gonna squash you into scrap!"

Maddock smirked, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Metal Burst!" His body glowed in a metallic energy.

Donphan rammed into the Bisharp, but he hardly budged. Maddock felt the kinetic energy of the attack transfer into him. He raised his fist, channeling the metallic energy into an orb around it. He threw a sharp right hook into the Donphan-Whirlipede's cheek and sent him flying…directly into the dome.

"Not again!" He bounced off the forcefield and slammed into the ground.

Archie and the Blaziken-Golisopod dashed alongside the field's walls, repeatedly clashing attacks with each other. They both used Blaze Kick against each other.

Blaziken sneered and leaped into the air. He clashed the armor plating his arms together, then extended out Razor Shell. He pressed his feet against the forcefield and used the repulsive force to launch himself at Archie. "Take this!"

Archie crouched down, waiting for him to get in range. Once the Blaziken Fusion was in range, Archie performed a capoeira style spin on his hands, then threw his ignited legs up. "Blaze Kick!"

Blaziken was thrown upward from the Blaze Kick's force. He straightened himself out and looked downward with a glare, but his eyes widened in surprise. Archie vanished. "Where did he-?"

"Feather Dance!" Blaziken looked up and gasped as the Fusion Hunter was floating above him. His hair glowed blue, then he spun around, raining down glowing feathers. They grazed Blaziken, sapping away his strength.

"Grr!" He aimed himself downward to increase his descent. He landed and ran away from the feathers.

Archie narrowed his eyes and took aim. "Brave Bird!" He used the same trick Blaziken did and launched himself off the forcefield. His body wrapped in a cloak of light blue aura that resembled flames. He glided through the air, then landed a direct blow to the Fusion's back.

"AGH!" He tumbled across the ground with a smoking mark over his back. Archie landed, then flinched from the recoil damage.

Dario kept his calm demeanor as he dodged Arbok's lunges, not even raising his arms defensively. "Fusions like you are the reason I wake up in the morning. Once you strike, someone gets hurt." He narrowed his eyes. "I'll gladly take each one of you down."

Arbok hissed aggressively. "Don't mock me! Gunk Shot!" He summoned a glowing trash bag and lobbed it at Dario.

The Gallade jumped over the attack as it exploded, landing behind the Arbok-Slugma. "Aerial Ace." With his expression unchanging, he slammed his glowing foot into the back of Arbok's neck.

Arbok gasped, nearly falling over in response. His vision split for a moment. He struggled to keep himself conscious. He coiled his lower half and kept himself stable.

Dario raised a brow. "Hmm…still awake? Not bad."

Arbok growled like an Ursaring. "You Pokémon are weak. You'll never match up to my strength!" He lunged at Dario again. "Fire Fang!" His teeth ignited in flames.

The Gallade evaded his persistent strikes. He sidestepped after seven lunges, then fired off a Psycho Cut that sent Arbok flying. The magma cobra dug his tail into the ground and stopped himself, then burrowed underground with Dig.

Dario crouched down and felt the ground for vibrations. He narrowed his eyes as the vibrations became stronger, then the magma cobra leaped out from behind to headbutt him. Dario flipped over him and struck his leg down, delivering a powerful kick.

Arbok slithered upright and fired off multiple rounds of Gunk Shot. Dario raced alongside the barrier. The attacks followed him, exploding behind him. Arbok didn't let up on his rate of fire, even firing faster than before. His eyes burned with fury.

Dario narrowed his eyes, then pulled out a stun baton. He ducked his head, evading a Gunk Shot, and threw the baton before Arbok could fire again.

The magma cobra shrieked and contorted his body, letting the baton fly through his coiled body. He sighed in relief, then growled. "Was that the best you got?!" A fist slammed against his face, followed by a serious of fast punches and kicks.

Dario ended his Close Combat with an upward kick the jaw. Arbok staggered back, barely having the strength to remain upright. He glared viciously at the Fusion Hunter. "You ruthless, conniving…"

Dario lowered his guard calmly. "Ruthless? Conniving?" He glared. "I'm simply enforcing justice against your crimes. You can't stop us."

Arbok smirked. "Oh, is that so?" He bared his teeth, which glowed with an odd mixture of red and purple. "You want to know what I did to those Pokémon? I applied my personal status condition onto them. A slow acting poison that lowers power. It's basically a torture Fusion Move."

The Gallade narrowed his eyes. "Is that so?"

"It'll run its course eventually, but I continue to apply it to all who get in my way." He lunged at Dario at high speeds. "Including weaklings like you! Searing Venom!"

Dario jumped away from the Arbok-Slugma's dangerous fangs, as he snapped wildly at the Gallade to land a good hit. Dario sidestepped and jabbed him in the back with a stun baton, freezing the magma cobra up for a moment. He recovered almost immediately and lunged again.

Maddock dashed away from Donphan as he pursued him with Rollout. "Keep running, hunter! I'll chase you down to the ends of the earth if I have to!"

The Bisharp glared over his shoulder. _I'm in no mood to put up with this shit._ He stopped running and crossed his arms.

Donphan recognized what he was doing and drove around him. "HA! Not falling for that a second-!"

"Payback!" He spun on his heel, with his fist glowing in purple energy. He slammed it against the elephant's side, inflicting harsh damage.

Donphan uncurled and rolled across the ground. He pushed himself up and growled. "Okay…let's try this." He curled up against, then spun in place. His hide slowly generated heat. "Overdrive Crash!"

Maddock narrowed his eyes. "So, that's your Fusion Move."

"You got that right! Once I'm done charging, I'll flatten you into molten metal!"

Maddock closed his eyes and smirked. "My, my, that sounds like that'll hurt." He opened his eyes into a glare. "Guess I might as well end this." He crossed his arms together. "Guillotine."

His blades glowed blue and extended. He crossed the blades together and waited for the Donphan-Whirlipede to strike.

"Here. I. COME!" Donphan accelerated instantly. His hide glowed orange with heat. He left behind a trail of scorched earth.

Maddock narrowed his eyes on the elephant as he drew closer. He crouched down, waiting for him to get in range. Once he was, Maddock lunged forward. The two attacks connected for a brief period of time, then they dragged themselves to a halt. Their backs face each other as they stood motionlessly.

Maddock closed his eyes and deactivated his Guillotine. He patted his hands clean. "I'll give you some credit. I think you warped my blades a bit with that attack."

Donphan uncurled, but he fell over onto his side. He was unconscious.

Blaziken clashed his Razor Shell against Archie, who continuously blocked with his Blaze Kick. Because of the Feather Dance he was inflicted by, there wasn't much he could do.

Archie ducked under a Razor Shell, stood on his hands, and threw his ignited legs against the Blaziken Fusion's stomach. Blaziken held his stomach and growled. "You're getting on my nerves, Fusion Hunter."

Archie flipped onto his feet. "It's part of my charm."

Blaziken sneered. "In that case…" He pressed his hands together. "Let me show you what I can do." His wrists blazed with fire. Red energy wrapped his claws, which he flexed. "Windbreaking Cleave!"

Archie held up his guard, but gasped as the Fusion came in faster than he predicted. The move had high priority, it appears. With three slash marks across his torso, he collapsed to his knees.

Blaziken smirked as he massaged his wrist. "Not so tough now, are you?" He activated Windbreaking Cleave once more. "Let's see if you can handle a second round."

Archie narrowed his eyes, then slammed his hands down. "Rock Tomb!"

Blaziken gasped as rock rose out of the ground and encased his legs. "Wha…WHAT?!"

Archie stood up and dusted his shoulders clean. "Wasn't prepared for that, but at least I got you to stand still."

Blaziken clenched his teeth. "You planned this?!"

"A Fusion Hunter always has a plan in mind." He crouched down. "A plan to take out all opposition. Brave Bird!" He coated himself in the blue aura flames and slammed his knee against the Fusion's head.

Blaziken flew out of the Rock Tomb and slammed into the ground, going unconscious.

As Arbok tried to bite down on Dario, he saw his fellow Fusions were taken out. "WHAT?! How?!"

Dario glared. "Did I tell you? You can't stop us. No Fusion can."

Arbok grinded his teeth together, then lunged at him furiously. "I'm not going anywhere! You can't stop ME!"

Dario unfolded his arms and activated Aerial Ace. He punched the cobra right in his teeth, knocking out one of his fangs.

Arbok landed and coiled himself up, then licked the inside of his mouth. He felt where the fang was dislodged. He growled. "You'll pay for that!" He activated Searing Venom once more and slithered at high speeds.

Dario held his arm up, tempting the snake to sink his teeth into it. However, it only lured the snake into his final moments of freedom. "Shadow Sneak."

His shadow stretched out and slithered towards Arbok. He extended from the ground and punched him across the face. He staggered in place, frozen and unable to move. He glared up at Dario, who simply gave him an emotionless stare, and kicked him downward.

Maddock attached restraints to Donphan, as did Archie with Blaziken. "Fusions secured, sir."

Dario pulled out a remote and clicked it, deactivating the energy field. He placed a collar around Arbok, who was barely conscious. The Gallade retrieve the cobra's fang and tapped it a couple of times, letting a drop of venom plop into the awaiting vial. "Just in case we deal with something like this again, we'll have medicine for it." He pocketed the vial, then placed the fang in a small container. He walked back over to Arbok and lifted him up. "We'll make sure your fang gets reattached, after we take you to the containment facility."

Arbok snarled. "Go to hell."

Dario narrowed his eyes. "You're lucky I'm a reasonable man." He dropped Arbok, then pulled out a communicator. He pressed the side button before saying, "Boss, it's Dario. We've captured the rogue Fusions."

"Hahahaha! Excellent! I'll send an aircraft to retrieve you three and the new prisoners!" said an eccentric, old voice.

Dario pocketed the communicator, then glared up at the news helicopter that was lowering down. Probably for an interview. "Ugh…"

Maddock smirked. "Ah, my adoring public gets to see my beautiful face again. How exciting."

Archie crossed his arms. "Tsk. We're not celebrities, Maddock."

"Tell that to my fans."

Dario rolled his eyes. "Forget it. We still have matters to attend to, such as that fourth Fusion they mentioned."

Maddock went serious and narrowed his eyes. "What are the chances she's dangerous?"

Dario crossed his arms. "Unclear as of now. We'll have to send some hunters to investigate recent airtimes. These three should know where she wanted to go."

Archie pulled out a communicator. "I'll call in some free Fusion Hunters and have them run for any traces of dangerous activity."

Maddock closed his eyes. "I'll check in with the airport once we get more info from these three."

Dario nodded. "Good. We need to make sure she isn't another threat walking the streets."

* * *

" _That was a stellar act of heroism! As expected from the unstoppable Fusion Hunters!"_ the Grumpig reporter exclaimed before holding his microphone towards Dario. _"Any comments on this recent bust?"_

Dario closed his eyes. _"Nothing important to say. We're simply having these three transported away with the other criminals. However, we're conducting a new investigation over a possible accomplice. No further details will be provided. I assure everyone who is watching that we'll wipe all corrupted Fusions from the streets."_

" _Well spoken, Mr. Dario!"_ Grumpig turned to the camera. _"There you have it, folks! Another successful mission carried out by the mighty Fusion Hunters! What would we do without them?"_

Juniper clicked away from the channel, returning to her recordings. The Fusions stared at the screen with blank expressions. They were…well, unsure how to take this. They got a good look of what the Fusion Hunters were capable of and that likely wasn't even them at their best. It was…a lot to take in.

Juniper broke the silence with, "Well, I think we're all in agreement that those three are tough!" she exclaimed with a simple smile.

Tamara clenched her teeth. "Tough? They were _playing_ with those Fusions! These guys are pros!"

York narrowed his eyes. "I guess this is why they're widely respected. It's almost a guaranteed capture with them."

Artemis closed her eyes. "I want to hate them, but they're just doing their jobs. Those Fusions got what they deserved, I suppose."

Spaz frowned. "You mean being hauled off to an unknown location for who knows how long?"

"I didn't say it was completely justified."

Dez rubbed his chin. "I can see why the elders want us training so hard. I don't think they want us near those guys."

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Probably for the best."

Artemis smirked. "Eh, I don't know. I'm actually kind of curious to see how well I can take them on."

Quinn glared at her. "There is no way I would allow that."

She winked. "You'll have to stop me."

He tapped her nose with a smile. "I know." She smiled back and gave him a quick kiss.

"You're sweet like that." She rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I wouldn't purposely look for a fight with them." She crossed her forelegs. "Even so, I would like to know what they do with all those Fusions."

"It's a mystery for all of us," York said. He closed his eyes. "Shelia once told me she's scared of them. Still is."

"We're all scared of them," Quinn said.

Tamara scoffed. "I'm not!" Her friends glared at her. "…okay, maybe a little."

Juniper shrugged. "Can't say they frighten me, but I'm not one to cause trouble." She crossed her arms and looked up with a curious face. "That said, I wonder what that whole deal with the other Fusion was about."

"The fourth one they mentioned?" York asked. He rubbed his chin. "Well, they said it was a possible accomplice, so it might not mean much."

Tamara sighed. "Fusion Hunters are living nightmares for us."

Spaz looked at her and smiled lightly. "Well…at least we have each other, right? If anything goes wrong, we'll have each other's back."

Tamara smiled at the time mouse. "Heh, you got me there, Spaz." She winked at him, which made him blush in embarrassment. He looked down, smiling like a goof.

Juniper spun her remote around. "Hey, how about we continue with the marathon? No point in being glum all night. Like Artemis said, those Fusions kind of deserved it. Plus, for the most part, the Fusion Hunters are reasonable fellows. Stay off their bad side and things will be alright."

York smiled. "I suppose you're right. Should we get Wash?"

"Eh, he'll come back once he's cooled off." She resumed the show. "Trust me, I live a life of leisure so I can face the dangers ahead with optimism. That's how I've always lived my life." Tamara narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the panda. "Something wrong, Tam?"

"…no, nothing's wrong."

Juniper smiled. "Well, care to join us for World's Stupidest?"

"Yeah, come on," Rebecca insisted. "It'll be fun."

Tamara tapped her foot in thought, then sighed. "Oh fine. Make room," she said as she walked over to the bed. Asadi scooched over for her. Wantanabe got between them and held up his popcorn bag to the ninja cat. She smiled and gladly accepted.

"See? Happy smiles." Juniper played the show. "After all, if the Fusion Hunters _do_ attack the village, I'm sure we can take them together. For Gappei Village!"

The Fusions smiled and raised their fists. "For Gappei Village!"


	10. Not What They Seem

The conflict between Pokémon and Fusions existed all over the world, not just in Kanto where most of the aggression seems to be at its tensest. This was as prevalent in a region like Sinnoh. Fusions would run amuck and cause trouble at any opportunity for revenge against their oppressors. That said, the hate wasn't as bad as it was in Kanto, as the residents of Sinnoh had more control over the rampant attacks.

It made it harder for Fusions to walk among the Pokémon without being judged or shunned in fear. However, some parts of Sinnoh did allow Fusions to live among the Pokémon in secret. Some have even adapted to their changes and hide them with ease. This allowed Fusions to go about their day normally, even if it meant hiding their true selves.

If there was a Fusion seen in public, though, it is quick to start an uproar.

Standing outside the city limit of Hyacinth City was a cloaked figure. They stared at the city with curious eyes. "Finally…I've been looking for this place for so long." The voice was feminine, making the figure out to be female. She took a step forward and entered the city.

She walked along the streets, keeping her head low. She looked around vigilantly for a certain place to stop at. Somewhere to complete her long trek.

She passed by a few Pokémon on her way. They were stuck in their own conversations, but the mere passing of the Fusion caused them to stop and do double takes in shock. The Fusion could feel their stares on her and stopped.

The Pokémon were stunned, shaking in their tracks. It wasn't uncommon for a Fusion to walk into the city so casually. The question was whether they were passing through or had ill-intent on the mind. No one could tell from the unpredictable nature the Fusions possessed. They were on a thin line of balance in terms of morality.

One of the Pokémon, a Nuzleaf, gulped and asked to no one in particular, "Is…Is that a Fusion?"

A Raichu nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah…I-I think it is."

A Swadloon, who was walking alongside the Nuzleaf, quivered in terror. "Should we call the police?" she mumbled.

Nuzleaf shook his head with a frightened expression. "Are you mad?! I don't want to get killed for ratting a Fusion out!"

"What if it's evil?!" the Raichu proposed.

"Well, I don't know, but I rather not take my chances with it!"

" _It_ has a name, you know." They froze up in terror as the Fusion looked over her shoulder. Her tone was emotionless and quiet. Her eyes, under her hood, were dark. She presented a piercing glare that felt like she was peering into their souls. "It's rude to talk about others behind their backs. Like you said…don't know what I could do."

The Pokémon shivered in horror and dropped down. They clasped their hands together pleadingly. "We're sorry! Please don't hurt us!"

The Fusion stared at them for merely a moment, before turning her direction back down the street. The Pokémon looked up in shock, yet relief that they were spared. The Fusion had her eyes set on something and she had no time for interruptions.

She looked around with an observant stare before her eyes fell upon a promising sight: a bar.

* * *

Bars were the typical hangout for Pokémon who wanted to cut loose and have a good drink. This bar was a regular hangout for busy Pokémon of the city. With such a popular hangout came plenty of customers to serve.

The patrons inside clanged their mugs together and took large sips. The TV hanging from the wall showed a football game being played, with some of the more competitive Pokémon shouting at the TV with encouragement or aggression. Mostly aggression. Alcohol fueled aggression.

What arguably made the bar enjoyable, though, was the main bartender/server. A Hitmonlee who was running the counter. He wore a white buttoned down shirt with long sleeves and black pants with suspenders going over his shoulders. He leaned against the counter, taking a drink of whiskey. How he drank it without a visible mouth? Best not to question it.

"Yo, Eddie!" The Hitmonlee, Eddie, set down his glass and looked down the counter. A Mankey was jumping on his stool. "Yo, yo! Pass me down some gin, pal!"

Eddie raised a brow, then reached for the gin on the shelf. "Manny, the last time I gave you gin, you got into a fight with a Hariyama…on purpose."

Manny waved his concern off. "Bah! I can handle myself now! I know my limits!"

Eddie sighed and poured him a glass. "If you say so."

"Actually, pass me the whole bottle!" he asked eagerly.

Eddie deadpanned at the pig monkey, then slid both the glass and bottle down to him. "Watch yourself. I'm not responsible for you if you pass out."

"Yeah, yeah!" He took a shot of gin, then refilled almost immediately.

Eddie pinched between his eyes. He heard an enthusiastic laugh behind him. He turned and faced an Incineroar. "Ah, lighten up, Eddie! Why do you always have to be an emotionless killjoy?"

Eddie crossed his arms with a raised brow. "Need I remind you that you were sleeping in the back dumpster last week?" he asked with a playful tone.

Incineroar laughed, slamming his fist repeatedly against the table. "HAHAHAHA! One hell of a night, if I do say so myself!" Eddie rolled his eyes, but let loose a light chuckle. Incineroar turned to the Pokémon sitting by him. "Anyway, did you guys here about what happened around in Kanto?"

A Ludicolo took a sip of gin and set the glass down. "You mean with the Fusion Hunters and their recent capture last week?"

"Yeah, that." He chuckled. "Serves those lousy Fusions right, thinking they can get away with crime under their watch. The news article I found said they tripped a security system. What a bunch of idiots!" He took a shot of whiskey and slammed it down. "If we had more Fusions like that, life would be a whole lot simpler!" Eddie rolled his eyes at this.

"Pssh, you think that's bad?" a Rampardos interjected. "Have you heard what's going down in Grandis City recently? That guy who runs Profectus Inc. is apparently running some stupid agreement with those so called peaceful Fusions who live in the forest."

Incineroar face-palmed and shook his head in disappointment. "Really? What kind of agreement?"

"Turns out they're letting Fusions come in and out of their village to do labor tasks and to clean the streets of criminals Fusions."

Eddie wiped a glass down, once again rolling his eyes. "Oh, the pokemanity! They're clearing out criminals and acting like respectable citizens! What a tragedy!" he cried sarcastically before deadpanning.

Rampardos sneered. "Sure, make fun of it if you want, but Fusions have a history for being troublesome imps."

"Don't they wave charges of murder off their record, too?" Incineroar asked. "Pretty sure I heard that somewhere."

"Well, that makes that idiot all the crazier."

"No kidding." Incineroar took a sip and slammed his glass down with an annoyed sighed. "What a reckless move. Hiring Fusions to do the work of Fusion Hunters."

Eddie closed his eyes and shook his head. "Keep in mind, Randy, that the Fusion Hunters are pretty freakin' expensive to hire. They serve to protect the peace, but their services aren't cheap." He shrugged. "In a way, having the Fusions handle the small-scale work is a valid strategy." He put the clean glass away and went to the next. "Be thankful there's rational thinking Fusions outside of the criminal ones."

"BAH! You're being too nice! I like you and all, Ed, but you've got to admit the Fusions aren't angels sent down from Arceus. They're dangers to everyone. Heck, the first time they 'helped' ended up costing the city way more property damage than before!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Haven't heard _that_ a thousand times already," he mumbled sarcastically.

"You're too soft on the Fusions, Eddie. Don't you feel any anger towards them? Animosity for their destructive ways? The tiniest sliver of malice?"

Eddie looked at large tiger, eye to eye. "Randy, I'm a simple Pokémon. I work, I sleep, I work again until I get the day off. Nothing more to that. The way I see it, as long as I have paying customers, whether they be Pokémon or Fusion, I can live a good life."

Randy scoffed. "Good life? I've heard you complain about that cramped apartment of yours after downing a bottle of whiskey."

Eddie looked away, holding his hips. "I was drunk, what did you expect?" He narrowed his eyes. "Either way, it doesn't denounce my point. I just see no point in turning away Fusions. I don't think all of them are dangerous."

Randy groaned. "Your denial will come back to haunt you."

"I'll take my chances." He went back to cleaning the glass cup.

The Ludicolo smiled. "He has a point, Randy! No need to act like a sourpuss over it!"

Randy narrowed his eyes. "You're way too happy to take seriously."

"Pretty much!"

The Incineroar groaned once more, then took another shot. "Well, I'm not like the rest of you pansies. Heck, if there was a Fusion here right now, I'd teach them a lesson they'll never forget!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Please, most Fusions living around here would be in disguise. You would have to be pretty sharp to see through their disguise."

"HA! I can tell any Pokémon and Fusion apart in a second!"

Eddie chuckled dryly. "I…highly doubt that."

A Galvantula was sitting near the bar window, downing a glass of gin. He sighed contently, then looked out the window with a happy expression. He snickered playfully and shouted, "Hey guys~! I see Robin Hood outside~!"

Eddie sighed. "Carl, for the third time, that's a Decidueye."

Carl narrowed his eyes dizzily. "A-Are you sure? Young fella looks pretty short. And bug like. And…female. Huh…or is that a Fusion?"

"WHAT?!" the entire bar shouted in surprise.

"I WAS JOKING!" Randy cried, referring to his previous comment, as he clutched his head.

Manny raced over to the window, hopping on the table. He peeked through it, then gasped with his eyes bugging out. "Holy crap, he's not delusional! There's a Fusion outside! And she's heading right for the bar!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "I don't get it. Fusions normally stay in disguise. Why is one walking around freely in broad daylight?"

Randy cracked his knuckles. "Must be some delinquent thinking he can take us on!"

"Or maybe they're coming for a drink!" Ludicolo suggested with a cheerful smile.

Manny narrowed his eyes. "Uh…she looks like a kid, so…doubtful."

"Everyone, just stay quiet," Rampardos whispered. "We can't anger it!"

Eddie face-palmed. "We just established she is female. Why are you all still calling her 'it?'"

The bar froze up when the doors were kicked open. The sound echoed through the silent bar. The Fusion stepped inside with slow, prominent steps. The sound bounced off the walls and rang through their ears like the steps of a lurking hunter.

They got a good look at her and saw she was a Ledian-Decidueye Fusion. The most notable feature was her Decidueye cloak over her body. Her antennas poked through the hood. Her head and back were black with green spots. Her feet were green as well. Her oddest, and creepiest, feature was her piercing orange pupils in her large blue eyes. It was a strange feature to see in the eyes of a Ledian.

She stared down the bar, then eyed the counter. Eddie clenched his fists as the Fusion made her way over to him. The Fusion presented herself as intimidating and unnerving to the Hitmonlee. Her gaze was stone cold, like she has seen many horror in her lifetime.

Eddie saw Randy stand up and wind his arm up. "Well, I said I'd teach the next Fusion I see a lesson! I stick to my word!"

Eddie glared at the wrestling tiger. "Don't be an idiot, Randy. We don't even know what she wants."

"Oh, she'll talk after I scare the living daylights out of her!" Randy marched over to the Fusion.

The bartender pinched between his eyes, shaking his head. _Please don't break out into a fight. Please don't break out into a fight._

The Fusion stopped and looked up at the intimidating Incineroar. He cracked his neck and knuckles, flexed his fingers out, then pointed accusingly at her. "Listen here, short stack! You walk into MY city and act like you own the place? Well, aren't you in for a surprise?" He flexed his muscles. "You Fusions act all high and mighty with your power and unique abilities, but you're nothing compared to the main man! I'm one of the strong Pokémon in this…"

The Fusion tuned him out and turned her attention towards Eddie. The Hitmonlee's eyes widened when he made eye contact with her. Her expression was neutral, yet there seemed to be great pain hiding behind it.

"…pulled a bus over the mountains with nothing more than my teeth!" Randy finished with his boasting. He pointed down again. "So, if you think you can take me on in a fight, then come at me with all your…might?" He blinked, then his jaw dropped seeing she was gone. He turned around and saw she walked around him. "I…I, uh…DID YOU JUST IGNORE ME?!"

She continued to ignore him as she came up to the counter and hopped onto the stool. Eddie narrowed his eyes. He cautiously tapped his foot against the ground, prepping himself in case she really did mean trouble.

He cleared his throat and said, "Um…hello. Welcome to my bar. How may I help you?"

Her piercing stare sharpened. "You run this joint?" she repeated with a raspy voice.

"Yes…I just said that."

"…good." She slammed her hands on the counter, surprising Eddie. "Listen up, buster, I didn't come here to make small talk. I came here for a reason. A purpose. And you're going to help me."

Eddie stepped back. He slowly raised his foot in preparation. "A…purpose, you say?"

"I've been traveling this region for several days. Several, long, agonizing days." She bared her teeth. "And now that I'm here, I can finally get what I desire."

"And…that would be?" Eddie asked cautiously, fully raising his foot. He was ready to kick this kid out. She looked ready for a fight.

"Well, to put it lightly…" Eddie waited for her to say something disturbing, but he lowered his guard when he heard a loud grumble coming from the Fusion's stomach. He blinked as her expression shifted from dark and malicious to sad and exhausted. Her lip quivered while her eyes watered. She drew a sharp breath and shouted, "I'M REALLY HUUUUUUNGRY!" She burst into tears and slammed her face against the counter. A puddle of tears stretched over the counter.

Eddie was completely befuddled, dare he say shocked, by the sudden shift in mood. She looked about ready to fight someone, but she was actually hungry?! He turned to the other patrons for answers, only receiving shrugs with equally perplexed stares. Eddie looked back awkwardly at the sobbing Ledian-Decidueye. _I have…several questions._

Manny was the first to speak through the confusion. "I…don't know how to respond to this."

Seeing as everyone was just staring in bewilderment, Eddie took the initiative and awkwardly patted the weeping girl's head. "H-Hey, kid, calm down. You don't have to cry or any-" He jumped back when she lifted her head and inhaled deeply, before continuing her cries.

"I've been eating airplane food for the last six days! It wasn't very good airplane food!" She slammed her hand down into her puddle of tears. "I couldn't find a single restaurant for days! I couldn't even find a city! I thought I would go hungry!"

Most of the patrons immediately took pity on her. "Aww, you poor thing!" Ludicolo expressed as he patted her back.

"She must have been starving," Manny said, rubbing the sobbing Ledian Fusion's head.

"I can testify to that!" Carl shouted, clearly still drunk. "I once got food poisoning from their peanuts! The bastards try to poison me!"

Eddie deadpanned at the Galvantula as he gently rubbed the Fusion's head. "Carl, you're allergic to peanuts."

"That's what they WANT you to think!" he shouted before collapsing out of his chair.

Randy, however, was the only one not pitying the Fusion. In fact, he was utterly appalled by their behavior. "You…hypocritical idiots! Weren't we all _just_ talking about why the Fusions were menaces?! Now you're…coddling one?!"

"But she's only a little girl!" Ludicolo insisted with a sad expression.

The Fusion picked her head up, halting her sobbing and speaking with a casual tone, "Oh no, I'm actually sixteen years old. Hardly little. Where was I? Oh yes!" She slammed her head down again and sobbed.

Randy pulled on his whiskers and growled in frustration. "This is murder on my ears! Someone shut that brat up!"

Rampardos narrowed his eyes. "Hey, she's a wreck right now, be a bit more sensible."

The Incineroar was a hair away from his patience breaking. "Why are you siding with her?! We literally had a conversation about why they're menaces!"

Rampardos pushed him. "Look, I don't like Fusions either, but I'm not some jackass who tortures kids!"

"She could be plotting to take us out one by one!" Randy pointed at Eddie. "Eddie, do something about this! Kick her out! Send her packing!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes and looked down at the sobbing child. She looked so miserable. Why was she walking by herself? Doesn't she have a family to go back to? Or are they the reason she's out here on her own? Hard to say, but he wasn't a Pokémon who turned down a potential customer. He had standards when running a business, but he was, nonetheless, empathetic.

"Hey, kid." He reached under and tipped her head up so he could get a good look at her. She had tears running down the side of her face. "Do you have any money on hand?"

She sniffled and looked at him confused. "W-What?" she choked a sob.

"You said you've been eating airplane food, right? That means you were on an airplane. _That_ means you must have money, correct?"

The Ledian-Decidueye's eyes shimmered in awe. "R-Really? Y-You're not going to turn me away?"

He placed his hand over his heart. "As the owner of this bar, it is my duty to attend to all paying customers' needs."

Her eyes sparkled in sheer delight. She radiant in joy as a smile stretched across her face. "EEEE!" she screamed through her teeth before leaping over the counter and wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Yes, I have money! I'm SUUUUUPER hungry!"

Eddie pushed her off gently. "P-Please don't touch me." She sat back in the stool and kicked her feet with absolute joy. He sighed and pointed over his shoulder. "Okay, everything you see on the menu is what we have. I'm NOT serving you alcoholic beverages, no matter how much you plead. So, what do you-?"

"Chesto Berry Steak!" she cried out happily. "Five plates of it!"

Eddie stumbled forward in shock. "E-Excuse me? You did look at the price first, right?"

"Yes, I did!" She pounded her fists down. "Five Chesto Berry Steaks!"

"Good lord, kid, those cost twenty-three dollars a plate!" Manny shouted in bewilderment.

"Are you sure you have that type of money on hand?" Ludicolo asked.

"Yep, yep, yep! Plenty of money!" She reached into her cloak and threw out three wallets in front of Eddie. "Chesto Berry Steaks, please!"

The patrons and Eddie stared at the three wallets with blank expressions. It was so quiet that one could hear the wind passing between them. Eddie grabbed one of the wallets and looked it over. With his expression unchanging, he asked, "Kid…where did you get these?"

"Hmm?" She tapped her chin, then gave a cheery smile. "Oh, I stole them!" Eddie and the patrons faltered over. "What?"

Randy stood up and pointed at her accusingly. "I freakin' knew it! This kid's nothing more than a troublemaker and a thief!" He pulled out his phone. "I'm calling the police!"

The Fusion pouted. "Hey, I didn't know the guys I stole these from needed them!"

"Why would anyone NOT need their wallet?!" the Incineroar growled.

Eddie looked inside all of them. "Odd, no identification or credit cards. Just cash."

"Probably so we couldn't trace them back to their owners!" Randy assumed.

The Fusion shook her head, laughing. "Oh no, no, no! They came like that when I took them! Plus, like I said, they probably didn't need them. They wanted some quick cash, so I pointed them in the direction of jewelry store with a 'broken' security system."

Ludicolo narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean by 'broken?'" he asked, mimicking the air quotes.

She giggled impishly. "Weelllll, I may have told a small fib. Hey, it's their fault for blindly running in like they did. If they weren't greedy, there'd be no reason to telling them."

The patrons felt there was some familiarity to her experience with the three thieves. Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. Did you happen to steal these from three Fusions?"

"Wow!" she squealed with shimmering eyes. "Yes! Are you psychic?"

Eddie pinched between his eyes. "Good grief, YOU'RE the fourth 'accomplice' the Fusion Hunters are looking for..."

"Accomplice?" the Ledian-Decidueye questioned with the tilt of her head.

"Yeah!" Ludicolo exclaimed. "The Fusion Hunters are popular heroes around the world! Any Fusions they apprehend becomes instant news! Everyone's been talking about it! They kept saying how you were planning to finish their jewelry heist!" He scratched his chin. "Though, the Fusion Hunters just said they would track you down and ask questions."

"Huh, you don't say?"

"I do say! How have you not heard about this? Aren't you worried about the Fusion Hunters catching you?"

She tapped her chin in thought. "Hmm…nope! Not really. I haven't heard about what happened until you guys said it!"

"How could you not know about the Fusion Hunters' recent activities?" Rampardos asked.

She smiled. "I told you, I've been traveling for the last seven days. I don't own a phone either, so I have no way of getting news on the road."

Eddie raised a brow. "Wait a minute, you haven't come across one city ever since you left the airport?"

"Not one!" she exclaimed.

Eddie blinked with a perplexed stare, then he crossed his arms. "Kid, what's your name?"

She saluted. "Vivi! A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Eddie!"

Eddie raised a brow. "How did you-?"

"I'm not deaf. I heard that Incineroar call you that while I was sobbing."

He blinked, then narrowed his eyes. "Right…well then, Vivi, I have a question. Which airport did you come from?"

She scratched her head. "Hmm…Latias Skies."

"As in the one that's TWO miles from here?" he asked loudly.

"I suppose so. Are there any other Latias Skies nearby?"

"No, but…" He pinched between his eyes. " _How_ did you get lost?"

She shrugged. "Well, the signs here are really confusing. I couldn't tell which way they were going."

"Kid, that particular Latias Skies is, not only two miles away but, a straight path from there to here! How on earth was that confusing?!"

She threw her arms up. "I don't know! I even bought a stupid map, but I couldn't understand it!" She pulled it out and handed it to him. "See for yourself!"

He unfurled the map, then deadpanned. She did circle the Latias Skies she came from, so it is the one he was thinking. However, the map gave clear directions to the city. He looked between the map and Vivi, unable to comprehend this baffling claim of hers.

He pinched between his eyes. "Kid, it is impossible to get lost on that road. It's almost literally a straight shot from the airport to here!"

"It is?" she asked, deeply confused.

"Yes!"

Vivi blinked, then scratched her head in confusion. "Huh…"

Eddie was having a hard time believing this kid actually had trouble getting all the way from the airport and still ending up lost until now. Sure, two miles is a long walk on foot, but not a seven-day journey. He held his head, feeling a small migraine rising.

 _Oh Arceus, this kid is scatterbrained._ He was pulled out of his thoughts by the Ledian Fusion's growling stomach. She whimpered and held it. Eddie narrowed his eyes, taking pity on the Fusion. With an exhausted sigh, he dug through all three wallets and pulled out the money for the steaks, plus tax. He slipped them into the register and headed to the back. "Wait there and try to hold yourself together. I'll be back with your steaks soon."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you!" She kicked her feet absentmindedly as she looked around at the bar.

While she was distracted, Randy huddled the others off to the side and said, "Okay, that kid needs to go, now," he whispered.

Ludicolo waved his concern off. "Oh pshaw, you're overthinking it. Sure, she's a little scatterbrained-"

"More like missing a couple screws."

"-BUT, she's only a child. While our distrust of the Fusions may cloud our judgment, I refuse to turn down a starving child in need."

"She admitted in front of us that she's a thief! And a trickster! She got three Fusions arrested by the Fusion Hunters without even trying!" He glared at the Ledian Fusion, who was humming a happy tune to herself. "Something about that kid rubs me the wrong way. She owes us an explanation."

"She doesn't owe us anything," Manny reminded. "She was hungry and Eddie was kind enough to offer her service."

"Well, she's going to repay our kindness by answering a few simple questions." He pointed at her. "She's up to something and I want to know what."

Manny rolled his eyes. "Dude, she's a kid. What on earth could she be plotting?"

"We'll soon find out." He marched over to the Ledian Fusion. He tapped her shoulder, alerting her to his presence. He bent down and flared his nostrils intimidatingly, though this didn't faze Vivi. "Alright, spill it!"

She scratched her head. "Spill what? I don't have a drink."

"I mean spill your secrets! What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "To get food, silly!"

"Argh! No, I mean what are you up to!" He poked her chest and snarled. "You lousy Fusions are always up to something! No way someone as weird as you isn't hiding anything! Now spill it!"

Vivi stared up at him, then sighed. "Oh fine, you got me."

"HA! I knew it!"

"I am a troublemaker." She placed her hand over her heart. "I was the bad kid in my family, and for good reason. When I was five, I stole cookies out of my mother's cookie jar. She never let me have sweets, but they were ssssoooo good!" Her mouth nearly watered thinking about them, but her growling stomach set her back on track. "Ahem, anyway, when I was six, I greased the bathroom toilet with butter so my older brother could slip through. I only did it because he was being mean to me." She tapped her chin. "Actually, looking back, my family wasn't the nicest of Pokémon."

Randy's eyes twitched uncomfortably as he listened to her go on and on about trivial nonsense.

"Now, when I was seven, I got a lot worse. So, my brother pushed me into the mud, so I made up this fun little game called 'Hunters vs Prey.' Basically, I was the hunter with her arrows and he was the prey." She giggled into her hands. "I always won. Oh, and when I was eight, I-!"

Randy clutched his head and screamed in frustration. "No, no, no, NO! I don't care about your damn childhood!"

"But you said-EEP!" Randy grabbed her by the hood and lifted her to eye level. He flared his nostrils in rage.

"I mean, tell me what you planning! You gonna rob us blind when our backs are turned?! Steal all the alcohol in the joint and sell it in some black-market smuggling ring?!"

"Black market?" Vivi asked in confusion.

"Tell me what you know!" he roared in her face, stretching the inside of her hood out like a sail catching the wind.

"Whoa dude, cool it!" Ludicolo advised.

Vivi stared at him blankly, then her bulbous eyes sharpened, resembling a glare. "You think you can bully me just because I'm the minority in your eyes?" She chuckled. "I survived dealing with my family. You're not a threat in my eyes."

Randy bared his teeth and snarled. "Don't get cocky, brat!"

Vivi smiled innocently. "I'm not cocky, I'm prepared." She plucked an arrow out of her cloak and handed it to him. "A gift from me to you."

Randy narrowed his eyes, then snatched the arrow out of her hand. He dropped her and examined it. "…okay, what is this?"

Vivi covered her ears. "Supersonic."

"Super-what?" He looked at the arrow tip, then noticed it was emitting a low humming sound. Almost immediately, he felt a rush of lightheadedness come over him. "W-Wha…What's g-going on?" He stumbled backwards, holding his head tightly. "C-Can't think…"

Vivi dusted herself clean, then smirked over her shoulder. "You big, bulky types can act all cool and confident, but I'm not someone who can be pushed around."

Randy stumbled around dizzily. He looked at his hands and saw them splitting into three separate images. "You…rotten…" He tripped over his feet and fell backwards into the tables. A mug flew off the table and landed on his face, liquor dripping over him.

Eddie walked out from the back just as he heard the noise. He carried a tray of steaks. He raised a brow at the collapsed Incineroar. "Did I miss something?"

Vivi jumped onto the stool and clasped her hands together with an innocent smile. "Oh, nothing~! Just a little disagreement." She held her hands and waved the tray over. "Chesto Berry Steak! Now, now, now!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes, then sighed as he handed them to her. She grabbed the fork and knife and clanged them together. Licking her lips in delight, she chowed down on the steaks with ravenous speed. Eddie sweatdropped. "Err, kid? You sure you don't want to chew that first?" She continued swallowing the delectable bites, ignoring his advice. "O-Or just continue doing that, whatever suits you."

Eddie walked around the counter to intend to Randy, but the Incineroar was already pushing himself up. He rubbed his face, then glared through his fingers. "You little…brat!" He bared his claws and rushed towards the counter, fueled with rage.

Vivi glared over her shoulder, then spun around in her chair. Using both her right hands, she grabbed hold of her cloak vine and straightened it out into a tense bow string. She loaded an arrow and pulled back, preparing her shot.

Randy leaped forward and threw his claws just as Vivi fired the arrow at him. The two attacks nearly met, until Eddie got between the two and deflected the arrow with a swift kick. He spun on his hand and aimed his clawed foot at his throat, stopping the wrestling tiger in his tracks. "Enough!"

"Stand back, Eddie! This is personal!" Randy growled, trying to get around him.

Eddie flipped onto his feet, then raised his right foot. "Both of you, stand down!" He glared at Vivi, who let go of her cloak vine. Eddie sighed and lowered his foot. "I won't stand for fighting in my bar. I'll gladly kick you both out if you continue like this. Is that clear?"

Vivi tapped her hands together, looking down. "Yes sir…"

The Hitmonlee glared at Randy, who glared at the Fusion before reluctantly agreeing. "Ugh…fine, I'll play nice." He shot a glare at Vivi before marching off to a table far away from her.

Eddie groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Why must I put up with this crap?" He hopped over the counter and turned to Vivi. "Enjoying your stea-?" His eyes widened in surprise. The Ledian-Decidueye finished off all her steak.

She patted her stomach in content. "Oh yeah! That was the BEST meal I've had in days!"

The Hitmonlee scratched his head. "Uh, wow. You were _really_ hungry."

"You don't know the half of it." She let out a tiny belch, leading her to blush in embarrassment. "Hehe…excuse me."

Eddie sighed, then leaned down. He supported himself on his crossed arms. "Well, now that you're fed, where are you going once you leave?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I'm not sure. I'm not familiar with the area. And, if what you said is true…" She giggled. "Well, I won't make it out of the city without getting lost."

Eddie shook his head. "Heh, right. Well, the city's pretty nice, so you might find a nice hotel to stay at."

"Err, no," she mumbled. "Pokémon don't really want me stepping foot in their hotels because I'm 'disturbing the peace.' Personally, I call that bad service, but I didn't argue over it."

Eddie raised a brow. "So, if not a hotel, where will you be staying?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I could sleep outside. I've done it before."

"Oh, well, as long as you have a plan, that's good."

Vivi smiled and leaned forward, holding her chin in her upper hands and crossing her lower arms on the counter. "Yep! I've been doing this for a while! Hopefully I can find a nice, creaky, old bench to sleep on."

"Uh…yeah, that sounds…comfortable?"

"I will have to spend a great deal of time finding some suitable newspapers to use as blankets. They'll keep me all warm and snuggly _and_ give me a fun activity to do in the morning! I love the weekly crossword puzzles!"

Eddie chuckled awkwardly. "Y-Yes, I heard they're wonderful."

"They better be! Those crossword puzzles and papers better be good, because I don't do well in the cold!"

The Hitmonlee tapped his finger against the counter, feeling a wave of guilt biting at him. "Heh, yeah…nights can be pretty cold."

"I know from firsthand experience! My tears froze over my face a couple of nights!"

"Your…tears?"

"Yeah, I broke my wittle foot a couple of times and it kept me from sleeping for hours." She rubbed her left foot. "It's better now, but…well, you never know~."

"Err…" Eddie was getting more and more uncomfortable the longer she talked.

"My biggest challenge is making sure no one mugs me. And, considering my first impression here is glares and terror, my odds aren't looking good tonight." She smiled. "Oh, but don't worry about little ol' me! I'll be fine!"

"I'm…sure you will."

"Aww, thanks!"

The two stared at each other for a long period of awkward silence. Eddie was tapping his foot nervously, drops of sweat sliding down his face. Vivi, meanwhile, stared at him with cute, shimmering eyes and an innocent smile. It was the face of pure innocence and it was beating away at the wall of resistance that the Hitmonlee was trying to build between her and his empathy. He wanted to stop staring, but she glowed with such innocence that it was impossible to look away from.

He gripped the counter's edge, before sighing in defeat. "Ugh…would you like to crash at my place for a couple da-?"

"Aww, you're so sweet!" she leaped over the counter and hugged him. "What a generous offer!"

The other patrons, however, stared at the two with sweatdrops forming. _She's a freakin' guilt tripper!_

Eddie pressed his hand against her forehead and pushed her off. "No, no, I don't do hugs." She pulled away, but still smiled with glee. He rubbed his face. "Just so we're on the same page, this is nothing more than a temporary arrangement. Once you know where you're going, you'll leave. Understand?"

She saluted. "Loud and clear, sir!"

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Okay. Just…wait around in the bar. We'll leave after closing hours."

"Okay!" She turned away and skipped around the bar with a bright smile. The Pokémon, while happy to see she was no longer crying and fed, gave the Hitmonlee perplexed stares.

Eddie held his face and groaned. _What did I just rope myself into?_

* * *

Closing hours came faster than Eddie thought. Once everyone had left and went home for the night, Eddie was cleaning up the tables and bar. Vivi was kind enough to help clean tables as repayment for giving her a place to stay (even though she practically gave him no choice).

Once everything was cleaned, Eddie locked up the bar and headed to his apartment complex with Vivi walking alongside with a happy grin. Nothing was killing her mood, not even the glares thrown their way. Eddie hid his face and kept his eyes off them. He just wanted to get back to the sanctuary of his home and put today behind him.

They entered the apartment complex and walked up to the third floor. They went down the hallway and stopped in front of room 302. Eddie pulled his keys out and inserted his apartment key in.

"Now, my apartment is pretty small, so I hope you don't mind crashing on the couch. There's a TV you can use if you're interested."

Vivi teetered on her feet with absolute glee. "It's been so long since I've had an actual warm bed to sleep in! True, a couch, but still a bed!"

Eddie pushed the door open and the Ledian-Decidueye bolted in. She hopped on the couch and bounced on it like a small child would. Eddie pinched between his eyes. "Please don't jump on my couch."

She gave it one last hop before landing on her rear. "Sorry."

Eddie shut the door behind him and sighed. "Make yourself comfortable and try not to break anything." He headed to the kitchen.

"Hey, Eddie?" He looked over his shoulder. She smiled gratefully. "I really appreciate this. It means a lot."

Eddie blinked, then waved it off with dry chuckle. "Eh, don't get all mushy with me. It's no big deal." He opened his fridge. "Want some milk?"

"Sure."

He pulled out the jug and set it on the counter. He grabbed two glasses from his cupboard. "Kid, when I was in the back getting your steaks, I heard you talking with Randy about your family." He set the glasses down. "You sounded like you've been through a lot."

She rolled her eyes. "It's…been rough, I suppose." She scratched her neck and sighed. "I'm sure you guessed I ran away from home."

"I would have assumed you went to that Fusion village out in Kanto. You were there, after all."

She chuckled. "Believe me, nothing would make me happier than going to a place where I can freely be myself. But…not yet. Just, not yet." She frowned. "They hurt me, a lot."

Eddie poured the milk. "Huh?"

"My family. They…They didn't like me. At all. My brother and I were in constant conflict with each other. He was older, so he thought he had power over me. Heh, sure showed him a thing or two." She leaned back into the cushions. "My dad got annoyed whenever I harassed the neighborhood children. In my defense, they always picked on me, so I felt like getting even. Heh, well that didn't sit well with him. Sometimes I feel like he liked that I was a bad kid just so he can find numerous reasons to punish me." She shrugged. "But, I endured it and kept going."

"…what about your mom?" Eddie asked.

"My mom?" She laughed. "Oh, she was the worst. She didn't pick on me or punish me, but…she did break the things I cherished. You see, even when I was young and when my Fusions features started to develop, I wasn't allowed to have my own toys or trinkets. So, I constantly spent my time in the junkyard and played with the trash." She chuckled. "Funnily enough, I struck up a good relationship with the junkyard manager. He said I had a special spark with my curious nature.

"Anyway, I would make my own toys and bring them home to play with." She frowned. "Mom would find out and break my new toys because I don't deserve that type of privilege." She shook her head. "I just kept making new toys and fighting against her rules. I once considered spreading one of my toys in a certain plant she's allergic to." She sighed. "I'm not that mean."

Eddie blinked, then looked down. "Sorry to hear that, kid. Must have been rough."

"I survived. Over time, it didn't bother me anymore." She shrugged. "I had to take it and not let it bother me. Your kind throw insults at us just for looking like…this." She gestured at herself. "Freaks. Abominations. Creatures of sin. I've heard them all and didn't let them bother me. Now they're just words, and that's it."

Eddie stared at the counter for a long time. He clenched his fingers up and pressed them against the table. He struggled to speak, finding himself a little choked up. "Y-Yeah…I-I'm sure that would get annoying after a while." He turned away and rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "Ugh…so, you ran away from home?"

Vivi looked upward, biting the inside of her cheek. "Hmm…well, yes, but not for the reason you're thinking."

Eddie looked back at her. "Not because of the abuse?"

She shrugged. "I could have left any time I want. I would have gone to Gappei Village, if anything." She smiled. "No, I came to Sinnoh for something else. It's a little mission of mine that I took up. Now I'm obligated to take up this mission, whether I succeed or fail."

"You sound serious."

She grinned. "Heh, I'm not as crazy as I look."

Eddie chuckled. "I figured." He walked over to her and handed her a glass of milk, which she thanked him for. He leaned against the wall and lifted his glass. "So, what's this special mission of yours?" he asked playfully, taking a sip of his milk.

She waved his playful tone off with a laugh. "Haha. Well, if you must know, I came here to fight the military. Nothing big."

The glass slipped out of Eddie's hand and dropped onto the carpeted floor, staining it in the milk. He did a doubletake and looked at the Fusion in absolute shock. "You're doing WHAT?!"

"Weeelllll, not the _whole_ military, of course. I'm looking for this one specific base stationed in Sinnoh. I don't know where it is, but-"

"I-I-I don't care about that! Why do you want to fight the military in general?! That's insane!" Eddie shouted with a serious, yet worried expression.

"Huh, not the first time I've been called that," Vivi commented.

"Why are you being so nonchalant about this?! You're already being tracked down for suspicious activity! The moment the Fusion Hunters find out you want to fight the military, they'll be on your tail for the rest of your life!"

Vivi smiled, not at all concerned with the possibility. "Oh, I'll be fine. I can handle a couple Fusion Hunters."

Eddie grabbed her by the arms and shook her. "Why do you want to fight the military?! What possible reason could you have for doing that?!"

Vivi giggled, then held her hand up to her lips. "Sorry, that's my little secret. No offense, but I don't know you well enough to trust you."

Eddie stood up and held his head with a panicked expression. "Oh my gosh, I just let an insane Fusion into my home…" He pointed at her with a glare. "What is wrong with you?!"

She titled her head, smiling. "Oh…let's just say I'm a simple little Fusion who uncovered some information she probably shouldn't have known about." She shrugged and laughed. "But hey, it's all good! If everything goes well for me, we won't have to worry about the possible dangers coming our way!"

"D…Dangers?" Eddie repeated in fear.

Vivi stretched her arms out and yawned, rubbing her eyes. "That's not important right now." She pulled on her cloak vines and tightened the hood over her eyes. She curled up on the couch. "Well, I'm going to bed. I'm going to sleep well tonight. Wake me up for breakfast!"

"W-Wait, hold on a minute!" He shook her, trying to keep her from falling asleep. "You're not sleeping until you answer my questions! What are you talking about?! What are these dangers that might come?! Vivi?! Hello?!" To his horror, the cloaked ladybug was already asleep, snoring softly.

Eddie stood up and stepped away, nearly tripping over his coffee table. His legs shook fearfully. For such a sweet looking girl, Vivi suddenly looked far more terrifying, even as she slept. What was he supposed to do now?

He could call someone and tell them he had a possibly insane Fusion in his apartment, but what would Vivi do if she found out? What would happen to him if he called the cops on her? If tried anything to warn somebody, Vivi could hurt him or worse.

But, she doesn't seem like the kind of girl who would hold a grudge. She wouldn't just turn her back on him after his act of kindness…would she?

Eddie looked at his shaking hands. His eyes were shrunk and unsure. _I…What should I do?_


	11. Beneath That Smile

Another fine morning has come for Gappei Village. As usual, the Fusions were up early to eat breakfast and to complete the obstacle course before going straight to training. Today, Peregrine was taking up duty as coach, even though he much preferred drill sergeant. He was having everyone do basic exercises that didn't involve obstacle courses.

"No slacking, you lot!" he shouted as everyone exercised. "I want to see you sweat! I want you to feel the burn! I want you to work until you drop in exhaustion!"

Rebecca, who was doing push-ups, panted tiredly. "S-Sir? Doesn't that seem a little overkill?"

"Less talk, more push-ups!" the steel bird ordered. Rebecca groaned and continued to struggle with her push-ups.

Despite being hard on them and, admittedly, having a lot of fun bossing the Fusions around, Peregrine was impressed with how far they were coming. A majority of the Fusions have shown significant improvement on the obstacle course and have been taking on their one on one training with the council fairly well.

Though, there were quite the few he had to keep his eyes on during training, specifically Juniper. Every time he has his back turned, he finds her sleeping face first in the grass or hanging over the pull-up bars. He was ridiculous how many times she fell asleep on his watch. Thankfully, he made sure her fellow villagers kept an eye on her so he wasn't babysitting her.

Peregrine flew over to Tamara, who was one of the few Fusions who were acing all of their physical training. The ninja cat performed her push-ups without falter or rest. The only other Fusions he can say are doing excellent are York and Hawkins. Everyone else was either far behind or lacking in a certain area.

He folded his wings behind his back and asked, "And how are we doing today, Ms. Tamara?"

She lifted one hand and saluted, still giving it her all in her exercise. "Doing great, sir! I'll be reaching two hundred soon!"

"I like your spunk! Keep up the good work!" He twirled his leek and whistled as he marched around, observing the other Fusions.

Not too far away from Tamara was everyone's favorite lazy Fusion, Juniper. For once, she hasn't fallen asleep halfway through her exercises, so that was a plus. Granted, that's only because Peregrine had Wash stay by her side in case of such a thing.

So far, the panda hasn't been putting in the effort to do a single sit-up, while Wash has been trying to coax her into it. Suffice to say, they've made more progress exchanging banter than actually working out.

"Juniper, come on. It's not that different from sitting up in bed."

Juniper folded her arms behind her head, presenting a silly smile. "Yes, but I don't sit up fifty times in a row."

Wash crossed his arms. "Jun, you don't want Peregrine on your case again."

She stuck her tongue out. "Bah! What's he going to do? Hit me?"

Wash deadpanned. "Yes, absolutely."

She giggled. "Oh, I can handle a few bonks on the ol' noggin." She knocked on her head a couple times.

Wash grabbed her feet. "Come on, fifty sit-ups won't kill you."

She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Oh, just five minutes of shut eye, please~!" she begged cutely.

Wash smirked. "Five minutes or five hours?"

She grinned. "Can't pull a wall over your eyes, can I?"

"I'm well familiar with your habits. Don't go tricking me."

She rolled her eyes with a tired smile. "Oh, fine. Hold my feet down and I'll start counting." She got herself into position. She inhaled, prepping herself, then performed a sit-up. "One."

Wash smiled. "See? You can do it."

"Two…three…four…" Her mouth stretched open, exhaling a yawn. "Five…"

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Juniper," he warned.

She grinned innocently. "Yes~?"

"You're trying to fall asleep, aren't you?"

She gasped in faux shock. "Well! I am offended that you would accuse me like that! I wasn't _trying_ to fall asleep!" She chuckled. "I can do that anytime I want. Takes a LOT of practice to fall asleep on command."

Wash pinched between his eyes. "Well, I'm not falling for it. I'm staying by your side until you finish those exercises, even if it takes me the rest of the day."

Juniper closed her eyes and giggled cutely. "You're sweet, you know that?" Wash rolled his eyes and gave her a light smile.

Tamara glanced at the sleepy panda with a glare. "Of course…" She finished her push-ups, then flipped onto her feet. She rubbed her shoulders, then said aloud, "Am I the only one in my group actually getting work done?"

Juniper smiled over her shoulder. "Aww, that's a little harsh, don't you think?" She gestured off in a direction. "I mean, look at Ulysses! He's persisting through like a champ!"

The Reuniclus-Braviary was seen performing pull-ups, clutching the bar with his talons. He pulled himself up and wheezed in exhaustion. "So…tired…" He struggled to do another pull-up, but he gave in to his fatigue and fell onto the ground, panting.

Juniper laughed and raised her fist. "Great job, Ulysses!"

"Thank you…" he responded quietly.

Tamara pinched between her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not referring to Ulysses. I'm referring-" She marched over to her and poked the panda in the forehead. "-to you!"

"Me?" she asked.

"Yes, you. Seriously, every day, it's the same thing. We work out and Peregrine catches you sleeping who knows where." She groaned. "I swear, in all my years in this village, you have got to be one of the laziest Fusions around. Maybe even in existence!"

Juniper giggled and waved it off. "Aw shucks!"

Tamara blinked, then deadpanned. "…that wasn't a compliment."

"It was to me."

Wash scratched the back of his head. "Juniper, she kind of has a point. We're all trying to get stronger here, yet you keep dozing off whenever you want. You even said you would participate in the training."

Juniper rocked back and forth, holding her feet. "I said that for moral support. Besides, I don't need the training. I'm strong enough as it is."

Tamara held her hips. "Well, that's a rather overconfident thing of you to say."

Juniper rolled onto her back and stretched out. "Coming from the Queen of Speed and Pride herself."

Tamara clenched her fists and waved them high. "I'M NOT THAT ARORGANT!"

"Challenging every speedster you come across doesn't help your case." Juniper picked at some grass and blew it out of her hand.

Tamara's eye twitched in annoyance. Wash held the ninja cat's shoulder. "Calm down, Tam. You know how she is."

Tamara huffed, then her eyes widened. "Actually…I don't." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't know anything about her. In fact…" She grabbed the panda and pulled her onto her feet. " _No one_ knows anything about her!"

Juniper dusted herself off. "How so?"

"Where to begin? How about your past? Whenever a new Fusion enters the village, they tell the council of their past so they can help us. Chief Liam helped me after I…" She shook her head. "…did regrettable things. The same applies to everyone, but you." She crossed her arms. "Why hide your past from us?"

Juniper shrugged with a carefree grin. "Eh, it didn't matter to me."

"So, is that why you redirect all our questions whenever we pry?"

Juniper looked away. "I don't know what you mean."

"You're doing it right now!" Tamara groaned and pinched between her eyes. "Ugh, you are so annoying to deal with. Don't you know that almost everyone in this village is curious about who you were? No offense, but…you're not normal."

Juniper giggled. "Aww!"

"That wasn't a compliment, either."

"I'll take it as one, anyway!"

Tamara rolled her eyes. "I bet you don't even know about the gambling circle."

Juniper blinked, tilting her head. "Gambling circle?"

"Around the time Artemis evolved, she started up some gambling circle with some of the villagers. They're betting food and snacks to see who can figure out your secret first."

Juniper scratched her head, then turned to Wash. "This true?"

He rubbed his arm awkwardly. "Yeeeah…in fact, I'm sort of part of it. I betted a few of my snacks." He rolled his eyes. "Spaz and Artemis really want those cookies I betted up."

"They-will-be-mine!" Spaz exclaimed from a distance.

"Not before I get them first!" Artemis exclaimed back.

Tamara rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, that. Heck, even half the Fusion Council is in on it. Cade and Peregrine are betting hard against each other since you never fessed up. Abraham's in on it, too, but he's more of a casual better if anything."

Juniper rubbed her chin. "An entire betting circle centered around me?" Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, this brought about a jolly smile to her face. "Wow, I'm popular!"

Tamara blinked, then glared. "Annnnd, that brings me to my other point." She jabbed her finger against the panda's chest. "You are way too positive about everything! Nothing ever seems to faze you!"

Juniper shrugged. "What can I say? I just like to smile."

"Then what's the problem with not letting us know who you were?" Wash asked. "I mean, can you at least tell us where you were born?" Juniper opened her mouth to answer. "Before you say anything, 'somewhere' is not an answer."

Juniper narrowed her eyes and smiled wryly. "Trying to cover your bases? Okay, let's see. Well Wash, when a mommy Spinda and a daddy Spinda love each other very much, they get together and-"

Tamara covered her ears in irritation. "Oh for goodness sake, he means a physical location!"

Juniper shrugged. "How should I know, then? I _was_ a baby at the time."

Tamara held her face, trying her best not to scream. "Okay…did you have any siblings?"

"I did not."

"So, you were an only child?"

Juniper chuckled. "Nope, not at all."

"It can't be both, Juniper!" Tamara groaned. "Alright, were your parents ever abusive?"

"Nope, no abusive parents!"

"Were they good parents, then?"

Juniper laughed. "Not at all."

"WHICH IS IT?!" Tamara cried in anger, shaking the Spinda-Mienfoo angrily.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Come on, Jun. Why won't you give us a straight answer? Don't you trust us?"

She shook Tamara off and crossed her arms. "This isn't about trust. I just like having my privacy. I thought this was a village where we're supposed to move on from our past and start new lives."

"This village is also a circle of trust," Tamara reminded. "We've all revealed secrets that make us out to be bad Fusions, but we let go of the judgment and started anew. I've moved on from my horrible actions and bettered myself to become a shining symbol of peace and hope. The only thing we know about you is your name and your obsession with diet cola."

"I'm _not_ obsessed with diet cola." Tamara glared accusingly at the panda's hands. Juniper looked down and saw she unconsciously opened a diet cola. "Huh. Well, this proves nothing." She took a large gulp.

"There are several mysteries about you. I even asked Quinn to read your dreams. He told me you had a dream that you were dreaming. In that dream, you were dreaming. And in that dream, you were also dreaming. And in," Tamara took a moment to yawn, "that one you were dreaming…" The ninja cat shook herself awake. "Ugh, nearly fell asleep thinking about it."

Juniper looked away, sipping her soda again. "Hey, my past is my business."

"But everyone wants to know the real you," Wash said.

Juniper closed her eyes. "The real me is something I want to forget…" Wash blinked in surprise. Her tone got quieter. It lost a little of its usual jovial attitude.

"Well, if you won't be open and honest, perhaps a wager is in order."

Juniper and Wash turned to Tamara questioningly. "How so?" Juniper asked, her tone back to normal.

Tamara crossed her arms. "A lot of the newcomers here, even some of the older villagers, will agree that you rarely fight. The only time you've ever truly fought was with Wash when he went nuts."

Wash scratched the back of his head. "Y-Yeah, uh…I rather not relive those days."

"My point," Tamara continued, "is that we should see what you're capable of." The Meowth-Accelgor struck a heroic pose. "The hero of Gappei Village vs. Gappei's greatest mystery! One-on-one! A battle of skill and strength!"

Juniper raised a brow, quite curious. "The wager?" she asked.

"If you win, I'll make sure no one bothers you about your past. _Not that we'll stop trying to figure it out for ourselves…_ " she muttered under her breath. She continued, "But, if I win, you have to spill your guts. Everything you've been hiding from us."

Juniper slumped forward tiredly. "Aww, do I have to?" She rubbed her eye. "I'm kind of worn out from all the exercise."

 _What exercise?_ Wash thought in his head with a deadpan expression.

Tamara bared her teeth, glaring. "So, you refuse?"

Juniper sipped the last of her soda and threw it over her shoulder, landing in the trash can. She crossed her arms, then smirked. "Heh…as if."

Tamara smirked back. "Then may the better Fusion win."

"Selling yourself short already?" Juniper taunted lightly. She chuckled. "Ready when you are."

* * *

 _*Flashback, 4 years ago*_

" _Here you go," said the Glalie that handed an Ekans a bag full of berries. The Ekans thanked him and slithered off with the bag in his mouth. The Glalie turned his back from the counter and took a look at his stock._

 _Grandis City was rather quiet today. Not much on rogue Fusions causing trouble, so that was a plus. Even after eight years, Gappei Village was still getting a lot of hate for the Fusions they were bringing in. Some of the newcomers, according to the news, have been criminals and thieves. The village may be old, but the hate was still fresh in their minds._

" _Hello! Mister Glalie!" Glalie turned around. The voice was young sounding, so he expected a small child at the stall. They probably wanted a taste of the berries they sold. However, he got something completely different that soured his attitude._

 _A thirteen-year old Spinda with a bindle over her shoulder. Nothing harmless there, but then he took into account her whole appearance. She had added features to her appearance that made her resemble of Mienfoo. No doubt, he was facing a Fusion._

 _She grinned cheerfully. "Hey mister, how ya doing? Selling some fresh berries, I see!"_

 _Glalie glared, his mood turning hostile. "What do you want, Fusion?!"_

 _The Fusion made a face in response. "Yeesh!" She then laughed it off. "Someone's tense this morning. Bad harvest at the farm or something?"_

" _I have no time for your kind's presence."_

" _You sure? You seem to be wasting your own time yelling at me!" The Spinda-Mienfoo laughed._

" _Get out of here! NOW!" he ordered angrily._

 _She rolled her eyes, then narrowed them. "Someone forgot to add sugar to their coffee." She smiled. "I'll get out of your non-existent hair in a moment." Glalie grinded his teeth together, getting fed up with this Fusion's rude behavior. "All I ask is for the direction towards some village nearby."_

" _Excuse me?"_

 _The Fusion chuckled. "Let me tell you, the walk here was killer. Plus, I recently realized that Pokémon don't like it when you hitch a ride in their pickup truck. Thankfully, he was driving towards where I needed to go, so count myself lucky." She grinned. "So, about that village?"_

 _Glalie glared. "If it'll make you leave, it's near the forest outside the city. There's dirt path you can't miss." He leaned forward and growled. "Now get lost."_

 _The Fusion chuckled. "No problem! Thanks for your help!" She turned and skipped off towards the forest._

 _Glalie scoffed, then turned away from her. "Freak…"_

 _The young Fusion cheerfully made her way out of the city and skipped up the dirt path ahead. She whistled whimsically. Her bindle bag bounced with each skip she took._

 _She made it to the end of the dirt path after a few minutes, then looked straight up. Standing in her way was a large, wooden gate that fenced off her future home. The new home she spent weeks getting to. The journey she was tasked to complete was nearing its end. All she had to do now was step through._

 _She took a deep breath and sighed. "Alright Juniper, you can do this," she told herself. "Remember everything you were taught. This is the next phase of your life and you can't screw it up. He said that coming here meant forgetting my past. It is no longer important to me. What's important now is my present and my future."_

 _She took another deep breath, exhaled, then grinned determinedly. "Alright! Let's do this thing!"_

 _*Flashback Ends*_

* * *

Word spread quickly over the village about Tamara and Juniper's battle. This attracted the villagers to come to the battlefield where the fight will commence. Tamara and Juniper had to ask permission from Peregrine first since they were still on his training time. He allowed it as he felt it would be could practice to experience and observe.

Tamara was psyching herself up for the fight. She started off with some warmup stretches to get herself limber, before throwing punches at the air with finesse and speed, creating a strong breeze with each throw.

Her side of the battlefield cheered her on, though Spaz's voice was arguably the loudest. "WOO! GO TAMARA!" His eyes widened as he felt several eyes land on him, including Tamara's. He lowered his head and blushed brightly. He chuckled meekly and said softly, "Um…g-g-good luck, Tamara…"

Juniper didn't partake in the warmup training like her hut mate. Instead, she did her own warmup exercise: laying on the ground and staring up at the clouds.

She looked around at the passing clouds, then pointed up at one with a giddy smile. "Heh, that one looks like a cookie."

Wash stood on her side of the battlefield. In fact, he was one of few who was rooting for Juniper, joined in by Asadi and Dez. Everyone else was rooting for Tamara in hopes of learning Juniper's secret (and claiming their betted goods).

The Frogadier-Banette raised his fist and awkwardly cheered, "Uh…do your best, Juniper?"

Asadi chuckled at him. "Boy, someone's not in the spirit of things."

"I can't help it. It looks like everyone's ganging up on her."

Dez waved his concern off. "When you think of it like that, it makes everyone look like jerks. I mean, York, Quinn, Crawford, and just about everyone like Juniper. They just want to get to the root of her. Find out what makes her tick."

"So, you guys aren't interested in learning her secret?"

"Nah," Dez admitted.

Asadi crossed her arms. "I always root for my friends. Jun's my best friend, I would never root against her."

Wash smiled. "That's good, I guess." He narrowed his eyes. "Still, I wonder if she can battle on even grounds with Tamara. She's arrogant, sure, but she has the skills to back up her claims."

"You know Juniper can get pretty serious when she has to," Dez reminded. "Just stop worrying and enjoy the show."

The other side of the field was having a similar discussion. Emily crossed her arms. "This is stupid. No offense to Juniper, but I don't peg that girl for a fighter."

York chuckled. "You're in for a real eyeopener then. First time I met Juniper, I knew there was something more to her inside."

Emily raised a brow. "You think she's can beat Tamara?"

"I think she stands a chance, is what I'm saying."

Charlie smiled at Emily. "Lighten up, Em. Regardless of what happens, we get to see an awesome fight. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

She sighed. "I suppose not."

Dakota brought along a group of Fusion children to watch the battle. They were still young, but they were reaching that age where basic battle training was on the mind. She was hoping to start training them in the basics soon, so this was a good warmup. "Okay children, I want you all to watch Ms. Tamara and Ms. Juniper carefully. You get to see how the grownup Fusions fight."

Harper waved her paws excitedly. "YAY! I want to see explosions!"

Wantanabe bounced on the ground anxiously. "Oh, I really want to fight soon!"

Harper giggled. "If you do fight, I'll be rooting for you!"

Wantanabe smiled. "Thanks! Same to you!"

"Aww!"

Dakota laughed as the two Eevee Fusions were getting the other children excited. _Motivating them won't be difficult, at least._ She looked towards the battlefield. _Now, let's see what those two can do._

Tamara took a fighting stance, leering at the panda. "Are you ready, Juniper?!"

Juniper threw her feet up, then threw them forward to throw herself onto her feet. She smacked her lips together tiredly, then rubbed her eyes. She expressed blissful laziness on her face with an added smirk. "I suppose so."

Peregrine stepped up, acting as referee for the match. He raised his wings. "Alright, alright! Settle down!" He looked between the two girls. "Are both sides ready?"

Tamara nodded with a fierce glare. Juniper smiled lazily, then raised her arms. She took on a fighting stance, but the way she was standing had her teetering back and forth like she was about to fall over. Even so, she gave the nod.

"Very good. Then let the battle of Juniper and Tamara…BEGIN!"

Without missing a beat, Tamara sprinted forward at high speeds. "Aerial Ace!" Her fist glowed whitish-blue. She got in range of Juniper, then flicker vanished out of sight. She appeared all around the panda to throw her off, but Juniper wasn't reacting much to her fast movements.

Tamara appeared over her, then threw her fist down, aiming for the head. The impact was quick and obscured by a cloud of dust, with tiny bits of dirt flying at the crowd.

Crawford gasped. "A direct hit! That'll surely do some major damage to the lass!"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Don't be so sure."

The dust cleared, showing Tamara smirking with pride. However, her eyes widened in shock upon realizing she struck the ground. She looked to her left and saw Juniper standing right next to her, as if the attack merely slid against her.

Juniper looked down at Tamara. "…you missed."

Emily was taken back by this. "What the heck? Aerial Ace never misses!"

"It did hit her," Ren pointed out. "It just never hurt her."

Tamara flipped back, then channeled Aerial Ace through both fists. She lunged at Juniper and threw her punches. Juniper narrowed her eyes, then intercepted the attacks. She raised her hand and deflected the strike. The Aerial Ace slid against her hand and flew pass her cheek, nearly grazing it. Tamara sped around Juniper to attack from different angles, but Juniper was keeping track of her movements and deflecting each strike.

Tamara dropped to the ground and spun, attempting the sweep kick the panda. Juniper grinned. "Bounce." She sprung in the air, avoiding the sweep attack, then spun downward. Tamara flipped back, avoiding her kick. Juniper teetered around and raised her guard. Tamara lunged at her with Aerial Ace, but Juniper fell over just before the punch could hit, then adjusted her stance to straighten back up and slam her palm into the cat's face.

Codex analyzed the two as they fought. "Tamara is remarkably fast, yet Juniper's movements are rather erratic and uncoordinated. They have no notable pattern to how she'll fight back."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Who knew that girl had some fight in her?"

Tamara leaped into the air. "Water Shuriken!" She summoned four shuriken of water, then threw them at Juniper.

The Spinda Fusion smirked, then relaxed her body. Like a tree in the wind, she avoided the Water Shuriken with swaying movements.

"Aerial Ace!" Tamara sprinted at Juniper and flicker vanished. She appeared in front of Juniper and threw the punch.

"Sucker Punch." Juniper extended her foot out, then pivoted on it. Her fast spin made it appear as if she vanished in an instant for Tamara. With this, Juniper struck her elbow against Tamara's cheek and sent her flying across the battlefield.

Wash's jaw dropped. "Whoa…"

Tamara flipped onto her feet and rubbed her cheek. "Ugh…Recover." A white aura appeared over her and healed off her injuries. She narrowed her eyes, then sprinted. "Night Slash!"

Juniper continued to dodge her strikes. Like how Codex described it, Juniper's movements were unorthodox in terms of typical combat dodging. One could easily compare her to a drunk Pokémon trying to keep their balance. In her case, she was putting up little resistance and making herself a near impossible target.

Tamara jumped and kicked her feet at Juniper's face, but she leaned back to avoid it. She tumbled backwards, waving her arms like a bird, then regained her balance.

Tamara narrowed her eyes, then dashed off to the left. Juniper narrowed her eyes as the blue blur sped around her. Juniper closed her arms and listened for the movements, before spinning around and catching Tamara's Aerial Ace in her hands. The two traded smirks, then jumped away from each other.

Tamara formed two Water Shuriken, then threw them along the ground. Juniper pulled her fists back. Cold energy wrapped around them, turning her fists icy blue. "Ice Punch!" She threw two sharp punches. They collided with the Water Shuriken and destroyed them in a flurry of ice particles.

Tamara crossed her arms and smirked. "Heh. I knew it. Underneath all that lazy attitude and sleepy demeanor, there is a fighter under that smile."

Juniper straightened herself up and smiled lightly. "Heh, I guess so."

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "In that case, let me show you what a true fighter is capable of. Agility!" Her eyes glowed blue, then she vanished.

Juniper quickly looked around as she heard bursts of air around her. They sounded like mini sonic booms. She held up her guard, staying vigilant.

"Night Slash!"

A purple slash mark slashed her across the torso, surprising her. Another slash hit her, spinning her around. A series of slashes attacked her from seemingly nowhere, dealing precise hits for maximum damage. Juniper merely took it, not bothering to put up her guard.

Some of the Fusions were able to follow Tamara's burst of speed. Spaz kept track of her movements, commenting, "Man…she's amazing!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "All that boasting amounts to something of substance."

Emily closed her eyes. "Guess that's that. There's no way she can keep up with Tamara now."

York smirked. "Don't underestimate Juniper just yet. The fight's not over."

Tamara appeared under Juniper and slashed her upwards, knocking her into the air. She leaped and unleashed a flurry of slashes onto the Spinda Fusion. "So Juniper, what do you think of my speed now?!"

The ninja cat gasped when Juniper suddenly grabbed her by the wrists. She looked her in the eyes and smiled childishly. "Eh, eight out of ten?" She contorted her body and spun around, swinging the Meowth-Accelgor around like an out-of-control Hitmontop. She aimed for the ground and threw Tamara straight into the ground. The impact collapsed the ground into a crater.

Tamara jumped out, but Juniper came flying down like a spinning top. She slapped her hands against the ninja cat and knocked her over. Juniper landed on her feet, then slammed her palm down on the cat. "Force Palm!"

Tamara gasped in pain as the yellow energy wave flashed and fired through her. The Force Palm's light was blinding, making everyone cover their eyes. The ground collapsed underneath Tamara and dug her into a deep hole.

Once the flash died, everyone was able to see the aftermath. The edges of the hole smoked from the blast, cracking outward.

Juniper waved her smoking hand, then folded her arms behind her back. She looked down with a lazy smile. "Sorry Tam. Better luck next time." She spun around, then skipped away.

Blue eyes leered through the darkness of the hole, glaring in fury.

"Lalalala…" Juniper sung to herself. She stopped singing and furrowed her brow in confusion, hearing something from behind. She turned around, then saw a light breeze flowing out of the hole. Suddenly, the hole exploded with a blue tornado of speed and rage. Rage fueled by a cry, a roar, of fury.

The wind blew across the field, hitting Juniper and the crowd. Peregrine covered his face with a wing, glaring. "Someone's been doubling her training!"

Ulysses gulped. "Oh n-n-no…Tamara's mad…"

Wash squinted through the dust flying at her. "I'm starting to worry about Juniper!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine!" Asadi shouted. "Heh, half-sure, at least!"

The tornado dispersed, then Tamara landed on the ground on all fours. She leered up at Juniper, snarling. "So, you want to play games with me, huh?!"

Juniper blinked. "Is…that a rhetorical question?"

Tamara ignored her question as she powered herself up with Agility. Psychic energy traveled over her body, increasing her movement speed drastically. She planned on beating Juniper, no matter what.

"If it's games you want, then it's games you'll get! Let's play my favorite game!" She glared. "Keep your Eye on the Ninja Cat!"

She kicked off the ground and sped towards Juniper at near untraceable speeds. Juniper lazily put up her guard, but was surprised when Tamara vanished from sight. She looked around and saw the cat kicking off multiple surfaces around them. Ground, huts, trees; anything she could kick off. She ricocheted off everything continuously with a blue streak following her every movement.

As her speed picked up, the blue streak became more solid looking. The web of streaks transformed into a cyclone prison wrapping around the battlefield, with wind being pushed out and hitting the crowd at full force.

Spaz was nearly sent flying as the wind crashed into him. He flailed his arms wildly as he teetered on his heels. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Hawkins crossed his arms as the wind pushed him back. "D-Dang! How fast is this chick?!"

Sheila gritted her teeth as she held her arms over her face. She looked over her shoulder and saw the winds were hitting the huts. "Better hope she has control over it, because she's a sonic boom away from tearing the huts apart!"

Within the cyclone, Juniper was staring up at the blue streaks curiously. She folded her arms behind her back, tilting her head. She could feel the rage emanating off of Tamara. A prideful, competitive Fusion who refused to lose. Who refused to show fear. Who refused to quit.

Juniper narrowed her eyes. "Hmm…"

* * *

 _*Flashback, 4 years ago*_

 _Walking around the village, in the middle of beautiful sunny afternoon, was Quinn and Artemis, with the former discussing plans he wanted to do. While Quinn looked the same, Artemis was an Eevee-Scrafty at the time. An Eevee with a hoodie-like membrane over her body and a red strip of fur going down the middle of her head._

 _Quinn smiled. "So, what do you think?"_

 _Artemis tapped her chin in thought. "Video game tournament, eh? Who's being invited?"_

" _Eh, anyone we can get. I'm sure Chris and Asadi would be cool with it. You and me can go around and invite anyone who's interested."_

 _Artemis smiled. "Good enough for me. This is a pretty cool idea, Quinn."_

 _Quinn looked away with a tint of pink in his cheeks. He chuckled to himself. "It's not a big deal."_

 _Artemis grinned deviously. "I wonder if I can pull of some cheap tactics to win." She caught sight of the Charmeleon-Darkrai's disapproving glare. She grinned sheepishly. "I mean I'm looking forward to a good, honest tournament."_

 _Quinn rolled his eyes and chuckled. He looked ahead and saw York passing by. "Oh, hey York!" The armored lizard looked over his shoulder. His face was expressionless, even cold. "Artemis and I are planning a video game tournament later! You in or what?" He started at the nightmare lizard, then continued on his way wordlessly. Quin deadpanned. "Right, uh…good talking to you."_

 _Artemis snickered. "Someone's still acting like a brooding loner."_

 _Quinn gently pushed her. "Hey, knock it off. You weren't any better when you first arrived." She stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm serious, York just needs a little space and he'll warm up to us."_

" _He's right, you know! He'll be a lot more talkative once he gets into the swing of things!"_

 _Quinn smiled. "See? Even she agrees with…me…" Quinn and Artemis blinked, then turned towards the Spinda-Mienfoo Fusion in surprise._

 _She chuckled. "Granted, with how he's acting, he may need a push in the right direction!" She patted Quinn's shoulder. "Let me tell you, I think he needs someone to brighten up his day! Don't you think?"_

 _Quinn and Artemis stared at her, slack-jawed and confused. They tried to get a word in, but the Fusion was speaking a mile a minute._

" _Hey, I know! I'll go talk to him and give him a big smile to cheer up his brooding attitude! I'll tell you how it goes later! Let's do lunch later!" She pointed at them with a click of her tongue. "I'll save you two some seats! See you later!" She skipped after York._

 _Quinn and Artemis watched the Fusion skip off in bewilderment. They turned to each other. "Who…was that?"_

" _I…have no clue," Artemis admitted._

 _York kept his eyes shut as he walked through the village. He heard someone coming up behind him, but he chose to ignore it. However, it was hard to ignore a Spinda Fusion leaping at you from behind and hooking their arm around your neck._

" _Hello, Yorky boy! What's shaking?"_

 _York sneered at her and pushed her off. "Who the heck are you?"_

 _Juniper simply laughed. "Boy, someone's crabby today." She grabbed his cheeks and squished them together. "Yeesh, you don't smile a whole lot, do you? Would it kill you to crack a grin?"_

 _York growled and pulled his fist back. "Would you get lost?!" He threw it at her, but Juniper pivoted on her foot and spun around him, vanishing from his line of sight. "Wha-?!" He nearly tripped over his own feet, but Juniper grabbed him by the frills and pulled him back up._

 _She giggled. "Someone's hostile."_

" _What's going on?" The two turned and saw Shane and Chris walking over to see what the commotion was about._

 _York stepped away from Juniper and growled. "This weirdo just came out of nowhere and invaded my personal space!"_

 _Juniper grinned with her hands behind her back. "Hey, I'm not the one acting all broody. You had it coming."_

" _H-Had it coming?!" York clenched his teeth. "What is that supposed to-?!"_

 _Chris held him back. "Alright, that's enough, York." He raised a brow at Juniper. "Who are you, anyway?"_

 _Juniper chuckled. "I would love to tell you, but I'm starving. I was going to ask if Yorky boy here wanted to join me for lunch." She smiled. "Invitations still open if you're interested. In fact," she pointed at Shane and Chris, "you two can join me, too!"_

 _Shane blinked in surprise. "Um, um, um, but-!"_

 _She patted his back, laughing. "Oh, don't act so shy, buddy! It'll be a great time!" She turned around and skipped off. "See you guys later!"_

 _The three Fusions were left dumbfounded by the energetic girl. Quinn and Artemis walked over to them, still expressing surprise. "Well…that happened," Artemis stated._

" _Who the heck is she?!" York shouted angrily._

 _Quinn held his chin. "Her behavior towards us was rather odd. She acted like we know her or something."_

" _Never seen her before in my life, so that's out of the question," Artemis said._

 _Shane scratched his head. "Maybe she's just really friendly."_

" _That much makes sense, but she didn't look remotely fazed by York's aggressive attitude," Chris pointed out._

 _York rolled his eyes with a bitter expression. "Gee, thanks…"_

" _What's all the chitchat down here?" They looked up and saw Tamara landing in front of them. "I heard yelling over here and thought someone was in trouble."_

" _If by trouble you mean an invading Fusion, then yes," York coldly explained._

 _Tamara blinked, then crossed her arms. "Okay, what's going on?"_

" _Some weirdo came out of nowhere and chatted up a storm," Artemis explained. "She was acting so…unnaturally cheery, it was disturbing. She was acting like some stupid airhead."_

 _Tamara narrowed her brows curiously. She rubbed her chin. "Odd, I didn't hear anything about a new Fusion in the village."_

 _Shane shrugged. "Neither did I. Maybe she snuck in."_

" _Safe bet, I suppose." Tamara looked at everyone. "Did she come off as dangerous?"_

" _No, but she_ is _pretty annoying," Artemis admitted._

" _And irritating," York mumbled._

 _Tamara raised a brow. "I take it none of you hold her in any high regards?"_

 _Quinn shrugged. "I mean, if you met her, you'd get where we're coming from. It just seems weird to meet a Fusion here THAT happy. It's almost unnatural."_

" _Hmm…" Tamara looked off to her left. She tapped her foot against the ground as she thought. "Hmm…well, if that's the case, then how about we see what she wants?"_

 _York deadpanned. "She's just going to drive you crazy."_

" _You really need to work on that attitude problem of yours," she advised. She posed proudly. "Besides, as the shining symbol of justice for Gappei Village, it is my job to know my fellow companions! I shall meet with this Fusion and speak with her myself!"_

 _Quinn smiled lightly. "Of course you are."_

 _*Flashback Ends*_

* * *

Juniper stared at the swirling vortex around her, reflecting on her moments up until now. _Huh. Looking back, I came off as pretty strange to everyone. Guess some folks don't like their personal space being disturbed._ She looked at the crowd of Fusions who were pushing against the high winds of Tamara's speed, then turned towards the three Fusions rooting for her. Juniper clicked her tongue, then smiled.

 _Heh, even so, I don't regret coming off as irritable or annoying. Gets a good laugh out of me looking back._ She chuckled to herself. _Heh, good times. I'm glad everything turned out the way it did. So many great friends and a sweet, kind, considerate roommate._

"Quit daydreaming, you lazy weirdo!" The blue streak that is Tamara bounced off the ground beneath Juniper and struck her in the gut, knocking her into the air. Tamara unsheathed her claws and activated Night Slash, attacking from every possible angle.

Wash nearly fell over from the wind. "Juniper!" he shouted.

Asadi placed sunglasses over her eyes to block the incoming dust. "Yeesh, she's going all out against her."

Tamara struck relentlessly at the Spinda Fusion. She took the damage with a blank expression, then smiled. _Oh well, guess I should put some effort into it._

Tamara went in for another strike, but Juniper stuck her palm out and blocked it with Force Palm, canceling out the attack and ending the cyclone. Juniper landed on her feet and raced towards the descending ninja. Tamara formed two Water Shuriken and threw them, then activated Aerial Ace.

Juniper smirked and spun as she ran. Her spinning momentum allowed her to 'catch' the Water Shuriken between her palms, then redirect them back at Tamara. The ninja cat dodged and flew at the dizzy fighter, slamming Aerial Ace against her. Juniper was able to pull her hands up and blocked the attack. She still felt the hit, but reduced the damage.

She gripped the cat's wrist and spun, throwing her in the air. She pressed her palms together and closed her eyes. "Meditate." A blue aura surrounded her, boosting her attack. She opened her eyes into a sharp glare, smiling, and dashed forward. "Ice Punch!"

Tamara landed and flicker vanished, appearing behind Juniper. "Aerial Ace!"

Juniper quickly spun around and blocked the punch. Tamara channeled Aerial Ace through her foot and slammed it against the panda's side. Juniper tumbled across the field like a ragdoll, crashing ungracefully. She blinked, mildly surprised by the hit.

Juniper picked herself up, then narrowed her eyes. She spun around and blocked an Aerial Ace kick. "Drain Punch!" Juniper pivoted on her foot and slammed the energy draining fist against the ninja's face. Tamara tumbled across the ground, but adjusted her stance and stopped herself.

She glared at the panda, who smiled lazily. Tamara squinted and saw Juniper's injuries were healing up, even after Drain Punch. "Her Regenerator ability must be kicking in." She activated Night Slash and sprinted. "Then I'll just have to strike harder and faster!"

Tamara slashed, but Juniper leaned back and avoided the attack. "Bounce." She sprung off the ground, kicking Tamara in the chin, and landed against a tree. She then sprung off, spinning towards her like a drill. Tamara caught her by the feet and endured the spinning friction before clutching her ankle and slamming her down.

Juniper barely caught herself on her hands. She pushed off the ground, then slammed her palm against Tamara. "Force Palm!" The energy wave pushed the ninja cat away.

Tamara kept her stance and glared at Juniper. The two stared each other down, then raised their fists. Aerial Ace and Drain Punch powered up, then they ran at each other.

Their fists collided with each other repeatedly, scattering waves of blue and green energy. Tamara came close to breaking through Juniper's guard, but the Spinda Fusion was using her deflection/dodging technique to evade her strikes.

Juniper pivoted on her foot and attempted to backhand Tamara, but the ninja cat used Agility to increase her speed again and dodged. She appeared above and fired down Water Shuriken. Juniper switched to Ice Punch and shattered the incoming shuriken.

Tamara landed and used Aerial Ace through a kick, which Juniper blocked. Tamara pulled out Night Slash and sprinted at her. Juniper pulled her hand back and charged Force Palm. They narrowed their eyes at each other before throwing their attacks and colliding.

They were both thrown off their feet and tumbled across the field, stopping near the edges.

"Whoa!" Harper exclaimed. "That was so cool!" she squealed.

"Do it again!" Wantanabe cheered.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. _They're really going at it with each other. I'm surprised Juniper is able to keep up with Tamara for this long._

The two fighters picked themselves up and panted. Juniper let out a big yawn and smiled. "Heh, this is a lot of fun. Why didn't anyone tell me battling could be exciting?"

Tamara clenched her teeth. "Is this still a game to you?!"

"Well, this is just a wager battle, so…"

Tamara shut her eyes angrily. "ARGH! Why are you always like this?! Does everything mean nothing to you?! Do you have more than one basic emotion?!"

Juniper's smile dipped a bit. "Tamara-"

Tamara slapped her hands together and formed a hand sign. "Rain Dance!"

Storm clouds materialized from the sky. Rain poured down on them and the crowd. The kids covered their heads while the older Fusions paid attention to the tension forming between the two hut mates.

Tamara formed four Water Shuriken, which expanded in size thanks to Rain Dance's water boosting properties. "Why won't you tell us who you were? Don't you trust us?!"

Juniper blinked. Her expression was blank. No smile, but no frown.

Tamara groaned. "Forget it! I'm getting that secret out of you one way or my way!" She threw the Water Shuriken at her.

Juniper smiled lightly, then lifted her arms. She spun the Water Shuriken around like last time and threw them back at Tamara. However, much to her surprise, all that was left of Tamara was a splash of water where she was standing. As soon as the Water Shuriken exploded on impact, Juniper looked up and saw Tamara with her claws extended, glowing blue.

Ulysses gulped. "Tamara…"

Tamara clenched her teeth and raised her claws. "Have a taste of my Fusion Move! Stinger Wave!" She spun her body vertically and unleashed a rain of blue needles.

Juniper gasped, then raised her arms. She swung them wildly, deflected as many needles as she could. However, their numbers were overwhelming. Needles jabbed into her skin, hindering her movements enough to let more hit her. She covered her head and let them rain down on her.

The Stinger Wave ended, letting Juniper look up at the needles covering her and surrounding her on the ground. She reached for one to pluck it out, but her eyes widened when they started glowing. She covered herself again just before the needles exploded into a thick cloud of water vapor.

Tamara held her arm over her eyes to block the vapor. The crowd gasped in shock. Harper frowned. "Is Juniper okay?" she whimpered.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Juniper…"

Tamara panted heavily. The rain was matting down her soaked fur. Other than the murmuring of the crowd, all she could hear was the raindrops falling. She sighed and asked, "Why…Why won't you be honest with us? Don't you trust us?"

Juniper's figure could be seen from within the vapor. With the brief pause in the fight, her Regenerator ability was able to kick in. Juniper looked through the vapor with a considerate look, then smiled warmly.

* * *

 _*Flashback, 4 years ago*_

 _Juniper got herself a tray of berries from the lunch line and sat herself down at a table. She rubbed her hands together excitedly. "Oh boy! Lunch looks great today!" The other Fusions around her stared in confusion, then turned to each other asking if anyone knew her._

 _She managed to get one Fusion to sit with her. The one and only Ren, who was smiling with joy. "How are you liking it here so far, Juniper?"_

 _She smiled. "This place is great! Thanks, Ren!"_

" _Aw shucks, you're welcome!"_

 _Tamara and the others entered the mess hall. The ninja cat spotted the Spinda Fusion. "There she is."_

 _Artemis looked around with a bored look. "Huh, I'm guessing no one knows who she is."_

" _Odd, normally newcomers get checked in by Cade," Tamara mumbled._

" _At least she got one Fusion to eat with her," Quinn said with a chuckle. It wasn't a surprise Ren was the first Fusion to actually greet her._

 _York rolled his eyes. "Great, fantastic, she has a friend. Can we go now?"_

 _Tamara shook her head. "No, we still need to have a word with her. It's our duty as Gappei residents to welcome newcomers."_

" _She acts like she's been here for years!" York complained. "Doesn't that come off as weird to you?!"_

" _Highly extroverted, yes, but not weird." She crossed her arms. "Honestly, it's like her happiness is scaring all of you."_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes. "This is the first time we got a visitor that overly cheerful. It's…off-putting."_

 _Tamara got behind and pushed them towards Juniper's table. "Well, her high-spirited energy will be welcomed here!"_

 _Juniper and Ren were deep in conversation, laughing, when they saw the Fusions being dragged over. Juniper smiled and waved. "Hey guys! Glad you made it! Come on, have a seat!"_

 _Tamara nudged them into the seats, then sat down herself. She sighed, then smiled back. "So, you're the new Fusion I've been hearing about."_

" _Uh huh!" she exclaimed. "Word got around fast, I see!"_

 _Tamara chuckled. "Not too hard, really. You made quite the impression when you arrived."_

 _Juniper giggled. "Oh, that? That's how I greet most folks I meet. A hug and a big ol' smile!" She pointed at beaming expression._

 _Tamara leaned forward. "You're rather friendly."_

" _Why wouldn't I be? I love friends!" She chuckled. "Though, maybe I came off a little strong."_

" _You think?" York muttered. Tamara shot him a glare, but Juniper responded to his comment._

" _Aw, don't be like that, Yorky boy. You could crack a grin." She closed her eyes and chuckled. "I mean, acting broody seems cool on paper, but it's not a good look for you." She leaned back in her seat. "You should chill out and take some naps." York raised a brow and tried to say something but Juniper yawned aloud. "Ooooh, excuse me, I can get pretty tired sometimes."_

 _Tamara shook her head. "Not a problem." She held her hand out. "My name's Tamara. And you are?"_

 _Juniper grinned and shook her hand. "Juniper. The name's Juniper. A pleasure to meet you, Tammy!"_

 _Tamara chuckled awkwardly. "Tamara is just fine." She pulled away and crossed her arms over the table. "So, Juniper? What brings you to Gappei Village?"_

 _Juniper leaned back. "Well, a friend recommended the place to me. He wasn't too keen on coming here himself, but he's told me quite a bit about Gappei Village and its goal for a better life. So, I said 'Eh, why not'."_

 _Tamara raised a brow. "You said your friend wasn't keen on coming here. Is he a Fusion?"_

 _Juniper giggled. "That's not important. What is important is that I'm here to stay." She pulled a diet cola out of her membrane sleeve. "Managed to snag these off the plane I took. Score!" She opened it and took a big gulp._

 _Tamara chuckled. "Right. So, you came here just to have a new home?"_

" _That, and my friend said the community would love me here." She set her can down. "I've heard the stories about the Pokémon being cruel towards you guys. Sounds rough thinking about it." She beamed happily. "That's why I'm here! I came here to bring some positivity to this gloomy atmosphere!"_

 _Ren grinned and wrapped his arms around her. "My gosh, you're like the best friend I've always wanted!" Quinn and Artemis narrowed their eyes. "Heh…no offense, guys." They rolled their eyes and chuckled._

 _Juniper laughed. "It's true. I want to be there for everyone here, whether they're angry or sad. I want to bring smiles to all my new friends!"_

 _Tamara smirked. "Tall order you're offering. Not all of us came here for good reasons."_

 _Juniper giggled. "Believe me, that doesn't matter to me."_

" _Heh. Doesn't anything bother you?"_

 _Juniper clicked her tongue in thought. "Hmm…well, I suppose one thing does…"_

 _*Flashback Ends*_

* * *

Juniper looked down at the ground. Her soaked fur matted against her body. The vapor passed, allowing her to get a good look at Tamara. Juniper took a deep breath, then sighed before flashing a small smile. "Tamara…I don't want anyone knowing about my past."

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "…why?"

"Because…believe it or not, that's the one thing that worries me." Tamara was taken back by this. Juniper chuckled. "Surprised you, didn't I?" She shrugged. "It's true. Sure, some of you are thieves. Some of you were abused. Some of you killed. What do I have to hide?" She shook her head. "But…I don't want anyone to think differently of me."

Tamara lowered her guard. "Juniper…"

"If I didn't know anything about you, Tamara, I would just believe you're an overly passionate hero." She smiled sympathetically. "But I know who you are. You're a hero…so no one has to go through the same dark reality you had to suffer from. That's why you want to know who I am, right? Because you want to know I'm okay?"

Tamara's eyes narrowed softly. "Jun…"

Juniper shook her head. "What I do is not an act. This is the real me. The…new me. The me I want to be." Juniper chuckled. "I came here to forget my past, that's it. I came here to help everyone get out of their sadness, whether I have to make them laugh…or just give them a hug."

Tamara clenched her teeth. Her eyes watered. "Stop trying to make me cry!"

Juniper raised her arm as ice energy wrapped around it. "I'm lazy. I'm weird. I'm fun-loving. That's who I want to be." She grinned. "I won't stop your betting circle. If you all want to know who I am, and if you all truly care about me, then you'll have to work for it. No hints from me. No answers."

She raised her fist and smirked. "Because I'm too lazy to care! Ice Punch!" She struck her fist against the ground with a sliding motion and swiped it across the wet grass.

The ice energy flew off her fist and traveled down to Tamara in a straight line. Tamara was caught off guard from Juniper's speech that she had little time to dodge. She jumped away, but the energy exploded and splashed a spray of water at her. Frost formed over Tamara's body, stiffening her movements.

"C…Crud!" she yelled as she tried to move her arms.

Emily gasped. "How did she do that?!"

Codex's eyes lit up. "Ingenious! Juniper used the rain water to extend the reach of her Ice Punch. When the energy dispersed, it sent water droplets that were super cooled to the point of freezing. Remarkable strategy!"

Tamara continued to struggle out of the ice while Juniper walked over calmly. She chuckled. "I suppose I should be honored to be Gappei's greatest mystery. Makes me happy that I have so many friends who are that interested in me." She closed her eyes. "I love it here, and I want to continue being a symbol for the village. You're the symbol of justice. I'm the symbol of hope." She raised her hands and took a stance. "So, sorry I have to do this to you." She took a step forward, and lunged.

"Consecutive Flow!"

Tamara gasped in pain as Juniper unleashed a barrage of palm strikes against her. The strikes were enough to shatter the ice covering her, but she could do little to stop Juniper's attack. She threw an Aerial Ace, but Juniper's fast movements were hard to make out, allowing the Spinda Fusion to deflect the punch without stopping.

Consecutive Flow was a remarkable move for Juniper. Combining her skill in martial arts with her dizzy movements, she was not only strong, but near impossible to hit. She was spinning around the ninja cat and appearing as if there were multiple clones of her.

Palm strikes from every direction, building up damage. Juniper eventually threw one palm strike that sent Tamara off her feet. Juniper then leaped into the air and came spinning down with Drain Punch. Tamara crossed her arms while also activating Stinger Wave.

The punch came down…and stopped.

Tamara blinked in confusion. The Drain Punch deactivated, then Juniper let out a hand for her friend. She smiled friendly, but with a bit of boastfulness mixed in. "I win!"

Tamara was utterly stunned. Her eye twitched, leading everyone to believe she was going to snap. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed. An honest, delighted laugh. Juniper laughed along with her. This got the crowd laughing as well, if only in relief that Tamara didn't lose her head.

Tamara took the hand and was pulled up. "You…" She let out the last of her laughs. "You are such a weirdo."

Juniper grinned. "And proud of it!"

Tamara dusted herself off. "I concede defeat. As promised, I won't bother you about your past anymore." She smirked. "Doesn't mean I'll stop trying to figure it out."

Juniper shrugged. "Suit yourself. I just don't want anyone to think differently of me."

"Fair enough." Tamara smiled warmly. "You really meant that stuff you said back there?"

Juniper held her hips. "What can I say? I'm adorable." She snorted a laugh, then said, "But seriously, all I want to do is bring some positivity to all this dreariness. I know things are tough now, but I'm not one to let it get to me." She smiled kindly. "If anyone ever needs a friend to comfort them, you know I'll always be there to lend some help."

Tamara smiled back. "You're a good friend, Juniper."

The crowd ran over to congratulate the two on their battle, earning some bashful replies from the girls.

Asadi patted Juniper's back. "Jun, that was awesome. Neat battle style you had there!"

Juniper grinned. "Thanks! I kind of picked it up from some martial art I overheard about. I think it's called zui quan or something." She shrugged. "Eh, whatever."

Wash smiled. "Well, I say you did great. You had me a little worried there for a moment."

Juniper folded her hands behind her back and dragged her foot. "Aw shucks, worried about little ol' me? You're too sweet."

Wash heard snickering behind him and turned around. Some of the Fusions were looking at him funny. "What?"

Spaz tried to hold his laughs down. "N-N…Nothing!" He snorted and slapped both hands over his mouth.

Wash blinked in confusion. Juniper, however, turned away from the ghost frog, with a tint of pink in her cheeks. She giggled quietly.

Tamara punched Juniper's shoulder. "How about next time we have another battle?" She took a stance. "I know I can take you on again!"

Juniper smirked. "I'd be delighted." She chuckled. "Heck, I might actually start training. That was a lot of fun. Almost as fun as sleeping." She inhaled and let out a big yawned. "Huh, well…almost." She teetered around on her feet.

Tamara blinked. "Jun, are you o-?" The Spinda Fusion collapsed in front of her feet. She was worried for a moment, then sweatdropped when she heard her snoring. The ninja cat pinched between her eyes with an exasperated grin. _Why am I not surprised?_

Quinn smiled as Ulysses picked Juniper up in his wings. _She's right. We did need someone to shine some light into the somber atmosphere. Count ourselves lucky for having a Fusion like her around._

Juniper snored in Ulysses' wings. Even as she slept, she could hear everyone's pleasant voices clearly. A content, pleased smile formed.


	12. Hunting for Disaster

It was early in the morning, with the Fusions doing their usual training. Nothing different until Liam got a phone call from Julian. This was announced to the village, so training was put on delay until the mission was assigned. This time, it was York, Wash, and Sheila being called in for the mission, much to their excitement.

Though, York was a little iffy about going back to the city. Being a former member of the Rogues and his departure have left a pretty bad image of himself. The Rogues believed he hightailed it out of the city to a different region, which he was aiming for. Coming to the village was his way of staying low and out of anything Rogue related. For his sake, this mission didn't require tracking down active members of the Rogues.

The three Fusions were brought into the councilmen hut and sat down at the end of the table. All six members of the council were present and ready to hand out their mission.

Liam cupped his hands together and started out with some small talk. "Well, how do you three feel? Your first mission from Mr. Roteman. Must be exciting."

Sheila chuckled lightly. "To be honest, I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I don't want to mess up."

Peregrine scoffed. "And you better not. I don't want my training to be all for nothing, you know."

She laughed awkwardly. "Err…of course, sir."

Wash crossed his arms. "So, what's on today's agenda? Helping the elderly? Save some workers trapped under a construction site?"

Lewis shook his head. "No, nothing like that."

Cade folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. "Actually, this mission is right up your alley. There are two rogue Fusions on the loose causing trouble."

Abraham leaned back and waved his hand around. "Trashing buildings, stealing cars, vandalism; they're doing everything they can to infuriate the city. They're unethical, loud, unpleasant-"

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Basically, you're dealing with unlawful teenagers who need a good smacking." He narrowed his eyes with a smirk. "Maybe I should hunt them down instead…" He ran his wing across his leek, chuckling darkly.

Gracelyn sweat-dropped with a nervous smile. "Uh, perhaps not." She turned to the three Fusions. "Now, according to Julian, the police have no leads on their current whereabouts. I suggest taking the time to investigate the crime scenes. They should be able to identify the Fusions you're looking for."

Sheila nodded. "That would be helpful."

York raised his hand. "I'm still a bit iffy about heading into the city. If the Rogues see me…"

Lewis shrugged. "Personally, I see no issue with it. The Rogues have been mostly inactive for the last two weeks. You shouldn't have to worry about being spotted."

"Better safe than sorry, personally," York said.

Cade smiled. "Oh, fair enough. If you want, you can do into the city disguised."

York smiled back. "Thank you, sir."

Liam tapped his staff on the floor. "Meeting adjourned. I suggest you get going, you three."

"Yes sir!" They stood up from their seats and exited the hut.

Peregrine twirled his leek in his wing with an annoyed expression. "Ugh, Fusions these days get more and more violent. Why couldn't we have them track down one who was performing unlawful protests? And least then, it wouldn't give us that much of a bad image."

Abraham scratched his chin. "I do find it strange two Fusions are causing this much trouble. They're painting targets on their backs."

"They're attention seekers, don't be so surprised."

"I would assume rogue Fusions would be cautious of the police," Abraham said.

Lewis crossed his arms. "Well, the Rogues put on spectacles when they're out and about. Still, if it's anything worth looking into, I'm sure York and his group will get to the bottom of it."

Liam nodded. "Lewis is right. We must have patience and wait to see how the events play out." He rubbed his chin. "Though, even I'm curious as to what the Rogues could be up to given their inactivity. They must be working on a smaller scale." He shook his head. "Whatever the case may be, it isn't an issue to concern ourselves with."

* * *

In the city was an apartment building, which the residents either sleeping or getting ready to start their day. One these Pokémon getting ready to start their day was a female Charmeleon.

Her alarm blared loudly, stirring her from her sleep. With an annoyed groan, she slapped her hand down on the snooze button, ending the insufferable beeping. She threw her blankets off and pulled herself out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

She turned to the phone on her nightstand and picked it up. She turned the screen on, then immediately rolled her eyes. Six new messages were displayed on her screen, each reminding her she had to be ready for her events later.

She pinched between her eyes. _Ugh, he won't give me a break._ She chose to ignore them and set the phone back down on the nightstand. She jumped off her bed and went up to her closet. She reached in and pulled a dark yellow hoodie, jeans, and sunglasses.

She placed the items on and looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled in satisfaction. _Barely recognizable._

She grabbed her apartment keys and wallet, placing them in her pockets. She pulled the hood up, then headed for the front door. She walked out, then locked the door behind her.

She sighed tiredly. _I just want to relax for the day. I can worry about the events later. I just want to get something to eat and enjoy my day without any interruptions._ She inhaled deeply, then slid her hands into her hoodie pockets as she walked down the hall.

* * *

A half hour after the briefing, York, Wash, and Sheila were walking out of the forest and making their way to the city. York was the only one in disguise, wearing a hoodie with the hood up and long pants. They mostly covered his added features.

They walked among the Pokémon, who merely shot small glares. The hostility between them has sensed died down a bit with their frequent comings and goings, so the Pokémon were growing use to their visits. Even so, most were still indifferent about the Fusions. This didn't bother the three Fusions as they kept their focus on the mission.

Sheila looked around curiously. "Hmm, the city looks a lot different in person. And bigger."

"Looks pretty much the same to me," York muttered. He glanced off to the side, looking up at the building roofs. "Heck, I remember running across those buildings whenever I was…err, 'collecting' stuff."

Sheila smiled wryly at him. "Oh, we know." The Heliolisk-Haxorus rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. She looked ahead and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Now, where should we start looking?"

"If I remember correctly, they were vandalizing buildings. There should be a crime scene up ahead," Wash said.

York nodded. "Best place to start." They picked up the pace and went to look for the crime scene.

It didn't take long to find the scene since anything that involved Fusion mischief brought along protesters. All they had to do was follow the sound of critical Pokémon waving picket signs and they found their destination.

They turned a corner and found the scene. Yellow tape sectioned off a building that had slash marks in the walls, along with fist-shaped craters smashed through. Glass doors and windows were shattered inside and outside the building. The sidewalk in front of it was slashed up as well.

However, what seemed to infuriate the Pokémon the most was graffiti sprayed all over the front entrance. Words like 'Anarchy' and 'Destruction' popped out, along with snake figures wrapping around various Pokémon and constricting them with sinister grins.

York, Wash, and Sheila walked up to the scene with curious glares. "They did a number of this place," York commented.

Wash crossed his arms. "I'm surprised they managed to do all of this without being spotted or captured."

"Hey, you three!" Their attentions turned to a Drapion walking up to them. He wore a police cap. "What do you three want?!"

Sheila saluted to him. "Sorry for the intrusion, sir. We're here on the request of Julian Roteman, so…"

Drapion eased up, then exhaled in annoyance. "Ugh, say no more." He held his face and shook it. "Why didn't I see this coming?"

Wash looked around the Drapion as he was obscuring the crime scene. "So, those two Fusions you're after did all of this?"

Drapion sighed and crossed his arms. "Yeah, pretty much. They highjacked a stolen vehicle and tore up several buildings like this one, along with a couple fast food joints." He glared. "Those damn brats…if I could, I'd zap them unconscious and throw them in my squad car."

Wash raised a brow. "Right. Well, is there anywhere else they may have been at?"

"We got some complaints at the Main Street parking garage. Didn't take long to realize it was those two Fusions."

York held his hand against his chest. "Sir, let us check out the parking garage. Mr. Roteman wants us to help out. For the most part, we're your best option to apprehend these Fusions. We can handle it."

Drapion groaned. "Feels unnatural working with a Fusion, but…" He shook his head. "Ugh, fine, whatever. I'll give you clearance to check the place out, but that's about it. We're still trying to track them down, so don't expect much."

"We'll help out as best as we can, sir," Sheila assured. "Come on, guys. Let's check out the parking garage." They nodded and followed her.

Drapion looked away and sighed, holding his face again. "Good grief…"

* * *

Deep underground in the Rogues' hideout, Norris was doing some training on stuffed dummies. After recovery from his injuries, he's been getting himself back into shape. He's been laying around for too long. He needed action to take his mind off things.

However, it was hard to train when he kept destroying the dummies.

"DIE, DIE, DIE!" Norris screamed as he threw his fist, exploding with the impact against the stuffed dummies. Flaming fabric blew apart and rained down on passing Fusions, who jumped in shock and ran away from the mad duck's range. Norris panted heavily, then roared furiously before lunging at the second dummy. He slashed it with his claws relentlessly, angrily tearing the material to shreds.

Mikayla walked around the corner. "Hey Norris, how are-" Her eyes widened upon the sight before her. Norris pulled the dummy apart and threw the two halves down, panting in exhaustion. "…okay, we should really get medication for you."

Norris snapped his head at her, glaring viciously. Though, she was unfazed by his hostile glare. After a moment of staring, Norris relaxed his body and pressed his fingers against his eyes, rubbing them tiredly. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well last night."

She walked up behind and wrapped her arms around him. "Tell me what's wrong."

Norris scoffed and shook her off. "It was just a stupid dream, Mikayla. Don't get all cuddly with me."

She raised a brow and crossed her arms. "Well, sorry~! Don't come crying to me when you need attention."

"I DON'T NEED ATTENTION! I JUST WANT TO BLOW STUFF UP!" He threw his fist against the wall. He groaned and pulled it back. He rubbed the sore skin. "Ugh…I'm just still upset about what happened with those stupid Fusion villagers."

"You mean Gappei Village?"

"I know what they're flippin' called!" He crossed his arms. "I've never been so humiliated in my entire life. Do they know who they're messing with?!" He slammed his fists together. "I'll blow all of them up! Every last one of them!"

Mikayla rubbed his shoulders. "Don't make yourself tense, Norris. We're supposed to be focusing on taking care of our own group, not confronting theirs." She sighed. "I swear, if it weren't for me keeping you in line, you would have been booted out as Rogue leader a long time ago. Be grateful someone is trying to help you."

Norris huffed in annoyance. "Gappei Village irks me to no end. They live it up in paradise while we're down here fending for ourselves." He walked over to a crate and sat on it.

"They were given the choice to go there," Mikayla reminded.

"But to be restricted to a small piece of land? Restricted from going anywhere in the world simply because the Pokémon are bigoted jackasses?" He scoffed. "I rather live my life as a criminal than submit to the cries of those whiners."

Mikayla sighed. "I'd argue, but I do agree." She narrowed her eyes. "I've tried my hand at redemption and got attacked for it. You…were never given the option."

He glared at the ground. "If the Pokémon think they can get away with torturing and shunning us for looking different and being 'threats,' then there's no point in trying to change who we are." He closed his eyes. "Accept it and live on your own path."

Mikayla smiled. "At least you have the Rogues to keep you company…and me," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Oh, nothing."

He sighed, then he heard walking from around the corner. They both turned and were greeted by Eli, the Toxicroak-Honchkrow. He gave them a short wave. "Norris, Mikayla. You both are looking well."

Norris narrowed his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Just wanted to tell you that I handed out everyone's assignments. We should be coming back with another shipment of food for later." He rubbed his hands together. "Word around the block is that they're exotic berries from the other regions. A nice change to our usual palates."

Norris rolled his eyes and looked away. "Whatever. Thanks, I guess."

Mikayla folded her arms behind her back and faced Eli. "Which reminds me, how's the recruitment process coming along?"

Norris raised a brow. "Recruitment process?"

Mikayla sighed. "You've been out of the loop for a while."

Eli grinned proudly. "I took the initiative for finding promising new Rogues to join our ever-growing numbers. Some new Fusions managed to sneak their way into the city and I found them before that speed rodent from Gappei could greet them."

"Speed rodent…?" Norris scratched his cheek, then snapped his fingers. "Right, that no name Pikachu-Celebi."

"I see him running around the city every so often looking for Fusions who are in hiding around here." He chuckled. "I, of course, am two steps ahead and make sure to get to them first."

Norris spun around, now intrigued. "Alright, who are these new recruits?"

"They're not officially Rogues yet, but I'm having them complete a simple test first: cause trouble for the next forty-eight hours without getting captured. So far, they've been doing well."

"How many potential recruits did you get?" Mikayla asked.

"Four. Two pairs. They have five more hours to stay out of police custody before I make my final judgment." He looked up at the wall clock hanging above them. "In fact, I should start heading up to the surface to evaluate their progress."

Norris sighed, then stood up. "Maybe some new recruits will be useful." He glared. "Just make sure they're _good_ recruits."

Eli smirked and shrugged. "Hey, have I ever failed you before?" He bowed. "Only the best for my leader. If he wants good recruits, he'll get good recruits."

"Make sure of it." Norris walked off, hands behind his back.

Mikayla glanced at Eli judgingly. "You better not be trying to set him off again."

Eli raised his hands in defense. "I would never do such a thing. I meant what I said. Sure, I come off as rather…irritating to most, but that's because I, too, demand perfection." He bowed again, chuckling. "I bid you ado." He walked out of the room, heading for the surface.

Mikayla sighed and scratched her head in annoyance. "Why do I always have to deal with the crazy ones?"

* * *

York, Wash, and Sheila walked into the parking garage and headed up to the upper levels, looking for where the Fusions were reported messing around. The garage was mostly full of cars since a lot of Pokémon tend to work within the city. That only made the three imagine how much destruction was caused in such an close space.

Upon reaching the fourth level, their eyes fell upon the wreckage. A car was smashed into one of the pillars with the windshield smashed to pieces. The way the glass shattered informed them someone was thrown out, though perhaps the crash gave that away all together.

A notable feature was the black tire streaks circling in the middle of the path. The way they suddenly jerked indicated the driver lost control before he crashed. Clearly someone who was only messing around and had no idea how to actually drive.

York walked up to the totaled car and ran his hand against it. "Well, isn't this lovely?" he sarcastically joked.

Wash crouched down and looked at the tire marks. "They aren't subtle in their approach. If they weren't so slippery, the cops would have caught them by now."

"Yeah, _if,_ " York reminded as he walked around the car.

Sheila checked the ground for any details. "Well, no indication of what species they were. They at least knew how to cover their tracks."

"That makes our job harder." York narrowed his eyes, then slid his hands into his hoodie's pockets. "Sheila, can you go check out the security room? Perhaps one of the cameras got a good look at them."

"Cameras?" Sheila looked around at the ceiling before spotting a dome-shaped camera attached to it.

"I've looted from here before, so I know about the cameras. Ask the security officer if you can access the cameras."

Sheila nodded. "Gotcha." She ran off to find the security room.

Wash stood up and crossed his arms. "This must bring back some memories for you."

York scoffed. "Yeah, _bad_ memories."

Wash rolled his eyes. "You used to be a thief, big deal."

York pinched between his eyes and shook his head. "Wash, this is a little more than just being a thief. I regret a lot of what I did when I was with the Rogues. I've stolen lots of money from Pokémon who were just going about with their business." He crossed his arms. "Wished I realized that sooner."

Wash shrugged. "If you ask me, you got off easy. In my case, I was doomed from the start." He closed his eyes. "Gappei Village is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me."

"I'm sure the others can testify for that," York said. He looked around, checking for any other clues the rogue Fusions could have left behind. He raised a brow when he looked into the car. He took a step back and activated Dragon Tail.

"What was it like working with the Rogues?" Wash asked.

"Well, it had some of its upsides for the time." York swung his tail and smacked the car door off its hinges, scraping against the ground. "I was probably one of the best thieves they had around."

"Were they your friends?"

York crawled into the car and reached for the item. "I still consider them my friends. Some of them are just…misguided." He sighed. "Then again, saying that to their faces would earn me a punch in the gut."

"Well, almost everyone I know doesn't like being told they're wrong," Wash said with a smirk.

York pulled himself out. "No arguing that."

"What did you find?"

York held the item up: a ripped piece of paper. The armored lizard looked it over curiously. "Looks like some sort of to-do list."

"How can you tell?"

"Well, most of these items are numbered, so it's just a guess." He gently ran his finger down the ripped edge. "Ripped down the middle, too. Must have got torn up by accident."

Wash took the list and looked it over himself. "Let's see: item one, remain out of conta…contact?" York shrugged. "Item two, do not return after fo…what kind of to-do list is this? Item three, when completed, return and receive…and, that's it. What an unnecessary waste of paper. I could probably remember this off the top of my head."

York took the paper back. "It could have had more info of the other half. Still, this does prove they're doing this for a reason." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder…"

"Hey guys!" They turned around and saw Sheila waving them over. "I convinced the security officer to let us review the camera recordings!"

York stuffed the paper in his jacket. "Okay, let's go see it." They followed her to the security room.

* * *

"Ugh, those blasted Fusions caused a real mess the other day, I swear," the Watchog officer mumbled as he searched through the hours of recordings.

Sheila clasped her hands together. "We're really sorry about what happened. We'll make sure they're brought in for their actions."

"The Fusion Hunters should be the ones tracking them down, not more Fusions."

Wash glared lightly. "Sir, we're trying to be reasonable here, so please cooperate with us. They may be causing trouble, but I hardly call that reason to hire the Fusion Hunters. Local police custody will be enough for them."

Watchog rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, the rabbit already ran her mouth about it…" He eventually came across the recording and paused. "There it is. The feed from yesterday."

The Fusions played the recording and observed it. They could see two individuals inside the crashed car, spinning in circles and burning the tires against the ground. How they haven't crashed into other parked cars is beyond them. However, they eventually lost control as the driver made a sharp turn into the pillar before flying out the windshield.

Sheila paused the video once they got a clear look at them. From what they could tell, the two Fusions were a Lombre-Seviper and a Fraxure-Altaria.

The Lombre-Seviper, who was the driver, had a purple colored lily pad hat. However, that was nothing compared to his lower half. His upper half was normal while he had the lower half of a Seviper body. His movements were very quick and snakelike, with the occasional flickering of his snake tongue.

The Fraxure-Altaria had blue scales and white fluff around her neck, wrists, and ankles. She was sticking her head out the windshield and waving her fist, likely scolding the incompetent driver.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Well, there's our culprits. Should be easier to trace them."

"Yeah, except we have nothing to trace them with," York brought up. "The wreckage didn't leave any clear indication of where they're going. Even the police are still trying to track them down."

"They could be in the sewers," Sheila pointed out.

"That would take us hours to navigate, even if I know my way around." York sighed. "We'll just have to track them down with what we got."

Wash turned to the security officer. "Thank you for your help."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbled. "Just catch those two so they can stay out of my hair."

"Of course." The Fusions nodded at each other before leaving.

* * *

They spent a few hours searching through the city, but nothing came up. They did track down a raid at one of the stores a half hour ago, but that only led them to another dead end. Their master criminals were faster than they thought. They were getting away before any of the cops could show up, much less them.

In fact, these crime sprees seemed to be happy all over the city, in separate locations that were too far apart from each other to be happening at the same time, even if there was two of them.

They decided to take a break at the park. Wash was leaning against a tree, Sheila was sitting on a bench, and York was pacing in front of the bench with his hand under his chin.

"How can Fusions that hyperactive slip under our noses? It just doesn't make any sense," York said out loud, trying to wrap his mind around it.

"They're smarter than we gave them credit for. And faster," Sheila added. "Did they seriously manage to rob four stores at nearly the exact same time?"

"I find that hard to believe," Wash said, looking up at the sky. "Even Tamara wouldn't be able to cross that many distances in such an airtight span of time." He glanced at them with narrowed eyes. "Best guess is that there are more thieves running around."

York glared. "Probably the Rogues, then. At the very least, they know how to keep out of trouble." He held his head. "Ugh, but that just makes tracking them down all the more difficult. We can't even find that obnoxious duo."

"They'll turn up eventually. We just need to be patient."

Sheila rested her arms in her lap. "With them constantly moving around, we won't have the time to."

York narrowed his eyes. "Maybe we could head back to the village and have Ulysses give us an aerial view. That would give us a wider range to work with."

Wash shrugged. "I suppose that could work."

York nodded. "Right. I'll head back and see if I can-OOF!" As he was pacing, he knocked into a Pokémon that was walking through the park. Specifically, the Charmeleon with the yellow hoodie. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't see you there."

The Charmeleon dusted herself off. "It's fine, no harm done." She walked around him and proceed onward to where she was going, only to stop as her brain finally registered who she ran into. She turned around and tipped her sunglasses down, showing off her surprised stare.

York shook his head, then continued, "Right. Anyway, I'll head back to the village and see if Ulysses is available."

Wash nodded. "I suppose Sheila and I will keep searching and keep an ear out for any more crimes."

York nodded. "Good call." He prepared to dash out of the park.

"Wait, hold on!" He nearly tripped over his legs as he began to sprint. He got a hold of his balance as the Charmeleon ran back around and stood in front of him. She looked at him meticulously, examining his hidden appearance.

York stepped back, a little surprised. "Err, can I help you?"

"York, it's me!" The Charmeleon pulled her sunglasses off and threw her hood off, greeting him with a bright smile. "Hey!"

After not even a half second of analyzing, York jumped back in surprise. "C-Casey?!"

She grinned. "Yep!"

Wash and Sheila came over. "York, who is-?" His eyes widened in shock. "Wait, is that Casey Lee?!"

"The music artist?!" Sheila exclaimed in disbelief.

Casey held her claw up to her lips and shushed them. "Shh! Not so loud." She looked around, making sure no one else was around. "I don't want Pokémon swarming me with cameras."

Wash and Sheila were taken back while York found himself smiling. "Heh…wow, Casey, I haven't seen you in while."

"Same. I was beginning to believe you did flee the region," she joked.

York chuckled. "Yeah, well…"

"Okay, time out!" Wash interjected before shaking the Heliolisk Fusion by the shoulders. "You have explaining to do, mister! How and when did you meet her?!"

York scratched the back of his head. "Well, we've sort of gotten to know each other before I came to Gappei Village."

Sheila narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean?"

Casey sighed. "Not a lot of Pokémon know this, especially since it would have caused unnecessary drama I didn't want riding on my shoulders, but I was attacked some time back."

"Attacked?!" the two Fusions cried in disbelief.

York pinched between his eyes. "Yeah, _that_." He sighed, then explained, "The Rogues caused quite a bit of trouble wherever they went. I paid no mind to it since we never went above stealing goods." He closed his eyes into a glare. "However, some of Rogues were particularly aggressive with the Pokémon one day, so they decided to take it up a notch. So, they went after Casey, hoping it would show everyone they were to be taken seriously and how far they were willing to step over the line.

"I…didn't approve of their behavior. I actually wasn't in agreement with it. When they ambushed Casey, I stepped in and protected her to the best of my ability." He held his face, clearly frustrated. "Norris…wasn't happy with my defiance. This caused some infighting and, eventually, I just quitted."

"Oh…" Sheila narrowed her eyes considerately. "Wow, I…" She looked at Casey. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Casey shrugged with a small smile. "No harm, no foul, right?"

York crossed his arms. "That's why I try to avoid the Rogues. If they ever see me again, it could be messy."

Casey patted his shoulder. "You still hold some faith in them."

"I suppose…" York smiled at her. "Still, I'm glad I was able to meet you in person."

She giggled. "Oh you…"

Sheila smiled excitedly. "I still can't believe York is friends with you! I'm a big fan of your music!"

Casey laughed awkwardly. "Oh! Well, uh…thank you. I'm glad you like it."

Wash smirked at York. "When were you going to tell us you were rubbing elbows with celebrities?"

York glared. "Because I knew the moment something like this spilled, I wasn't going to get a moment's rest with everyone hounding me." He pointed at the Frogadier-Banette sharply. "This stays between us, got it?"

Wash looked away, rubbing his chin with a snickering grin. "Oh, I don't know, I'm not sure I can keep a secret like this to myself. Might slip if I'm not careful."

"WASH!" York yelled angrily.

Wash laughed, holding his hands up defensively. "Kidding, kidding."

Casey laughed, then pulled her hood up. "Heh. So, what brings you three in the city?"

York composed himself and readjusted his hood. "You know about Mr. Roteman's latest business deal with Gappei Village, right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, the one where you guys provide service to the city."

"Well, I'm sure you've noticed the recent crime waves around the area. Two Fusions- supposedly two, at least- are on the loose and we're trying to find them."

Casey held her chin in thought. "Right, them. They've been causing quite a bit of trouble." She narrowed her eyes. "Well, I actually think I can help you find them."

"You can?!" the Fusions shouted in surprise.

She nodded. "It's just a hunch, but I've been hearing a lot of racket going on around the junkyard." She shrugged. "Now, that's not abnormal most days since you see lots of folks raiding the junkyard for scrap." She glared. "However, a lot of noise I've heard has been a lot more than stealing car parts. Almost like someone's living there."

Sheila held her chin. "How would they be able to evade police there?"

York tapped his foot, thinking of a solution. "Hmm…probably a secret entrance way to evade cameras. They could even use the cars as a mini shelter to hide themselves." He looked to Casey. "You sure they might be there?"

She shrugged. "Like I said, just a hunch. I can lead you all over if you want."

Wash looked at York. "It's our best lead right now. We better take it."

He nodded in agreement. "Alright. Casey, show us the way."

* * *

Casey and the Fusions quietly snuck up to the gated off junkyard. The front gate was locked, so they had to jump over the fence. Sheila cupped her hands together, then helped Wash and York over the fence. She prepared to climb over when Casey asked, "Hey, aren't you going to help me over, too?"

"We're not sure how dangerous these two are. Just wait out here."

Casey pouted. "I am fully capable of fending for myself."

Sheila looked to York for his input. He looked between the two, then sighed. "Alright, she can come over." He glared at the music artist. "But leave the fighting to us. I don't want you to get hurt."

Casey held her hands up. "I'll only intervene if I have to." Sheila cupped her hands again and helped her over the gate before jumping over herself.

Once they were all over, they quietly snuck around the mound of metal and cars. Almost immediately, they could hear the slashing of metal from the other side, along with hyperactive laughing. They climbed over the mound and peeked over the peak.

The two rogue Fusions they were after were in plain sight. The Fraxure-Altaria sat on the hood of a rusted car, watching the Lombre-Seviper slash at the cars with his bladed tail.

He laughed with sheer glee as he stabbed the car repeatedly, riddling it with holes. "Just a couple more hours and we're golden!"

Fraxure rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Must you act so careless? It's a miracle we haven't been found yet with all your screaming."

Lombre smirked. "And yet it was MY genius and stealth that kept us out of sight for so long. And look at how we're living?!" He slithered over to a can of Red Tauros and guzzled the drink down. He crushed the can on his forehead and threw it away. "Woo!"

Fraxure held her face. "Ugh, if we don't pass because of you, I'll never forgive you."

"I can live with that!" He wrapped around a car and constricted it. The force crushed the car around the middle.

The Gappei Fusions and Casey stared at the two in slight bewilderment. "Well…that one's on too much sugar," Sheila commented.

York narrowed his eyes. "That Fraxure Fusion mentioned something about passing." He held his chin. "Hmm, I wonder…"

"This is no time to be playing detective anymore," Wash whispered. "We have them where we want them. Now's the perfect time to strike."

York nodded. "Right." He turned to Casey. "Stay out of trouble and don't intervene, understand?"

Casey rolled her eyes. "I'm not a child, York. I'll be fine."

York sighed, then the Fusions split up to get better angles for their ambush. They stealthily snuck around the metal mounds while the Lombre Fusion chattered away, deafening any subtle sounds the sneaking trio could make.

Lombre coiled up and laughed after slicing up another car. "Hahaha! I could do this all day!" His stomach suddenly rumbled, making him groan. "Ugh, spoke too soon."

Fraxure groaned. "Seriously? You just ate five burgers three hours ago."

"Breaking stuff works up an appetite." Lombre rubbed his hands together. "Ooh, let's break into a fast food joint and steal all their products!"

Fraxure shook her head. "Unbelievable. Fine, but I'm choosing the joint this time. I'm not robbing from another greasy fast food restaurant like before."

Lombre snickered. "Fine by me."

The Gappei villagers narrowed their eyes as the pair prepared to leave. York spotted his friends and gave a countdown signal. Once he reached zero, he sprung into the air with a spin. "Thunderbolt!" His frills opened and released a powerful bolt of lightning.

The pair looked up in puzzlement. "Huh-AAAAHHHH!" The lightning bolt fired down on them and erupted in a surge of electricity.

Wash and Sheila jumped out of hiding and rushed them with Cut and Dizzy Punch. Fraxure recovered quickly and saw the incoming attacks. "Cotton Guard!" Her fluff expanded and blocked the attacks before pushing them away.

Lombre straightened up and hissed. "Alright, who's the wise guy?!"

York landed and charged with Wild Charge. Lombre quickly noticed and blocked the attack with Poison Tail. The two attacks pushed against each other before they knocked each other away. York stopped himself, then glared. "By order of Grandis City, you two are under arrest."

Lombre was confused for a moment before realizing what was going on. He growled. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me. You're those Gappei wimps!"

Sheila took a battle stance. "Please, let's try and sort this out like reasonable mons. If you cease your criminal actions, perhaps we can provide residence in our village."

Fraxure glared. "I didn't spend two days running from the police just to take the easy route. The Pokémon have wronged us, now we'll be returning the favor. Dragon Breath!" She inhaled sharply, then fired a light blue beam from her mouth.

The Fusions dodged. Wash glared. "So much for negotiation! Shadow Sneak!" He landed and slammed his hands down, extending his shadow towards them.

Lombre and Fraxure ran in separate directions. The shadow split in two and chased after them. Lombre spun around and struck with Poison Tail just as the shadow rose up and threw a punch. The collision dispersed the shadow. Fraxure hopped over some junk and flipped backwards, striking down with Dragon Breath and destroying the shadow.

York leap on top of the cars and hopped across them. Lombre saw this and chased after him on ground. York fired off Thunderbolts that the Lombre Fusion dodged with his flexible body. He fired back with Giga Drain, green energy beams from his claws.

York charged up Parabolic Charge and countered the energy draining attack with his own. Yellow and green streams of energy fired everywhere, illuminating the dull junkyard. York slid down the metal mound and lunged at Lombre with Dragon Tail. Lombre countered with his Poison Tail.

Lombre hissed with a smirk. "Hehehe! If I can take you wimps on, then no one can stop me!"

York growled. "Don't underestimate me or my friends!" With the hybrid snake's tail pushing down on him, he shifted his own tail and quickly slammed it down, pinning the snake's blade. "Dragon Rage!" He fired a blank point Dragon Rage to his face, sending him flying into the cars.

Wash leaped over Fraxure and slashed his Cut down, with the dragon protecting herself with Cotton Guard. Sheila got to a vantage point and fired off Ice Beam. Fraxure batted Wash away, then countered Ice Beam with Moonblast. Sheila leaped out of the way, then fired another Ice Beam.

Fraxure dashed out of the way, repeatedly firing Moonblast at the two Fusions. Wash ducked behind some cars, feeling the shockwaves of the explosions. Sheila jumped and ducked away from the attacks. She leaped into the sky, then formed two Shadow Balls in her hands. She spun around, increasing the momentum of her throw.

Fraxure used Cotton Guard once again, however this left her open for Wash. He dashed at her with Aerial Ace and slammed his fist against her back. She staggered forward in pain, then glared at the ghost frog. "You son of a-!" She slammed her palm against him and blasted him away with Moonblast.

Sheila landed and threw Dizzy Punch at the dragon. Fraxure activated Dual Chop and blocked the punches with her tusks. She deflected one of her fists and slashed her with the attack. Sheila jumped back to recover as the dragon chased after her.

She glanced back to see the metal mound behind her. Taking one final step back, she performed an impressive backflip high in the air before landing on the metal peak. She then jumped back and fired Dark Pulse, destabilizing the structure and knocking it towards the Fraxure Fusion.

Fraxure stopped herself and jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed. She inhaled and fired off Dragon Breath. Sheila countered with Dark Pulse, pushing against the attack.

Wash picked himself up and shook his head before rejoining the battle. He got in close and slammed his palms against Fraxure with Will-O-Wisp active. Fraxure cried out in pain as she was engulfed in the damaging, spectral flames. Wash then sweep kicked her off her feet and slammed his Aerial Ace charged foot down on her, knocking the wind out of her.

He pushed down on her with a glare. "Stay down. We don't want to hurt you."

She flinched, then glared up at him. "You have a funny way of showing it!" She closed her eyes, confusion Wash for a moment before noticing the red aura surround her. He gasped as her eyes opened, only they were glazed over and glowing red with rage. "Outrage!"

Wash tried to jump away, but the Fusion grabbed him by the ankle and, with newfound strength, slammed him against the metal pile that almost crushed her. She slammed him against the ground, then kicked him away with great force. He flew the passenger seat of a rusted car.

"Wash!" Sheila called out. She barely reacted to a punch thrown by the Fraxure Fusion, blocking it with fast reflexes. The out-of-control dragon persistently attacked the illusion rabbit while she did her best to block her strikes.

York and Lombre went at each other, trading blow for blow consistently. Lombre tried to coil around the armored lizard, but he was slipperier than he realized. York's speed gave him the advantage to keep up with the hyperactive snake.

York dodged a Poison Tail, then fired off Thunderbolt. Anticipating this, Lombre jabbed his tail into the ground as he took the attack, redirecting the electricity into the ground. He prepared to lunge at York when he used Flash, blinding the snake. York ran around him as he tried to recover his eyesight. The armored lizard leaped off the hood of a car and slammed Dragon Tail down on the half-snake's head.

Lombre grabbed his tail, surprising York. "Giga Drain!" With no hope of getting out unscathed, York endured the life draining energy as it encompassed his body. Lombre slammed him down, then coiled around him into a Wrap. He squeezed around the lizard tightly, pushing air out of his lungs.

Lombre leaned forward and hissed in his ear. "I'm going to enjoy watching you suffer, just until the light in your eyes fades away…" York's face was turning blue. If he could concentrate, he would fire off his Fusion Move and fry him.

Casey was watching this from behind, on top of some piled up cars. _Oh no, York!_ She looked around for a way to help. She could hold her own in a fight, but now wasn't the time to throw fists. She looked around, then an idea came to mind as she jumped down.

Lombre squeezed the armored lizard tighter, laughing with glee. "So much for Gappei Village being full of strong Fusions. I hear all this crap about some of you taking on the hotheaded leader of the Rogues and getting recognition for it. Weeks after and this is what they're truly are? What a disappointment!"

York struggled to draw a breath. He casted a vicious glare at the cocky half-snake. "S-S-S…Shut…up!"

Lombre hissed and held up his claws, activating Giga Drain. "Someone needs to be taken down a few pegs."

Unbeknownst to him, Casey was setting up a makeshift weapon to take him out, or distract him at the very least. She stripped a car of one of its suspension coils, poked the ends with shards of metal, then jabbed them into the roof of a car. She grabbed a tire rim and loaded it into the slingshot, pulling back as far as she could. It wasn't perfect, but it was meant to get his attention.

Glaring angrily, she shouted, "Hey jerk!" She released the rim, shooting it directly at him.

It shot against his back, making him yelp in pain. "AGH!" He turned around with a glare. "Who did that?!"

However, he failed to realize he lost his hold on York. The Heliolisk Fusion inhaled deeply, relieved to finally breathe. He then glared at Lombre as he pressed his hands against his coils. "Payback time. Dragonic Thunder!" He released the blue electricity, erupting them both in the draconian lightning.

Lombre threw his head back and screamed in agony, feeling his body burn from the intense heat. York pushed himself out of his coils and, while standing on his hands, kicked the half-snake in the face. He toppled to the ground, holding his nose.

York landed on one knee, panting heavily. He looked up at Casey, who flashed the peace sign at him with a smile. York sighed, then smiled back weakly.

"So, it was you!" York gasped as Lombre rose and lunged at Casey. "You Pokémon are thorns in my sides!" Casey raised her guard.

However, York grabbed him by the tail blade and tossed him away. "No, you don't!" He threw him to where Wash and Sheila were fighting the other Fusion.

Lombre rose and growled in annoyance. "That's it! Swamp Flood!" He raised his hands, then slammed them down, summoning a poisonous tidal wave that expanded outward around him.

The Fusions and Fraxure jumped out of the way, with the dragon Fusion shouting, "Hey, watch where you're aiming that thing!"

Sheila landed and raised her hands. "Night Daze!" Surrounded in a crimson aura, she slammed her hands down and released a forcefield of pink and crimson energy that slams against Fraxure, blasting her into the ground.

She stood up and fired Dragon Breath. Sheila leaped over it and got to ground level. She kicked off the ground, then aimed her leg for her as it wrapped in dark energy. "Blackout Kick!" She kicked Fraxure in the face.

She stumbled back and held her face. Her vision was spotty and could barely make out anything. "Wha…huh…?"

Wash came in for the finishing blow, slamming a Shadow Ball against her and taking her out in an explosion. She fell to the ground, unconscious.

Lombre hissed in anger. "I've had enough of you Fusions!" He slithered at Wash.

Wash glared, then leaped over Lombre. "Kuroi Mizu!" He summoned four orbs of water, which turned black.

Lombre fired off Giga Drain at him. Wash manipulated two of the orbs to block the Giga Drain before jumping over him and turning the other two orbs into whips. He lashed them at his back.

"AGH!" He glared at him and lunged with Poison Tail. "What kind of Fusion Move is that?!"

Wash smirked. "Mine." He blocked the Poison Tail, then wrapped the whip around the half-snake's neck before throwing him over his shoulder.

Lombre recovered and lunged with another Poison Tail. However, Wash was dodging casually. Lombre suddenly realized he was moving slower. "What?!"

"Think of it as Paralysis without the stun part," Wash briefly explained before kicking the half-snake in the jaw with Aerial Ace.

Lombre rolled onto his back before getting up. He growled. "I'll turn this whole junkyard into a swamp!" He raised his hands. "Swamp-!"

"Attract!" Sheila shouted before winking and sending out a flurry of hearts. They surrounded the half-snake before closing in around him, turning him head over tails for the illusion rabbit.

"Ooh la la~! She's a hottie~!" Lombre expressed, his eyes turned to hearts.

York glared. "Everyone, blast him! Thunderbolt!"

"Shadow Ball!"

"Ice Beam!"

They each fired their attacks from different angle, then they exploded into a thick cloud of smoke. They covered their eyes as the smoke blew at them. Once it cleared, they peeked through their arms and saw the Fusion lying unconscious.

York exhaled in relief and fell onto his knees. "Thank goodness…" He yelped and fell over as Casey surprised him with a lunging hug.

She laughed out loud. "That was amazing! You were awesome, York!"

He laughed and pushed himself up. "Hehe, yeah…though, that was a pretty good save earlier," he complimented.

She laughed. "Oh, stop it~."

Sheila pulled the unconscious dragon Fusion out of the car and dropped her next to her unconscious friend. "We better inform the police and tell them we've caught the troublemakers."

York nodded, but he was still suspicious. "I'm still confused what they were thinking. Attacking randomly is one thing, but they were acting like they wanted the police to know where they were."

Wash shrugged. "Maybe they're idiots. Makes about as much sense as anything."

Sheila shook her head. "No, York has a point. No one would attack that many stores unless they had a reason to."

York narrowed his eyes. "They did have a to-do list of sorts, so…is it possible someone made them do this?"

"I wouldn't say made them do it. It was of their own freewill."

York's blood went ice cold as he heard the dark voice. His pupils widened in shock as he looked around in alert for the disembodied voice.

Wash formed Cut and glared at the surrounding car parts. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"You think I haven't been watching this whole time? I've been keeping an eye on these two for quite some time. They showed promise for their boldness. Anyone that willing to reveal themselves in broad daylight shows guts." The voice was bouncing off from every direction.

Sheila growled. "Where are you?!"

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me…York?"

York clenched his eyes shut, before opening them into a glare. "Enough games, Eli."

The Fusions immediately turned in the direction someone landing on a car, where they could see the Toxicroak-Honchkrow. He scratched his chin with a sluggish stance. "Well, it's been too long, hasn't it? Four years, at least? You've changed a lot since I last saw you."

York growled at the Rogue. "What do you want?!"

"Oh, nothing. I was just checking in on two of our potential recruits." He folded his arms behind his back. "Well, _failed_ recruits."

"Recruits?" Wash questioned.

"I'm recruiting new Fusions into the Rogues. Got two more recruits who are showing much better progress than these two."

York glared. _That explains all the frequent heists earlier._

"They may have failed, but I say they got me something better: an unexpected reunion with an old comrade." He smirked. "And if you're still here, that means there's only one place you could be."

York took a stance. "Gappei Village isn't afraid of the Rogues. We can take you easily."

"I'm sure your elders will be an issue." He chuckled. "But what's to stop us from harming your villagers while they're out here? Unless they're monitoring your movements, I don't see them coming to your aid any time soon."

Sheila crouched, preparing to lunge at him. "Don't disrespect our village."

"I can't disrespect a band of misfits, can I?" He turned with a flick of his feathered cloak. "I'll be taking my leave now. I can't wait to see Norris' reaction when he hears his best 'buddy' is still in town." He smirked over his shoulder. "Oh, he's going to be _delighted_ to see you." He chuckled as he prepared to fly.

Wash and Sheila lunged in the air, straight for him. "You're answering for your crimes, Rogue!" Wash shouted.

"…tsk." Eli spun around and extended his arms out. Black and purple toxic bubbles formed in his hands. "Toxic Bane." They fired at high speeds with the flying duo, exploding on impact and blasting them to the ground.

"Wash! Sheila!" York cried out. He growled and opened his frills.

"Ah, ah, ah," Eli warned with a finger wag. "If you attack me," he aimed his red claws at the two, glowing a toxic green, "I'll retaliate." York stepped back and stood down. "Hehe. See you around, York." Eli leaped in the air and spread his wings out, gliding away and out of sight.

York shot a glare at the fleeing toad before running over to his downed friends. "Wash, Sheila, how are you feeling?"

They felt groggy and sore. They tried to sit up, but froze up as dark purple electricity surrounded them and forced them back down. "Not well…" Wash groaned.

York clenched his fist. "You both took a hit from Eli's Toxic Bane. Thankfully, it's not like a traditional Poison status, but…" He shook his head. "All I can say is that you'll be feeling a lot of pain until that poison is flushed out of your system."

Sheila clenched her teeth as another surge of purple electricity coursed up her body. "Please hurry…"

York looked to Casey. "Casey, I need you to call some to take us to the village, then call the police to pick those two up," he said, nodding at the unconscious Fusions.

Casey nodded. "Can do." She pulled her phone up and dialed a number.

York sighed shakenly, then looked down at his friends. "Just stay calm, you'll be fine. I'm sure Gracelyn will be able to help."

Wash smirked, though it flinched when the poisonous surge hit him. "H-Hey, we'll be fine, don't worry about us…"

"I know…" He casted a stare where Eli took off. He clenched his teeth. "But if they're recruiting more Fusions into the Rogues, I'm worried we may have more than just random criminals to deal with."


	13. Rogue Dilemma

After the police came by and took the two troublemaking Fusions away, Casey called a cab to take York and his ill friends back to the village. York called the council in advance to tell them they needed the medic room ready for Wash and Sheila. The poison was still hurting them on occasion with short bursts of discomfort, so he did his best to comfort them.

Once they reached the gates, Rebecca and Charlie helped Gracelyn wheel the two to the medic hut on gurneys. Since York was the only one partially unharmed, he took the liberty of filling out the report on their mission. It was hard recounting the events since his mind was still stuck on Eli finding out he was a resident of Gappei.

After getting the report done and turned it, York immediately made his way to the medic hut. Gracelyn allowed him to come in, but he had to sit off to the side while she worked. He sat on the row of seats next to the door. He twiddled his fingers together as he watched the strong-armed bear do her work. Wash and Sheila lay in the provided beds, groaning as they endured the poison.

She paced back and forth with a clipboard and pencil in hand. She shook her head. "Oh dear, oh dear. I've seen plenty of Fusion Moves in my day. I've never seen a poison status like this before. No damage infliction, but it does apply pain." She turned to York. "York, you were acquaintances with the gentleman who used this, correct?"

He looked of the side. "I…yes. Toxic Bane, he calls it. It applies a power boost to poison and increases the effectiveness of the Poison status."

"Fascinating!" Gracelyn exclaimed, jotting it down. "I tell you, these new Fusion based Status Conditions are truly remarkable. Always a delight to see new ones popping up."

York rubbed the back of his head. "Right, so…you can get it out of them, right?"

"Well, as you said, it isn't fatal. While we may not have berries to purge the toxins out immediately, I can work up a substitute medicine to do the trick." She looked through her cabinets. "Shouldn't be too hard. Fusion Move or not, status afflictions are curable."

York smiled lightly. "Thank you, Gracelyn."

She smiled. "No need for thanks, dearie. It is my duty as a doctor to tend to my sick patients." She pulled out a syringe and examined it. "Now, why don't you run along, dearie? You have a job to do, correct?"

With new Fusions children popping up at their gate every so often, York took on the job of counselor to hear through their troubles and help cope with them. Considering his behavior when he arrived, one would assume that's the worst job for an asocial Fusion to take on. York's learned to move pass those feelings and learned to be more relaxed.

York chuckled lightly. "Err, yeah, right." He got up and, before leaving, went over to Wash and Sheila's bedsides. "Just take it easy, you two. You'll be back on your feet in no time."

Wash smirked weakly. "Oh please, like any poison can keep me-" He flinched as a surge of purple electricity ran up his body again. He groaned and rolled over. "Ugh…but, thanks, anyway."

Sheila chuckled lightly. "You take it easy yourself, York," she advised as she placed her hand on his shoulder. "You've had it pretty rough today, too. Don't let the day get to you."

He patted her arm and laughed lightly. "I-I'll try not to. Rest well, you two." He gave them a parting wave before exiting the hut.

Once he was outside, he pressed his back against the sides and slouched to the ground. He held his face and shook his head. He wanted to forget about it, but it wasn't as simple as it sounded. The Rogues with Norris leading them can be…unpredictable. With him residing in the very place that has spawned hate from Pokémon, they had all the motivation needed to retaliate.

York rested his hands in his lap. _I can't bring myself to hate the Rogues. They're just…confused._ He groaned. _What good would that do, though? All of them probably hate me for leaving._

As the armored lizard went over his thoughts, Ulysses walked out from around the corner. York looked up at the cellular avian as multiple little Fusions were playing on him.

Harper plopped herself on top of the bird's head and giggled. "I'm queen of the mountain!"

Ulysses laughed. "Yes, you are, sweetie." He felt something off about his right wing, so he lifted it. He chuckled lightly as an adorable Skitty-Wailord was nibbling on his wing. Her fur was blue and slick while her underside was white. While her hindlegs were normal, her forelegs were flippers. "Winona, I said you weren't allowed to chew on my wing."

She squeaked adorable and wagged her tail. "But it's so squishy!"

He grabbed and set her on his back. "I'm not a chew toy. You can play on my back, though." She grinned and bounced on his back.

Wantanabe was hugging Ulysses' leg, giggling. "Carry me to my hut, please!"

Ulysses laughed. "Oh, okay." He looked over to the side and saw York sitting in front of the medic hut. "Oh! Uh…hi York," he greeted with an awkward wave. "How are you…doing?"

York smiled weakly and waved. "Hey Ulysses. Doing fine."

Harper hopped off Ulysses and scampered over to York. She nudged her head at his side. "You look sad, Mr. York."

He chuckled and pulled her into a one arm hug. "Just going through things, Harper. Nothing a little munchkin like you should worry about," he said as he rubbed her head. She giggled and hugged his arm. "What are you doing anyway, Ulysses?"

Ulysses grabbed Winona off his back and cradled her in his wings. "Oh, just taking care of these adorable little angels." Winona rolled around in his wings and waved her flippers, squeaking cutely. "Aren't they sweet?"

York chuckled, sitting Harper in his lap. "Yeah, they sure are."

Ulysses frowned. "So, uh…how are Wash and Sheila doing? I-I heard what happened and…"

Harper looked up at York worriedly. "Is Mr. Wash and Ms. Sheila okay?" she asked with watery eyes.

York smiled. "They're fine, sweetheart, don't worry." He patted her head, then looked up at Ulysses. "Gracelyn said they should be fine later. Some bedrest and medicine and they'll be good as new."

Ulysses smiled. "Oh, thank goodness. I-I'd hate to see my friends hurt."

The armored lizard glared at the ground. "Same here…"

The cellular avian blinked. "I…take it was an emotional experience for you."

York held his face. "I'm not sure if you heard this from anyone, but we were ambushed by one of the Rogues. A poisonous fiend known as Eli." He sighed and glanced at the medic hut's door. "Outside of battle, his Fusion Move is pretty harmless, save for the unbearable discomfort in provides. I'm just glad we got out of there in time."

Ulysses smiled awkwardly. "W-Well, at least that's good, right?"

York narrowed his eyes. "Uly, I get you're trying to make me feel better, but I don't think you understand the issue here."

"H-How so?"

York covered Harper's ears, making her blink in confusion. He clenched his teeth and said, "The Rogues didn't know I lived here. I went through painstaking planning to cover my tracks when I left the group. The Rogues don't take betrayal well. Anyone who turns their back on the Rogues is another enemy in their way." He closed his eyes. "Eli will tell Norris. If Norris finds out…I can't even begin to imagine how that ticking time bomb of trouble will react."

The cellular avian gulped. "I-I-I see…" He looked at Wantanabe and Winona, who were staring at him with confused looks. He grinned awkwardly. "H-Hey kids, why don't you go find Spaz? I'm sure he would love to play with you three."

The kids grinned and hopped off the large Fusion. "Okay!" they exclaimed.

Wantanabe waved Harper over. "Come on, Harper!"

"Okay!" she exclaimed back. She gave York a hug and nuzzled him. "Get better soon, Mr. York!" She hopped out of his lap and followed her friends in search of the time mouse.

York smiled lightly at the three. "They're so innocent…" He frowned at the ground.

Ulysses rubbed the back of his head and sat next to the armored lizard. "York, I consider myself a voice of reason." He held his hand up. "I have to be with a roommate who acts out of impulse and one who…should act out of impulse more often." He sighed. "I'm not sure what to really say about this other than…maybe you shouldn't worry so much about it."

"It's not me I'm worried about, though." York narrowed his eyes. "Norris probably already hates the village with what happened between him and Quinn's group. Knowing I'm here is going to cause a mountain of trouble to avalanche over us."

Ulysses folded his gelatinous wings into his lap. "I-I see…" The cellular avian closed his eyes and sighed awkwardly. _Why couldn't Juniper have taken her nap later? I could really use her help right now._ "York, I-"

"I could be putting the others in danger being here. I'm a target for their wrath. They won't stop until they get revenge on me." York clutched his head. "I don't want anyone getting hurt."

Ulysses uneasily patted the armored lizard's head. "D-Don't you think you're putting too much thought into this? Overreacting?"

"You don't know the Rogues like I do."

Ulysses placed his wings on the shorter Fusion's shoulders. "York, as someone who has grown up around peaceful family, I'm not one to believe anyone would attack out of blind hatred." He sighed. "That's…wishful thinking, sadly. However, you're putting too much emphasis on what could happen rather than what might not happen. If you're worried about the Rogues attacking the village, we're more than prepared for that. The council can protect us."

York looked away. "Maybe inside the walls, but not outside them. They can't keep monitoring us whenever we enter the city. The Rogues could do actual harm, even if they had a small window of opportunity."

Ulysses glanced down. "I-I suppose so…"

York crossed his arms. "I don't know what to do. My head's still spinning from earlier."

"Maybe you should take a break. Perhaps a nap."

York shook his head. "I have work to do soon."

"In the state you're in? I'm sorry, but I don't think any Fusion wants to be counseled by a depressed therapist." Ulysses then shrank back timidly. "Uh, that didn't come out mean, did it?"

York sighed. "No, you're right, Uly." He rubbed his eye. "I just don't think I can sleep right now."

"If it's closure you want, why not just discuss this with the council?" Ulysses suggested.

York raised a brow. "You sure?"

He nodded. "Positive. They've been a great influence on me. I've…mostly gotten over my timidity. I-I-I don't want to come off as scared to anyone, b-b-but I certainly don't want to look too bold! I wouldn't want anyone t-t-thinking I'm overconfident a-and-!"

York held his hand up, laughing. "I…I get the point, Ulysses." He tapped his knees thoughtfully, then stood up. "You know what, I should just talk this over with the council." He sighed and gripped his arm. "I just hope what I'm going through is just stress."

Ulysses stood up and patted his back. "If it comes to that, I know some great ways to relieve that. Emily has been teaching me proper ways to meditate and let go of my own stress."

York smiled lightly. "I'll consider the offer. Thanks for talking to me, Ulysses. I needed it."

The cellular avian smiled brightly. "Y-You're welcome." He raised his wings and floated up. "I-I should find the children and make sure they aren't harassing Spaz too much. T-Take care, York." He flew off.

York waved him goodbye, then turned his focus to the direction of the Fusion Council hut. He inhaled calmly, then marched his way over to it.

* * *

The council, save Gracelyn, were gathered around the table and looking up at a screen, conversing with Julian over the recent capture earlier. Abraham was reading through a book as he asked, "So, what did you find out?"

Julian flipped through the notes he had. "Well, turns out York's suspicions were true. Right after we had those two Fusions hauled off, a couple more break-ins were reported around the city. The police tried to catch them, but they kept giving them the slip. However, the crime sprees stopped a little while ago. We're hoping that's the last we have to deal with them, at least until we do something about security." He sighed and rubbed his face. "It's been an exhausting day."

"Should we send anyone down just to be sure?" Lewis offered.

Julian shook his head. "No need. Enough trouble has been caused already. Let's not add more fuel to the flames."

"Fair enough."

Julian set his files down and folded his hands together. "That said, we might have a problem on our hands if the Rogues are acquiring new members under our noses. They've only posed a small threat with their petty crimes, but their increasing numbers might be something to worry about."

Cade crossed his arms. "Well, their activity has been on a smaller scale than normal. You said the worst they've done over the last couple weeks was tip over a food truck and raided it, right?"

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "Rather concerning. Almost like they're saving their energy for something."

Peregrine scoffed. "Don't go paranoid on us, Lewy. Criminals or not, they're not masterminds. What worse could they do other than said their trigger-happy leader out again? Pretty sure he's caused the most destruction so far, and that's mostly manageable."

Abraham set his book down. "Though, it is worth keeping in mind. The Rogues have proven to be formidable foes."

Julian sighed. "Well, if anything does happen, I'll make sure to have security boosted by then."

Liam nodded. "All for the best, then."

"I should be going now. I have some meetings to attend. Take care, everyone." The screen went black.

Liam spun around to face the other councilmen. He pinched between his eyes. "More Rogues…just what I needed for my migraine."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Don't let those brats get to you, Liam. They aren't worth the trouble. I'll have this village so trained that they could fight on par with a Fusion Hunter!" He raised his leek. "That isn't a promise, it's a fact!"

Liam chuckled. "Always the optimistic one, aren't you?" He sighed. "Well, if the Rogues try anything, I hope Julian's security boosts do the trick." He crossed his arms and leaned back. "For now, best we remain on our toes and continue to guide the villagers."

Abraham glanced off to the side. "Speaking of guiding…"

The councilmen turned toward the door, acknowledging the presence of York, who had his head poked through the curtain. He looked around awkwardly. "Um…is this a bad time?"

Liam smiled at the armored lizard and waved him in. "Not at all. Please York, have a seat." York stepped in and sat down in the chair at the end of the table. After scooting himself in, Liam asked, "What brings you here?"

"Yeah, you already gave us your report," Lewis reminded. "You're done for the day."

York scratched the back of his head. "I know, sir. I'm just a little shaken with what happened involving…" He mumbled the rest under his breath.

Cade was quick to pick up on it. "I assume this is over that encounter with the Rogue." York nodded quietly. Cade held his chin. "Ah yes, I can see why this would be troubling for you."

York glanced off to the side. "Yeah…I got pretty worried when he attacked Wash and Sheila like that. Made me realize how dangerous the Rogues were…and how dangerous they could be…"

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Kid, it's not like it was a lethal dosage of poison."

"That's not my point, though." He narrowed his eyes. "The Rogues may not be trained like us, but they are incredibly strong. You saw what happened when the Rogues fought us."

Abraham scratched his cheek with a sweatdrop. "Those destroyed buildings will haunt me for days."

"If they're acquiring more Fusions to join the Rogues, we might be in danger. We're not sure what they could be capable of. With us out in the city, they'll likely target us for revenge against me. And with me being here, that's more motivation to attack the physical village!"

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "Kid, did you get _any_ sleep when you came back?"

"Huh-OW!" York yelped when the steel duck appeared above him and whacked him on the head with his leek. He rubbed his sore scalp, wincing.

"You came here to bother us with nonsense?!" Peregrine shouted, slapping his leek into his wing. "Get a grip!"

Abraham raised a brow. "Was that truly called for, Peregrine?"

"The kid's speaking in crazy, I had to know some sense into him!"

York's head stopped stinging a moment later. He looked directly at Peregrine. "I don't understand."

Peregrine scoffed. "Look kid, we get your history with the Rogues has left you understandably stressed, but here's a piece of advice." He poked him in the chest. "Get over it!"

"Peregrine!" Cade scolded. "This is a serious matter for him!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, you want me to bake him cookies and tell him in the form of a bedtime story?!" he retorted. "There's murder, then there's worrying about this crap!"

Liam sighed, then looked at York. "What Peregrine is trying to get across is that you might be overthinking the whole ordeal. We understand you're worried about your fellow villagers, but I assure you we have everything under control. Gracelyn said Wash and Sheila will be fine."

Lewis crossed his arms. "Gracelyn and any of the Fusions working under her know what they're doing. Any harm brought onto the villagers is our responsibility, not yours."

York frowned. "Yeah, but…what if the Rogues attack the village? Surely we don't have the defenses necessary to contain a Psionic Bomb from Norris or a Boiling Jet from Sullivan or-!"

Peregrine silenced him with another whack to the head. "Calm down! Take a deep breath or something and stop acting like a looney bird!"

York rubbed his head, then inhaled deeply to calm his nerves. He exhaled a shaky breath, then held his knees. "S-Sorry…"

Liam crossed his arm. "Now York, we understand you're worried, but you have nothing to worry about. Yes, we won't be immediately there to help you should anything happen in the city, but that's what this training is for. It's to show us that you're more than capable of protecting yourselves."

Cade nodded. "We wouldn't still be sending you all out there if we didn't trust your abilities. We know the Rogues are strong, but we have total faith in you kids."

Abraham shrugged. "Besides, the village is well-guarded already. They won't get very far should they attack."

"Pokémon have caused damage before," York said with his head low. "What makes the Rogues different?" He raised his arm and blocked a third leek strike from Peregrine. "Will you cut that out?!"

Peregrine scoffed, then flew back to his seat. "You keep going on and on about the Rogues doing damage even though we keep telling you that won't happen." He narrowed his eyes. "Almost like this is more than just an evaluation of our security."

York blinked. "What…do you mean?"

Lewis folded his hands together and rested his chin on them. "York, be honest with us. Is it really the Rogues possibly retaliating against us for revenge that's got you wound up?" He narrowed his eyes. "Or are you scared to face your past? Are you scared to face those you called friends?"

An expression of confusion came across his face. York looked down as he tried to sort it out in his head. "Well…I…maybe?" Lewis raised a brow. "…okay, maybe that's why." York leaned against the table. "Eli, like all the Rogues, were like my family. When I left, I basically rejected them as such." He sighed. "The Rogues are close. Really close. Leaving them is turning your back on them."

Liam nodded. "It is perfectly normal to feel that way. Even with who they are, you still hold a great deal of respect towards them."

York chuckled quietly. "Respect…? I can't say their actions are forgivable, no matter how much I miss them." He blinked his eyes into a glare. "No matter the circumstances, I just don't want any harm to be brought to my home. All of you are my new family. I want to do all I can to protect you guys."

Peregrine crossed his wings and glared. "Then stop acting like a worrywart and focus your attention on your training. Your job. Your purpose here. We have no time to give you all the answers, kiddo. You are capable of solving that for yourself."

Lewis nodded. "Do not focus on what will happen. The Rogues, as you say, may be growing stronger, but that doesn't mean you should start underestimating your allies. Your friends."

York nodded and stood up. "You're right." He clenched his fist. "…even if I fear confronting them again, I can't let it get to me. Like my friends, I'll put myself in harm's way to protect them. I'll do all I can to protect my fellow Fusions!"

Cade snickered and said, "And a certain musical artist friend of yours."

"Yeah, and Casey, too!" York exclaimed proudly. A pause of silence came over him, then he slammed his hands down on the table with a shocked expression. "Wait, what?! How do you know about her?!"

Peregrine raised a slip of paper and waved it around with a teasing smirk. "Washington slipped a note to Gracelyn, who was kind enough to share it with us."

York's eye twitched uncomfortably. _Wash, you are SO dead later._

Cade laughed and leaned forward with a bright grin. "Now, isn't it a little odd you glossed over your 'mysterious ally' who offered their assistance in tracking those Fusions down?" He rubbed his chin. "Almost like you didn't want to bring her up."

York looked away with his cheeks glowing red. "W-Well, uh…"

Peregrine chuckled. "Getting embarrassed, Mr. Krie? Ashamed to have a celebrity as a friend?"

"I-It's not like that," he explained quietly. "I-I just don't want anyone hounding me about her or anything…"

Cade chuckled lightly. "Or is it because you don't want any rumors spreading about you two?"

"What does that…?" His eyes widened and his blush deepened in cover. He held his hands up defensively. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! H-Hang on, there's nothing going on between me and Casey! She's just my friend!"

Cade laughed, slapping his knee. "Oh, I said the exact same thing when I met the love of my life! Next thing I know, we're standing under the alter and soon having a precious baby girl together!" He sighed blissfully, then suddenly started weeping. "Oh, how I miss them so much! They probably miss me, too!" He cried into his hands.

Lewis patted the phantom panda's back with a deadpan expression. "Keep it together, big guy."

York hopped out of his seat with a large (and possibly mortified) smile. "OKAY!" He laughed awkwardly. "I-I'm just gonna go now! I have LOTS to do right now!" He took a step backwards, tripping over his feet and hitting a wall. He laughed and slipped out the door. "T-Thanks again for your help!"

Liam chuckled. "Take care, York!" He turned to the weeping panda, then sighed. "I'll, uh…get you some beer and a sandwich, Cade."

* * *

York sat against the outside of the council and sighed, relieving himself of that embarrassing moment. "Yeah, don't regret that little secret," he muttered to himself. He shook his head, then looked up at the sky.

It's so odd looking back. Not once did he have a problem with robbing strangers of their hard earn money, yet here he was redeeming his actions. It's strange how one event can flip your whole world view and put things into perspective. One moment, though. The Rogues were his family. If they never intended to go after Casey…

…would he still be the same mischievous thief he was?

York narrowed his eyes. "Would I?"

 _*Flashback*_

 _Another day, another heist to pull off. Only, things were a bit different for the armored lizard. While he normally went on these types of heists on his own or with another equally skilled thief, he decided to bring someone else along for the fun of it. That someone, though, wasn't having a good time._

 _Norris hung his arms over the edge of the roof they were on, staring at the ground in boredom. "Ugh, when is that stupid truck getting here?"_

 _York bit into a berry he brought along with him and munched on it. "Ever heard of being patient?" he asked jokingly._

 _Norris rolled his eyes. "Not a word I'm familiar with."_

 _York laughed. "Well, not you have some perspective on what me and the other thieves go through when we're stealing food for everyone."_

 _Norris glared at him. "Why did you drag me into this?"_

 _York tapped his chin. "Hmm…well, to be frank, you looked like you could use the fresh air. You already get enough hot air as it is."_

 _The explosive duck narrowed his eyes angrily. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

" _Norris, I don't want to say you're aggressively unstable, for a number of reason," he mumbled through his teeth before continuing, "but it's hard not to make that claim when you lost your cool over a berry you dropped. You nearly brought down the base on our heads."_

" _I was FREAKIN' HUNGRY! Why wouldn't I be mad?!" Norris growled furiously._

 _York pointed casually at him as he took a second bite of his berry. "Case and point, right there." Norris glared to the side, grumbling. York patted his back. "Hey, at least take some pride in knowing you're helping everyone. Once we get those exotic berries, we'll be fed for weeks."_

 _Norris rolled his eyes, then sat up. "Ugh, fine! But don't be surprised if I blow the truck up by mistake."_

 _York chuckled with a light smirk. "I'll take my chances." He glanced off to the side, then jumped to his feet. He finished off the last of his berry, patted his hands clean, and said, "Right on time."_

 _Norris got up and saw the box truck driving down the road. The side of the cargo container had a berry company logo, indicating the truck transported berries. With the size of the truck, there should be a ton of food stocked inside._

 _York bent down. "Okay, you stop the truck and I'll knock out the driver."_

 _Norris nodded as his wrist orbs sparked. "Right."_

" _And remember to be careful. We don't want to damage the-"_

" _BONZAI!" Norris shouted as he jumped off the roof. He clasped his hands together and aimed directly in front of the moving vehicle._

 _The driver looked out the window and shouted, "WHAT THE HE-?!"_

 _Norris' wrist orbs collided with the asphalt and ignited. A powerful shockwave of smoke and debris, coupled with a fiery explosion, kicked the truck off its front wheels and sent it sliding on its side. It sparked against the ground until it crashed into the side of a building, breaking the windows._

 _York stared at the destruction with wide, blank eyes. "…well, that's one way to stop a truck, I suppose."_

 _The Clefable driver punched up the passenger truck door, then popped out with anger in his eyes. "You rotten Fusions! When I get my hands on you, I'll-!"_

 _York landed behind him, saying, "You should take a nap. Thunderbolt!" He blasted the Clefable, electrocuting him until he passed out. He slumped back into the toppled truck._

 _Norris walked around the truck, then dug his claws into the container doors before ripping them off their hinges. He threw them to the side just as York landed next to him, then their eyes lit up with glee. Crates of berries knocked over in the truck. While the sides were slightly damaged, the boxes were still intact._

" _Jackpot!" York exclaimed, pumping his fist. "We'll be swimming in food for weeks!"_

 _Norris rubbed his hands together and laughed out loud. "This is great! What a score!"_

" _What are we waiting for? Let's haul these back to the base!"_

" _Right!"_

 _They stood there with their fists raised and their optimism beaming. They stared at the toppled truck for a moment of silence, as a soft breeze blew by._

"… _so, how are we supposed to transport all of these by ourselves?" Norris asked._

"… _dammit…"_

* * *

 _After York ran back to base and got as many Rogues he could to the scene, they carried the boxes back to base before the police showed up. They couldn't get them all, but they still had most of the crates. With those crates in their hands, a feast was in store for the Rogues._

 _Berries were thrown across the room, with Rogues catching them left and right and taking large, juicy bites out of them. They laughed joyfully, raising their berries up high._

 _Norris ate his whole and swallow, then shouted, "Eat as much as you can, fellas! Plenty for everybody!"_

 _York grinned. "Another successful heist!"_

 _Mikayla ate a berry, then smirked at the two. "A heist you two nearly botched."_

" _Shut up," Norris mumbled angrily. York rolled his eyes and patted the mad duck's back._

 _Eli spun a berry on his finger, caught it, and took a small bite. "Not bad, you two. You scored big with this one." He took a whiff of the berry's aroma. "Oh my, and you didn't cheap out on us, either. Hmm…" He took a second whiff, then snapped his fingers. "Ah, Roseli berry! A fine aroma!"_

 _Sullivan chuckled. "Hey, maybe next time, you guys could raid a fast food joint!"_

 _Norris sneered. "Don't push your luck. Be happy we got this for you." He munched loudly on his berry._

 _Mikayla waved her berry around. "So, what did you do to the driver?"_

 _York shrugged. "Knocked him out, nothing big."_

 _Sullivan rolled his eyes. "That's it? If I were you, I would've melted his truck. Maybe even ignite his gas tank for extra flare."_

 _York glanced at the boiling anteater. "There'd be no point in going that far. All we wanted was the food, nothing more."_

 _Mikayla scooted closer to him and slapped him against the back, smirking. "Ah, come on! You could've roughed him up a bit!"_

 _York dusted his shoulders clean. "Unless he picked a fight with me, I'm not getting into any unnecessary brawls with the Pokémon. Wasting energy for a pointless reason."_

 _Mikayla rolled her eyes. "Fair enough." She bit down on her berry._

 _Sullivan shrugged. "Well, as long as everyone's well and fed, it doesn't matter."_

 _York nodded. "Speaking of well, I'm planning on raiding that nearby pharmacy for supplies. We're running a bit low on medicine."_

 _Norris glared to the side. "Well, count me out. I'm done with recon missions."_

 _York smirked. "What? Sick of hanging out with me already?"_

 _Norris smirked back. "Oh, you sicken me to death." They glared at each other, then laughed out loud._

 _Once calmed, York grinned brightly and raised his berry up high. "To the Rogues!"_

 _The Rogues grinned back and raised their berries. "To the Rogues!"_

 _*Flashback Ends*_

York narrowed his eyes at the sky. He really has changed. How did he go from a thief who stole without remorse to…this? He doesn't regret his decision, but it paints a new light into his transformation. None of this would have happened if reality didn't decide to set in when it did.

He lowered his head, then closed his eyes. "If I didn't step in to save Casey…if that day never happened…would I still be who I was?"

"Probably."

York yelped in surprise, nearly falling over on his side. He caught himself, then glared at the snickering Sylveon Fusion. "Artemis! I thought I told you to cut that out!"

Artemis wrapped her feeler around his neck and pulled him into a side hug, laughing. "Oh, don't be like that!" She gave him a playful noogie. "I just came by to check on you!"

He pushed her off, but was rather surprised by her act of kindness. "Seriously?"

She shrugged. "What? Do I look like a heartless Fusion or something?" She smirked. "Anyway, I came by because you were dozing off." She poked his temple, snickering. "You were in pretty deep thought for a moment. What's got you so quiet today?"

He looked away. "I've just been…thinking about stuff."

"Ah, stuff," Artemis mulled jokingly with her paw on her chin. "What a confounding subject to ponder."

He shoved her lightly. "I'm being serious."

She smirked. "So am I. Lighten up and just tell me what's bugging you."

He stared at her for a moment, then looked forward with a heavy sigh. "Just…remembering what it was like being a Rogue, I guess. It's been so long. I haven't really considered how much I've changed over the years."

Artemis rubbed her chin with a wry grin. "Ah, the Rogues. Weren't they something?" She snickered. "Maybe I should ditch this dump and move in with them. What's the application process again?"

York glared at her. "Artemis…"

She gave him a playful shove, laughing. "Kidding, you big bozo! I'm not leaving this place!" She looked to the side and purred. "Don't want to upset Spooks~."

York sighed, then pulled his knees up to his chest, leaning against them. "I don't want to face the Rogues as enemies. They were my family." He looked down. "I want them to see reason."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Reason? From whose perspective?" She chuckled. "Yorky, no offense, but saying that to their faces won't earn you brownie points." She shrugged. "Hard to believe, but it turns out people don't like being told they're wrong. Shocker, isn't it?"

He glanced at her. "So, you think there's no point?"

"I never said that."

York sighed, then stood up. "Then what do you mean?" He started walking, with the female Fusion following.

"It takes one bad day to cement a concept into a person's noggin," Artemis said. "Routine practice, beliefs since birth, a traumatic experience, you name it! Bad days change lives! You either curl up in a ball and cry or you have a metaphorical transformation in a pit and become some costume wearing vigilante!" She laughed. "Or, in our case here, go to a village or live like a criminal!"

"I'm not following your logic."

"Neither am I!" she exclaimed with a lax grin. "Isn't madness a beauty?"

York sighed. "You're a strange case, Art."

"You're too sweet." She smirked. "But in all seriousness, anything can be cemented into stone and be unchangeable, but there's this little thing called erosion. You know, that process of eroding rock by wind, water, or something?"

"And?"

"Stubborn Fusions are like rock. Morality is the erosion. Enough of it over time might cause change, under the right circumstances." She stopped and posed proudly. "After all, my amazingness has only been enhanced when I turned away from my life of crime!"

York smirked. "You steal from the cafeteria at least twice a week."

"Shush! Don't interrupt me with your logic!" She placed her paw against her chest. "Of course, the eroding force that broke down my rock shell of stubbornness was a handsome, intelligent, amazing, spectacular Charmeleon-Darkrai who I absolutely adore!" She spun around on her left forepaw, laughing. "And I've never been happier~!"

York smiled. "You sure do love him."

Artemis stopped spinning, still laughing. "How could I not? He's the one who…" Her smile lightened up as her eyes became watery. "…everything he has done for me. I'm not sure how I can repay him for his kindness…"

"Artemis…"

She rubbed her eyes, laughing. "Yeesh, now how did that dust get in my eyes? Hehehe…" She smiled at York. "Your friends are bad now, maybe for a long time." She chuckled. "But, if you're persistent enough, something might spark a change. Just so long as you stay away from preachy, friendship speeches."

York chuckled, holding his face. "You…heh, thanks Artemis."

"Eh, no problem." She shoved him forward. "Now get moving, you have work to attend!"

He stumbled forward, then looked up to see he was in front of the therapy hut. _Huh, we got here faster than I thought._ He turned to the Sylveon-Scrafty and smiled. "See you later, Artemis."

She snickered, then waved her feeler at him. "Catch you later!" She walked off.

York crossed his arms and smiled to himself. He looked up at the building in front of him. _I want equality between the Pokémon and the Fusions. I want to bring peace between the Fusions who want change and the Fusions who want revenge._ He stepped towards the door and opened it. _My past haunts me, but…I have to learn to face it. I'm not turning my back on my friends. Not now, not ever._ He shut the door behind him.

* * *

Norris sat on a crate with his legs crossed and his arms laying in his lap. He breathed rhythmically with his eyes closed, trying to find peace with himself. At least, that's what Mikayla was forcing him to do. Worried that he was going to have an aneurysm with his frequent fits of rage, the frosty Fusion recommended meditation to calm his nerves.

He's been defiant in going along with it, as she expected. Thankfully, she had her ways to get him to hold still, whether it be by soft, nurturing comfort or freezing his feet to the ground. Works every time.

While she was able to sit him down, actually making him go through the whole meditation process was a chore itself. Norris was known for being impulsive and lashing out in anger, so he wasn't used to sitting still for long periods of time.

Through his closed eyelids, his right eye twitched in irritation. His legs were getting uncomfortable and he was having the uncontrollable urge to get up and do something. Fighting, punching, a simple workout, anything! He'll even go swimming in the sewer water (even though that would be utterly disgusting).

With his patience worn thin, he jumped out of his sitting position and flailed his arms angrily. "Ugh, this is so stupid!"

Mikayla deadpanned. "Well, glad to see I haven't been wasting my time," she said sarcastically.

"I'm not a Fusion who sits still! I need action! Destruction! Explosions!"

She rolled her eyes. "And high blood pressure." She patted his shoulder. "You can't lead anyone if you continue acting out like this."

Norris crossed his arms and huffed. "I can manage! I've been angry my whole life! Still healthy as ever!"

"Physically speaking, maybe." She gripped his shoulders with a worried expression. "But I don't like you being angry all the time. You used to be…calmer when we first met. You've been getting angrier and angrier the longer this hate festers. I just don't want you to get hurt. You might be wearing yourself out."

He shrugged her off. "I'm fine, Mikayla. I don't need you hovering over my shoulder. You're not my mom."

She narrowed her eyes. "I might as well be with how you're behaving." She sighed. "I'm only here to help you, Norris. Please remember that." She held his cheek in her hand. "I'm not like those rotten Pokémon who tortured you as a child. I'm giving you the help you need. Please don't push me away."

Norris stared at her, eyes narrowed. He lifted his hand and held the hand holding his cheek. "Mikayla…"

"Yo, what's happening, my pals?!" Norris and Mikayla jumped before separating. Eli waltzed into the room with a skip in his step. He flapped his wing cloak, then bowed. "I have returned, finished with my assignments."

Mikayla grumbled in annoyance. "Great timing, Eli…"

Eli looked between them, then smirked. "Oops. Did I interrupt something?"

 _You have NO idea._ Mikayla sighed, then said, "Just the usual meditation session with Norris." She glared at the mad duck. "He's being fussy like usual."

"Shut up!" Norris growled.

Mikayla rolled her eyes, then stood up. "So, what's the news, Eli?"

Eli folded his arms behind his back and straightened himself up. "I have returned from my recruitment process. Two of the four potential recruits have failed. The Lombre-Seviper and the Fraxure-Altaria. The other two recruits, however, passed with flying colors."

Norris rolled his eyes. "Great, fantastic."

"Oh, there's more. You see, the two failures weren't taken out by the authorities. It was Gappei Village that interfered."

Norris clenched his teeth. "Of course…those losers again." He clenched his fists. "That village drives me nuts."

"Oh, then you're really not going to like this." Eli chuckled. "It would seem the team that interfered had a familiar face among them. Some Fusion named…York Krie."

Dead silence came after.

Norris stared at the devious toad with a blank stare. Wordlessly, he got out of his seat and walked out of the room.

Mikayla watched him leave with a nervous expression. "Norris…"

Eli smiled lightly. "Huh, he took that better than I-"

A cry of sheer rage sounded from around the corner as a series explosions went off in quick succession. The base shook in short bursts, raining down dust from the ceiling. A flaming dummy was thrown out of the hallway and landed in front of Eli and Mikayla's feet.

The two blinked, then looked at each other. "…I stand corrected."

Norris stormed back in and bared his teeth into a snarl. "He's still HERE?! I thought he left the freakin' region!"

Eli shrugged. "Guess he gave us the slip."

Norris gripped his head and shouted at the ceiling. "That treacherous traitor! He has a lot to answer for!"

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "How so?"

"Getting back at that village once and for all!" He stomped over and grabbed Mikayla. "Don't you see? It's only a matter of time before they set their sights on us! Everything we've worked for, everything we worked to accomplish, will all be pointless! It won't be long until they end our base of operations!" He pulled away and clenched his fists, sparking with rage. "It would be the end of the Rogues!"

"What are you saying?"

Norris cracked his knuckles, glaring darkly. "I say we give those Gappei losers a taste of the Rogues' true power." Mikayla gasped quietly.

Their attention was drawn to Eli as he clapped with a light smirk. He laughed, saying, "Ah yes, a brilliant plan for a brilliant mind. Truly wonderful." He stepped forward and raised his finger. "Though, if I may interject, we could be going about this a different way."

Norris glared at him. "What do you mean 'a different way?' If Gappei Village keeps this up, they'll find us and ruin what's left of our miserable lives!"

Eli held his hands up calmly. "And I get that, I do. However, you're thinking too violently. What we need is something more. Something less direct, but just as powerful a message."

Norris blinked, then deadpanned. "I'm not following."

"Hear me out. A bloodbath, which you're implying, would show that the Rogues are a force of nature that cannot be controlled." He crossed his arms behind his back and paced around. "However, that comes with its own share of consequences. I'm not sure if you know this, but emotions tend to flare when faced with a negative opposition. It can cause some troubling backlash if handled improperly."

"So?"

Eli sighed, then leaned forward and looked him in the eye. "What do you suppose will happen if we kill a member of that village? Remember, at least three carry out those tasks. There's an entire village full of them and you got your ass handed to you by at least one of them. And don't get me started on the Fusion Council." He poked the duck's chest. "Let me put it to you like this: it's the classic line 'you take on one of us, you take on all of us.' Get the picture?"

Norris opened his mouth to rebut, then clamped it shut with a look of realization. "…oh."

Eli leaned back and continued pacing. "There's a time for violence, but not now. As your advisor, I suggest a different path, one that doesn't require us to get our hands dirty."

Mikayla crossed her arms, raising a bow curiously. "Okay, what?"

Eli chuckled, raising a finger. "Instead of taking up the role of mass murderers, we take up a different role. While I haven't planned all the details yet, there's potential at every corner." He snickered. "The one place in the world that's trying their hardest to bring change: Profectus Inc." Norris and Mikayla's eyes widened. "Speechless? I'm not surprised.

"Profectus Inc. is place where thought becomes reality. High grade tech, limitless possibilities, projects to benefit Pokémon kind!" He smirked. "Or in our case, technology we could steal to improve our own lives."

Norris smirked. "Go on."

"If Profectus Inc. has anything hidden under their belt, I'm talking secret projects or schematics, we get our hands on them and use them for our own nefarious benefit. Improve our lives…or destroy he lives of others."

Mikayla hummed in thought, then nodded. "Actually, that could work."

"Yeah, except a couple problems," Norris brought up. "What are we supposed to be looking for?"

Eli shrugged. "I don't know, that's the beauty of the plan! It's like your own personal lottery!"

Norris groaned, then continued, "Second, how would we even steal any plans? We don't have any thieves as skilled as York. We'd get caught in a minute."

Eli chuckled. "What do you think I've been doing for the last couple weeks?" Norris raised a brow. "I had more recruits ready to join the Rogues, but I narrowed it down to those four because they were the most elusive. And, with two down and two remaining, we had our winners." He smirked. "The best thieves I could find. Thieves who could even put York to shame."

Norris narrowed his eyes. "Who?"

Eli laughed, then whistled loudly. "Oh ladies! Time to meet the boss!"

Norris and Mikayla turned to the entrance of the room and saw two Fusions enter. The first was an Audino-Klefki Fusion. The usual pink and cream coloration of an Audino was swapped for silvery-gray and pink respectively. A key feature she possessed was the earring-like key ring hanging from her right ear with seven unique keys dangling from it.

The second Fusion, who was sitting on the Audino Fusion's shoulder, was a Ribombee-Cottonee Fusion. She had a white, fluffy coat of cotton and a scarf made of plant matter, resembling leaves.

Eli gestured to the two females and said, "Norris, Mikayla, I am proud to introduce the newest members of the Rogues, Zoey and Sunny. Say hello, ladies."

Much to Norris' surprise, and discomfort, the Ribombee Fusion flew over to him and shook his finger eagerly with a bright grin. "How ya doing, boss man?!" Sunny exclaimed cheerfully. "I'm so happy I get to finally meet you! Mr. Eli said you were pretty nasty, but I'm looking forward to working alongside you!" She ended with a cute squee.

Norris blinked slowly. "Boss…man?" His eyes widened, then he glared at Eli. "Wait, what were you saying about me?!"

Eli laughed. "Nothing important."

Zoey strutted over and pulled Sunny away, laughing lightly. "Sorry about that. She gets pretty excited about things." She winked at Norris with a flirty expression. "Looking forward to working with you."

Norris blinked with a light blush warming his cheeks. "Wha…?"

Mikayla immediately got between the two and pushed her away, laughing through her teeth. "Oh joy, she's a flirter…"

Eli chuckled, rubbing his chin. "She couldn't get enough of this charming face."

Zoey chuckled. "What can I say? You're a charming man."

He held his cheeks and waved it off jokingly. "Oh, stop it, you~!"

Zoey giggled, then winked over her shoulder at Norris. "You don't look too bad yourself, handsome." She yelped as Mikayla pushed her away, grinning irritably.

"Okay! That's enough with the introductions!" she said loudly. She glared at Sunny, who was holding her hands over her mouth with a large grin and squealing. "What are you looking at?"

She kicked her legs excitably, trying to hold herself together. "You like Nor-EEP!" She dodged a Moonblast, which exploded at the wall.

Norris blinked. "Mikayla?"

She looked over her shoulder, smiling. "Oh, nothing~!" She glared at Sunny. "One word out of you and the base gets a new ice sculpture. Capiche?"

Sunny giggled. "Okay~!" She fluttered over to Zoey, who was chuckling to herself over the scene.

Eli crossed his arms and grinned. "Well, with that done, welcome to the Rogues. We hope you enjoy working alongside us." He closed his eyes. "Now, we don't normally deal out difficult missions to rookies, but for you two? We'll make an exception."

Sunny gasped. "Wow! A special mission just for us?!" She hugged Zoey's arm. "Isn't this great?!"

Zoey laughed. "Two minutes in and we're already getting the cool jobs!"

"I must warn you, though, this mission requires patience and risk. Failure is not an option. You'll need to be prepared to handle the challenge."

Zoey waved it off. "Please, we can handle anything. Sunny and I once stole a missile from the military and fired it at a lodge in the mountains."

Norris, Mikayla, and Eli blinked. "…what?"

Sunny giggled. "Yeah! We were staying at this lodge, but the guy who owned it kicked us out because we were in disguise at the time. So, we kind of 'paid rent.'"

Zoey shook her head. "Though, we gave the dude a ten minute warning before we fired it, so all's good."

Eli blinked again, then chuckled. "Well, I say I made the right decision bringing you two in. So, Profectus Inc. should be a cakewalk?"

Sunny laughed. "Oh, most definitely!"

Zoey crossed her arms. "What for?"

Norris stepped forward. "That's the thing. We want you to steal from every branch of Profectus Inc. scattered around the city. Anything you can find from blueprints to inventions."

"We want something that screams 'Don't mess with the Rogues or else!'" Eli added.

Sunny raised her hand excitedly. "Ooh! How about a billboard that's constantly screaming?!"

Eli stared at her blankly. "I…didn't mean that literally."

Norris shook his head. "We don't care what it is, so long as it's something we can use to make ourselves stronger." Sunny raised her hand. "Anything but a screaming billboard!" She lowered her hand.

Eli crossed his arms. "You can start once you've adjusted to your new home. Feel free to come to any of us should you have any questions."

Zoey saluted. "Aye, captain." She smiled at Sunny. "Come on, Sun, let's check out where we'll be sleeping!"

Sunny squealed. "I call sleeping in the extra pillow case!" They ran off, laughing.

Norris crossed his arms. "…I like them. I like them a lot." He glanced at Eli. "You said they were good thieves, right?"

"My evaluation _before_ I knew about the missile thing," he assured. "I think I made the right call."

Mikayla smirked. "This could work. If they find something useful, we could give Gappei Village a piece of our mind."

"That's just assuming they can find something we can use," Norris said. "Like Eli said, we're playing a game of chance now."

Mikayla shrugged. "Well, until then, we wait. Which means…" She pinched down on the angry duck and pulled him away. "Back to meditating for you!"

"OH COME ON!"

"Norris!"

"…I'm calm."


	14. The Basics of Fusions

**Quick note: I would like to thank Mysteryals and Austin Todd 315 for the additional OC's, Willy and Matthew.**

* * *

Rebecca paced back and forth in the art room, located in the school hut. She smiled sweetly as she watched the many Fusion children painting on canvases and expressing themselves through paint. She raised a finger. "Alright everyone, you have five more minutes before it's time to wash up. Once you're done, recess!"

"Yes, Ms. Rebecca!" the children exclaimed before turning back to their canvases. Rebecca chuckled. If there was one thing she enjoyed more than anything, it was teaching art class to the children. She loved being around kids. So playful, so well-behaved (for the most part), and just so freakin' adorable.

With all the training going on with the older Fusions, it was a bit harder for the ones manning the school to make time for teaching and training. If it weren't for Abraham, the head of education, being so reasonable, Rebecca's schedule would be out of whack.

Winona held a paintbrush in her mouth and gently stroked her canvas with color. She tilted her head, then added a little more detail to a spot. She smiled happily, then spat her brush into her cleaning cup. She stood on her hindlegs and waved her flippers. "Ms. Rebecca! Look at my painting!"

Rebecca walked over and smiled. "What did you make, Winona?"

She spun the canvas around and wagged her tail. "Tada!" She painted a sloppily made beach. The sky and water at the horizon didn't blend well and it was hard to distinguish what was going on in the painting. Regardless, Rebecca was able to make out the adorable fish-like cat in the water, who was depicted to be happily splashing the water.

Rebecca giggled, then said, "Aww, Winona, this is lovely." Winona wagged her tail and squeaked cutely. "I see someone's thinking about the beach."

She rolled around on her stool and giggled. "I've only seen one on TV! They look fun!"

Rebecca rubbed her head and said, "Well, maybe one day, we can take all of you out to a real beach." Winona gasped, then clapped her flippers cheerfully. Rebecca giggled, patted the cat whale's head, then walked around to check out the other paintings.

She came up to a Goomy-Alolan Muk, who was quietly painting and keeping his head low. He was rainbow colored like Alolan Muk, just not made of sludge. He had crystals covering his sensory horns.

Rebecca smiled at the quiet Fusion. "How are you doing today, Willy?" He froze up and squeaked nervously, dropping his paintbrush. She caught it and set it down on his easel. She smiled gently. "Still shy, huh?" She reached out and petted his head, which scared him at first before easing up to it. "I know you're still getting used to living here, but I promise you'll have a great time."

Willy shifted on his stool. "R…R-Really?"

She grinned. "I'd never lie to you." He smiled timidly. "So, what are you painting?" She took a look at his canvas, then giggled. It was a painting of a chocolate Bunnelby. From what Spaz told her, Willy had a fondness for them. "You want a chocolate Bunnelby, don't you?" He nodded softly. "Well, if you be a good boy, maybe we'll get you one someday."

Willy smiled, then jumped in her arms. He then started nibbling on the ear, a sign of affection she learned he tends to do. She laughed and patted his head before setting him back down.

"See? You're warming up already." She set him down, then continued her walk around.

She came across a Zigzagoon-Vulpix, who was pressing colored pawprints across his canvas. Like a true Zigzagoon, his two prime colors alternated through zigzags down his body, with only brownish-red fur replacing the white, which was also the same color as his paws. He had a tuff of red fur curled on top his head. His six Zigzagoon tails wagged as he painted

Rebecca smiled. "Having fun there, Matthew?"

The fiery raccoon looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Sure am!"

"Great! Just remember to clean your paws when you're done. You don't want to be messy when you have class with Ms. Dakota later."

"Yes ma'am!" He dipped his paws in paint continued making pawprints.

Rebecca rolled her eyes and laughed. Her ears twitched when she heard much stronger paint splashing. Curious, she ran over to the source of the noise. She turned to one particular canvas, then sweat-dropped with an awkward grim as she saw Harper clinging to the sides of her canvas. The energetic Fusion was covered in paint splotches, with evidence pointing to her pressing herself against the wet board.

"Harper…" Rebecca started with a scolding, yet amused tone.

The Eevee-Ditto looked to her side, then grinned with a tail wag. "I'm making art!"

"You're _making_ a mess," Rebecca countered. She pulled her twig from her tail, lit the tip with her aura, and pulled the shapeshifting Eeveelution off with her Psychic. "Look at yourself. You're going to need a bath."

Harper held her paws up cutely and tilted her head. "Oopsie?" she expressed apologetically and with an adorable smile.

Rebecca sighed, then chuckled. "You're lucky you're cute," she said before flicking the Eevee Fusion's nose, making her giggle. Rebecca smiled, then her ears twitched once more. There was a sudden silence.

She looked over her shoulder and saw the kids staring at the messy Eevee Fusion. Their eyes then turned to their supply of paint before them. They looked back and forth between the two, before smiles stretched across their faces. Playful smiles that alerted Rebecca of the impending havoc about to ensue.

"Oh no, don't you dare-!" She reflexively raised her wand and psychically protected herself from the paint storm that soon followed. The kids dipped their hands/paws in their paint and splashed the colorful liquid across the room and at each other. Rebecca sighed with a defeated smile. "Why me?"

* * *

After calming the children down (and getting scolded by Dakota for wasting paint), she and Rebecca sat outside the school with large buckets of soapy water, one for each of the kids. They each took half the kids and focused on scrubbing them down.

Dakota took a smaller bucket, pulled up some water, and held it over Willy's head. "Close your eyes, Willy." He did so, then squeaked in alarm as the water splashed down on him. She then took a loofah and scrub the paint off his back. "It's funny how you looked the least out of place in that mess," she brought up with a light chuckle. He frowned sadly, but she gave him an affection rub on the head. "Hey, I'm not mad at you. You just made a mistake. You won't do it again, right?"

He nodded. "N-No…I won't…"

She smiled. "That's all I wanted to hear." She looked at the other kids sitting it buckets. "That goes for all of you, you hear?"

"Yes, Ms. Dakota!" they chorused as they played with the soapy bubbles.

Dakota smiled lightly. "Heh…I can't stay mad at these cute little faces."

Rebecca giggled. "Tell me about it."

"No matter how-" Dakota tickled Wantanabe's sides, making him laugh, "-rambunctious they get, I still enjoy being their teacher."

Rebecca smiled sadly. "I just hope they have good futures ahead of them. I certainly wouldn't want them caught up in all this drama."

Dakota waved her concern off. "Bah, who needs the outside world? I've lived here before these little munchkins were born and I've turned out just great!" She pulled Wantanabe out of the bucket, then wrapped a towel around him. "They have everything they need right here."

Rebecca raised a brow as she pulled Winona out, who wiggled in her hold. "Just limiting them to this small village?"

"We have the entire forest to cover if we run out of room." She rolled her eyes. "Besides, I wouldn't want to overwhelm them. There's a lot to see, sure, but it's best to start small." She shrugged. "But hey, what do I know? I don't like traveling."

Rebecca smiled. She wrapped a towel around Winona and began drying her. "Well, give it a chance. Our reputation has been improving a bit. I heard Artemis say one of the teams stopped a few Rogues from robbing a bakery. They gave them muffins for their help."

Dakota laughed. "Seriously?! Don't hear that every day!"

At the mention of muffins, Wantanabe stood on his hindlegs and leaned against Dakota with shimmering eyes. "Muffins!"

Dakota chuckled and patted his head. "No muffins here, bud." He pouted, then planted his butt back on the ground. The Sandshrew-Glaceon rolled her eyes with a short laugh before finishing the drying.

Rebecca and Dakota went down the line of kids and eventually got them all bathed and clean of paint. Rebecca finished with drying off Harper, then set her next to her squeaky-clean friends.

Rebecca clasped her hands together and grinned. "There you all go! All nice and sparkly!" She waggled her finger. "Now, you have an hour of recess. Make sure to be back in Ms. Dakota's class before then, okay?"

"Yes, Ms. Rebecca!"

The Braixen Fusion grinned. "In that case…go play!" The kids cheered excitedly and ran off through the village. Rebecca laughed. "Precious little angels…"

Dakota crossed her arms and shook her head. "Hyperactive angels, if you ask me."

Rebecca chuckled. "Heh, true. So, what's the lesson you have planned for today?"

"Probably some review on the math I was teaching."

Rebecca stuck her tongue out jokingly. "Bleh, math. So glad I don't have to deal with school work anymore."

Dakota held her hips and smirked. "Oh yes, you have it easy, don't you?"

Rebecca chuckled. "I didn't say that." She groaned as she rubbed her arm. "Still feel sore from all those push-ups Peregrine made me do. I mess up on the obstacle course _once_ and he makes me do two-hundred push-ups in response." She threw her arms up in frustration. "How is that freakin' fair?!"

Dakota laughed. "I'm glad I don't have to go through that. Battling's not my thing."

Rebecca held her hips. "You're not missing out on anything." She looked over her shoulder. "Yeesh, this has me worried about the kids. I don't think they'll last a day under his wing…pun not intended."

Dakota chuckled. "Yeah, well…" The Sandshrew Fusion paused, then tapped her chin in thought. Now that she mentioned it, the kids would have to start training once they become of age. It never crossed her mind given most of them never had an ounce of real world fight experience. Playful roughhousing, but not a full-on battle.

In fact, that only raised other realizations. Even with the basic education she was giving them, they weren't taught much about their own lineage. It wasn't information heard in daily passing, but these kids hardly knew anything about their own origins. The only history she ever taught them involved Pokémon based civilizations and conflicts between Pokémon and Fusions (without going into vivid detail about the outcomes, of course).

Rebecca soon noticed the teacher's contemplative expression. "Hmm? What's on your mind?"

"Huh?" Dakota sounded before shaking herself awake. "Oh, sorry, it's just…" She looked forward and crossed her arms. "Well, it just occurred to me the kids don't know anything about themselves."

"Come again?" Rebecca asked with a confused brow raise.

"About themselves as Fusions. I mean, most of them never had to tough it out in the world like Artemis or York or Asadi or…" She shook her head. "You get my point. What I'm saying is that I've never taught them anything about their own biology."

"Is that important?" Rebecca asked.

"With everything going on, it might as well be. Not to mention training. They know next to nothing about fighting. I don't want them to get into fights, but I certainly wouldn't want them getting into one _without_ knowing the basic knowledge to a successful battle." She groaned. "This is something kids their age should be learning about. Heck, _I_ barely know anything about my own origins. The kids have a right to know."

"What are you getting at?" Rebecca questioned.

Dakota smiled proudly. "Simple: I'm going to give those kids a history lesson on their origins AND teach them how to battle!"

Rebecca blinked, then looked away as she tried to hold back a laugh. The amused snort that came out of her gave her away as the Sandshrew Fusion glared and pouted in annoyance. "S-Sorry Dakota, but…YOU? Teaching our history, I can understand, but…you're a pacifist! I've never seen you raise your fist to anyone!"

Dakota scoffed. "I can be intimidating!" she argued. She tapped her foot for a moment, then raised her hands and swiped at the air with a 'mean' expression. "Grr! Rawr! Fear me!" Her nose twitched uncontrollably before accidentally sneezing, which came out as a soft squeak. She blushed as Rebecca threw her head back and laughed. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" she exclaimed with an annoyed eye roll.

Rebecca calmed herself, then crossed her arms. "But seriously, why train them so early? Shouldn't they just enjoy being kids while they still can?"

"Becca, while I would love that, I can't run the risk of these kids getting hurt. Even with protest attacks becoming less frequent, I'm not letting these kids get hurt under my care. Plus…" She rolled her eyes. "Well, considering Peregrine's 'unique' training routine, it may be best to have the kids freshen up on battling. Besides, it'd be best to help them perfect their Fusion Moves while they still can."

Rebecca tapped her chin and thought it over. "Hmm…well, I suppose it would be good for them. They were bound to train at some point in their lives. I guess no harm would come to starting early." She narrowed her eyes. "Still, wouldn't it be better to have someone else handle the training? Like I said, you're a pacifist."

Dakota waved it off. "Bah! How hard could it be? It's just tackling and firing attacks."

Rebecca raised a brow skeptically. "…really?"

"Um…yes?" she answered awkwardly, a drop of sweat forming on the side of her head.

The aura fox pinched between her eyes and groaned. "Dakota…"

"Hey, I can handle it! A little education will get them pumped up, then I get them motivated to train! I can always use those dummies we have laying around."

"Wouldn't it be better to get someone else to help you? Like say…Hawkins?"

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Yes, because I would LOVE for him to undermine me for the umpteenth time."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

She shrugged. "We can tolerate each other, but I get sick and tired of him talking about fighting, especially when my personal stance on battling is accidentally brought up." She chuckled. "Besides, it shouldn't be too hard. They're just kids."

Rebecca held her hips and sighed. "Ay yai yai. At least talk this over with the council before you do something stupid."

The icy shrew shrugged. "Hey, I got that covered. Abraham should be open to the idea."

Rebecca shook her head, then smiled. "Oh fine, do your thing." She poked the teacher in the forehead. "Just don't get in over your head with the training. Even before all this intense training, I knew there was more to battling than 'tackling' and 'firing attacks.'"

Dakota rolled her eyes and chuckled dryly. "Haha."

* * *

Since she was pressed for time and wanted to start teaching the subject of Fusions today, she had to get all her thoughts out to the head of education himself, Abraham. Seems a little sudden and unprepared, but the Sandshrew Fusion was pretty good at making up new lessons on the fly. All she needed was Abraham's approval…and maybe education assistance.

While she knew a lot about Fusions, Abraham was a much more reliable expert on the matter. He was the one who inspired her to start teaching when she first arrived in Gappei Village.

She paced in front of his desk, waving her arms around with hand gestures. "…and yes, I understand it's a little unprofessional for me as a teacher to change plans up at the last minute, especially on a subject I haven't fully mastered myself. However, I feel this could spark some new motivation from the children. I feel they have a right to know about the intricate history Fusions have left behind on our world."

Abraham had his arms folded on top his desk. Outside of the council, he had his own private workspace in the school. His office was like a small library, with books lining the walls around him. He nodded with an intrigued look. "Go on."

Dakota grinned, then continued, "Well sir, I feel it's my duty as a teacher to start teaching them early. The history of our species is knowledge I feel should be more common among today's youth. They have a right to learn. Not to mention, with the recent training going on, I only feel it be right to start their training a bit earlier than scheduled. Learning to battle is an essential skill."

Abraham rolled back in his seat and looked at the ceiling, tapping his hands together. "Yes, yes, it is…" He closed his eyes and smiled. "Oh, what the heck? I approve."

Dakota gasped gratefully. "Really?!"

"Of course! Today's youth should be educated on our species as a whole! To understand the greatness our species has brought to this world…and shortcomings," he muttered the last bit quietly. He resumed grinning. "Regardless, I say it's a spectacular idea, Ms. Dakota!"

The icy shrew jumped with joy. "Oh, thank you, sir! I'll teach them everything I can! I hope to make it a fun course for them!" She stopped jumping, then held her chin. "Though, slight problem. I don't have the proper review material to even cover the subject. I was hoping to start teaching it today, so…"

Abraham held his hand up. "Say no more, my dear, I have that covered." He walked over to the back shelf and ran his hand across the collection of books. "My office is a source of knowledge, Ms. Dakota. Any study material necessary for the mental growth of these impressionable younglings can be found here." He grabbed a book and pulled it out. "Whether it be mathematics, ancient history…" He waved the book at her. "Or the history and science of Fusions."

Dakota gasped and snatched the book out of his hands. She immediately opened it and flipped through the pages. Even with skimming through the text, she could see it was a spring of knowledge about the Fusions. The table of contents showed chapters covering origins, history, science of Fusions, biology, and much more.

"I can't believe this. I'd never imagine a Pokémon would take the time to do this much research on us," she expressed in awe.

Abraham chuckled. "Well, I'm sure there could be, but I never said anything about a Pokémon writing that book." He took a bow. "The author is standing right in front of you."

Dakota blinked, then gasped. "Wait, YOU?!" She looked at the author of the book again before exclaiming, "But it says it was written by someone named 'A.D. Craft!'"

Abraham chuckled. "Ms. Dakota, that's simply a pseudonym I use. My last name used to be 'Craft' before I had it legally changed many years back. I've never given out my personal information before coming here, so I stuck to using that name in secret."

Dakota blinked in bewilderment and admiration. _Oh. My. Gosh. He's an amazing teacher AND an author!_

Abraham smirked lightly, amused by her reaction. "Don't go asking me for an autograph, young lady."

She jumped back, then rubbed the back of her head with an awkward grin. "Hehe…sorry."

Abraham tapped the book in her hands. "Everything you could possibly cover on Fusions should be in that book. I recommend spreading out the lessons through the week. You want them coming back for more, don't you?"

"Oh yes, of course!"

"Good." He chuckled. "Just make sure to make the lessons exciting. It's no bedtime story, but I can guarantee reading straight from the book is going to get them snoring."

Dakota smiled. "Don't worry, sir! If there's one thing I know to do, it's keep children entertained." She looked at the wall clock hanging above the Smeargle Fusion's head. The children's hour of recess was almost up. "Oops, better get going."

"Good luck to you, Ms. Dakota." She nodded and turned around to leave. When she grabbed the doorknob, he asked, "Quick question, but you said you were also interested in starting their training early, correct?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Yes?"

Abraham chuckled lightly. "My dear, are you sure you wouldn't want someone else handling that?"

She pouted in annoyance. "First Rebecca, now you?"

The older teacher scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Dakota, you aren't exactly an expert when it comes to fighting. Dare I say you were perhaps the worst of the first batch of newcomers."

She scoffed. "I can assure you, I have that covered. I know the basics."

Abraham shrugged, though he was laughing under his breath. "If you say so." He took a light bow. "Have fun, Ms. Dakota." He hopped back into his seat, then pulled out some papers he was reviewing.

Dakota rolled her eyes with a smile, then exited the office.

* * *

The Fusion children came to the classroom with a few minutes before class started. Despite their energetic behavior, they were always prompt and on time for their favorite teacher. However, that doesn't mean they ended their recess then and there. After all, there was still a couple minutes left.

Winona sat on top of her desk and chewed on a red rubber ball that squeaked. She smiled happily. "Eee!"

Matthew crouched under the desks and spied on her from below. Once he was in position, he leaped onto the desks and pounced on her. "Hiya!"

Winona was startled, then she laughed as she bonked her ball against his forehead. "Hey! Get off me!" she shouted through her giggles.

Matthew snatched the ball out of her flippers and hopped off the desk. "Mine!"

"Nuh uh!" She jumped off the desk and slid on her belly after him. She swept her tail under his legs and tripped him. She then jumped on him and took the ball back, happily squeaking it in her mouth. "It's mine!"

Matthew wiggled around under her. "I was going to give it back!"

"I know!" She spat it out, then bonked him on the head again. "Still mine!" She hopped off and slid away.

The classroom door opened and Dakota walked in. She smiled as she saw the kids playing around and goofing off. As adorable as it was, education came first. She cleared her throat and said, "Alright children, back to your seats! We have a busy day ahead of us!"

The kids stopped running around and smiled at their teacher. "Yes, Ms. Dakota!" They ran over to their desks and jumped into their chairs. They waited patiently for her to begin.

Dakota giggled to herself, then walked over to her desk. She set Abraham's book down and took a deep breath. She managed to quickly skim through the first chapter and some other parts that would be linked to the lesson. This wasn't the first time she had to plan a lesson on the fly. One of her lesson plans got destroyed a few months back due to a small argument that escalated between Harper and another child. She was used to improving on the spot.

Once she collected herself, she smiled at the kids. "Well, hello everyone. Hope you all had a wonderful recess."

Harper nodded. "We did! We played Hide-and-Seek!"

"You cheated!" a Ralts-Araquanid accused. She had six Araquanid legs extending out of her back, though much smaller. The bowl-shaped hair was yellowish green. Her eyes were bright blue. Her most notable feature was the water bubble surrounding her head.

Harper stuck her tongue out. "No rules against transforming, Poppy!" Poppy pouted in annoyance.

Dakota crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Harper, Poppy, no fighting with each other. I don't want to have a repeat of last time."

They bowed their heads sadly. "Sorry, Ms. Dakota."

She sighed. "It's fine." She clasped her hands together and smiled. "It doesn't matter. Today's meant to be a fun, exciting day!"

"Really?" Willy asked with shimmering eyes.

"That's right!" She held up a math textbook. "I _was_ going to go over some math with you all-"

"BOO!" the kids chorused in disinterest.

Dakota rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeeeah." She put it away. "Instead, I thought we'd do something different today. Something I'm sure you would all enjoy."

Harper raised her paws. "Ooh, ooh! Are we going to play kickball instead of having class?"

The teacher smirked. "Never going to happen." Harper pouted.

A Plusle-Golbat raised his hand. He was a light shade of blue and had four fangs, two on the top and two on the bottom. He had a set of bat wings folded behind his back. "Are we going to play a trivia game?"

Dakota shook her head. "No games, Caleb. I just thought we could learn something I'm sure you would all enjoy."

"What?" Wantanabe asked.

"Well, haven't you all wondered what makes our species so…special?" she asked.

The kids looked at each other with curious expressions, before turning back to Dakota and offering a shrug. "Maybe…once or twice?" Caleb admitted.

Dakota sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Alright, kind of expected that response." She clasped her hands together again and smiled brightly. "Well, regardless, Fusions have been a big influence on our world's culture, for better…and most definitely for worst," she muttered under her breath.

Harper raised her paw. "Ms. Dakota, I do have a question."

"Yes, Harper?"

She tilted her head. "Why do Pokémon hate us?"

Dakota's expression faltered slightly. "O-Oh, well…" She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it, sweetie. Our presence among the Pokémon has caused one of the biggest upsets in our worlds history. Sure, there have been wars and other horrible things throughout time, but…Fusions always seem to be the first thing Pokémon look back on as a grim moment in our history."

Matthew frowned. "Does that make us bad?"

Dakota shook her head. "Of course not, Mat. None of you are bad, not one bit. It's just…" She picked up the book and flipped to the beginning. "There's a bit of context needed to explain it. I understand if this might be difficult to listen to, so-"

Winona raised her flipper. "I don't mind!" She leaned forward with a beaming grin. "It sounds cool!"

Wantanabe nodded. "Yeah! I want to hear about Fusions, too!"

The rest of the class nodded in agreement, cheering their teacher on to continue. Dakota smiled. "You all are more mature than I give you credit for." She chuckled, then flipped to the first page. She had to simplify and paraphrase a bunch of the text to make it easier to understand. Once her throat was cleared, she began:

"Fusions were an unknown to the world of Pokémon, back before we've advanced to today's current age. While documented records are hard to come by, there is historical evidence of a fossilized Pokémon from a millennium ago."

"Cooool," the kids awed with bright, shimmering eyes.

Dakota giggled. "Yes, well…this fossilized Pokémon was dug up many years ago by researchers on the topic. Research on Fusions in today's society is a frowned upon practice, but there are those who wish to understand us more. Anyway, before they could date the exact time period of the skeleton, the researchers discovered the skeleton was altered in a unique way.

"They eventually determined its true species was a Nidoking. Through careful analyze of the bone structure and fossilized DNA, the researchers determined it had the genes that made up an Arceus."

The kids gasped. "Just like Mr. Liam!" Poppy exclaimed.

Dakota nodded. "Exactly. This was the oldest known Fusion to ever be found, however there was no evidence to dictate he was the first Fusion or if he had offspring. This led to the research on the 'Fusion Phenomenon.'"

The kids tilted their heads in confusion. "Fusion Phe…nom…icon?"

Dakota chuckled. "Phenomenon. Basically, a situation or event that is observed and is brought into question. You see, Fusion births were a random occurrence throughout the ages. If two Fusions were to have a baby together, they would birth a Fusion. A Fusion having a baby with a Pokémon would have, according to most researchers, a sixty-seven percent chance of having a Fusion child."

"And with two Pokémon?" Matthew asked.

"That's where the numbers get complicated. Frankly, no one knows why it happens to a Fusion with two Pokémon parents. At least, that was the case many years back. Now, there are theories and studies that go into detail over it." She flipped to another page, keeping her claw between the page she was on.

Once she found the page, she continued, "One study has discovered a gene found in all Pokémon: the Mewgenetic Code, as it is nicknamed." She set the book down for a moment. "You all know who the Legendary Mew is, right?"

Caleb raised his hand. "Oh, oh! He's the Legendary who is said to be the ancestor to all Pokémon! The one who helped Arceus bring life to our world!"

"That is correct!" Dakota picked the book up once more. "You see, this Mewgentic Code is in all DNA of Pokémon, but scientists have discovered the gene seems to stay in a dormant state. This gene was considered an unnecessary for our genetic makeup, but some suggest it is a godly gift granted by Mew himself.

"What we've learned through years of research is that, when a Fusion is, uh…created, the gene has a rare chance of mutating and altering the appearance of the baby. This Mewgenetic Code creates a mutation at random, altering the DNA based of the stored strands present in all."

Harper tilted her head. "Does that mean we could have more Fusion forms?"

Dakota bit her lip. "Um…" She flipped through the pages to find an answer. Thankfully, Abraham gave specifically named chapters. "Okay, here. Well Harper, technically speaking, yes, we could transform into different types of Fusions, maybe even have more forms to stack on our own." She narrowed her eyes. "However, while plausible because of the genetic code, it's also impossible."

"Really?" Wantanabe asked.

"Our bodies are only capable of handling so much. We may be evolved to take on the properties of two completely different species, but we wouldn't be capable of handling the strain of more power. It's theoretically dangerous. Altering the Mewgenetic Code is playing with forces beyond our understanding." She glanced curiously at the page she was on.

Strangely enough, Abraham does briefly bring up failed experiments trying to unlock the mysteries of the gene, but it's only in passing. There's not even a reference indicated in the book. She may have to ask him about that in the future.

"What about double Fusions?!"

Dakota shook herself out of her thoughts and looked up. "Huh, what?"

Everyone turned to Willy, who immediately lowered his head and covered his face from the sudden attention. He whimpered timidly. "N-Never mind…" he whispered shakenly.

Dakota shook her head. "No Willy, don't be scared. We encourage asking questions. Please explain."

"Um…" He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "W-Well, I was wondering…about Fusions who had their…Mew gene thing activate into…their own DNA."

Dakota tapped her chin, then got an idea of what he was trying to say. "So, for an example, are you asking is it possible for a Geodude to be born with the Mewgenetic Code of a Geodude?"

Willy nodded slowly. "Y-Yes…"

Dakota smiled. "Willy, that's a brilliant question!" Dakota flipped through the book until she came to a passage involving the subject. "Ah, yes, here we go! There have been some records of Fusions with enhanced mutations due to their Mewgenetic Code mutating into DNA of their own species. While there are no drastic changes to the appearance, Fusions are given enhanced abilities and power that make them far stronger than their species. This category of Fusions is often dubbed the Enhanced Fusions. They are considered rare, but are a very real thing."

"Wow!" Harper awed with sparkling eyes. "That is so cool!"

"Oh, oh!" Matthew waved excitedly. "What about Fusions with Legendary halves? I heard they are really rare!"

Dakota nodded. "Right you are, Matthew. They are often dubbed the Ascended Fusions or Legendary Fusions. These Fusions are incredibly rare due the nature of Legendary DNA. It is likely the Mewgenetic Code keeps Legendary DNA locked down tighter because of its godly possibilities. These types of Fusions are considered the strongest because of their unique advantages.

"For one, most Legendaries are capable of flight. You've all seen Quinn fly around, right?" They nodded. "It's like that. Then, of course, Ascended Fusions typically acquire a unique ability based off the Pokémon DNA they are merged with. Using Quinn as another example, he can visit and observe your dreams, even memories to an extent."

Harper waved her paw. "Ooh! What about Spaz?!"

"Oh, Spaz? Well, Celebi possess the ability to travel through time. Spaz has a field of time that surrounds him and speeds up his actions. To him, he's probably speaking normally. To us, he speaks fast."

Harper giggled. "Spaz is funny!"

Dakota chuckled. "Yes, I suppose he is." She smiled. "You see, kids, there's a rich history surrounding our species that makes us unique. We're considered the closest thing to mortal Legendaries this planet has ever seen."

"But why do Pokémon hate us?" Winona asked innocently.

Dakota sighed. "I was…hoping to avoid that topic." She smiled lightly. "Kids, there's a lot more I can go into depth over the subject, so…I don't want you to think you're bad people."

"We can handle it!" the kids insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

Dakota scratched the back of her head, then sighed. "…I'll just make this brief. Pokémon find our gifts to be…dangerous. If you'll recall what happened when we first started working with Mr. Roteman, we didn't have the best luck." She pointed out the window. "You know how the older Fusions are training?"

"Yeah?"

Dakota closed her eyes. "Well, a Fusion that can't control their power is considered a threat to Pokémon kind. We have power beyond normal comprehension, so we're see as dangers if we can't control it." She opened her eyes sadly. "It has led to mistrust and…very mean acts of violence that I can't describe to you all. It'd be too much for you to handle." The kids frowned sadly.

Dakota looked at their sad faces, then smiled lightly. "But that's what we're trying to change. We don't want to live in a world where Pokémon and Fusions can't trust each other. We want to live as allies, as fellow neighbors, and as friends." She held her hand over her heart. "The older Fusions are working hard so you all can have a bright future to look forward to. Most of you are lucky to be born out of the initial crossfire before this village was formed.

"Eventually, you, too, will go through the same training as the other villagers. You will become the future generation of our species. You will be a representation of our ideals and virtues. You will be a symbol of change to the other Fusions and Pokémon."

"Wow!" the kids chorused with bright, excited eyes.

"I want to start training now!" Wantanabe cheered.

"Yeah! I want to help people!" Poppy exclaimed.

The kids waved their arms/forelegs/sensory horns (Willy) around with enthusiasm and motivation pumping through their system. Dakota grinned at their acceptance. "I'm glad you all want to, because we have something else planned for today."

"What?" they asked.

She stepped out from around her desk. "Well, we'll be cutting class short for today. Don't worry, I'll be dedicating a whole course on Fusions throughout the rest of your education." She folded her arms behind her back. "Instead, I'm going to be taking care of gym class for all of you. Special little Fusion training!"

The kids gasped, then hopped out of their seats and jumped around their teacher happily, laughing with joy. Dakota laughed along with them, then proceeded to lead them out of the classroom.

* * *

Ren clashed his Cut blades against Peregrine's leek, trying to strike the steel duck. However, Peregrine's mastery with a weapon proved to be greater than the frog knight anticipated. The elder swordsman was tracking his movements through his peripherals alone, while keeping most of his attention on the other trainees.

"Crawford, put more momentum into that punch! Spaz, stay focused! Don't take your eyes off the opponent for even a second!"

"Yes sir!" they shouted. Crawford pulled his pincer back and threw a strong punch that carried a breeze with it. Spaz dodged the punch and flipped away from the crab.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes, then caught Ren's Cut blades with the wedge of his leek. "And Ren?" He knocked the blades out of his hands, which dematerialized, then jabbed the frog knight in the chest with powerful force, sending him into a tree. "Work on your swordsmanship."

Ren sat up, eyes spinning dizzily. "Y-Yes sir…"

Peregrine huffed, then scratched the back of his head. "Undisciplined fools…" He glanced to his right and saw Dakota leading the children over to the spare training field. He fully turned and shouted, "Dakota! What are you doing here?"

She jumped slightly, then smiled awkwardly. "Oh! Hello, Peregrine. I was bringing the kids over to train."

Peregrine raised a brow. "I appreciate the overachievement, but they aren't ready to handle my training."

Dakota laughed. "I'm not talking about your training. I mean, I'm going to teach them the basics to fighting." She rubbed Harper and Caleb's heads. "Just look at these eager faces." The kids beamed with innocence and bright, sparkling eyes.

Peregrine blinked, then pointed his leek at her. "Aren't you a pacifist?"

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Yes!" she groaned in annoyance. "BUT, that doesn't mean I object to early training, or any training for that matter. Fighting may not be my thing, but I can certainly teach it."

Peregrine smirked and crossed his wings. "Oh, this I need to see."

Dakota stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to the children. "Now kids, tell me what you know about fighting."

"You hit stuff!" Wantanabe shouted.

"You blow stuff up!" Harper exclaimed.

Willy slid back and lowered his head. "I…don't know," he admitted timidly.

Dakota grinned. "Sounds about right to me!" She pointed at the dummies in front of her. "Now, picture those dummies as the enemy-!"

Harper snorted and giggled. "You called them dummies!"

Dakota sighed. "Yes, I did. Anyway, they are the enemy and you must defeat them. How do you do that?"

"Give them a hug?" Poppy answered innocently.

"Oh, I wish," Dakota said with an eye roll. She chuckled. "No, you need…well, attack them."

The kids blinked. "…how?"

Dakota blinked back, then shrugged. "I don't know, just, uh, tackle it or something. Use your Fusion Move."

Harper raised her paw. "Ooh, Ms. Dakota! Can you tell us about Fusion Moves?"

She smiled. "Of course, sweetheart. Do you know what else makes Fusion's unique? Each one is born with a special move tailored to their genetic form. These moves are made specifically to compliment the abilities and power of the specific Fusion. Unique moves, unique Status conditions, and more."

"Aaahhh," the child sounded in understanding.

Dakota smiled. "Now then, I'm sure some of you don't have Fusion Moves as of yet. They are a learning curve for budding little tykes like you. It may take time before one can be developed, so-"

Harper waved her paws. "Ms. Dakota!"

"Yes, Harper?"

She grinned excitedly. "I have a Fusion Move!"

Dakota blinked. "…you do?"

"Yeah! I learned how to use it when I was playing catch with myself! It's really, really, really, REALLY cool!" She jumped up and down, beaming with joy. "Can I use it?! Please, please, please, PLEASE!"

Dakota smiled at her enthusiasm. Who could say no to a face like hers? With a simple eye roll, she said, "Oh, alright. Show us what you got, Harper."

She giggled, then ran back to give herself some running room. She spun around and crouched down, lining herself up with the dummy. She stuck her tongue out as she focused on her target, mentally preparing herself to take it down. Her fellow classmates stared at her in awe, anxious to see her unveil her Fusion Move.

She pawed at the ground, getting into a comfortable position. Her tail was raised high, wagging with joy. She took in a deep breath, then let out an adorable battle cry as she charged straight for the dummy. She went into a scampering run at first before going into a sprint.

"Type Tackle!"

Starting from her head and ending at her tail, a line of energy wash over her body and completely altered her appearance. Her fur colored turned bright red like flames and her blob mane turned into actual fire that surround her neck. A fiery aura surrounded her in a cone shape as she sprinted.

She cried out fiercely and threw herself directly against the dummy's chest. However, because of her lack of power and the sturdiness of these particular dummies, the worst she could manage was a singe mark.

She bounced off the dummy and rolled across the ground, then sprawled out on her back. She stared up at the sky with wide eyes, then through her arms up and cheered. "WOO! That was awesome!"

Dakota carefully walked over to Harper and picked her up by the sides, trying to avoid the flaming mane. "Harper…when did you learn to do that?"

She stuck her tongue out absentmindedly, then giggled. "A few weeks ago! I was playing catch, then 'POOF', I was a cloud Eevee!"

Dakota raised a brow. "Cloud Eevee?"

"Uh huh! I attacked the stick I was playing with!" She wagged her tail. "It was fun!"

Dakota looked over the Eevee Fusion curiously. "Riiight. So, uh…do you know how to change back?"

The child looked at herself, then shrugged. "I don't know."

Dakota set her down and patted her head with a small smile. "Well sweetheart, that was certainly an interesting move." Harper beamed, then scampered over to her classmates. "Well kids, that's a small example of what I was getting at." She pointed at the dummy. "Harper did hit the dummy, but only partially scuffed it. If you want to grow stronger, you need to use that power inside you…or something like that," she mumbled, scratching her head.

She shrugged. "The point is, you need to strike with all your heart! Put meaning behind your attacks! Put some power into it!"

Wantanabe suddenly smiled. "Oh, I can do that!" He ran over and lined himself up in front of the dummy. "I have a really strong Fusion Move, too!" He raised his paws and cheered. "Only the best for the strongest Dragon Eeveelution ever!"

Dakota chuckled. "Oh, is that so? Then show us what you got, Wantanabe."

He nodded, then shifted his paws into the dirt as he took a firm stance. He took a couple breaths, then leans his head back. He opened his mouth as energy began to channel above him. A purple ball of energy formed over his head and grew in size.

"Inner…" The energy ball crackled furiously, almost unstably. The energy flickered like flames off the surface. Fierce, draconian power emanated off the attack as Wantanabe poured his power into it. He dug his digits into the ground, then flung his head forward. "DRAGON!"

The attack was fired straight at the dummy with a cone of air surrounding it. It flew straight into the dummy and, much to everyone's utter shock and horror, exploded with tremendous force.

Dakota immediately pushed the kids down and covered them as a shockwave passed over them, with a ring of dust flying out from the epicenter of the explosion. They could hear the other Fusions stumbling around with panic and confusion.

The teacher looked up with wide, boggling eye. _What in the name of Arceus?!_

The explosion eventually died down, along with the cloud of dust around them. The kids and Dakota pushed themselves up and saw the aftermath of the blast. What remained from the attack was a large, smoking crater burning with purple colored heat and…well, the little remains of the dummy.

Wantanabe teetered from side to side, exhausted from his attack. "Ta…Tada…" He collapsed onto his stomach.

"Wantanabe!" Dakota ran over and picked him up in her arms. "Oh, you poor baby! Are you okay?!"

Wantanabe opened his eyes tiredly, then raised his paws with a weak smile. "That…was awesome…"

Dakota sighed, then patted his head. "Silly kid." She looked at the damage, still taken back by the magnitude of such an attack from such a young child. "I didn't even know kids could use Fusion Moves of that power."

"What the heck happened over here?!" She turned and saw Peregrine, along with Hawkins and Asadi, running over.

"I recognize that explosion anywhere!" Hawkins shouted as he slowed his run. "Wantanabe!"

He smiled tiredly. "Hi Hawkins…"

Asadi took Wantanabe out of Dakota's arms and cradled him in her own. "Oh, you poor thing. You look so tired."

Hawkins held his hips and glared. "What did I tell you about firing your Fusion Move like that? You have no control over it!"

Wantanabe wagged his tail. "I was careful…I didn't fire it at anyone."

Hawkins groaned, then glared at Dakota. "Why did you let him fire that? Why are you all out here in the first place? I thought he was supposed to be in class!"

Dakota crossed her arms and glared. "Oh, don't go acting like I knew he could do that! You seemed to know plenty about it!" She poked his chest. "Maybe you should have warned me about it first so I wouldn't worry about him misusing it in class!"

Asadi tickled Wantanabe's side, making him giggle lightly. She looked at Dakota. "Still, that doesn't explain why you all are out here."

Dakota sighed and crossed her arms again. "If you must know, I wanted to give the kids lessons surrounding our species. So, I've decided to teach them about our origins and do some basic training with them so they can be ready for the advanced Fusion training."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes dryly. "…seriously? _You_?"

Dakota rolled her eyes. "You going to give me lip, too?"

"I feel I should considering you're the last Fusion qualified to handle training." He gestured to himself. "I handle Wantanabe's training myself. Only someone as skilled and talented can handle the task, not some teacher who is a coward in fights," he finished with a sneer.

Dakota glared. "I'm not a coward. I just don't prefer to fight."

"The signs of weakness," he countered through his teeth. He flinched as Peregrine slapped him in the back of the head. "Ow…"

Peregrine spun his leek and supported it over his shoulder. "I will not have arguing between you two." He pointed at Dakota. "Ms. Dakota, you must be more careful when handling training like this. Especially around inexperienced children. They're young and have uncontrollable power. You would need to know how to counter it should danger arise."

Dakota sighed. "I understand, but…" She looked at the kids. "Just…look at them. And look at you guys. You're doing so much to help the Fusions improve while they…most of them never had to fend for their lives." She shook her head. "I wanted them to be ready to protect themselves. With everything going on, I can't risk them getting hurt. So, I want them to learn as much as they can so they can one day take over our responsibilities."

Peregrine narrowed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Commendable act, Ms. Dakota. Still, you're not fit to be handling these types of responsibilities. Your biggest strength lies in here," he pointed out, poking her forehead with his leek. "Not there." He poked at her stomach. "You don't have the gut of a warrior. You're an intellectual woman, but certainly not a fighter."

Dakota scratched the back of her head. "…welllll, I suppose I may have overthought the training aspect."

"I won't stop you, but I won't approve of you doing this on your own." He glanced at Hawkins for a moment, then said, "And since you two should get along better, I'm assigning Hawkins to handle the children's training."

"Excuse me?" Hawkins questioned with a brow raise.

"You heard me. You and Ms. Dakota will be working together to handle Fusion teaching and training for the children."

Hawkins scoffed and placed a hand over his chest. "I'm sorry, but my own training is much more important. I have no time to play babysitter."

Peregrine shrugged. "Suit yourself." He turned around and walked away. "Though, if you refuse, I'll have to cut you from my private teachings."

"You can't do that! You're the best fighter here!" he argued. "I need you to teach me!"

Peregrine smirked over his shoulder. "If you can't handle training kids, you can't handle my training."

Asadi chuckled and snapped her nonexistent digits. "Oh snap! He got you!"

Hawkins glared at his laxed hut mate. "Shut up…"

Dakota crossed her arms. "Do I get a say in this?"

Peregrine turned around and raised a brow. "It's either that or accidentally find out what the rest of your students have for a Fusion Move. Who knows? You might get hit by one stronger than young Wantanabe's."

Dakota's eyes nervously glanced over at the smoking crater, then groaned. "Ugh…fine."

Peregrine nodded, then glanced at Hawkins. "Mr. Hawkins?"

Hawkins sighed, then looked away. "…very well. Only for the benefit of producing stronger fighters. Even though she doesn't deserve my help, I'll make an exception."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "You're too kind…" she thanked sarcastically.

"Now… _clean up this mess_!" the steel duck shouted at the top of his lungs, making their ears ring. "After that, you two return to training," he said to Hawkins and Asadi.

"Yes sir!" they shouted with salutes. Peregrine turned around and walked away.

Asadi patted Hawkins' back with a chill smile. "Well, would you look at that? First you're a gardener, now you just became the gym teacher!"

Hawkins pinched between his eyes. "Not how I expected my day to go." He glared at Dakota. "At least I can assure the children get adequate, dare I say remarkable, training."

Dakota smiled dryly. "Oh yes, because I wouldn't expect anything less from the petty, rich kid."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "I am above childish insults."

"Comes with the job, get used to it." She felt someone pull on her tail. She turned to Willy, who was looking down nervously. "Yes, Willy?"

"Um…I…" He looked up at her. "I…really liked…learning about our species. It was fun…"

She smiled and picked him up. She rubbed his head. "Plenty of more fun down the road, sweetheart." He smiled, then nibbled on her ribbon dangle. Dakota chucked. "Aww, you're so sweet."

"Yay!" They all turned to Harper, who finally transformed back to normal. "I did it!"

Dakota smiled. "That's amazing, sweetie!" Harper giggled.

Hawkins crossed his arms. "So, I assume you want to continue with their training tomorrow?"

"Perhaps we should put it off until next week," Dakota suggested. "I need to write up some new lesson plans and you…may need to plan exactly how you're going to train the kids."

Hawkins thought it over, then nodded. "Very well, that seems like a reasonable plan."

Asadi chuckled. "I better take this little one back to his room so he can rest." She tickled under Wantanabe's chin. "All tuckered out." She walked away.

Hawkins sighed. "No matter how many times I see that Fusion Move, I'll never get over its potential power."

Dakota held up Abraham's book and flipped through the pages. "Really makes you wonder how strong Fusions are." She raised a brow, stopping on a specific page. "Huh, he even listed out a bunch of Fusion Rights Activists. Must have been pretty important Pokémon. That would make for a good topic in the future." She sighed and closed the book. "Well, that's enough excitement for one day." She smiled at the kids. "You can all go home early. See you in class tomorrow." The kids cheered and ran off.

Hawkins crossed his arms. "Better start cleaning this mess up."

Dakota sighed tiredly. "Oh joy…"


	15. Do You Trust Me?

_Temporary arrangement, she said. She'll only stay for a couple days, she said._

The Hitmonlee bartender found himself repeating that same line over and over again every time he is reminded of his new roommate. A roommate he didn't even ask for. The arrangement was meant to be a temporary stay until she left, even though the circumstances of her staying with him have left a rather uncomfortable feeling every time he was alone with the unassuming Fusion.

Backing up a bit, Vivi has been living with Eddie for about three weeks. Eddie tried to stay away from any and all of her research plans since he wanted no part in her crazy schemes, but he learned the Fusion was incapable of doing anything on her own.

Sure, in the time he's gotten to know her, he learned the Ledian-Decidueye is capable of cooking, scouting out for food, holding her own in a fight, and a bunch of other skills that made her capable of surviving on her own. And yet, despite her wellspring of skills, she went blank at the sight of a map. No matter how many times Eddie explained how to read a map, she kept forgetting on the spot. It's like she couldn't retain any information that involved reading directions.

It didn't help that being around her actually made the Hitmonlee paranoid for his life. Despite acting sweet and innocent, Eddie couldn't help but get this uncomfortable feeling every time he was alone with her. Maybe it had something to do with her unassuming nature…

…or, you know, deciding to FIGHT THE MILITARY.

Nothing about her rationale made sense to him, only because the Fusion was cryptic and vague every time he tried to pry for answers. She kept a tight lip, repeating what she said about how she couldn't throw secrets around so carelessly.

 _She'll keep her reasoning secret, but she's perfectly fine with telling me she's going to singlehandedly fight the military!_ Eddie held his face and groaned internally. _Arceus Almighty, I'm going crazy._

"Yo, Ed? Eddie, you in there?" The snapping of fingers sounded in his face. Eddie jumped back with a startle, holding his hand to his heart. Sitting at the barstool in front of him was Randy the Incineroar. He had his arms folded on the counter as he leaned in close to the Hitmonlee. "Finally! You blanked out there! Daydreaming on the job?"

Eddie blinked, then rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I-I'm sorry, what?"

"Ed, I ordered a drink five minutes ago."

"Oh…OH, right!" Eddie reached below the counter and pulled out a glass and bottle of gin. "The gin, right?"

Randy raised a brow. "Uh, no. I asked for vodka."

"R-Right! Of course!" He pushed the bottle away and pulled out the vodka. He poured it into the glass, then handed it off to Randy. "There you are. Enjoy."

"Thanks." He leaned his head back and took a huge sip of the drink. He pulled the glass away, let out a large sigh, and set the glass down. After getting a hiccup out of the way, he asked, "You feeling alright, Eddie? You've been kind of…sluggish lately."

"Huh…you think so?" Eddie shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh, sorry Randy. Guess I've been out of it. Rest is kind of hard to come by."

Randy snarled quietly. "Funny how you've started acting like this ever since that scum walked in on your bar."

Eddie glared at the wrestling tiger. "Vivi is not the cause of my restlessness. I just haven't been able to get sleep lately. Nothing more than that." Randy narrowed his eyes. "It's the truth. You're overthinking it."

Randy glared at the bartender, then took another sip of his vodka. "Ed, why haven't you kicked that kid out of your apartment yet? You did say it was only a temporary thing. Is she freeloading off you?"

Eddie glanced to the side. _Well yes, but a few extra groceries won't kill me._ He shook his head. "She's not freeloading. She's a responsible girl and very helpful."

Randy rolled his eyes. "Is that why you gave her a job here?"

Right as he said that, the kitchen doors flew open. Skipping out was Vivi with an upbeat, cheerful grin on her face. She wore a work uniform similar to Eddie's. She carried a tray in each hand with different meals to serve.

"Alright, who ordered the Aspear Berry Surprise with the Grepa Juice?!"

Rampardos waved her over. "Over here, kid!"

Vivi skipped over and slid his food off the tray perfectly. She spun the tray in her hand and stuff it in her wings. "There you are! I hope you enjoy!"

"Thanks, Vivi! Looks good!" Vivi smiled happily, then walked off to the next customer as Rampardos tore through his Aspear Berry Surprise, which was a type of stew mostly made with Aspear berries.

Randy glared over his shoulder as Vivi handed out food to the Galvantula from before, who, in his drunken stupor, energetically shook Vivi's free hand as she slid his food onto his table. He and Eddie could see the Ledian Fusion laughing awkwardly, trying not to be rude to the drunk tarantula. Randy scoffed as he turned back to Eddie. "I can't believe you actually got her a job here."

Eddie shrugged awkwardly. "What? She's been a big help around the kitchen."

"You gave her this job over a week ago. Aren't you concerned this could ruin business? People don't want a Fusion serving them food."

Eddie narrowed his eyes sarcastically. "Yes, because the 'disease' they carry will spread faster."

"Don't mock me, Ed."

The Hitmonlee crossed his arms with his eyes closed. "Look, I couldn't keep her in my apartment twenty-four seven. She refuses to leave, so I made her take this job so she could be useful. I say I made the right choice. As for how my business is going…" He leaned forward with a deadpan stare. "Pretty sure nothing's changed lately."

Randy grumbled and sipped his vodka. "Whatever…I still don't trust her…"

Eddie rolled his eyes before turning away and focusing on the dirty dishes in the sink. However, as he cleaned, he couldn't help but cast glances over his shoulder as Vivi worked. Despite shrugging off Randy's insults, he unknowingly had a point. The Incineroar wasn't aware of what Eddie knew. This job was specifically meant to keep an eye on Vivi.

He thought earning her trust and giving her a paycheck would lighten her mood, maybe even convince her to spill her secrets about her absurd plans. She's been quiet for weeks and it was driving him nuts. What was her agenda? Why would she do something so reckless?

Maybe all Eddie needed was a long, well deserved rest. The last thing he wanted was to get himself agitated. Keeping a calm mind will keep himself under control.

He heard sliding over the counter and turned around, seeing the Ledian Fusion land in the bar. She wiped her brow. "Phew! Long day's work, am I right?" she exclaimed, nudging her boss in the side with a bright smile.

Eddie flinched, then went back to cleaning. "Y-Yeah, sure…"

"Yo, kid!" Manny the Mankey called over, waving his cup. "I need a refill!"

Vivi grinned. "Sure thing, Manster!" She picked up the bottle of gin and slid over to him. She poured the beverage into his cup. "Don't drink it all in one go, buster!"

Manny snickered. "No promises!" He sipped the cup down.

Vivi giggled and walked back over to Eddie. Randy narrowed his eyes on Vivi as she put the bottle away. She looked over her shoulder curiously, then smirked. "Need something?"

Randy scowled. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."

Vivi laughed. "Oh good, because I'd be worried if you forgot what the purpose of a waiter was."

"No! I mean, I know you're planning something!" He leaned forward. "Don't expect to cause trouble while I'm around!"

Vivi rolled her eyes and giggled. "Oh, you worry too much, Randy. You should drink more. Makes our lives easier." Randy's jaw dropped while Eddie, despite his better nature, tried to keep himself from snickering. Vivi gave him a wink and headed for the kitchen. "Ciao."

Randy shot up from his seat. "Excuse me?!" His flame belt glowed with heat. "Come say that again! I dare you!"

Eddie grabbed Randy by the shoulders and forced him back down. "Cool it! My bar is not a wrestling ring for smack talk!"

Randy growled. "How can you put up with that kid? She's rude, inconsiderate-!"

"And you're not?" Eddie pinched between his eyes. "Just…Just cool it with the insults. You keep barking that she's a troublemaker, but the only bad thing she's done was spill alcohol on the floor!"

Randy grumbled, gripping his glass tightly. "Come on, Ed, don't tell me you don't see anything lingering under that cheerful attitude she waves around. I don't trust her for a second! I don't trust any Fusions!" He pointed at Eddie. "They've caused me more trouble than I can count! I once found my car vandalized! My house was toilet papered! I fell into a ditch dug in my yard!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Yes, because no teenaged Pokémon has _ever_ done juvenile pranks/crimes."

Randy growled through his teeth, then took a moment to compose himself. He stood up and walked away. "I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll be back in a moment."

"You do that." Eddie turned away and went back to dishes. However, his mind wandered back to Vivi's absurd behavior. He wanted to get on with work, but the Ledian Fusion still had much to answer for.

He glanced at the kitchen doors as they opened, with Vivi carrying out another meal. He narrowed his eyes, then turned to the mirror over the sink. Was it worth asking once more? Maybe, if he was lucky, Vivi will come clean and tell him _something._ He just wanted a reason for her potential motives.

But why did he care so much? What was driving him to pry so much from this Fusion he barely knew? He didn't think much of her other than some brat who wouldn't leave. How long was she planning on staying with him? Weeks? Months? Maybe years?

Eddie picked up a rag and dried his hands off. He threw it over the faucet and walked out from the counter. The sooner he got to the bottom of this, the more his mind will be at ease.

He walked up to Vivi just as she handed out the Ludicolo his meal. "There you are! Hope you enjoy! Oh, can't forget your refill!" She took his cup and refilled it. She handed it back to him. "There we go!"

Ludicolo grinned. "Aww, Vivi, you're so sweet!" He handed her a few dollars. "Here, you deserve a tip."

She gasped in delight, then snatched the dollars out of his hand. "Aww! Thank you, Chester!"

She felt a hand grab her by the wrist, leading her to look up at her boss/roommate. "Uh, Vivi? Can I speak to you? In private?"

"Huh? Oh sure!" she exclaimed.

Eddie led her to the kitchen, then shut the door behind him. He peeked through the tiny window to make sure no one planned on eavesdropping. If anyone, especially Randy, was listening in, he was dead.

"So, what's this about?" Vivi asked, rocking on her feet. "If this is about my work performance, I say I'm doing an amazing job! Look!" She held up the money Chester gave her. "I got another tip! Isn't that great?!" She tapped her chin curiously. "That reminds me, when do I get my paycheck? I've been working for a little over a week, so I figured-"

"F-Forget about paycheck," Eddie said as he faced her. "We need to talk. Now." He took a deep breath, then said, "I want answer. What are you up to?"

Vivi tilted her head. "Aside from cooking?"

"I mean your scheme! The reason you came here!" Eddie sweat-dropped as the Ledian Fusion actually looked confused, like she completely forgot what she was doing. "Vivi! Fighting the military! Remember?!"

Vivi blinked, then gasped aloud. "Ooohhh, that!" She laughed. "Eh, don't worry yourself about it. It's not that important. Plus, hungry customers and all that." She tried to leave, but Eddie stopped her.

"No, you need to explain yourself. I gave you a place to stay, a job, food…you owe me." The Hitmonlee clutched his head. "Plus…WHY? You haven't given me any explanation for anything! I'm starting to believe you're nuts!"

Vivi laughed. "Oh, come on. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal? I'm sticking my neck out for you just to convince Randy you're a good Fusion! Haven't you noticed all the harsh stares Pokémon give you every time we leave my apartment? They hate you! And they'll really hate you if they hear some Fusion is deciding to wage war against the military."

Vivi rolled her eyes. "I never said 'wage war.' I'm just after this one specific base."

"There's no difference! You attack one, the rest of Sinnoh will be on your tail! And, by extension, ME!"

Vivi crossed her arms and smirked. "What? Afraid of a little fun?"

"Fun? Kid, I'm fifty-two years old! I'm not risking my life just to have fun! I can't be seen in public with a possible criminal!"

The Ledian Fusion stared at him with thunderstruck eyes. "…wait, you're fifty-two?"

"You're missing the point. And what do you mean by fun?! Is attacking our region's defense force suddenly a thrill ride for you?! Is that what this is about?! Having FUN?!"

Vivi threw her hands up calmly. "Whoa, whoa, calm down, Ed. I think _you_ are missing the point."

"What point? You haven't told me a damn thing since you got here!" The bartender was really hoping no one could hear them, because it was becoming difficult to keep his voice low.

"I think _you_ explained it perfectly yourself. It's not like I'm doing this to give the military a bad rep. I have my reasons and they're very important. I'm sure if you knew the full story, you'll get where I'm coming from."

Eddie glared impatiently. "So, why aren't you telling me?"

Vivi frowned, then looked down at her feet. She rubbed her left arms awkwardly. "Ed, I don't think you understand how important trust is to me." Eddie lightened up and raised a brow. Vivi sighed. "You know I came from an abusive family. It was rough. The neighborhood wasn't any better. Kids say they want to be my friend, but it's just some dirty lie to make me feel bad. So, I took the role of the bad kid and made everyone's day worse. If no one was going to treat me nice, then no one deserved to know the real me."

She turned away and walked around the kitchen, running her hand against the counter. "I didn't do good deeds. I didn't make any friends. I couldn't trust anybody. I just…put on a brave face and became the bully for my own mischievous pleasure. I was punished…but it wouldn't have made a difference either way. Good or bad, I still got hurt. At least being bad meant I could have some happiness to cherish."

Eddie's eyelids lowered. He gripped his arm and looked down. "Kid…I…"

She shrugged. "Hey, no need to pity me or anything. I liked being the bad kid. It showed those jerks that I wasn't taking their crap without a fight." She sighed. "Everyone thinks the Fusions are dangerous. We're different. We've led revolts and fights against one another. They forced us to run or hide." She shook her head. "I don't want to hide who I am. It feels…disgraceful."

Eddie clutched his shirt tightly with his eyes narrowed sadly. "Hiding your true self just to be respected…"

Vivi exhaled loudly, then puffed her chest out with newfound pride forming. "But, I'm not one to quit! I'm not letting their words get to me!" She turned around. "I came out here for a purpose and I intend to fulfill my destiny!" She crossed her arms with a large smile. "I'm taking on the military with the goal of saving everyone!"

The Hitmonlee let go of his shirt and glared. "Kid, you're saying you want to fight high-ranking soldiers who've put their lives at risk for the safety of others to…save everyone. Do you hear yourself when you talk?"

Vivi snickered childishly. "Oh, the details are a little more thought out than THAT." She then sighed and folded her arms behind her back. "But listen, if I'm really bugging you that much, I'll leave."

Eddie sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Vivi, you're…a decent kid. You don't have to leave, but…how do I know I can trust you?"

She gave an unsure shrug and a little smile. "Sometimes a little blind faith can go a long way." She walked towards the doors. "Seriously, I'll leave soon if you're that worried about the Fusion Hunters. This is _my_ problem, not yours."

Eddie reached out to her. "Kid, come on…"

She smiled over her shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. I don't need anyone looking over my shoulder. I've went my whole life not needing a parent to protect me." She exited the kitchen.

"Vivi, I…" The doors swung shut, leaving the Hitmonlee alone in the kitchen. He groaned and held his face. "Ugh, why does she need to be so cryptic?" He slid his hand down his face, then lowered his eyes gloomily. "…I can't imagine her having to live her whole life like that." He looked at his hand, then gripped his wrist. "…yet I envy her.

"She had nothing to lose."

Eddie sighed, then pushed the kitchen doors open. Perhaps getting back to work will take his mind off things. He'll gladly listen to Randy's stupid rants over Fusions. The last thing he wanted to think about was secret agendas, regional treachery, and, most importantly, Fusion Hunt-

"We'd like to speak to the manager of this bar."

Eddie looked up from his somber mood, spotting Vivi speaking with three new faces in the bar: a Rhyperior, Samurott, and Crawdaunt. However, these weren't run-of-the-mill Pokémon. The high-tech weaponry strapped to their backs and the vests they wore indicated they were high ranking authority figures.

His bar was housing three Fusion Hunters.

Once Eddie fully processed their appearance, his eyes widened in horror. His knees gave out on him, stumbling forward like a seasick sailor. He gripped the countertop before he fell to the floor. His pupils were shrunk and shaking in fear. His breathing was slow and heavy, brimming with contained panic swelling in his mind.

"Oh, the manager?" Vivi repeated. She pointed at Eddie. "That's him, over there."

Eddie gulped, eyes wider than before. He pushed himself up and supported himself against the countertop as the Fusion Hunters walked over with Vivi. Sweat poured down the Hitmonlee's face, but he had to act professional in front of them. He needed to keep his cool.

After quick mental calming, he said, "Oh, h-hello. I wasn't expecting the Fusion Hunters to be stopping by. H-How can I help you, gentlemen? C-Care for a drink?"

"No thank you, sir," Crawdaunt refused politely. "We're actually here by the request of a concern citizen, regarding your new employee." He pointed his pincer at Vivi, who smiled cheerfully.

Eddie's eyes shook nervously. _Please don't let it be an eavesdropping neighbor!_

"Ha, finally!" They faced Randy, who was leaning his back against the counter. He swirled his drink in his hand. "It's about time someone called you guys down. You here to arrest the little twerp?"

Vivi pouted. "I'd spike your drink if you weren't already a depressed alcoholic."

"Do I look depressed to you?!" Randy growled, slamming his glass down.

Rhyperior held his hand up, halting the Incineroar. "Calm down, sir. We're not here to arrest her. We were hired to come investigate this Fusion due to personal concern. Frankly, we weren't given any evidence suggesting she was dangerous, so we were sent down to question her."

"Q-Question her?" Eddie repeated.

Samurott nodded. "A simple procedure. We just need to ask her some simple questions. If we determine she isn't dangerous, then there's nothing to worry about." He looked down at Vivi. "Not that you have the right to refuse, but you're fine with this?"

She nodded. "Oh sure, anything for the Fusion Hunters!" She lightly punched Crawdaunt's arm. "You guys do a bang-up job protecting the streets from corrupt Fusions!"

Crawdaunt rubbed his arm. "Um…thanks?"

Eddie composed himself enough to speak properly. "I'm sorry, but…who exactly made this call out?"

"The concerned individual asks to remain anonymous for safety reasons. We're only here to make sure this young lady isn't up to anything. If she's clean, there's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, that's…great." Eddie laughed awkwardly.

Rhyperior folded his arms behind his back and glanced down at Vivi. "Miss, is there somewhere we can speak in private?"

She smiled. "Kitchen's pretty private. Follow me!" She led them towards the kitchen.

Eddie quickly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to the side, whispering, "Please don't say anything that'll get us both in trouble!"

Vivi smiled, then winked. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." She pulled away and followed the Fusion Hunters into the kitchen, shutting the doors behind her.

Eddie stood up and rubbed his face. "Oh dear Arceus…"

Randy rolled his eyes and groaned. "Ugh. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but at least they'll make sure if she's safe or not." He went to take a sip of his glass when he noticed how pale Eddie looked. "Yeesh. Ed, are you okay? You look like you're about to throw up."

Eddie closed his eyes, expression light amusement. "Oh, I'm…fine." He held his head. "Just came down with a small dizzy spell."

Randy glared. "I knew that brat was causing you trouble. Someone must have called them down to get rid of her."

"You're being ridiculous, Randy," Rampardos said as he walked over. "She's a sweet kid. Weird, but sweet."

Chester nodded. "Besides, they only said it was a personal concern. Someone probably got annoyed seeing her walking around in broad daylight and called the Fusion Hunters."

Eddie sighed, tapping his fingers against the counter. "I hope that's the case. I don't want Vivi to get arrested for that." _Even though I'm still harboring her secrets from the authorities._

Randy raised a brow. "Someone's nervous. Did the kid threaten you or something?"

Eddie shot him a glare. "Knock it off already. And no, that's not why I'm nervous." He turned away and leaned back against the counter. "I'm…just not comfortable around Fusion Hunters, that's all."

Randy smirked and slapped him in the back. "What, they scare you?" He laughed loudly. "Come on! What do you have to be afraid of? They don't go after Pokémon!"

Eddie chuckled nervously. "Y-Yeah, but…" He sighed. "Whenever they're around, there's usually trouble around. It's a knee jerk reaction, I guess."

"Regardless, I want answers about that brat," Randy continued. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms with a huff. "If I ever see the guy who ratted her out, I would love to treat them to a drink."

Eddie rolled his eyes and groaned, then he lowered his eyes curiously. He rubbed his chin and stood up straight. "Actually…who did call them down here? It's been three weeks. I would've expected something like this sooner."

"How so?" Chester asked.

Eddie threw his hands up. "This isn't a guarded secret we're keeping between each other. Pretty sure half the city knows Vivi's here. Someone would have called by now."

Rampardos shrugged. "Maybe it took them a while to get here."

"You know the Fusion Hunters are stationed throughout multiple regions. It wouldn't have taken three weeks to answer a distress call like that."

"They _did_ say whoever called them wasn't providing much detail about her," Rampardos reminded.

"That's true…"

Chester shrugged. "Maybe a family member was concerned about her. She sounds like she's been on the road for months."

Randy rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Oh please, who would be concerned for her wellbeing? I would've put her up for adoption. And that's me being _generous._ "

Eddie blinked, then glared suspiciously at the Incineroar, which made him look at the bartender with a confused stare. "You are the kind of Pokémon who would do that…almost like you made the call yourself."

Randy's eyes widened, then he jumped out of his seat. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a minute! I'm not fond of the kid, but I agreed not to start anything like I promised! I didn't call them!"

Chester, along with the other patrons, gave him the stink eye. "Really? You expect us to believe you? You're the only one ragging on her for just being a Fusion."

Randy jabbed his thumb against his chest. " _I_ had to deal with those brats when I was a child! Do you know how much of my old neighborhood got trashed because of those delinquents? My childhood was a bumpy road of misfortune until the police flushed those chumps out!"

"You're not proving your case," Manny uttered dryly.

"My point is that I have a reason for hating Fusions! They've been thorns in the side!" He crossed his arms. "But I've grown up and learned to be mature about it."

The patrons gave an accusatory brow raise. "Really?"

"YES! Why are we blaming me?" He pointed at each of them. "What about all of you? What gives you all a pass?"

"We actually like her!" they shouted angrily.

Randy blinked, then scratched his head. "Err…right."

"Vivi's a sweet kid!" Carl shouted out loud, drunk beyond common sense. "She helped me last week take out those rotten freaks who've been poisoning me with peanuts! Now dare they try to kill me with my favorite snack!"

Eddie deadpanned. "Carl, she wasn't taking out anyone. You were trying to eat a can of peanuts and she was struggling to keep you from having an allergy attack."

"Huh…" Carl scratched his head. "That would explain why I kept having visions of Ledian attacking me."

Eddie pinched between his eyes. "This is ludicrous. For all we know, it's some crazy hermit making random phone calls. The Fusion Hunters will get this mess sorted out and prove to you that Vivi isn't some dangerous crimin-"

He went silent when a firm and noticeable thud was heard slamming against the kitchen door. They turned to the doors out of curiosity, with Eddie looking with newfound panic. Muffled shouting could be heard behind them.

Randy narrowed his eyes and glanced at Eddie. "Pretty sure questioning doesn't involve arguing." He flinched as a crash followed next. "…or fighting."

Eddie laughed nervously, rubbing his wrist. "I'm…sure it was just something falling over. We know I've been a little out of it lately and things _are_ disorganized, so…"

Much to their shock, the Crawdaunt was thrown out of the kitchen and slid across the floor in a block of ice before hitting the front wall. An arrow shaped feather was stuck in the ice.

Eddie blinked, then deadpanned. _Just my luck._

Vivi's laugh was heard before the energetic Fusion flew out of the kitchen with her wings spread out. She plucked three quills, grabbed her vine and held it tight with both left hands, and fired at the Samurott and Rhyperior as they charged out.

Samurott pulled out his seamitars (his shell blades) and slashed down the arrows. "Surrender immediately!"

Vivi landed in the middle of the bar and stuck her tongue out. "You have to catch me first!" She ripped her uniform off and threw it away.

Rhyperior glared at the patrons and shouted, "Someone grab her!"

Randy cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure!" He, along with Chester, charged right for Vivi.

Vivi smirked and leaped over the two. She kicked Randy in the back of the neck, making him tumble over Chester. Rampardos charged head first for the Ledian-Decidueye, but she leaped over his head and grabbed him by the tail. With a quick pull, she disrupted his momentum and made him crash through the walls. She looked above and dodged a surprise attack from Manny, then fired an arrow at his feet with an icy blue tip. Ice quick extended out and wrapped around his feet, trapping him in place.

She made a break for the door when Carl landed in front of her, stumbling around. "You're not…going anywhere, missy!" he drunkenly stated.

Vivi smirked, then gasped aloud in horror. "Oh my gosh! Carl, there's government agents with peanuts outside!"

Carl's eyes widened. "They're after me again!" He scurried away and lunged under a table, covering his head.

Vivi laughed, then bolted for the door. "So long, everyone! Been nice knowing you! Oh, and Chester? Good luck with your job interview next week!"

The Ludicolo groaned on the ground. "Thank you…"

Vivi was close to jumping outside, but she dug her heels in as her passage to freedom was blocked off by Eddie, standing defensively in front of the door. The anger and utter confusion on his face spoke millions to the Ledian Fusion.

 _Oh boy._ Vivi laughed nervously. "Hey, uh, Ed? Can you, uh, step out of the way?"

She staggered back as Eddie jabbed his finger against her chest. "WHAT! The HELL! Are you DOING?!"

Vivi clasped her hands together pleadingly. "Eddie, I know this looks bad, but you have to trust me! Everything I've worked for-!"

"How can I trust you?! You haven't told me anything! You expect me to believe some kid who says she's been nothing but trouble all her life?! And for what?! You haven't been open and honest about anything with me!" Vivi's eyes widened in shock. Eddie's irises were glowing orange, resembling heat. "Now you want me to just let you escape?!"

Vivi looked over her shoulder. The Fusion Hunters were beginning to get up. She clenched her teeth, then sighed before facing Eddie. The anger in his face was obvious, but she could make out the pain in his eyes. He wanted to trust her, but she wasn't giving him a reason to.

She sighed. "Okay, I get it. You don't want to be marked as an accomplice. I get that. I haven't been open with you. I'm sorry." She then smiled warmly. "I promise, I won't bring you down with me. This isn't your problem, it's mine."

"Vivi…" Eddie growled.

"But don't worry, I had this all planned out from the start. If anything goes wrong, if I don't get to complete my mission…" She smiled sweetly. "I'll at least make sure you're not blamed for what happened."

Eddie's eyes widened. "H-Huh?"

Samurott picked himself up and charged towards Vivi with his seamitars in hand. "Halt, Fusion!"

Vivi glared at the giant otter, then smiled at Eddie. "I guess this is goodbye. Thanks again for being so kind to me."

Eddie lowered his guard. "Vivi…"

"Also…sorry in advance." Suddenly, she grabbed him by the wrist and, in one swift motion, threw him over her shoulder. Eddie slammed into Samurott, knocking them both to the floor. Vivi kicked the doors open and saluted to the bar. "See you later, everyone!" She flapped her wing cloak and took off into the sky.

Samurott pulled himself up and rubbed his head. "She got away, sir."

Rhyperior growled. "Slippery troublemaker…" He walked up to Crawdaunt and, with a sharp punch, cracked the ice encasing him into powder. "Call HQ and tell them we have a problem."

Crawdaunt shook in place and rubbed his arms. "R-R-R-Right! Y-Y-Yes, sir!"

Rhyperior turned to Eddie, who was being helped up by Samurott, and the patrons. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "My apologies for the inconvenience. She caught us off guard while we were questioning her."

Samurott walked to his side. "Fortunately, the laptop she stole has a tracking device built into it."

Eddie, as he dusted himself off, looked at them in surprise. "She stole a laptop?"

"Militarized laptop specifically meant to aid our missions. It contains private information on the drive. Thankfully, the defensive measures built in should keep her from accessing it."

Eddie blinked, then pinched between his eyes in concern. _Vivi, why?_

Crawdaunt bowed. "Again, our apologies for the trouble, sir. Our HQ will compensate for the damages."

Eddie looked around at the mess and quills laying around. "R-Right…" He narrowed his eyes worriedly. "You're…going to hunt her down?"

"We have to. She attacked us without reason and stole private property. We need to detain her at all costs." Rhyperior turned to his partners and nodded. "Let's go, team."

"Yes sir!" They rushed out of the bar and pursued after the fleeing Fusion.

The bar was in total silence after what transpired. Eddie's eyelids lowered sadly, then he sighed. He walked over to the corner of the bar and retrieved a broom to sweep up the damage. He glided the broom gently across the wood floor.

Rampardos stepped over some glass and rubbed his head. "Yeesh, she caused a real mess."

Chester pulled himself into a barstool and crossed his arms over his lap. "I…I don't know what to say. She was so kind and innocent. How could she do this?"

Randy held his fist up to his mouth and coughed into it, gathering everyone's attention. "Now, I don't want to be that guy, but…AHA!" he expressed aloud, pointing fingers at everyone. "I. Was. Right! I knew it all along! It was a matter of time until that Fusion showed her true colors!"

Eddie gripped the broom handle tightly, but made an attempt to ignore his cheers. He swept some scraps into a pile and cleaned away the broken glass.

"How can you say that, Randy?" Chester asked in shock. "She's done so much for us."

"It was all an act! Didn't you hear what those guys said? She stole a military laptop from them! She's going to be a wanted fugitive before you know it!" Randy crossed his arms. "Never trust a Fusion to act sensible and kind. They're just greedy, spiteful, troublemaking freaks."

Manny gripped his liquor bottle tightly. "Such a shame to see such a young girl turn to a life of crime."

"Well, what did you expect?" Randy shouted. "Fusions have proven throughout history that they're menaces! Nothing good ever comes from them! They ruin our lives and abuse their power because they can!"

Eddie bent down and picked up a glass that was still intact. Try as he might, he couldn't block out Randy's offensive shouts. He gripped the broom handle tighter while his eyes, sharpened into a glare, glowed orange like hot metal. He clenched his fingers around the glass as his hand shook.

"Randy, give it a break. Not all Fusions are like this," Chester tried to convince, but the Incineroar wouldn't have it.

"HA! Are you kidding?" He pointed out the door. "If that 'innocent' little girl couldn't resist turning to a life of crime, what's stopping them all? They have a reputation for being bad omens! They're all the same! Freaks born from sin! Abominations that should have never been born!"

Shattered glass rained down on the floor, making everyone jump. They all looked towards Eddie, whose raised fist was clenched, shaking, and bleeding from the sharp glass the cut him.

"Uh…Ed?" Rampardos started slowly. "Are you okay?"

Eddie breathed a heavy sigh, then sharply turned to face Randy. "You know, Randy, I can put up with your absurd rants every day. They don't bother me. They don't faze me. I just carry on with my day like nothing's new. But you…" He pointed critically at him. "I'm not in the mood to put up with this shit. So, do us all a favor and SHUT THE HELL UP!"

The bar gasped in shock. It wasn't unusual for the bartender to get mad, but he looked downright pissed at the Incineroar.

Randy looked stunned, but quickly shifted to rage. "You're defending that little twerp? She just attacked the Fusion Hunters! She ran out of here like the criminal she is!"

"This isn't about Vivi!" Eddie shouted. "I'm getting sick and tired of listening to you go on and on about how evil the Fusions are! Reality check, Randy, not all Fusions are evil! I could be giving the same level of crap to every dictator in history! News flash, they were all Pokémon!"

Randy growled. "That was then, Eddie. This is the present we're talking about."

"Need I remind you Fusions were executed for looking different? For looking DIFFERENT?! We were paranoid creatures a thousand years ago! If someone, ANYONE, actually took the time to understand the Fusions, there wouldn't be all this crime centered around them. There wouldn't be all this hate spreading between us."

"Well, they-!" Randy tried to get through, but Eddie cut him off.

"We burned children at the stake for being Fusions! What did they do to deserve this?!" Eddie clutched his fists. "The Fusion Trials were one of the most horrific, controversial acts of bigotry Pokémon have committed! I know damn well there are Anti-Fusion protesters that found that horrific, especially children. And yet, there are bigots like you in the world that thought the trials were necessary!"

Randy growled. "I never said I supported the Fusion Trials."

"Yeah?! Well you sure act like it!" He stomped forward. "For once in your life, would it kill you to stop acting so spiteful and actually look at all the damage you Pokémon are causing?! There are children out there who are stuck in a world where they're being hated and they don't know why. They don't know our ancestors waged war on Fusions because it was unnatural and a disservice to Arceus. Now, after all these years of evolution, the hate has grown to the point where the Fusions are hated for all their crimes!"

Randy bared his teeth. "So, I should just excuse that brat for her crimes? Because she's misunderstood?!"

"I want you to stop acting like a bigot and open your eyes! You want an answer to all this hate? Start pointing fingers at yourselves! The Pokémon are the reason this hate spiraled out of control! It's the Fusion's fault for acting out in such a violent manner! Everyone is to blame for this circle of hate! And I'm not going to stand by and let some jerk accuse the Fusions for all his troubles! YOU GOT THAT?!"

He stomped his foot down, then something unexpected happen. The impact caused a wave of fire to fly across the floor. The patrons jumped up in surprise. The wave singed the floor. They faced Eddie once more and saw his whole body was steaming. The floor under his feet smoked.

Rampardos narrowed his eyes. "Eddie…?"

Eddie turned away and pressed his hand against the wall, panting from his outburst. He pulled his hand away, leaving behind a hand shaped burn in its place. He rubbed his wrist and alleviated himself with a heavy sigh. The steam pouring off his body stopped and his eyes resumed their natural color.

"…I don't know why Vivi did what she did. I'm not sure if I can trust her after everything that's happened. She hasn't given me any reason to." He closed his eyes. "But I refuse to make her the scapegoat to all of your problems. She doesn't deserve that. She isn't a lightning rod for your hate. No one is, not even the Pokémon."

The patrons stared at him in awe. Randy looked off to the side with a slightly guilty expression. He scratched his scalp awkwardly. His throat felt tight, finding difficulty to get a word out.

Eddie grabbed the back of a chair and leaned against it. "…" He sighed. _What is your game, Vivi? Why fight the military? Why all the secrets? Why are you going this far? Now…I'll never know. A wrench has been thrown into your plans._ He narrowed his eyes. _But why would she bother stealing a laptop off them? Did she even know there was a tracking device in it? Why would she…_

His eyes widened at a sudden realization. Vivi seemed pretty calm about the whole situation. One would assume a Fusion planning to wage a potential coup against a specific military base would be worried about having Fusion Hunters knowing about it. Vivi acted distant and scatterbrained, but she could certainly recognize danger. She wouldn't have acted so childishly unless…unless…

" _Well, if you must know, I came here to fight the military."_

" _I'm looking for this one specific base stationed in Sinnoh."_

" _I can handle a couple Fusion Hunters."_

" _Oh…let's just say I'm a simple little Fusion who uncovered some information she probably shouldn't have known about."_

"… _possible dangers coming our way!"_

" _I'm taking on the military with the goal of saving everyone!"_

" _I had this all planned out from the start."_

A light of realization shined in Eddie's eyes. Disbelief washed over his face. Everything…was planned from the start.

"I know who called the Fusion Hunters." Eddie turned on his heel and raced over to the counter. "It wasn't a Pokémon, it was another Fusion!" He leaped over the counter and ducked below. "Vivi called the Fusion Hunters on herself!"

"She did WHAT?!" Chester exclaimed in incredulity. "She…She couldn't have!"

"She did! That little trickster's going to get it!" Eddie finally found what he was looking for and clutched it in his hand.

Randy narrowed his eyes. "Now hold on a minute, why would she do that?"

"Unfortunately, I may know why!" Eddie leaped over the counter once more. "I need to find her!" He ran straight for the door.

Randy reached out to him. "Ed, hold on, I don't think-!" Eddie threw something over his shoulder. The Incineroar yelped as he fumbled to catch the small, jingling object. He clutched it, then dangled the item in front of his face. It was a set of keys. "Um…what are these?"

"My apartment key. The key to the bar. All of my keys." Eddie glared over his shoulder. "Watch over the bar for me."

Manny narrowed his eyes. "Eddie, what are you doing?"

Eddie clutched the doorframe, then breathed a long sigh. "Something stupid." He narrowed his eyes. "For what it's worth, you've all been good companions and memorable customers."

Rampardos' eyes widened. "Eddie, you're not serious. You're leaving?!"

"I'm not sure for how long. I may not come back." He clenched his fists. "But I can't let another Fusion be taken away. I might be making a horrible mistake, but I'm rescuing Vivi!" He crouched down. "With that said…farewell, everyone!"

He kicked off the ground and went into a full-on sprint down the road. Everyone ran outside and watched the Hitmonlee hightail it after the Fusion Hunters. The group looked at each other with equal parts confusion and concern.

Randy held the keys tightly, then bared his teeth. _If you're that confident in your beliefs, Ed…then prove me wrong._

* * *

Far off from Hyacinth City laid a large patch of grass and trees that stretched for miles. The coverage of trees were great for hiding during a game of Hide-and-Seek. In Vivi's current predicament, they also made good cover for escaping.

The Ledian-Decidueye sprinted between the branches, racing through the trees while constantly looking over her shoulder. Despite all three of her pursuers being bulky, they were faster than they appeared. All that Fusion Hunter training she heard about wasn't all hogwash meant to intimidate.

She plucked an arrow out and loaded up her drawstring. "Haze!" She fired the arrow at them. Once it struck the ground, it sprayed a thick haze that blinded the Fusion Hunters. Vivi hooked her arms around a tree branch and threw herself up until landing on a high branch.

She panted lightly, then reached behind her cloak. She pulled out the militarized laptop and searched around it. _I was sure I ditched them a mile back. Ugh, there must be something in here pinpointing my location!_

She yelped when a laser blast tore off a chunk of bark, nearly grazing her face. She looked around the tree and saw Samurott leaping up to her level and aiming his laser rifle. Vivi stuffed the laptop away and flew off before he could blast her.

She flew closer to ground level as laser shots rained down on her. She maneuvered through them and fired off arrows upwards to jam his gun, but the Fusion Hunter skillfully shot down her arrows before they could hit their mark. Viv glided closer to the ground, then kicked off the dirt to get another boost through the air.

"Bubble Beam!" She looked over her shoulder, then rolled out of the way of a stream of bubbles firing at her. She looked around for the Crawdaunt, then gasped upon spotting him leaping between the trees like a skilled monkey. He performed some impressive flips that gave him the right angles for his attacks, changing where and how he fired.

Vivi dug her heels into the ground, then kicked off in the opposite direction. Crawdaunt clamped on a branch, spun around, then threw himself down. "Crabhammer!"

Vivi slid on her back and drew an arrow. "Air Slash!" She fired the arrow. Wind energy swirled around it while slicing through the air.

Crawdaunt threw his Crabhammer against the arrow, pushing against the force. However, his Crabhammer proved stronger and he punched through the arrow. He flipped down and slammed both his pincers down. Vivi rolled out of the way in time and flipped in the air, hiding herself among the trees.

Samurott joined Crawdaunt's side just as Rhyperior joined them. He folded his arms behind his back and said, "We can keep this up all day, Fusion. My forces will track you down until you exhaust your energy. This isn't the first time we've had to deal with a fleeing Fusion."

Vivi snuck around in the trees until she was directly above them. Smirking devious, she plucked out several arrow and infused energy into some of them. She tucked them under her cloak, then stealthily leaped across the branches.

The Fusion Hunters closed their eyes and listened out for the Ledian Fusion. Their breathing steadied, becoming silent to even the most trained ear.

The sharp release of the arrow penetrated Samurott's ear. His eyes snapped open, then he spun around to catch the arrow before firing his rifle. His fellow Fusion Hunters fired alongside him.

Vivi quickly fled their attack and circled around them, firing off arrows in rapid succession. As they tracked her movements, Rhyperior slammed his fist down and sent out a wave of Stone Edge to intercept her. They struck her in the gut, but she used one of the rising spires to kick off into the air.

She drew and fired an arrow. "Ice Punch!"

The icy blue arrow struck in the middle and created a thin layer of ice. The ice threatened to travel up their bodies, but they leaped out of the way before it could encase them. They fired above, then noticed three arrows flying down. Rhyperior and Samurott jumped out of the way, but Crawdaunt's shadow was struck. A wave of shadow energy hit him soon after.

He collapsed forward, but held himself up by his pincers. He tried to walk towards him comrades, but he was stuck in place. "Ugh! I can't…move!"

Samurott withdrew his seamitars and crossed them. "She must be locking down our movements with Spirit Shackle. If she hits all of us, she'll be able to escape."

Rhyperior crossed his arms. "Proceed with caution."

More Spirit Shackle arrows fired down on them. Samurott focused on the arrows, then slashed through them with expert precision, slicing off the arrow tips for all of them.

However, Vivi used this as a diversion to get behind them. She drew an arrow back, while saying, "Way to cover all your weaknesses, gents! Razor Leaf!" She fired the arrow. It glowed green before exploding into a flurry of sharp leaves.

Samurott quickly turned and slashed them down, but some managed to cut him. One of the Razor Leaves did accidently destroy the arrow pinning Crawdaunt in place.

Vivi kicked off the ground and prepared to take flight. "I've been running for years, gents! Gonna have to wake up pretty early in the morning to catch me!"

Rhyperior reached behind his back and pulled out a bomb. He flipped the switch and chucked it. It flew over Vivi's head and hit the ground in front of her before detonating. Vivi gasped and crossed her arms as the explosion sent her flying back. She caught herself, then dodged a Hammer Arm from Rhyperior.

She pulled an arrow and aimed it. "Supersonic!" She fired the arrow.

"Drill Run!" Rhyperior lunged towards her and spun his body. He collided with the arrow and shredded it to pieces. Vivi gasped before getting struck by the Drill Run. He pressed her against a tree, adding more to the frictional force nailing her stomach.

Rhyperior leaped back and watched the Ledian-Decidueye collapse forward. Rhyperior sneered and grabbed her by the head, lifting her to eye level. Vivi panted heavily, then glared at the armored rhino.

"Do you give up?" Rhyperior asked.

Vivi panted a bit more, then her lips shifted into a confident smirk. "Oh, not even close. Face my unbridled fury!" She threw rapid fire punches at the rhino's face. The Ledian species was renowned for their incredible punching speed. They could throw more punches than most Pokémon.

However, they were also known for their incredibly weak physical power. Vivi's punches were, quite literally, doing nothing to harm the rhino. He deadpanned at her attempt. She pressed forward furiously, refusing to give up. Unfortunately, it became evident to the Ledian Fusion that her punches were going to cut it against the Pokémon with rock hard skin.

She looked at her fists, then smiled at the rhino uneasily. "Sssooo…can I have a do over?"

Rhyperior narrowed his eyes, then aimed his palm for her head. "Talk. Why did you attack us? Why did you steal one of our laptops?"

She shrugged innocently. "Sorry buddy, but that's my secret to keep." She smirked. "But, at the very least, it should help get what I want. Then everything will fall into place."

Crawdaunt glared. "For assaulting the Fusion Hunters and stealing important property from us, you're under arrest."

"Oh…is that so?" She calmly reached into her cloak and wrapped her hand around a quill.

"Since you're a minor, we may be gentler with you." Rhyperior narrowed his eyes. "But you have much to explain for your actions."

Vivi glared. "Not like I'm the only one."

Rhyperior glared. "…hand me the cuffs."

Crawdaunt passed over two sets of cuffs, the sight of them making Vivi gulp. She readied herself to use another Supersonic and escape. However, right as she whipped the arrow out, a foot came flying from Rhyperior's blind spot and struck him square in the eyes. The force sent Rhyperior flying into his allies and knocking them over.

Vivi was dumbfounded, unsure what just happened, until a hand clutched her by the cowl and sprinted off with her in tow.

"H-Huh?!" she exclaimed in alarm.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, you know that?!"

She looked up at her apparent savior, then her eyes sparkled brightly with her lips curling up into an overjoyed smile. "Eddie, it's you!"

"Shut up!" he ordered as he looked back. He could see the Fusion Hunters pursuing them.

"I can't believe it! Why did you come after me?!"

"Because you're a reckless brat who's in way over her head!"

"D'aww, you care about me!"

"I said SHUT UP!"

Eddie cleared the forest and ran out onto an open plain. He flinched from a laser shot flying past his face. He spun around and faced the Fusion Hunters. He kicked backwards to keep outrunning them while also dodging their attacks easier.

"We need to lose them!" Vivi yelled.

"We can't! That laptop you stole has a tracking device in it! We won't be able to ditch them until we get rid of it!"

"I went through a lot of trouble to get this laptop!"

"Argh! Fine, we'll tear out the tracking device instead!"

Crawdaunt pulled out a bomb and lobbed it over their heads. It went off behind them and knocked them to the ground. Vivi faceplanted the dirt, but Eddie rolled forward and landed on his feet. He stood up and glared down the Fusion Hunters.

Samurott wielded his seamitars and growled. "The bartender from earlier…"

Rhyperior stepped forward. "Bartender, stand down. Explain yourself."

Eddie glared, then shifted his feet. He took on a battle stance with his leg raised. "She's under my watch. If you try to take her away from me, I will fight back."

Crawdaunt scowled. "Cease your drivel. This Fusion has top secret information in her hands. We cannot let that in the hands of anyone but ourselves."

Eddie casted his glare at Vivi, who smiled uncomfortably, before turning his gaze back to the Fusion Hunters. "I'm not letting you arrest her."

Rhyperior glared. "So be it. You'll be charged as an accomplice." He thrusted his finger. "Capture them!"

Samurott lunged forward with Razor Shell. Eddie narrowed his eyes calmly, then spun on his foot. He kicked the Razor Shell sharply, firmly stopping the giant otter's momentum. He pushed against Eddie's kick, but he had more strength paced underneath than perceived.

Eddie raised his foot and kicked the seamitars out of his hands, then slid under his legs. "Mega Kick!" His foot glowed crimson, then performed a handstand and shot his foot straight up, nailing the Samurott in the gut. The Fusion Hunter gasped out in pain before being sent soaring across the land.

Vivi's eyes sparkled. "Wow…" she breathed in awe.

Eddie flipped to his feet, then spun around to block a Crabhammer from Crawdaunt. He used Crabhammer with his other pincer and swung brutally at Eddie. The Hitmonlee blocked with his legs, but was being pushed back with each forceful blow.

"What are you thinking?!" Crawdaunt scolded as he threw a particularly strong Crabhammer, punching Eddie across the field. "Do you truly believe she's worth rescuing? She's a criminal!"

Eddie tumbled across the grass, but dug his fingers and clawed feet into the ground. He almost instantly stopped himself. He rubbed his leg and winced from the Crabhammer damage. He glared at the dark crustacean before standing up.

"She hasn't given me any reason to trust her." He narrowed his eyes. "But I'm not letting her leave without giving me the answers I deserve." He sprung forward.

Crawdaunt fired off Bubble Beam, to which Eddie spun his body around and rapidly kicked through the bubbles as he flew. He flipped on his hands and flew over Crawdaunt before extending his foot out and stomping him. Crawdaunt clamped down his leg and slammed him repeatedly against the ground.

He went for another slam when Eddie caught himself on his hands, then spun his body. "Rolling Kick!" The snap movement of his spin caught Crawdaunt by surprise and knocked him away.

Vivi shook in her place, brimming with excitement. "He's so COOL!"

Eddie wiped his brow, but his moment of rest had to be cut short. He swung his leg and blocked a Hammer Arm from Rhyperior. Eddie glared at the rhino as he tried to push against him, but he was unwavering.

Rhyperior glared down the former bartender. "Why do you help this Fusion if you don't trust her?"

"Honestly…still trying to figure that out myself!" He pushed himself back, then immediately sprung forward to slam his Mega Kick against his torso. "Close Combat!" He threw a barrage of kicks against the Rhyperior, knocking him back with each clout.

Rhyperior endured the hits as he brought his hands together and dropped them on top of Eddie's head, staggering him from his onslaught before pulling his fist back and striking him with Hammer Arm. Eddie held his gut as his face twisted in pain. No time was given for recuperation when Rhyperior rammed into Eddie and grinded him through the dirt with Drill Run.

Eddie kept his eyes open, trying to hold on to consciousness. _Oh no, you don't!_ He forced his leg to kick up, applying enough power to redirect Rhyperior's attack off him. Eddie flipping to his feet, then held his sore stomach. _Ugh, that hurt._ He moved his hands away and gasped, noticing a tear in his shirt. _Crud, he ripped it!_

A Hammer Arm struck him in the back of the head and threw him off his feet. Eddie spun and landed on his feet. He wiped his face, then glared. _You know what, screw it._ He kicked off the ground and dashed for the rhino.

Samurott and Crawdaunt recovered from their hits, then aimed their rifles at Eddie. "Take cover, sir!" They fired at Eddie. The Hitmonlee noticed and dodged the spray of shots. One bolt grazed Eddie's arm, which made him stagger.

"AGH!

Rhyperior grabbed the Hitmonlee by the leg and threw him across the plain. He held his palms together and created a massive boulder surrounded in crimson energy. "Rock Wrecker!" He fired it straight at Eddie.

The Hitmonlee pushed himself up, then leaped in the air. "High Jump Kick!" His foot glowed bright blue, then he lunged his foot forward. He flew into the boulder and slammed his foot against it. The collision caused a minor explosion that blew the rock apart and sent Eddie flying, but he caught himself just fine.

Samurott and Crawdaunt aimed their guns once more, ready to immobilize him. Vivi spotted this and glared. She plucked eight arrows and sprinted behind them before leaping up and drawing the arrows back. "Stay away from him!" She fired the arrows, which exploded into a storm of Razor Leaves.

Samurott and Crawdaunt covered their heads as the leaves slashed them. A few leaves managed to cut through their guns and destroy them, resulting in a small, but controlled explosion. Vivi landed in front of them and drew two more arrows, firing Air Slash. They were knocked off their feet and onto their backs.

Once Rhyperior was done recovery from Rock Wrecker's recharge period, he charged at Eddie with Hammer Arm. Eddie channeled Mega Kick through both feet and clashed against the Hammer Arm. Each collision created a tiny boom that shook the air.

Rhyperior stomped the ground and summoned Stone Edge. This hindered Eddie's movement a bit, enough to get thrown back by a Hammer Arm he barely blocked. He caught himself on his hands and, while standing on them, blocked an assault from the armored rhino.

"I'm only going to give you one warning," Rhyperior said slowly and intimidatingly. "Surrender yourself now or else. I can't promise not critically injuring you if you keep this up."

Eddie pushed his arms back and struck him in the stomach. "You're not taking her away from me!"

"Why do you care?" He slammed his fist against Eddie's foot, who deflected it. "This Fusion is a clear criminal! Her actions have irrefutable consequences should she continue down this path!"

Eddie glared impatiently. "I'm not going to lie and say I trust her. She doesn't deserve trust with the stunts she pulled. However…" His fists steamed with heat. His eyes glowed orange. "I'm not letting anymore Fusions be taken away from me!" He threw a strong Mega Kick and struck Rhyperior hard in the side.

The strike managed to hurt Rhyperior, as the rhino found himself wheezing out in pain. _This guy isn't new to fighting. He knows how to hold himself._ He glared. _I'm sorry, sir, but I can't let her escape._

Rhyperior fought through the pain and grabbed Eddie's leg, throwing him far out of reach. "Rock Wrecker!" He formed the massive boulder, then flung it at the Hitmonlee.

Eddie spun through the air and adjusted his balance midflight, then his eyes widened as the boulder came at him fast. He crossed his arms as the attacked collided with him and exploded.

Vivi gasped. "Eddie!" A Hitmonlee shaped figure fell out of the sky and crashed into the dirt. "No!" She tried to run over to him, but Samurott ambushed her from behind and pinned her arms and legs to the ground. "Hey! Let me…GO!" She wormed her limbs about to pull them free.

Rhyperior panted from the last attack, then collapsed to his knee. Crawdaunt ran over. "Sir, are you alright?"

"I just need a minute to breathe." He glared at Eddie's unmoving form. "For a bartender, he sure knows how to fight. He was taking us on fairly well."

"We need to get them down to HQ before he wakes up." Crawdaunt helped Rhyperior up, then they walked over to the pinned Ledian Fusion.

She glared at them. "Let me go! I can't go to jail! I have a mission to complete!"

Crawdaunt sneered. "If by mission, you mean committing more crimes, I'm afraid that's out of the question." Vivi bared her teeth.

Rhyperior pulled out the electronic cuffs. "Okay, let's try this again." He bent down to slap the cuffs on her wrists. He stopped when he picked up the sudden stench of smoke filling his nostrils. "What the…is there a fire nearby?"

Crawdaunt turned around and gasped. "S-S-Sir?!"

They turned and felt an instant rise in heat coming off of the supposedly fallen Hitmonlee. However, he was pushing himself back up. Flames stretched out from underneath him and circled around him and the Fusion Hunters, trapping them in a ring of blazing fire. The flames rose high. Fire stretched out through the grass enclosed inside.

"Where's all this fire coming from?!" Samurott shouted.

"Weren't you listening?" They faced Eddie once more as he stood tall. His form was shrouded in flames. His orange eyes pierced through angrily. "I'm not letting anymore Fusion be taken away from MMMEEEE!" he roared chillingly, increasing the intensity of the flames pouring off his body.

The push of heat hit the Fusion Hunters and Vivi, who were beyond stunned by this unknown power. "What in the world…?" Rhyperior mumbled.

Eddie got down and readied himself. "Flame Charge!" He kicked off the ground, blasting up a wall of dirt behind him. Flames surrounded his body as he flew towards Samurott. He aimed his foot and struck him across the cheek. Despite having a type resistance, the actual force of the kick was unbelievable. It sent him soaring through the wall of fire and crashing horn first into the ground.

Vivi picked herself up, then stared up at Eddie in admiration. Her eyes sparkled with joy. "Oh. My. Arceus!"

Eddie chuckled dryly. "Stupid kid…" He turned to Crawdaunt and Rhyperior, then clutched his shirt as it, along with his pants, burned away in the flames. "I've had to deal with crappy Pokémon working at my bar. I know how to escort them out."

Crawdaunt was flummoxed by the supposed Hitmonlee. "H-H-How?! Hitmonlee can't use Flame Charge! They can't conjure all this fire!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "You're Fusion Hunters. Take a guess." He whipped off the burning uniform, parting the flames around him. Underneath the clothes revealed short blue fur covering his body and arms. The fur crackled with heat. Red spots were shown going down his back, which ignited to create a fierce flame that blazed with intensity.

Vivi's lips shifted into a large, overjoyed smile. "No way! You're a Fusion!"

Rhyperior narrowed his eyes cautiously. _A Hitmonlee with the DNA of a Typhlosion? Hmm…_

Eddie stomped his foot down with flames coursing around his body. He cracked his knuckles and glared firmly at the remaining Fusion Hunters. "Who's next?"

Rhyperior growled. "Incapacitate them both!" He and Crawdaunt charged at them.

Vivi drew an arrow. "Haze!" She fired it and unleashed a thick black cloud around them. Eddie leaped into the air and flew above the cloud.

"Foresight!" His eyes glowed blue, then quickly shifted his eyes through the smoke before seeing the blue outline of Crawdaunt appearing. "High Jump Kick!" His foot flashed blue, then flung down at him.

Crawdaunt swiped at the smoke, then sensed Eddie's presence. He leaped out of the way just as the foot came close to hitting his head. "Ha! You missed!" He reached behind his back and grabbed the stun batons.

Eddie narrowed his eyes jeeringly. "Did I?" He landed on his hands, then extended his leg out. He swiped it across the crustacean's face and kicked him out of the smoke.

Crawdaunt dug his legs into the ground and tried to retaliate with Crabhammer, but Eddie flew out and kicked relentlessly with Close Combat. He kicked with pinpoint precision, landing blows in the gut, neck, arms, legs, and anywhere vulnerable. He ended the assault with a powerful strike to the chest, knocking him across the field.

Eddie lowered his foot and panted heavily, feeling the toll for using Close Combat. He shook off his tiredness and set his sights on Rhyperior as he battled Vivi.

The Ledian Fusion flew through the air, firing arrow after arrow. She channeled Ice Punch through half of them and attempted to freeze Rhyperior down, but the rhino used his Drill Run tactic and lunged at her, shredding through the arrows. This time, Vivi tried to absorb some of the damage with her winged cloak. It mostly worked, but it did leave her open for a Hammer Arm straight to the ground.

The ground split from the impact, creating a ringed crater of rock. Vivi's cloak took most of the landing for her. She pushed herself up and groaned. A shadow loomed over her, so she covered her head for safety. Just before Rhyperior could strike her, Eddie came to her rescue and used Mega Kick against Rhyperior, knocking him away.

Rhyperior caught himself and flipped onto his feet. He raised his arms defensively. "You're a resilient Fusion. Persistent, even."

Eddie crouched into a fight stance. "I've been running from you Fusion Hunters long enough."

"So, you've had a run in with the Fusion Hunters before?" He narrowed his eyes. "You do look familiar, now that I think about it." He sneered. "Doesn't matter. I'm bringing you both in and that's final."

Eddie glared at Vivi. "Kid, get me some cover!" He sprinted at Rhyperior.

Rhyperior roared and flew at Eddie with Drill Run. Eddie narrowed his eyes, then leaped. He ran across the spinning rhino and jumped off. Rhyperior ended Drill Run and did a spinning stop before charging once more. Vivi drew several arrows and fired Razor Leaf at him. Rhyperior growled and slammed his hands down, forming a barrier composed of Stone Edge.

He activated Hammer Arm and stampeded towards Eddie again. The Hitmonlee Fusion used Flame Charge and met him halfway. His kick met the powered-up arm, destroying the ground beneath them. Eddie gave some slack to his attack and let the Hammer Arm fly under him so he could run across it. Just as he jumped off, he swung his Mega Kick into the back of the rhino's neck.

Eddie landed on his hands and feet. The flame on his back burned brighter. A flash of heat shined in his eye. "Stand back, Vivi. This one's gonna burn. Scorch Release!" He suddenly spun on his right foot.

The flame on his back traveled down his body and wrapped around his leg. It shined passionately, burning away the surrounding grass into ash. Eddie ceased his spinning, then raised his leg. It glowed with a reddish-orange, resembling a molten color. The heat it gave off distorted the air into waving shapes. It steamed abundantly.

Rhyperior narrowed his eyes carefully. _That doesn't look good!_

Eddie jumped up with his normal leg, then used the heated one to lunge himself forward. "Mega Kick!" His foot turned red hot. He slammed it against the rhino's chest, emitting a painfully bright flash. The touch of his foot seared the rhino's bare skin.

Rhyperior couldn't hold himself together and cried out in pain. "IT BUUUUURRRNS!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes darkly. "My Scorch Release temporarily gives my physical moves a power boost. The power of my kicks burn away your defenses with every blow." His eyes shifted to a scowl. "I told you: you're not taking her away from me. No Fusion will be taken from me again!" He launched the large rhino off his kick with surprising strength.

Rhyperior slammed into the ground and held his burning chest in agony. "AGH! It won't stop burning! AAAAAH!"

Vivi stared in absolute awe. "You're. So. Awesome."

Eddie's leg coated in a thick cloak of steam before cooling down. Eddie grabbed his leg, feeling a sudden weariness come over him. He panted slowly. "Ease up, pal," he told himself. "Don't overdo it."

He heard groaning and turned to the other Fusion Hunters as they were getting up. The flames he conjured were beginning to die down. He looked at Vivi, who was having the same idea. "We need to get out of here!"

She smiled and nodded. "Got you covered!" She drew an arrow and aimed it at Samurott, who was the closest. "Cover your eyes! Stardust Arrow!" Teal colored energy traveled down her arrow before releasing it.

Samurott held his head, then gasped as an arrow struck him. It glowed brightly and emitted a painful flash that not only damaged him, but blinded him and Crawdaunt.

Eddie kept his eyes shielded as he grabbed Vivi and made a break for it

* * *

A half hour of running when by as Eddie tried to run as far away as his legs could carry him and the Ledian Fusion. He panted tiredly, but he needed to cover as much ground as he could while Vivi was busy.

The Ledian Fusion was tampering with the laptop, carefully unscrewing the bottom with an arrow. It was tricky to pull off while being carried, but she eventually got the screw off. She held it in her lower left hand, then tucked the panel into her cloak. She used the arrow to push the wires around.

After some prodding, she found a beeping device inside. It didn't appear to be part of the laptop as it was attached to a wire. This was very likely the tracking device.

She plucked it out and cheered. "Eddie, I got the tracking device!"

"Fan…tastic!" he panted exhaustedly. "Now…get…rid of it!"

"Can do!" She attached it to the arrow, pulled back on it, then fired it high into the air. It flew far until it was out of their range of sight. She whistled as it soared. "I'm a pretty good shot." She chuckled. "I can't wait to start shooting stuff from miles awa-AAHH!" Eddie finally collapsed and fell over. Vivi tumbled across the ground, but the laptop was safely in her hands. "Phew…"

Eddie pushed himself up and panted loudly. "I'm…so…thirsty…"

"You are?" She reached into her wings and pulled out a bottled water. "Here you go."

Eddie stared at her blankly, with only his pants breaking the pause of silence. "…when did you have that?"

"Stole a few from the kitchen."

Eddie blinked, then deadpanned. "I should be mad, but give me that!" He swiped it out of the hand and down the clear liquid. He exhaled in relief, then sat on his knees. "Dear Arceus, I haven't run that far in ages!"

Vivi laughed, kicked her feet up like a child. "I haven't had that much fun in forever! You were freakin' awesome! WOO!" She sat up and sighed happily. "Phew…now that that's out of the way, time to return to business!" She held the laptop up. "With this, I'm one step closer to finding answers!" The laptop was swiped out of her hands. "HEY!" she shouted angrily, only for her face to shift to fear.

Eddie clutched the laptop tightly while the spots on his back reignited, bursting into a huge flame on his back. "Do you have any idea what I sacrificed to save you? I can't go back home now. I'm a fugitive outrunning the Fusion Hunters for conspiring with a possible criminal." He glared at Vivi threateningly. "You need to start talking, now!"

Vivi chuckled nervously, a sweat-drop sliding down the side of her face. "Oh boy…you're pretty ticked…"

"I know you were the one who called the Fusion Hunters. I know this was all your doing. You risked so much to get this, now I'm risking my neck to save yours." The hand holding the laptop steamed with heat. "I have half a mind to turn around and turn you over to the Fusion Hunters."

Vivi gulped. "So…why didn't you?"

Eddie glared at her for a moment longer, then sighed tiredly. The flame on his back went out. "Because…underneath all your cryptic nonsense, I believe there's more to this than just criminal activities." He narrowed his eyes. "So, here's the deal. We're stuck out here together, right?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"If you promise me that you'll come clean about everything you're hiding from me, every last scrap of information about this crazy plot of yours, I'll decided whether or not to help you. If not, I'm turning you in." He crouched down. "You owe me for saving you. I can't go home. We're both going to be hunted." He narrowed his eyes. "So, if you promise me what you're doing has true, honest intentions, I'll come with you."

Vivi narrowed her eyes at him, then looked at the laptop. She gave no reason to trust her, yet he still came. He's risking everything to help her and see if she could be trusted. That…was the kindest thing anyone has ever done for her. No one has put that much faith in her. In fact, for the first time in sixteen years…

…he's the first one to ever give her a hand.

Eddie blinked in confusion when Vivi started tearing up. "H-Hey, are you okay?"

She didn't say anything. Instead, she lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him, crying into his shoulder. He looked at her in stunned silence, then narrowed his eyes caringly as he wrapped a single arm around her.

"…I'm sorry…I caused you so much trouble…" She pulled away and wiped her eyes vigorously. She smiled widely as a few tears ran down her face. "D-Don't worry! I'll tell you everything! You deserve to know the truth!"

Eddie lowered his eyelids sarcastically. "So, it took saving your life to trust _me_?"

Vivi snorted and laughed, punching his shoulder. "Shut up!" She shook her head. "We should keep moving, just until nightfall. Once we settle down for the night, I'll tell you everything I know." She held her hand out. "Deal?"

He looked at the hand cautiously, then looked at her innocent eyes. At this point, what other choice did he have? There was no turning back after today.

He grabbed her hand and shook firmly. "Deal."


	16. Good Intentions with Hidden Consequences

The sun had finally set after a long day in Sinnoh. A blanket of darkness stretched across the sky, illuminated by the beautiful stars littering across the view. The night was rather peaceful as a calm breeze passed over the grassy plains with the occasional group of trees sitting around.

After a long day of walking, Eddie and Vivi came up over a hillside. Vivi skipped along cheerfully, humming a merry tune in her step. Eddie followed behind with a contrasting attitude. He was tired, groggy, hungry, and weak. His legs shook with little energy holding him up.

He rubbed his eyes and yawned out loud. "Kid, perhaps we should rest here. We haven't seen the Fusion Hunters for hours. Safe to say we lost them."

Vivi spun around on her heel, beaming joyfully. "Great idea! There's plenty of food we can scavenge around here!" She tapped her chin curiously. "Hey, do you think this is technically camping? I mean, I know we're on the run and all, but I don't want to trick myself into thinking we're homeless. Then again, I haven't had a proper home in the last few years, so-"

"K-Kid," Eddie interrupted, holding his hand up politely. "While I would _love_ to hear you blather on about camping, I really just need some rest."

Vivi scoffed, then held her hips with a light smirk. "Oh fine, have it your way, old man."

Eddie glared as he held his knees. "Suddenly regretting telling you my age…"

Vivi flashed a toothy grin. "Yeah, that's how the cookie crumbles! But don't worry, I won't bombard you with too many old jokes." She held her hands over her mouth and quietly giggled behind them.

The Hitmonlee Fusion facepalmed and shook his head. _This kid is going to drive me nuts someday._ He cracked his back, then sighed. "I just need some rest. Why don't you search around for some food while I set the camp up? I'll get a nice fire going so we can talk."

She grinned. "Sounds like a plan, E!" She spun around and skipped off towards the trees.

Eddie pinched between his eyes and sighed. _Finally, I can get some rest._ Before he considered dozing off on the spot, he walked over to some trees as well. He shot his foot up and kicked branches out with fast kicks. He caught them all in his arms, then dropped them off back at the spot. He searched around a bit before stumbling across stones. He collected a bunch and brought them back to the sticks.

He dug into the ground to make a small pit, then set the stones around the pit to keep the fire from spreading. Once done, he stacked the sticks in neatly. He stood up and dusted his hands off. He brushed his fur together and created some sparks that dropped onto the sticks. It took a minute to warm up, but they eventually set the sticks ablaze for a cozy campfire.

Eddie went back to the trees and picked up larger stones, large enough to act as seats. He lifted them both and carried them to the campfire, resting them next to the fire.

With his half of the work done, he sat down and finally allowed himself to take a much-needed break. He leaned his head back and sighed. He gazed up at the starry sky with narrowed eyes. He never saw the stars out in the city. It's been years since he took the time to lean back and watch the beautiful, twinkling lights shining above.

He folded his arms into his lap with a slouched posture. _Wonder how the guys are doing. If the Fusion Hunters gave up looking for us, wouldn't surprise me if they went back to inform the gang of my…interference._ He pinched between his eyes. _I made this choice of my own volition. That's all that matters. Still, with no home to go back to, there's not much I can say other than…hope everything goes better than last time._

His eyes wandered down to the crackling fire. He held his hand out to it. The flames waved freely, then began to gravitate to his hand. It's been a long time the flame kicker fought using his fiery tricks. He always found the flames comforting whenever he needed a moment to think. It's like they burn his sorrows away and purify them. Or maybe that was just his mind finding a way to cope with everything. Honestly, it was hard not to get wrapped up in his own thoughts without overthinking a simple image. He could stare at this fire for hours.

 _This is my life now._ His eyelids lowered, the flames reflecting off his irises. _No place to turn to. I'm on the run, getting myself wrapped up in some crazy scheme plotted by a weird girl. I pray to you, Arceus, please don't let this be a mistake. Please guide me and assure me that I'll see a light of hope through this chaotic tunnel._ He hugged himself, then closed his eyes.

"Dozing off already?" He opened his eyes, nothing more than a squint, and directed them to Vivi. In both sets of arms were a variety of berries, freshly picked from the trees. She smiled at him as she walked over to her seat. "If you want, you can. We don't have to talk tonight if you're not up for it."

Eddie shook his head. "No, I'm…" He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I-I'm good. Just…thinking, that's all." He barely reacted to the stick that was thrown at him, which he caught. "And this?"

Vivi held up a stick of her own and jabbed it through a berry. "From my experience, a freshly roasted berry tastes like heaven." She hummed with delight. "Trust me, you'll love it. It's like cooking a marshmallow."

Eddie chuckled tiredly. "I'll take your word for it." He picked up a berry and stuck it onto his stick. He hung it over the fire and let it cook with the heat. "For a scatterbrained kid, you sure know how to survive outdoors."

Vivi giggled. "Kind of had to. Not many motels, lodges, or whatever let Fusions stay overnight. So, I had to learn to hunt for my food. Most days, I'm just eating berries. Thank goodness Pokémon drop money on the streets. Berries are sweet and all, but the taste drives you nuts after a while. Starts becoming bland and…the same." She twisted her face in disgust. "Makes you go crazy for something new."

Eddie shook his head. "I'd bet."

"Eh, even so, I say I've been doing alright. For someone who hasn't had a lick of survival experience starting out, I turned out great!" She glanced to the side and chuckled awkwardly. "Weeeellllll, until I ate a berry that turned out to be poisonous. Learned the first rule of the land that day: don't survive off the land without knowing what you're doing."

Eddie narrowed his eyes amusingly. "Of course. Were you alright?"

"Eh, yeah, I was fine. Worst it did was a nasty stomach ache. So, I had to purchase a book on different types of berries and the occasional first aid kit in case I did something stupid…again." She giggled. "Not sure if you noticed, but I put myself in danger a lot."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Would have never considered it."

Vivi smiled. "Heh…" She pulled her berry away from the fire and lightly blew on it. It had a nice char color going around it. Freshly cooked, not too burnt. She nibbled on it before taking a large bite. "Mmm…" She swallowed, then looked at Eddie as he ate his berry. "Sssooo…you're a Fusion."

The Hitmonlee Fusion stopped eating, then lowered his stick. "…yeah, I am. Been one my whole life. As a small Tyrogue to…what you see today. It became easier to hide as I got older. As I got wiser."

"How long have you been working at that bar?" she asked curiously.

"If I remember correctly, a little over a decade."

She gasped. "A whole decade and not one Pokémon noticed you were a Fusion?!"

He shrugged. "You're not the only shifting one. Plus, no one's ever really seen me without clothes. Not too out of place given a lot of Pokémon wear clothes." He shrugged. "I'm either at the bar, the store, or at home. Rarely do I ever go out somewhere special just for fun." He shook his head. "No much has changed for me, until today."

"Hmm…" Vivi looked at the fire for a moment, then asked, "You seemed pretty scared when the Fusion Hunters came into the bar."

Eddie's eyes widened, then he chuckled somberly. "Observant kid…"

"Are you afraid of them?"

"To a degree, I believe all Fusions are afraid of the Fusion Hunters." He pulled his berry off his stick, then held it in front of his face. "They're not bad Pokémon by any means. They're just doing their jobs. I just can't get over that secretive nature they have. I don't trust them." He looked away and ate his berry whole. He swallowed, then sighed. "Bad memories."

Vivi narrowed her eyes in concern. "This wasn't the first time you've crossed paths."

Eddie closed his eyes and tapped his finger against his knee. "No…I've crossed them so many times that I became well known at the time. I was considered the Wrathful Flame, a nickname they gave me after everything I've done." He sat his stick to the side, then folded his arms into his lap. "We're not that different, kid. I wasn't always a nice guy. Difference is…I did it out of anger, not to seek pleasure.

"Other Fusions like me wanted to teach the Pokémon that they couldn't push us around. We weren't freaks. We weren't sinful creatures, but they kept pushing us back. So, we decided to give in to their perception of us and showed them just how sinful we could be. I've made alliances with many Fusions. We started wars against cities who wronged us, who humiliated us…who tortured us." He looked at Vivi. "If you ask me, you got it easy. Spiteful family or not, you turned out fine. Me? I have a history of regrets I'd sooner wish to forget."

Eddie sighed and shook his head. "Those regrets first started piling when the Fusion Hunters became more advanced. Developing technology to counter Fusions. The longer we stayed on the streets, our chances of capture increase. We fought back, doing our best to stand our ground, but we could only do so much. The Fusion Hunters captured several Fusions I worked alongside with. They captured all of them, with only me remaining. That was the first time in my life I was truly scared of a Pokémon. Never would I have imagined they'd bring fear into my life.

"I didn't know what to do, so I ran. Ran as far away as I could. I was labeled as a crucial threat, though. It wouldn't be so easy to shake them off with the crimes I've committed. The fires I've spread. I tried allying with other Fusions for safety, hoping they could protect me. They did, but I couldn't protect them. Other Fusions took the fall for me while I just ran. I ran and ran and ran and ran…any Fusions hiding from the law were captured because I was higher priority. They were captured because I led Fusion Hunters to them."

Vivi narrowed her eyes sadly. "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that."

Eddie shrugged. "It's whatever. I couldn't risk other Fusions getting captured, so I had to disappear. I destroyed all leads tracing back to me, then I took on some odd jobs in disguise. It's only when I went to Hyacinth City that I found a place to settle down. A nice job, a decent apartment, and freedom from the cops. It wasn't the most glamorous lifestyle, but it kept me safe."

Vivi frowned. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I, uh…were any of those Fusions your friends?"

Eddie shrugged. "Maybe…one or two. I never grew attached to anyone. I distance myself from a lot of folks, even back when I was a troublemaking criminal. After going into hiding, I had a lot of time to reflect on my actions." He closed his eyes. "I'm ashamed of myself for letting the hate steer me down an unjust path."

"Is that why you came to save me?" Vivi asked.

Eddie looked at her sadly, then looked down. "So many Fusions had to be locked away because of me. I wasn't about to let another be taken away."

Vivi smiled. "Thank you, Eddie…"

He waved it off halfheartedly. "It's whatever."

Vivi twirled her stick, then took a bite off the berry. She swallowed, then sighed. "I have your story. Now it's time for you to hear mine."

Eddie leaned forward with interest, resting his arms in his lap. "I'm all ears, kid."

Vivi ate the rest of her berry whole, pulling the stick out of her mouth. She lay it down, munching quickly, then swallowing. She sighed contently, then cleared her throat. "Ahem…well, to start off my little tale, I should start from the beginning." She waved her hand across the air in front of her. "I was nothing more than a simple little Fusion living out in the suburbs. Everything was peaceful, charming, and quaint…until you add me into the mix.

"Just my luck, I'm born into the world and end up living with hostile parents, a horrible older brother, and a neighborhood full of rotten brats taught to hate Fusions by their equally detestable parents." She shrugged. "Suffice to say, most of my childhood was nothing short of horrible."

Eddie raised his brow. "You say that like you're reciting the summary of a book."

Vivi rolled her eyes with a simple smile. "It was bad when I was still a little Ledyba. Nothing ever went my way, no matter how hard I tried." She sighed. "So, when I finally had it with the bullying and teasing, I decided to fire back."

Eddie nodded. "Right, you became a bully yourself."

"I wasn't allowed to be happy, so I brought my own brand of happiness by bringing misery to others." She glared. "Really amped up the hate being thrown my way, but I didn't care. They threw their insults left and right, calling me pushy, manipulative, and stubborn. The nerve of those brats."

Eddie glanced to the side with a deadpan, knowing expression. "Yeah, not sure where they got that from." He took a bite of a berry.

Vivi caught that small quip, noticeably ticked, and stood up from her seat with her arms flailing, shouting, "Shut your nonexistent mouth!" She sat back down, crossed her arms, and pouted for a moment, which made Eddie chuckle. She giggled a bit herself, then continued, "In retrospect, what I did was wrong. But, hey, how was I supposed to know? No one taught me right from wrong."

Eddie shrugged. "At least you have a better understanding now." His eyes narrowed as the Ledian-Decidueye bit her cheek, darting her eyes around nervously. "…right?"

She held up for a minute, then inhaled sharply before saying, "Weeelll…is it wrong for me to say that I enjoyed bullying other kids?" She snickered behind her hand. "Every now and then, I dunk my brother's head in the toilet for acting like a jerk."

Eddie blinked, facepalmed. "You…are one messed up kid."

"D'aww, you're so sweet!"

Eddie shook his head, then made a circular motion with his hand. "Okay, go on. I'm still not seeing what the military has to do with this."

"I'd say don't get your knickers in a twist, but you burned them off earlier." Vivi flew back and slapped her knee in a holler of laughter. Eddie wasn't amused. Vivi repositioned herself and cleared her throat. "Right, right, sorry. Unprofessional. Anyway, times were getting tough with the folks, so I decided it was time to pack my bags. Didn't have much stuff, but whatever! I was planning on going to that Fusion Village out in Kanto."

"Gappei Village?" Eddie pointed out.

"Exactly!" She clasped her hands together and sighed blissfully. "I heard about it on the news three years ago! I knew from the start it was the most magical place in the world!" Her eyes sparkled. "A place filled with Fusions! Fusions just like me!"

Eddie shook his head. "Gappei Village…never put much thought into going there. Then again, I did settle down right around the time it started out. Not enough motivation to pack my things and cross regions since I was in hiding." He narrowed his eyes. "But what stopped you from going?"

Vivi tapped her chin. "I want to say fate." She then shrugged with a silly grin. "Or a wacky, unforeseen set of circumstances! Who knows?" She dropped her arms. "Still, I was setting myself up to leave. Nothing was going to stop me, until I discovered something…"

 _*Flashback, Three Years Ago*_

 _In a house in a suburban neighborhood, a Ledian with the features of a Decidueye was rummaging around in her attic. Boxes were opened with packing tape thrown across the floor. Packing peanuts were spilt from one of the boxes, with a distinguishable packing peanut angel in the mess._

 _Vivi pulled out another box and ripped the tape off. "Might be some old cameras in here." She clasped her hands together happily. "Taking photos with my new best friends! So exciting!" She pulled the flaps open and dug through._

"Wait," Eddie spoke over the flashback. "You could barely find your way down a straight path. How were you planning on getting to Kanto from Johto?"

"Don't question my logic! I would have found it eventually! Now shush! No one likes people talking during movies!"

 _Vivi bent down and picked up a sparkling, white vase with intricate artwork depicting Zekrom, Reshiran, and Kyurem, with a mysterious fourth dragon fable to be the original dragon of the three. Vivi's eyes sparkled with delight. "Wow! This must be Mom's precious vase she got from Unova! Oh, she loves this thing so much!" She hugged it, then 'accidentally' dropped it with an unenthusiastic look as it shattered to pieces. "Whoops," she muttered dryly before going back to box rummaging._

"Has it ever occurred to you your parents might have had other reasons to hate you?"

"Nah!"

 _Vivi kicked the box away, then stumbled across a suitcase with wheels. She smiled and rubbed her hands together. "Jackpot!" She grabbed it and heaved it into the middle of the floor. "Just what I was looking for." She crouched down and went to unzip it._

" _Vivi!" a voice cried out, the grating, irritating tone making her face contort and cringe. "What the hell are you doing up there?!"_

 _She groaned, stood up, and shouted very loudly, "SHUT UP, MICHAEL! NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!"_

" _DON'T YELL AT ME! And you better not be breaking my stuff up there!"_

 _Vivi glanced at a basketball lying around, which she knew belonged to her brother. "Oh, dear brother, you think poorly of me." She picked the ball up, spinning it with one hand. "I would never commit to such juvenile endeavors." She stood there for a moment before pulled a quill out and puncturing the ball, deviously listening to the sad sound of air leaking._

 _A Heracross climbed up the ladder and entered the attic. Michael glared at Vivi in frustration. "I knew it!"_

 _Vivi shot him an uncaring look. "Oops. Guess your ball deflated." She took a quick glance at the arrow, then kicked it out of sight._

 _Michael picked up his deflated ball in horror, then clenched the rubber tightly. He glared venomously at the smug Fusion. He threw the deflated ball down and yelled, "You're going to pay for that, twerp!"_

 _Vivi shrugged with a wry smirk. "Kind of broke. Do you accept tabs or IOUs?"_

 _Michael snarled furiously and aimed his horn at her. Kicking his feet back a couple times, he went into a mad stampede. Vivi, however, wasn't fazed. She simply waited for him to get in close before spinning on her heel and linking her arms around his horn. Using his own momentum against him, she flung him off his feet and into the pile of boxes she had scattered around._

 _Michael crashed into a stack of paint cans, with his horn bursting one open and splattering paint over him and anything in the splash zone. He pushed himself up and wiped globs of paint off himself. "Ugh, gross!"_

 _Vivi snickered behind her hand. "When will you learn to stop attacking horn first?" She laughed for a moment, but gasped as Michael took her by surprise with a surprise horn strike. He slammed her against the wall and pinned her to it._

" _I'll stop when you stop being such a stuck-up, arrogant loser!" he shouted angrily._

 _Vivi held her cheek, smirking confidently. "At least I have the skills to back up my supposed arrogance."_

 _Michael growled. "I'm getting sick and tired of your shit!"_

 _She scoffed in defense. "Oh please, this family was already a disease before I came into the picture. How is it possible that you're the only one who goes to school, yet I'm smarter than you?" She snapped her fingers and smirked tauntingly. "Oh, that's right, you're a moron."_

 _The two glared daggers at each other, then punches were thrown. They tumbled across the floor, beating one another ruthlessly. Their brawl kicked up a cloud of dust around them due to the collection of dust in the attic._

"Is this a normal thing that happens?"

"It's routinely, believe it or not."

 _Their fight knocked over antique lamps, smashed up the contents of a box, and destroyed glass casings containing priceless figurines. Their fighting caused quite the uproar, as it could be heard all throughout the house. It eventually drew the attention of their parents._

" _KIDS!" a low, yet loud male voice spoke up. "STOP FIGHTING!"_

 _The fighting ended on the spot and the dust cloud parted. Vivi and Michael stood frozen in place, with the Heracross in mid punch while Vivi bit down on his horn. The two figures before them were a male Ledian and a female Heracross. Their disapproving looks told them they weren't getting out of this well._

 _Vivi did the only thing she knew how to do: play it cool. With a neutral expression, she snapped her fingers and pointed at her folks. "…yo. How you doing, parents?"_

 _They focused most of their glaring at her. Heracross looked around the attic and groaned. "Ugh, you two tore the place up." She gasped, holding her cheeks in horror when she spied the shattered glass on the ground. "My vase!"_

 _Vivi glanced at it, then shrugged. "Oh yeah, stupid thing broke, I guess."_

 _They were now focusing all their anger on the feathered ladybug. Ledian, through his gritted teeth, said, "Son, go wash yourself up. We'll talk to you in a moment."_

" _Tch," was the only response he offered as he headed down the ladder, not before shooting his younger sister a death glare._

 _She stuck her tongue at him, then crossed her arms. "Jerk." She headed for the ladder, too. "Well, I'm going to clean myself up as well and-" Ledian held his hand out and stopped her, then pushed back so she was in front of them. "-and you're mad at me. Should of saw that coming."_

 _Ledian gestured around the room with a demanding glare. "Care to explain this?!"_

 _Vivi held a hand up to her chest. "I would defend myself and say Michael is guilty party, but we all know this is a biased hearing. So, I'll just say this." She leaned forward and said with every ounce of disrespect she could muster, "…this isn't the first time I've destroyed stuff in the attic. May not be the last, either."_

 _Ledian bared his teeth and shoved her back. She didn't put up much resistance, only taking it. "Why the hell are you even up here?!"_

 _Vivi narrowed her eyes. "Well, my father is a raging alcoholic with anger issues and a low paying job that barely supports three people. Look who gets the short end of the stick nearly every day and ask me again why I rather avoid you than take any more of your nonsensical outbursts? I'm not the one making bad life choices. Speaking of which, how's that millionth lottery ticket you wasted your money on?" She wafted the air in front of her face. "Mmm, smells like another scrap of paper for the garbage."_

 _Ledian's face glowed red with fury. He tightened his knuckles. "You lousy brat…!"_

 _Vivi smirked. "Ooh, you're steaming. Wonder if I could cook anything on there."_

" _Don't tempt fate, little monster," Heracross warned with a scolding glare, only harsher than what a normal mother would give. It was downright murderous. "We can punish you anyway we want."_

 _Vivi crossed her arms with a deadpan stare. "Oh yeah, that'll sit well with the police. Do I hear child murder and arresting in your future?"_

" _We will do horrible things to you if you don't control that attitude!" she snapped, jabbing her chest._

 _Vivi glared. "Thirteen years and I'm still standing strong." She jabbed back, only harder. "You. Don't. Scare me." She turned away and crossed her arms. "As for the real reason I'm up here, I was looking for a suitcase." She glared over her shoulder. "Packing my things and hitting the road." She winced in pain as Ledian grabbed her by the antenna and throttled it. "OW! HEY!"_

 _He pulled her towards his face so he could stare her in the eyes. He jabbed her repeatedly as he spoke, "You're not going anywhere. So long as you live under my roof, you live under MY rules. And what I say is that you're forbidden from leaving this house!"_

 _Vivi sneered. "Why? So you'll continue to use me as a lightning rod for all that hate bottled up inside you? Hello police, I'd like to report child abuse from a drunken maniac!"_

 _Heracross glared at her daughter. "And where do you intend to go?"_

 _Vivi crossed her arms. "The one place in the world that will accept me: Gappei Village!"_

 _Ledian scoffed. "That stupid Fusion Village in Kanto?" He bent her antenna, making her cry out in pain. "That village is full of freaks who're alleviated of their crimes! Where's the justice in that?!"_

 _Vivi clutched her antenna, trying to pull her father's hand off. "Let me go!"_

" _You'd just be another freak to add to the pile! The way I see it…" He twisted his wrist slowly, bringing more pain to Vivi. "I much rather keep you around to teach those freaks a lesson: the Pokémon are above the Fusions, and we control them!"_

 _Vivi's eyes snapped into a vicious glare. "Let go…" She grabbed an arrow from her cloak. "OF MY ANTENNA!" Going off anger and instinct, she pierced the quill into his arm. Her eyes widened in shock as her father stumbled back and pried the quill out. He clutched his arm as blood flowed out. "Oh my gosh, I didn't mean to do-!" Her mother came in and punched her across the cheek, knocking her into the paint and boxes._

 _Heracross huffed, then turned to her husband. "Are you okay?"_

 _Ledian clenched his teeth. "Get me downstairs," he growled calmly. She nodded and held him down the ladder. He glared over his shoulder, yelling, "Just as Fusions are supposed to be: violent, ruthless, and dangerous MONSTERS!" The attic door slammed shut._

 _Vivi stared at the floor door, stunned her actions. Not once as she deliberately harmed her family to the point of drawing blood. However, that moment of regret washed away and replaced itself with anger. She stomped on the floorboards angrily._

" _You'll see! I'll leave this stupid neighborhood and never have to deal with you jerks ever again! Then I'll show you I'm much more than some monster!" She threw her foot at a box, then flinched upon hitting something heavy and hard. She clutched her foot and hopped around. "Ow, ow, ow!" She tripped over herself and stumbled into a stack of boxes._

"By that point, I was a hair away from destroying every object in that attic, until destiny came in and gave me a sign..."

 _Vivi pushed herself up and rubbed her head when something dropped on her head with an audible clunk. She pressed her hands against the sore area in anger, shouting, "DOES THE UNIVERSE HATE ME OR SOMETHING?!" She then glared at the object. A small wooden box. She picked it up. "Stupid box!" She chucked it across the attic. "STUPID FAMILY!"_

 _The box smashed to pieces after hitting the wall, with an object landing in the wooden debris: an old, withered journal._

 _Vivi's anger quickly diminished upon laying eyes on the book. The old age of the material left her curious as to what lied within the contents of that book. She shuffled over and picked the book up. She sat it in her lap and flipped through the pages._

" _A bunch of entries…heh, maybe this is Michael's diary." She snickered at the thought as she turned to the inside of the front cover. She then blinked in confusion at the name printed in thin, dark ink. She wasn't well learned in reading cursive, but she was able to make out the squiggly text. "Hmm…Mason Rollins." She scratched her chin. "Wait, Rollins is_ my _last name. I've never heard of this guy."_

 _She dug through her memories to place the name. Perhaps an uncle, cousin, or a distant relative. She crossed her upper arms contemplatively with tapping her other hands against the book. That's when it suddenly clicked._

" _Mason Rollins!" She gasped and held the book up to her face. "This belongs to my great-great-great-great-!" She took a second to catch her breath, "-great grandfather!"_

"Wait, hold on a minute!"

 _*Flashback Ends*_

Eddie narrowed his eyes skeptically. "How on earth did you know that at the top of your head?"

Vivi crossed her arms and chuckled. "I hang out in the attic a lot. My parents kept a bunch of family heirlooms and stuff lying around. So, I knew a small bit about our family history."

Eddie leaned back on his hands. "Okay…so, you found a journal that belonged to your many greats grandfather." He held his face tiredly. "I'm still not seeing what this has to do with the military."

Vivi pouted. "Maybe if you stopped talking, I'd get to the juicy stuff!" She inhaled deeply, then sighed. "Anyway, Mason Rollins, from what I understand, was a scientist a few centuries ago. He worked alongside another scientist, who went by the name 'Data.' I can only assume this was a nickname between the two. From the entrees I read, they were working on Fusion biology."

"Fusion biology?" Eddie questioned.

"They did intense studies on how Fusions were created. They might be the first Pokémon to propose the possibility of the Mewgenetic Code. However, because of the time period, I doubt they were able to do research comparable to today's technology." She crossed her arms. "However, they did more than study Fusions. They were also Fusion Rights Activists, as Mason mentioned attending peace rallies and protesting against the harsh treatment brought upon by Fusions."

"So, they helped Fusions?"

She nodded. "Yep. Mason even had entrees about letting Fusions stay in his house for some nights. Data seemed to be a big contribution to his efforts. They were both passionate about saving Fusion lives."

Eddie closed his eyes. "Hmm…glad to see there was some decency in those times."

"Yeah, but…" Eddie looked at her, this time with confusion. She looked down at her lap. "This is where we get into the meat of things. The later journal entrees focus more on Data and his…behavior. Months before Mason's final message, he recorded how Data was bitter throughout the day. The next day, still bitter. Then, throughout the days, he got angry. Really angry. Mason stated he asked Data what's wrong, but he only shoved him out of his personal matters. Nothing in his journal explains why Data started acting angry.

"All he could gather was that it had something to do with the treatment of Fusions. Rather than handle everything rationally like he used to, Data seemed to be acting emotionally. All Data could do was rant on and on about how the Pokémon need to see reason, how they're treatment against the Fusions is unjust. How the Fusions aren't different from Pokémon." Vivi sighed with her eyes closed. "Then, one day, Data finally…snapped."

"Snapped?" Eddie questioned.

"By Mason's own words, Data wasn't acting like himself. He stated he could feel the overwhelming tension coming off his friend, but never figured out why." She opened her eyes and glanced off to the side. "He focused all his attention into studying Fusion genetics, anything he could gather to aid him in his goal for world peace."

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "And this translates to the present because…?"

Vivi stuck a berry onto her stick and waved it over the fire. "Have you ever seen movies where the main character, who's a scientist, becomes obsessed with his research and takes it way beyond what is necessary? Those moments where science goes too far?" She shrugged. "Call the main character 'Data' and you have a general idea of where I'm getting at."

"Kid…" Eddie started cautiously.

"A week after Data snapped, he proposed something to Mason. An idea that could change everything. Something that'll set everything right. Something that'll end the madness." She stared directly at Eddie, who grew uncomfortable with the suspense.

"What if I told you…Data wanted to create a doomsday like weapon?"

* * *

Meanwhile, back in Grandis City, Martin the Beautifly is seen flying around the shop. He flew over some shelves and checked the items on display. He received some nice antiques earlier in the week, so he was hoping they would catch the eye of any customers.

Speaking of customers, the front door opened, indicated by the ringing bell. Martin fluttered up from behind the shelf. He dusted himself off, saying, "Hello, welcome to Father Time's Antiques. How may I help you?"

"Martin, it's me!" an excitable voice announced.

The voice rang with familiarity, leading the butterfly to spin around and identify the customer. He barely recognized the lad, seeing as he last saw him wearing a disguise, but the sword and shield on his back gave him the match he needed. His proboscis flickered with mild delight. "Ren, my boy, I haven't seen you in ages."

Ren smiled happily. "Nice to see you, too, Mr. Martin!"

Martin fluttered over. "Ah, not wearing your disguise this time?"

"Heh, yeah. I figured I would have to come back into the city at some point, even if everyone's…" He gulped nervously, " _opinion_ of me remains fresh."

Martin raised his brow curiously, only until he caught sight out his window. A few Pokémon were at the front window, casting glares at the frog knight. Despite the Fusions gaining a slightly better reputation lately, they were clearly still upset by Ren's destructive attacks several weeks back.

Martin glared at the Pokémon and silently told them to shoo. They rolled their eyes at the butterfly and left them alone. Martin sighed, then fluttered down to Ren's level to give him a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Hey, if it helps, I don't think less of you. No one was seriously injured or killed, so nothing to fret over."

Ren smiled lightly. "Yeah…" He chuckled with an awkward head scratch. "I was pretty upset when we got home, but I'm long over it."

Martin flicked his proboscis as he laughed. "Very good." He flew over to the counter. "Now then, what can I do for you? Here on a mission? Any Rogues I should worry about?"

Ren shook his head. "Nope! Actually, this is for personal reasons." He folded his arms over the counter and grinned. "You see, my parents' wedding anniversary is coming up soon and I wanted to get them gifts. I've never been able to do so, but I really want to this year!" He smiled happily, teetering on his heels. "My parents are the best! They get me amazing gifts for my birthday each year, even doing surprise visits just to spend time with me! I'm just…" He cried joyfully into his arms. "I love them so much! I wanted to repay them for being amazing parents!"

Martin stood on the counter in surprise, then quickly laughed it off. He grabbed a tissue box from under the counter and handed it to Ren. "You are…lucky to have such devoted parents. Many Fusions must be jealous of you."

Ren blew into a tissue, then sniffled. "I never want to brag about it, but…" He cried again, this time into a tissue. "I'm grateful to have them as my parents!"

Martin chuckled. "You're a good son. I can tell." He leaned forward. "Well, why don't you take a look around. If you need help with mailing their gifts, I can help you."

Ren smiled. "Really? Thanks Martin!"

"Anytime." Ren ran off and searched around the store. "Heh…he's a good kid." He floated under the counter to arrange some stuff.

Ren scoured the shelves, peeking through the various antiques in search of the perfect gifts for his parents. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It'd be too easy to get them a mug or picture frame. He wanted to get them something that had meaning put into it. Something of value.

He came across a decorative vase. A detailed, artistic sketch of Moltres illustrated it flying across the vase with flames majestically flying off. "Ooh, Mom might like this." His eyes wandered over to a set of ornate kitchen knives, with complex and stylistic designs in the handle. "Oh, those would be great for the kitchen! Dad said he wanted a new set of knives for cooking!" He tapped his head. "Mental note for that."

He stepped away from the shelves and crossed paths with a bookshelf. Each shelf contained a different book genre with different series titles popping out to him. He hummed curiously, then traced his finger across each section of books.

"Hmm…I wonder if there's a fantasy series Mom hasn't read yet. She does love to read those. I should ask her before I buy any." He continued to trace through the books before stumbling upon the shelf labeled 'History.' His finger traced along them, then stopped on a book that caught his eye. "Huh?" He grabbed the book's spine and pulled it out.

The cover was red with golden text. He held the book up and read the title, 'The Heart of Fusions.' Ren raised a curious brow, unfamiliar with the name. The subtext underneath read 'Historical Recollection of Ivan Faust.' He wasn't familiar with the name, but he felt like he heard it in passing a long time ago.

Martin fluttered back onto the counter and leaned against the register. "Find anything, boy?"

"Err…sort of." He walked over to the counter and handed him the book. "What's this?"

"Hmm, let me see." Martin took the book and gave it a quick look over. His eyes lighted up. "Ah, yes. This is a biography detailing the history of Ivan Faust."

Ren tilted his head. "And that is…?"

Martin chuckled. "I would have expected your village to teach you about him. Faust was a Fusion Rights Activist."

Ren gasped, hands flying up to his cheeks. "Really?!"

"Yes, really. He was well known for his time. I had to take a Fusion Study class back when I was in college, so I knew a bit about him."

"You took a Fusion Study class?"

"I said I tolerated Fusions, boy. I was curious. He lived in a neighborhood with Fusions around his age. He wasn't allowed to be around them, but a child's curiosity cannot be contained." He crossed his arms. "He made a name for himself by helping Fusions when they were in need. Anytime he sees a Pokémon turn them away, he would always find a way around it."

"Wooow," Ren awed with bright eyes.

"Heh, I guess it is interesting stuff. He was well liked among the Fusion community, something you don't hear often from them. The Pokémon, however, didn't approve of it. A lot of the problems you see today were much, much worse in the past. Even with development, Pokémon were still paranoid. So, seeing one of their kind turn their back on them didn't sit well."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "That's not very nice."

"It's the way of the world, kid. I have no control over it." He shrugged. "Still, it was a challenge he couldn't back down from. He helped a lot of Fusions in the eighteenth century. He did everything he could to improve their lives. Charity work, leading protests against the hostility, offered them shelter and food whenever he could…he tried to do as much as one Pokémon could." He crossed his arms. "He had guts, I'll give him that."

"He sounds amazing!" Ren exclaimed joyfully.

"I'm sure he was. He worked to mend the rift between Pokémon and Fusions." Martin rolled his eyes. "As you can see, that hasn't come into fruition yet."

Ren smiled. "Maybe not then, but I have hope for tomorrow!" he cheered with his fist raised. "If not tomorrow, then the next tomorrow! Or the tomorrow after that! And so on!"

Martin chuckled. "You're a bright-eyed optimist, kid." He looked at the book, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…you know what?" He handed it to Ren. "You keep it, free of charge."

Ren's jaw dropped in surprise. "R-R-Really?!"

Martin scoffed. "Heh, in this city, I would have to pay someone to sell that book. Plus…" His proboscis twitched amusingly. "You might like it. His ideals maybe not have seen the light of day just yet, but I feel they just weren't applied strong enough. Someone with a bit more…bursting personality can put them to good use."

Ren forced a squeal back behind his tightly pressed lips, shaped into a large smile. He inhaled deeply, calming his nerves, then exclaimed, "Thank you, Mr. Martin!" He hugged the book. "I can't wait to read it!"

Martin chuckled. "I hope you enjoy. Now…" He narrowed his eyes jokingly. "I believe you were in the middle of something."

Ren blinked, then gasped. "Right! Anniversary presents!" He dashed back to the shelves. Martin shrugged his shoulders and chuckled before fluttering to the other shelves.

* * *

"A doomsday weapon?!" Thankfully, being so far out from civilization, such an exclamation of terror would have caused grand scale panic. Didn't help Eddie's freak out, though.

Vivi was surprisingly calm about mentioning it, though she did have three years to let it sink in. She looked at her berry as Eddie flipped out. "Well, if you want to get technical, not a full-fledged doomsday weapon."

Eddie gripped his head and glared at her. "Of all the things you could have told me, a doomsday weapon is brought into the mix?! Oh Arceus, when you said he snapped, I didn't think he went MENTAL!"

Vivi leaned over the fire and whacked him with her stick. "Eddie! Calm down! No one has a doomsday device!" He sighed in relief. "…for now, at least." His eyes widened. "As you can see, this is why I didn't want to tell you when we met. Making myself look bad going to the military is one thing, but mentioning a potential, worldwide disaster wouldn't fly well with anyone."

"I…I don't understand! Did he seriously consider building something to wipe out all life on the planet?!"

"It's…not what you think." His arms dropped in confusion. "Eddie, this is going to take a bit of explaining, so listen closely. Remember what I mentioned about the Mewgenetic Code and how they did the earliest known research?" He nodded. "That's where the first bit of the puzzle lies. Their research is what sparked the creation of this weapon.

"Data handled the lead research in cracking the secrets to the code. He wanted to make breakthroughs in the work. He wanted to learn if there was a way to activate an inactive Mewgenetic Code." Vivi narrowed her eyes. "Mason recounted how the weapon was constructed, but the science was still being tested. There simply wasn't enough research compiled in to make a working product. They had the shell ready, just not the command input to make it reality."

"And, if it were complete…" Eddie started.

Vivi sighed, then leaned back. "Should that weapon be finish, it will release an energy wave across the surface of the planet. It'll specifically target Mewgenetic Codes that are in an inactive state, meaning all Pokémon on the planet. Once it passes over them, their codes will trigger a forced evolution, turning every Pokémon on the planet into a Fusion."

Eddie's eyes narrowed, finally starting to see the purpose of this supposedly deadly machine. "He created a worldwide, DNA scrambling device…so the discrimination and hate would be forced to stop."

Vivi nodded. "If everyone were the same, there wouldn't be so much hate. No hate because of differences. Everyone would be unique, but the same." She chuckled, scratching her cheek. "Come to think of it, that would be a pretty awesome idea for a movie."

"That's…That's crazy," Eddie murmured. "There's no way that would work. No one should be forced to be something they're not."

Vivi shrugged. "If I had to guess how he would reply…what makes the Fusions different? Did they ask to be like this? Did they ask to be hated?" She grabbed one of their berries and took a bite. "This way, if you can't tell who you're supposed to hate, there's no reason to hate at all."

Eddie pressed his hands against his eyes and groaned. "How could something like that possibly have existed?" He fell back, laying on the ground.

Vivi shook her head. "Well, don't overanalyze the moral issue, because that's not the main concern to be addressed."

Eddie sat back up. "What do you mean?"

"Remember, this was a project Data and Mason both worked on. Because Mason was the most rational of the two, he picked apart two problems with the machine should it be fired."

That same uncomfortable feel of worry began to creep back into Eddie. "W-What?"

Vivi held one hand up. "First consequence: the ending results of the DNA scrambling. It's simply not a natural process in our biology. Pokémon go through evolution on a daily basis, but that's already ingrained into our DNA. This is a forced process regarding separate DNA. When a Pokémon is conceived with an active Mewgenetic Code, they have time for it to develop and safely encrypt itself into our biology for a safe mutation. We would fully adapt to the change. But this isn't just unborn babies were talking about. Children, teenagers, and adults. All normal Pokémon with no special features.

"Should a DNA scrambling wave hit them, it'll trigger a forced evolution that they won't adapt to in time. The only Pokémon who would be safe from the process are unborn Pokémon, depending on how long they've been developing. A forced evolution that doesn't apply to their natural biology results in some nasty side effects."

"Side…effects?" Eddie hesitated.

"Including, but not limited to: unstable mutation, health problems, unpleasant appearance shifting, possible tearing of the skin due to muscle expansion (depending on the right DNA), bodily structure deficiency, weak skeletal structure-"

It amazed and concerned the Hitmonlee Fusion how much this one Fusion knew about a machine from three hundred years ago. It made his eyes twitch just thinking about every possible danger that could arise from such a horrid device.

"-possible biological incompatibility, and, let's not forget this classic side effect, possible chance of death." She shrugged. "Not an exact science, since there's a rough chance someone won't suffer side effects. Frankly, that's a pretty low chance, but trying to stay optimistic."

Eddie dragged his hand down his face, utterly horrified by the doomsday device. "Science…is a scary thing. I can't believe he would make something with such high risks." He narrowed his eyes. "Wait…you said there were two problems. What's the second?"

Vivi raised a brow. "Let me ask you something. This device intends to spread a DNA scrambling wave across the planet's surface, specifically to target every, single Pokémon, unborn or not, into a Fusion. Do you know how much power that would require?"

Eddie scratched his head. "Um…probably a lot? I can't imagine anyone syphoning that much power without getting caught."

"Unless you used an energy source that won't be traced and will guarantee sufficient outcomes." She glared. "The planet's core."

As if NOTHING from this conversation could get crazier, she drops that little bombshell onto him. "…P-Please tell me y-y-y-you're j-j-joking," Eddie pleaded.

Vivi shook her head. "I wish I was, Ed, I wish I was." She glared. "He intended to use the planet's core as a battery for his machine."

"But…that's insane!" Eddie shouted. "Doesn't he realize what will happen to our planet without its core?! We need that thing so SPACE doesn't kill us!"

Vivi shrugged. "He didn't seem concerned about it, according to Mason. Data must have had a plan for that." She rubbed her chin. "Or maybe he didn't consider it because he could survive in such conditions. Either way, the planet suffering didn't seem to matter. Heck, you could argue having the planet suffer would force everyone to cooperate."

Eddie glared. "Are you actually giving him POINTERS?!"

"I'm simply rationalizing an irrational plan." She sighed. "Guess even the good guys can go too far."

Eddie stood up from his seat and marched around the campfire. "This can't be real, this can't be real…" He gripped his head. "S-So, are you telling me the military is involved in this somehow?"

Vivi bit her lip. "Um…yes and no."

Eddie deadpanned. "I need a straight answer."

"That's about as straight as it'll get, because the situation is rather complicated." She shook her head. "Ed, I'll be honest with you, this whole thing is messed up. Everything's…just crazy. Thankfully, no one knows about the doomsday device. There are rational soldiers in the military and they wouldn't let a device like that stay secret forever. However, with Mason's last entry, it does show troubling signs."

"What do you mean?"

Vivi cleared her throat, then recited, " _Data has gone too far this time! The foreseen consequences of this device could mean disaster for Pokémon and Fusions! I can't let him fire it. But he'll never listen to reason. I...I need to destroy that device. It must be destroyed. Even if it costs me my life!"_ She narrowed her eyes sadly. "His…body was recovered after a fire in the local lab."

Eddie reflected sadness to his companion. "Oh…Vivi, I'm sorry."

She waved it off. "Nothing personal."

"So…what's the problem? If no one knows it existed, why is it a big deal?"

"Eddie, really think about what you just said. No one knows it existed, yet Mason and Data completed the structure." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you see? It was moved from the lab. It's still out there, waiting to be found."

Eddie's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

"That's not the worst of it. Entire files on the plan were uprooted and missing, not even the remains of ashes. And even stranger…Data's body was never found in the fire. He disappeared along with his research."

Eddie clutched his chest. He was moments away from having a panic attack. "Oookay, you're starting to freak me out…"

"I don't know what else to say. It may seem impossible, but there is a chance Data planned for this should his research risk exposure. I'm not sure what happened or what's going on, but there's a massive conspiracy going on. A web of connections we the public don't know about."

"I can't believe this…" Eddie muttered.

Vivi narrowed her eyes. "There's more. Since Data's research was never recovered, I can only suspect he put it into hiding or someone else has been keeping an eye on it. It makes the most rational sense. If Data is as brilliant as he says he is, he might find a way to complete his work, even if it means cheating death."

Eddie inhaled deeply, collecting his shattered nerves, then sighed heavily. "O-Okay. Let's…assume for a moment there's an…unknown conspiracy flying over our heads, that everything connected to this Data's research is built on secrecy and connections. Where are you going with this?"

Vivi smiled. "My first real clue: Bartleby!"

Now Eddie went from barely in the loop to completely thrown off. This Fusion needed to learn to give clear answers. "Who's…Bartleby?"

Vivi giggled. "An assistant to Data and Mason. He's the reason I suspect Data might be alive." Eddie raised his brow curiously. "According to Mason's journal, Bartleby worked closely with the two and knew all their secrets. Days before the incident, Mason recounted how Data was acting secretive and chose to speak with Bartleby in private. He was never found, either. And, get this, Mason said Bartleby was the perfect subject to study for their research. Bartleby's a Fusion!"

Eddie nodded slowly. "Okay…where are you going with this?"

"Oh, uh…" Vivi knocked on her head. "Something, something…AH! When I was searching around Kanto, I found a news article that spoke of a recent discovery here in Sinnoh! A petrified Fusion buried deep underground!" She clapped her hands together. "I suspect Bartleby was placed into some sort of hibernation state for the safety of Data's research. The researchers who found him assume he's been buried under there for three hundred years! The clues line up!"

Eddie's eyes twitched uncomfortably. "So…all of this…for a vague clue? A hunch?" She nodded. Eddie threw his hands up angrily. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

Vivi pouted. "Look, I had no choice! There's a doomsday weapon hidden somewhere in the world and I wasn't passing up this chance! If anyone fires that thing off, especially if Data truly is alive, it could spell disaster for everyone! We can't take the risk of letting this all slide!"

Eddie clutched his head. "This is all too crazy for my taste!"

Vivi frowned. "…this is why I didn't want to tell anyone. I had a hard time accepting it, too. How do you think I feel? The worst part is, this isn't some crazy supervillain trying to destroy the world. Just someone who wanted to take the absolute extreme to end the suffering, even if it meant some casualties down the line. If Data is willing to break the very laws of science and nature just to mend a thousand-year-old rift, he'll continue to fight for that cause."

Eddie relaxed himself, then sighed. "I…I'm sorry, Vivi. It's just been a long day."

"I know how you feel." She pulled the laptop out of her winged cloak. "I understand if you don't want to help me. I just need to find Bartleby and he can help me find the weapon. I'll make sure every last scrap of its existence is destroyed…" She looked down. "Then I'll own up to my actions and turn myself into the Fusion Hunters."

Eddie narrowed his eyes at her sad form. She's just a kid. She shouldn't have to be responsible for such a dangerously absurd task. She never had a proper childhood, now she's owning up for it by finding a weapon that needs to be dealt with. He couldn't imagine how much she had to go through to get this far. The worry, paranoia, threat of failure, grief…emotions a child shouldn't have to bear.

Eddie took a deep breath, then sighed. "Well…" Vivi looked his way. He shook his head, then raised his brow jokingly. "Let's hope we'll be cellmates."

Vivi took a moment to register his statement, before breaking out into a large smile. "You mean it? You'll help me?!"

"It's crazy, over-the-top, absurd, and just unbelievable. But…I'm not letting you support the weight of the world on your shoulders. You're going to need the help you can get."

Vivi's eyes watered happily as she held her hands together. "You're the kindest person ever!"

He waved it off. "Yeah, yeah." He narrowed his eyes. "Let's focus on getting that laptop up and running, then we'll search for that military base holding Bartleby."

Vivi nodded. "Right!" She held her fist out. "Go team?"

Eddie stared at the fist, then chuckled dryly. "What the hell…" He fist bumped her. "Go team."

Vivi giggled. "We'll work on it." She held her hand up and yawned into it. "For now, we should probably get some sleep."

Eddie felt a yawn come up as well. "Agreed…" He lay down on the ground and folded his arms behind his head. The next part of his life was going to be unforgettable. Whether for better or for worst, at least he'll have a chance to do something great in his life. "Goodnight, Vivi."

"Goodnight, Eddie."


	17. Fusion Guards and Thieves

Spaz only woke up this morning expecting to carry on with his day, goofing off and having fun with his friends. Get his training done, avoid the inevitable wrath of Peregrine at all costs, and all that good stuff. Nothing too complicated, just a relaxing, fun day.

So, wouldn't it be just irritating if a certain teacher convinced him to come to class and make him do a tedious task that he absolutely disliked: standing still? Well, that's how he was feeling, because that's exactly what happened.

Spaz jittered in place as he stood in front of the class of smiling, adorable Fusions while their teacher gave a lecture about appearance changes for Fusions. The Pikachu-Celebi tried to keep himself still, but he couldn't stop his foot from tapping. He couldn't help it, he was a force that couldn't be contained or suppressed. Running around is his thing!

Dakota traced a pointer around the jittering Fusion as she went on with her lecture. "As you can see, a common trait experienced by Fusions is the change in the Pokémon's normal color palette. While Spaz retains the color in his electric sacs, known as his cheeks, his fur color resembles a similar shade of Celebi. These are basic changes, though. Spaz, will you turn around and show off your main feature?"

The time mouse rolled his eyes and turned around. His fairy wings buzzed to the class, which made the class giggle in response. "They're so cute!" Poppy squealed.

"They look funny!" Caleb laughed.

Dakota chuckled. "Yes, well, these are key features most would typically see on a Fusion. These are biological changes and can be much harder to conceal depending on the appendage. These changes are, of course, various depending on the outcome of the Mewgenetic Code, whether it be blobby neck scruff, bat wings, extra tails, a water bubble on your head, or adorable fairy wings," she lightly teased. The class giggled and flailed their feet against their chairs.

Spaz deadpanned at her. "Do you love mocking me?"

Dakota smirked jokingly. "Oh honey, I mock everyone, don't feel discouraged."

"How did you drag me into this?"

"Well, I _am_ very persuasive," she boasted.

Spaz rolled his eyes. "No, I was being literal. You _literally_ dragged me here. By the ear. You have a strong grip, you know that?" Dakota chuckled. He sighed. "Well, so long as I'm helping the kids, I'll stay for as long as I can."

Just as he said that, the class door flew open. Codex floated into the room. "Greetings, children. Sorry for the interruption." He floated over to Dakota and Spaz. "Pardon my intrusion, but I must acquire Spaz for the rest of the afternoon. You see, the Fusion Council-"

"Arceus-has-answered-my-pleas!" Spaz shouted before speeding across the room. He stopped by Willy and patted the rainbow dragon's head. "Bye, Willy! Remember-to-behave-for-Dakota-and-focus-on-class!" He sped out of the room in a green blur.

Dakota blinked, with the left side of her fur messed up from the sudden takeoff. She groaned. "Thank you…for your time, Spaz." The children chorused with laughter as the Sandshrew-Glaceon matted down her fur while Codex flew out of the class.

* * *

Once Spaz and Codex, along with Crawford who was already present, arrived in the council hut, the Fusion Council gave them their assignment. Personally speaking, the mission took them by surprise.

"Mr. Roteman wants us to guard his building?" Crawford questioned.

Liam nodded. "That was his request."

Spaz tilted his head, confused. "How come? Is something wrong?"

"Nothing drastic like tearing up the streets," Lewis assured. "However, Julian called us about some recent break-ins he's been noticing. Specifically, at his local labs around the city and the homes of any of his scientists."

Codex's eyes lit up with numbers. "The criminals appear to be targeting Profectus Inc., likely to do with their vast influence in the technological field. What were the specific items purloined from the crime scenes?"

Gracelyn folded her arms over the table. "He didn't disclose that information to us. He likely wants to go over it with you three."

"But…why us, specifically?" Spaz questioned.

Cade smiled. "Oh, don't sell yourselves short! We actually recommended you three." He pointed between the three. "Spaz could clear the floors in a heartbeat, Codex could keep track of surveillance, and Crawford…Crawford, you would be the muscle of the group."

Crawford smirked and punched his pincers together. "Excellent!"

"Julian's counting on you three to catch the thieves," Abraham said. "They're elusive. They haven't been able to identify them. Make sure you do exactly what Julian requests and don't let any thieves get into his building."

Spaz saluted. "You-can-count-on-us, sir!"

"Get going, you three!" Peregrine shouted. They got out of their seats. "I said HUSSLE!" They jumped and ran out of the hut.

* * *

Lounging out in the city, idling around on the rooftops, were a familiar pair of thieves, Zoey and Sunny. It has been a long day for them and they were taking a much deserved break. Before they went up to the rooftops for some rest, they robbed a local fast food joint. A simple task when all Zoey had to do was flirt with the cashier while Sunny slipped through the back.

The Audino-Klefki lifted a fry and bit half of it off, enjoying the nice crunch she wanted out of her fries. As she ate, she inspected the files they had scattered out in front of them. The task was to find a weapon or device intended to make their presence more threatening to the Pokémon and Gappei Village. A simple task for them, but also a tedious one.

Fact is, Profectus Inc. didn't have anything new or exciting in the labs they raided. Despite being sophisticated equipment, it was nothing more than household appliances and new security systems to ensure safety. Not exactly the hostile weaponry they were aiming for.

Zoey rolled her eyes after reviewing the last files. "Annnd, this is just a toaster oven." She threw the file over to Sunny. The fairy occupied her time by tearing up the files and throwing the shreds of paper over her head, giggling like a child.

"Confetti! Woo!" She scooped up an armful of paper and threw it over her head again, laughing aloud. "Come on, Zoe! This is fun!"

"Maybe later, Sun." She leaned over the wall, picked up her soda, and sipped on the straw. Her eyes scanned around the copious buildings before focusing on the one building they haven't hit yet: Profectus Inc.'s main HQ. A devious smile curled up at the corners of her mouth. "Hmm…you ready for another raid, Sunny?"

"Almost! Just as soon as I finish my burger!" She lifted the burger, which was small relative to her size, and took a bite. She munched on the punch of berry flavor that swam through her mouth, before swallowing. "What's next?"

"The only other building we haven't turn over, yet." She smirked over her shoulder. "I think it's time for some _real_ fun. Hehehe…"

* * *

Spaz, Crawford, and Codex made their way through the city. This isn't the first time since they've been out of the village. Spaz regularly scouts the city for Fusions to join the village and Crawford used to live out here before Spaz found him. They've handled a couple missions before, but they were just package moving and tracking a thief who robbed a Pokémon. Not a Rogue, surprisingly. Goes to show that Pokémon can be petty thieves, too.

The three came up on the Profectus Inc. building, where they saw the fancily dress Machamp awaiting them. He smiled at their presence and bowed to them. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Spaz smiled. "No trouble, Mr. Roteman! Always happy to help!"

Codex floated forward. "Our superiors notified us that you were dealing with troubling thieves as of late."

Julian sighed. "It's true. They've managed to break into all my local and private labs in the area. I have many labs scattered across the regions, but the local ones are where I do personal tests myself." He turned around and observed the building. "This is the only Profectus Inc. branch they haven't touched yet, which means it's their next target. I had the police informed about this, but I felt the building could use some special protection. That's where you three come in."

Spaz folded his arms and grinned. "So, you want us to guard the place? Ha! Piece of cake!" He held his hips with a confident smirk. "I can catch any thief who dares cross me!"

Codex closed his eyes and smiled. "My advanced intellect and wealth of knowledge will prove resourceful. I'll have the whole building monitored and keep all unauthorized personnel out."

"Yeah!" Crawford agreed before punching his pincers together. "And I'll give them a good sock in the face!" He waved his pincers around and punched the air, hopping between his legs. "Pray to Arceus they're worthy fighter, because I'll show them a mean right hook they'll never forget!"

Julian rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Thank you, boys." He let them into the building. He handed out maps to the three. "These are the floor plans for the building. They should help you with covering ground."

Spaz's eyes quickly scanned through the maps, studying and retaining the floors and rooms at a speedy rate. He saluted. "Gotcha, sir!"

"And be careful. These thieves are considerably crafty and elusive. I advise keeping on your toes. Should you run into them, inform me immediately. Make sure they don't escape."

Spaz chuckled. "I think we can handle a couple of thieves." He flashed the peace sign, then sped off. He zipped through the numerous hallways before disappearing from sight.

Crawford studied the map, with notable disinterest, then he raised his brow as he observed some of the rooms. He rolled up the maps and scuttled off. "I think I'll start my search in the breakroom. See ye later, boss!" He disappeared around the corner.

Julian slid his lower hands into his pockets and sighed. "Right…" He headed down the hall, towards the elevator.

Codex followed closely behind while scanning the maps in a blue light. Once all the maps were processed and stored in his databanks, he disposed of the maps into a trash can. He folded his arms behind his back and looked at the businessman with curiosity. "Mr. Roteman, if I may be so bold, could you fill me in on the detail regarding these recent larcenies?"

Julian pressed the button, waiting but a moment for the doors to slide open. "I suppose it is only fair." They both got in and the Machamp pressed the top floor button. As the doors closed, he explained, "Profectus Inc. is a big company. I assume you know this."

Codex's eyes lit up with numbers. "Inventor of advanced Fusion Containment Equipment and a major influence in increasing efficiency of region authorities across the world. Your technological advancements are revolutionary to today's day and age. I have records of your growth in wealth in my database."

Julian chuckled awkwardly. "Of course you do, but that's beside the point." He glared ahead. "When I learned about the break-ins, I assumed someone was trying to steal the lab equipment or perhaps prototype weapons. That's what the scientists and I thought, except none of our technology was touched. Just the cabinets."

Codex processed numbers in his mind. "Assumption: your labs were ransacked for important files. Files that house the blueprints to your equipment."

"On the nose," Julian mumbled. He pinched between his eyes. "A real mess, it was. Thankfully, all the files were accounted for and all that was stolen wasn't of much importance. Nothing more than blueprints for appliances."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "So, these thieves desire something more."

"From the looks of it." They reached the top floor and stepped out. They headed for his office. "The reason I'm fidgeting now is because my building does keep some of the more important files on hand, so they would close by to me. With everything going on, I had to seek help from the village." They entered his office, where Brea was floating by his desk.

She pushed her glasses up, then floated over with a clipboard in hand. "Mr. Roteman, Dr. Gates will be here shortly."

Julian nodded. "Thank you, Brea."

Codex glanced at Julian. "Important visitor?"

The Machamp waved it off. "Nothing of concern, I assure you. With the thefts, I want to make sure the files are taken away until we have this whole mess cleared up. We can't let any important data fall into the wrong hands."

Codex's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Important data…" He smiled. "Do not worry, sir. These thieves will not escape my optic vision. Their chances of success with us around is substantially low."

"Then please, make haste in the search." Codex nodded, then flew out of the office. Julian headed to his desk and sat down. Just as the doors began to close, they reopened for a new face: a Cacturne wearing a lab coat. Julian looked up from his computer and smiled. "Ah, Dr. Gates." Julian stood up and extended his hand out. "Thank you for stopping by."

Gates reached out and shook it. "Any time, Mr. Roteman. I came as soon as I could. Are the files still safe?"

He nodded. "Locked away in the basement. They're being safeguarded, but I can't take any chances."

Gates folded his arms. "That's right, some of the prototype weapons you've been working on are still down there, right?"

"Yes, that's right. They're incomplete, but one can't be too careful." He handed the Cacturne a set of keys. "The files in cabinet 5-A are of top priority. Make sure those are out of here."

Gates took the keys and nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll have them moved out." The Cacturne exited the office, sliding the keys into his pocket.

Julian sighed, then leaned back in his seat. "Brea, can you get me my coffee?"

She nodded, then focused her Psychic on the coffeepot sitting to the side. She levitated it over, along with the businessman's mug. "So, you mentioned something about prototype weapons." She poured the coffee and floated it over to him. "New weapons for the police?"

Julian grabbed the mug and blew on it. "Not quite. Some of the important files were just the blueprints for the Fusion Containment Equipment. I keep those around to make possible adjustments." He swirled his coffee around. "Fusions are getting stronger day by day. Deactivating their abilities is one thing, but their actual strength is a glaring issue." He took a small sip from his mug.

Brea set the coffeepot down. "And those actual weapons?"

"More long range based, meant for warfare."

Brea raised a brow. "I thought you said you didn't supply equipment to the Fusion Hunters."

"I didn't say Fusion Hunters, Brea. They're agents for hire. And these prototypes aren't specifically meant for just Fusions." He stood up and set his mug down. "A lot of infighting between the species starts unnecessary wars. While we've avoid those sorts of conflicts, we just can't handle another war."

Brea's eyes widened slightly, then she looked away. "Oh…right."

"It's…a necessary precaution, sadly. Pokémon, Fusion…either one could cause harm and I'm only doing what's necessary to keep that hatred from escalating." He walked up to his window and pressed his hand against it, looking down upon the city below. "I'm doing everything I can to prevent it."

"I'd imagine. You went through hell when you were a kid. It amazes me you're still standing after so long."

Julian sighed and narrowed his eyes solemnly. "I built Profectus Inc. from the ground up. I studied hard in school, learned all I could about mechanics and engineering, and used my money wisely. All of this…was made by hard work." He closed his eyes. "I build weapons to save lives, even if those weapons discriminate against a certain species. I don't do this because I'm a bad guy, but the road to peace isn't always paved with good intentions." He folded his arms behind his back. "I'm doing all I can to mend this rift."

Brea poured herself a cup of coffee. "We know, sir. Despite the initial outrage, I say you're doing a fair job. The rest of the world may think you're a massive idiot-"

Julian rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Brea…"

"-but the folks in Grandis City are starting to believe this will all work out." She sipped the coffee. "We need to keep our heads on straight and avoid any bumps down the road."

Julian sighed. "You're right, Brea, you're right. The Pokémon here do appreciate the help I've brought." He glared. "I just wish Liam would do the say."

"You two still feuding?"

He shook his head. "Not as bad from the start. I know he secretly appreciates what I've done, even though he won't admit it to me," he mumbled to himself.

Brea narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "…you two…have history together."

Julian turned away. "What makes you say that?"

"Call it a hunch, but it's the way you both act. I've worked with you for a long time. I still remember when Liam marched into the office and demanded to speak with you." She raised a brow. "It was that look in your eye when you saw him. You were seeing a figure from a past you long forgotten."

Julian glared softly, then exhaled tiredly. "Y-Yes, I…suppose we knew each other before discussing Gappei Village. So?"

Brea sipped her coffee. "I don't mean to pry…" She rolled her eyes. "Actually, I do, but I can still remember your conversations. Liam seemed…bitter to see you. You were…indifferent, at first. A passive aggressive aura between you two. I could feel some heated tension building up."

Julian pinched between his eyes. "Brea…"

"Come on, don't hold out on me. I want to know the juicy details." She floated in front of him. "How did you two know each other? Casual meeting? Fateful encounter? You're actually brothers separated from birth?"

Julian raised his brow. "You read too many fantasy novels." He turned to his desk. "It's nothing important. We knew each other and…well, there's just been a lingering tension. Nothing else to say."

Brea narrowed her eyes, unconvinced. "Riiiight…"

Julian glared. "I'm serious, Brea." He groaned. "Look, it's been a long day and this thief business is driving me nuts. I just want to sit down and get through my work."

Brea deepened her narrow-eyed glare, then sighed heavily. "Of course, sir." She flew out of the office, leaving the Machamp to his thoughts, standing in the middle of the room.

* * *

Outside the Profectus Inc. HQ, Zoey sat on a bench with a newspaper held up to cover herself. She peeked out every so often, waiting for her partner in crime to turn up. She made sure to keep a low profile with passing Pokémon. Though, after waiting, she found herself drawn into the provided crossword puzzle. She snagged a pencil from a passing Pokémon and worked on it for the half an hour.

She wasn't aware of the passage of time before Sunny came flying back. "Oh Zoey~!" she sang aloud.

Zoey pulled the newspaper down and shushed her. "Sunny!" she whispered. "Indoor voice!"

"Oops!" she expressed, quieter this time. "Sorry!"

Zoey sighed, then scratched her head. "What took you?"

"Um…guards. Lots of police. Took me a while to survey the entrance points without getting caught?"

"And?"

"The whole building's being monitored. We can't get in with badges." She tapped her chin. "How long do those take to make?"

Zoey narrowed her eyes. "No possible entrance?"

"Well, I didn't say that." She flew closer and whispered, "There is a backdoor. It's being monitored, but not as many guards. There's also a surveillance camera to watch out for."

"Huh, that's all?" Zoey smirked and balled up her newspaper. "Oh, this'll be easy."

The two snuck around from the side of the building, out of view with the cameras. They leaned near the corner and peeked around, spotting a couple officers pacing around. They appeared alert and ready for surprise attacks. Hanging over the back entrance was a dome shaped camera, surveying the area.

Zoey pulled back and pressed her back against the wall. "Alright Sunny, do you have a plan for the guards?"

Sunny scratched her cheek, then smiled. "Nope! But I can take care of the camera if you want!"

Zoey blinked, then shrugged. "Fair enough." She peeked around the corner again, then unclipped one of the keys in her ear. It was black with two arrows revolving around the head. She aimed it at the air, then reached out to Sunny. "Pollen Puff," she requested.

The Ribombee-Cottonee patted her hands together and rolled up two Pollen Puffs. She handed them to her.

"Good, now get into position with the camera. When I give the go, disrupt the camera." Sunny nodded and flew over to it.

Zoey peeked around one more time, making her the guards looked just about out of view with the camera. She thrusted the key and twisted. "Switcheroo." A dark, swirling vortex opened up. She presented the Pollen Puff, which was sucked in.

With the guards, they kept to themselves until the Hawlucha officer felt a suction force at his waist. He looked down and saw his stun baton was replaced with a Pollen Puff. "What the-?!" The puff lit up and exploded, knocking him out cold.

The Pa'u Oricorio turned around in shock. "What was that-?!" Without even realizing, her own stun baton was switched out and she got a face full of Pollen Puff, knocking her across the pavement.

As this happened, Sunny had her hands pressed against the camera and used her Giga Drain to disrupt the feed, cutting out the explosion entirely. She turned to Zoey and waved to her cheerfully.

Zoey strutted over confidently and faced the locked door. She frowned in disappointment, seeing the electronic lock. She groaned. "Dear me, whatever happened to good ol' fashion key holes?" She placed her hand over the locking mechanism and absorbed the metal ions in it, then clenched her fingers to break it off. She opened the door. "Come on, Sunny." The Ribombee Fusion flew off the camera, restoring its view, and flew in with her.

The two kept their backs to the wall and watched out for any cameras in sight. They shuffled against the wall, while Zoey kept an ear out for any guards walking by.

She turned to Sunny and whispered, "Now remember, we need to be extra careful. This building's a lot bigger than the labs." She rubbed her hands together. "It's our last chance to find some juicy blueprints. It'll be a piece of cake."

Sunny smiled and dozed off, licking her lips. "Mmm…cake…"

Zoey deadpanned. "Not literal cake, Sun." She looked over her head and found a directory of the building. "Ah, here we go." She traced her finger along it. "So, we're on the first floor. Anything of interest up here…"

Sunny snapped out of her daydreams upon hearing whooshing sounds. They sound like they were coming around the corner at high speeds. She squeaked. "Zoey, I think someone's coming!" Zoey narrowed her eyes, then unclipped a golden key on her ear.

Just around the corner, Spaz was performing a search of the rooms, checking all the employees to make sure they had badges. He sped around the corner and checked the hallway.

No one was there.

He scratched his head in confusion. "Thought I heard someone." He sped down and checked through the rooms in the hall, before stopping in the middle of the hallway, tapping his foot quickly. He shrugged. "Must have been another worker." He sped off, continuing his monitoring on the second floor.

Once he was gone, a space in the air opened up, pouring out golden light. Zoey and Sunny stepped out. Zoey inserted her key into the portal and twisted it, sealing the passageway shut. They saw the whole thing while hidden.

Sunny covered her mouth, suppressing her giggles. "That was a funny looking Pikachu. Did he get drenched in paint?"

Zoey attached her key and sighed. "Sunny…that was another Fusion."

"Oh. You sure?"

"Saw the wings on his back. Plus, Pikachu don't typically move that fast."

"I see." Sunny tapped her chin. "Why is he running around the building?" She gasped in realization. "Oh my gosh! Maybe he's another thief trying to outdo us!"

Zoey shook her head. "No, that's not it. Remember what Eli told us? That Fusion village is just outside the city. The Fusions there do community service or something for the city." She glared. "I suspect Roteman is stepping up security after our ransacking."

"So, the Pikachu is our enemy?" When Zoey nodded, Sunny whimpered sadly. "Aww, but I wanted a new friend!"

Zoey patted the cotton fairy's head. "Oh, it's okay, sweetie. Tell you what, once we're done, let's rob an ice cream shop later."

Sunny's eyes shimmered while her lips curled up happily. "Yay!"

"That's the spirit." Zoey checked the directory. "Hmm…how about we check the basement out? Good place to start, I suppose." They nodded at each other, then snuck their way through the first floor.

* * *

Crawford scuttled out of the breakroom after an intense inspection of the fridge, vending machine, and Ping-Pong table, while also playing a few games against the wall. He held a beer can in his pincer.

He sipped on the beverage and sighed. "Argh, this is stupid. I came here for a fight! Where are those darn thieves?!"

"Patience, Crawford." The boxing crustacean jumped in surprise, then looked around for the source of the disembodied voice.

"Cody, is that ye?!" he called out to his digital hut mate. "What trickery is this?!"

"It is no trick, my friend. I simply hooked myself up to the buildings security system." Crawford took a glance at the cameras and saw one staring at him. "I've significantly increased our odds of locating the thieves. I've calculated an eighty-five percent chance of success in our favor."

Crawford narrowed his eyes. "Ye're a weird guy, Cody." He sipped his beer. "Where's Spazzy at?"

The time mouse sped around the corner and stopped beside him. "Right here!" He bent over and held his knees. "Phew, I need a break."

Crawford pointed over his shoulder. "There's a breakroom full of snacks and water. Help yerself."

Spaz blinked at the crustacean, then glared. "Have you been in the breakroom this whole time?"

"I wanted to be thorough in me inspection," he explained. "We don't know who we're dealing with. These crooked crooks could be really small. Or ghosts. Or small ghosts."

"I've been running around the building inspecting all the employees!" Spaz shouted. "I'm-trying-to-stay-on-task-here!"

"Pardon my intrusion, Spaz," Codex butted in, "but I observed you wrapping toilet paper in a couple offices not too long ago."

Spaz stared at the camera with wide eyes, then looked away with an embarrassed expression. "Uh, well…I-was-just-doing-some…" He sighed. "I got bored, okay?"

Crawford laughed. "Couldn't help yerself, lad!"

Spaz glared again. "At least I'm doing work!"

"What do ye expect me to do? Ye have stupidly fast speed and Cody here is one with the internet or something! I'm not bringing much to the table except me fists!" He guzzled down the beer. "Trust me, if we find any thieves, ye'll be thanking me for teaching them a lesson!"

Spaz face-palmed. "Ugh…whatever." Spaz looked at the cameras. "Codex, how are we looking on sercurity?"

"All seems to be in order…hmm, except…"

The time mouse raised his brow curiously. "What?"

"I checked all the electronic locks on the building and one of them seems to be inactive. Most peculiar."

Spaz narrowed his eyes, then sped down to the first floor. He checked every entrance present before stopping in front of the backdoor. He pushed on it and was surprised to see it swung open with ease. He walked outside and discovered the electronic lock was broken, dismantled into pieces.

"Oh no…" He closed the door and said, "Codex, we have a small problem. Someone broke the lock on the backdoor."

"Hmm…I'm reviewing the footage from the camera. It seemed to have picked up minor interference before I hooked myself in. Something disrupted the video feed."

Spaz held up a piece of the lock. He surprisingly snapped the metal in half, despite being a lock designed to withstand strong blows. "They did a real number on this lock. It's brittle."

"Hold it up." Spaz held it up in the camera's view. Codex analyzed the metal piece and ran mental tests on the durability. "Fascinating. It appears that the metallic composition of the lock was absorbed to reduce the durability. Not many Pokémon had such a unique talent."

"Well, who could have done this?" Spaz asked.

"I am calculating possible suspects right now. The most likely suspect appears to be a Klefki. They have the ability to absorb the metal ions with objects, typically to form new keys. The level of finesse used on the lock indicates a stronger variation of the ability."

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Definitely a Fusion we're dealing with."

Crawford finally caught up with the time mouse, scuttling as fast as his legs could carry him. "Argh!" He panted lightly. "Stairs…the enemy of the Corphish…" He glared up at the ceiling. "Where's all that fancy math ye were bragging about, Cody?!"

"My apologies," Codex said candidly. "It seems in the window of time I was uploading myself, they snuck through. I will have to recalculate for this minor error. For now, I shall lock down the building to prevent further troubles."

Spaz and Crawford flinched as the building sounded with the united sound of locks activating. Crawford crossed his arms. "Well, since this is the only exit without a working lock, I'll stand guard." He smirked. "I'll definitely get some action out of this."

Spaz nodded. "I'll do another sweep of the building." He looked at the camera. "Alert Julian that the thieves are here. Don't let them slip by us again."

"The margin for error has been greatly reduced. As the expression goes, 'the cards are stack against them.'" Spaz nodded at the camera, then sped off for another sweep search of the building.

* * *

The chorus of locks shutting the building down didn't go unheard by Dr. Gates. He knew such a move meant he had to hurry. He picked through the filing cabinet and pulled out every file that could pose a threat in the wrong hands. Experimental weapons, prints to containment equipment, and unfinished blueprints that could be filled out by a competent enough mind.

Once he had them all in order, he slammed the filing cabinet shut and sighed. "Thank the heavens, I have them all." The Cacturne looked around nervously before making his way to the door. "All I need to do is sneak back up and hope I don't run into those…" He opened the door, then his face paled. "…thieves."

Zoey stood in front of the doorway with Sunny standing on her shoulder. The adorable Ribombee Fusion waved happily at the Cacturne. "Hello!"

Gates stumbled back into the filing cabinets, holding onto the files close to his chest. "Fusions! Thieves! You're the thieves!"

Zoey held her hip and smirked. "Wooow, that PhD was well earned, doc." She glared. "Now, be a good Cacturne and hand over those manila folders in your arms."

Gates stuffed them in his internal lab coat pocket, then pushed his sleeves up. "I cannot allow you crooks to get away with our hard-earned research."

Sunny tilted her head. "Oh, so you can fight?"

Gates laughed and held his fists up. "I'll have you know, I was the champion fighter back in my home town! I can take on a charging Bouffalant and pin them down!" While putting on a brave face, he hid the panicked, nervously sweating expression behind it. _I hope they don't call my bluff! I can barely run on a treadmill!_

Zoey and Sunny weren't particularly worried, whether he was telling the truth or not. Zoey shrugged with a relaxed smirk. "If you say so." She snapped her fingers. "Sunny, go play with him."

"YAY!" Sunny cheered. She flew towards Gates with a beaming smile.

Gates reacted and crossed his arms. "Pin Missile!" He fired arrows of light straight at the cotton fairy.

Sunny flew around the Pin Missile skillfully, then got right in the Cacturne's face. She giggled cutely. "Nighty-Night!" She pulled out a Pollen Puff and slammed it in his face, exploding. Cacturne smashed into the filing cabinets, then slid to the ground unconscious. "Yay! I win!"

Zoey crossed her arms and walked over. "You deserved that ice cream, Sun." She reached into the scientist's lab coat and pulled out a bunch of files. "Ooh boy, he was desperate to get this out of here. I think we've hit the jackpot." She threw them of a table, then quickly skimmed through each of its contents.

Sunny poked Gates in the forehead. She giggled. "He looks funny asleep."

"Sunny, don't poke the unconscious cactus."

"Sorry~!" She opened the Cacturne's lab coat, then found a file Zoey missed when she grabbed the others. "Ooh, I found another file!" She pulled it out.

"That's nice, Sunny." Zoey read through each of the blueprints, then groaned. "Ugh, nothing good. Fusion Containment Equipment isn't particularly useful. Heck, I poached a stun baton off an officer, so they're not hard to get. And some of these prototypes show promise, but they're not complete."

Sunny fluttered over and sat on her head. "So…nothing good?"

"Nothing I can think of. UGH!" Zoey leaned back and rubbed her eyes. "What a waste…"

"Guess again!" Sunny exclaimed. "Look at what I found!" She handed the file down to her best friend.

Zoey snatched it, took a second to examine the front, then her eyes widened with intrigue at the big, bold, red letters stamped on the manila folder: Classified. Zoey's devious mind turned gears as she chuckled with delight.

"Oh Sunny, you're getting a sundae with whatever you want on it."

The cotton fairy threw her arms up in celebration. "Best. Day. EVER!"

Zoey prepared to unveil the documents hidden inside the folder, when her sensitive ears picked up on the familiar patter of speedy feet. The key wielder and cotton fairy looked at each other with wide eyes. Someone was in the basement, and they had an unfortunate idea who it was.

Sunny squeaked with panic. "Zoey, we need to hide! Quick, we need to bury the evidence!"

"Sunny, we're not burying anything!" She reached for her ear and attempted to unclip the golden key, but she was shaking so much that it kept flying out of her grasp. "I'm not putting up with this crap now!"

* * *

Spaz zipped around in the basement, scouring the floor meticulously. He scratched his head curiously, then his ears perked up upon hearing the hasty cries of two girls. He narrowed his eyes and spotted the door the voices emanated from. He marched over, raised his foot, and kicked the door wide open.

"AHA!" Spaz shouted, pointing accusingly at the intruders.

Zoey was moments away from getting her key off. She, along with Sunny, froze in place in front of the time mouse. Sunny blinked, then whispered through her teeth, "Maybe if we don't move, he'll ignore us and walk away." Zoey face-palmed and groaned.

Spaz's cheeks sparked with electricity. "Should have figured it was a couple of Fusions causing trouble. Who sent you? The Rogues?"

"No/Yep," Zoey and Sunny said in unison.

Zoey glared at Sunny. "Sunny! Secrecy, remember?"

"Oooohhh," the fairy sounded, before smiling apologetically. "Sorry Zoey!"

Zoey sighed and pinched between her eyes. "You're lucky you're adorable." She held her hips and glared at Spaz. "Okay, you caught us, we're part of the Rogues. Newest members, in fact."

"New members?" Spaz questioned. "Why are you working for the Rogues? They're bad."

"Yeeeeah, so are we," Zoey retorted with a sly smirk.

Sunny grinned. "Plus, it's SSSSOOOO much fun! We never have to pay for anything! We just take and take! Free stuff!" She giggled behind her hands. "I like free stuff! Especially free cake! Who wouldn't want free cake?!"

Spaz scratched his chin. "Free cake would be nic-" He shook his head and glared. "Hey, stop distracting me! You're coming with me! You have a lot to answer for!"

"Oh, or what?" Zoey questioned with a cocky grin.

"Don't-get-smug-with-me! I-can-outrun-you-two-with-my-eyes-closed!" Spaz extended his arm out and pointed two fingers at them, sparking with green electricity.

Sunny threw her arms up in panic. "EEEP! Zoey, he has a gun!"

"Those are just his fingers, Sunny…" Zoey droned.

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "One-blast-of-this-and-I'll-have-you-two-immobilized. So, don't bother trying anything. You can't stop me."

Zoey smirked slyly, then held her hip as she strutted over to him. "You know, now that I'm getting a good look at you, you're pretty cute."

"Don't-play-games-with-me, you-!" Spaz's mind slammed to a halt. "W-Wait, what?"

Zoey leaned forward, smiling cutely with her eyes narrowed. "You heard me. Never seen anyone like you around before." She pulled on his ear. "What's a cute guy like you doing around here?"

Spaz raised a brow at her, more confused than awkward. _Is she seriously pulling this stunt on me? What do I look like, a fool?_

Zoey subtly winked over her shoulder, which Sunny caught. Her mouth gaped in understanding, then she quietly floated around the two while the time mouse kept his focus on Zoey.

Zoey leaned close to Spaz's face and flicked his nose. "What? Too tongue-tied?"

Spaz smirked, then shrugged his shoulder with a confident air. "Heh. Sorry-girl, but-you-aren't-really-my-type! I'm-sure-some-other-goof-would-fall-for-your-flirting-shtick!"

Zoey pouted 'sadly.' "Aww, that's a shame…" She then smirked deviously. "Eh, whatever. Sunny, light 'em up!"

"Huh?!" Spaz spun around, then got a face full of Pollen Puff. The explosion knocked him off his feet and slammed him into the filing cabinet, before landing Dr. Gates.

"Scram!" Zoey shouted, before she and Sunny raced out the door and made a break for the exit.

Spaz pushed himself up and growled as he rubbed his sore face. "Those two little…" His irritation washed away when he heard the scientist beneath him groaning. Spaz rolled off and smiled apologetically. "Oops…sorry about that!" He raced out of the room, chasing down the thieves.

* * *

Zoey and Sunny slid out from the basement staircase and ran down the hall. Zoey kept the classified file safely tucked under her arm. "We need to find the exit!" Sunny shouted.

"I'm afraid that's not possible," a mechanical voice sounded from around them.

Sunny screeched and hugged Zoey's arm, whimpering. "ZOEY! The walls are talking to us!"

She glared at the cameras. No time for stealth, unfortunately. "Oh, buzz off!" she yelled at the ceiling before picking up the pace.

A green blur passed and stopped in front of them. They stopped as well, greeted by Spaz's annoyed stance. He raised a brow. "Told you I could outrun you."

Sunny fluttered by Zoey's side, jaw dropped. "Wow! That is so cool!" Sunny cheered, squealing through her large, toothy grin. Zoey tilted her head and sighed tiredly.

Spaz raised his sparking fingers. "Let's try this again. No more stalling or tricks. I'm just going to freeze you two here and now!"

Sunny leaned over to Zoey and whispered, "What does he mean by freeze?"

His fingers sparked wildly. "Chrono Shock!" He fired a temporal bolt of green electricity straight at them.

The girls shrieked and leaped out of the way of the temporal bolt. Spaz fired repeatedly from his fingers, keeping them from getting pass him. Zoey and Sunny were surprisingly reflexive and were dodging the bolts with the little room they were provided.

However, one of the Chrono Shocks bounced off the wall and zapped Sunny. She flailed around and twitched from the electric jolt. She fluttered dizzily when she noticed her colors were starting to drain. "Zoey…I dooon't feeeeeeeeel sssssssssssooooooo…" Her colors were completely grayed and she went rigid, petrified in the air. She fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

Zoey gasped. "Sunny!"

"She'll be fine," Spaz reassured. "The effects will wear off in a moment." He aimed his fingers. "Giving me plenty of time to hit you." He fired another Chrono Shock.

Zoey smirked, then spun around with her golden key at the ready. She twisted the key. "Secret Storage!" The golden space opened up, letting the Chrono Shock pass through before closing. "That takes care of that little problem."

Spaz smirked. "Oh please." He went for another Chrono Shock, but couldn't produce a spark. He shook his hand and tapped the back of it a couple times. "The heck is going on?"

Zoey spun her key around. "Chrono Shock, was it? Well, that move no longer exists for you in this realm. See, whenever I go into my Secret Storage, I'm untraceable and can't be detected by any means. With moves, on the other hand, I store it away and keep you from using it until the timer on my Secret Storage runs out, then it'll automatically eject your move in whatever direction my key is pointing." She smirked. "Can't freeze me, anymore."

Spaz smirked back. "Clever trick, but you're still outnumbered." He glanced at the cameras. "Yo, Codex! Going to need some help down here!"

"On my way," the camera replied back before beginning to spark.

Spaz chuckled, then glared at Zoey. He sped over to her and grabbed her by the arms. "I can't use Chrono Shock, but I can still keep up with you."

Zoey chuckled darkly. "Heh…forgot to mention one detail about my Fusion Move." She pressed the key against his stomach, surprising him. "I can release your stored move earlier." She twisted her wrist.

The golden space opened and Chrono Shock flew out, blasting Spaz across the hallway and stopping in the 4-way intersection. Spaz pushed himself up, holding his head, then noticed his own colors were dulling.

Zoey attached her key and smirked. "Guess you're not immune to your own time paralysis!" She scooped the frozen cotton fairy off the ground and made a break for the stairs.

Just as she ran up them, Codex flew out of the camera. "Apologies for the delay. What did I miss?" He looked around, then his eyes widened when he spotted Spaz.

He was frozen in place, colors grayed, pointing angrily at the stairway just before he lost his movement.

Crawford heard all the commotion and scuttled over to them. "What happened?" His eyes widened at the frozen time mouse, then he threw his head back in laughter. "Oh hohoho! Ye're joking! Done in by his own move!"

Codex followed the time mouse's finger in the direction he was pointing. "Judging by the angle and direction, we can safely assume our suspects escaped up the stairs."

Crawford punched his pincers together. "Then let's hunt them down! They're not getting away from me! CHARGE!" He quickly scuttled to the stairs, pincers raised in the air.

Codex floated in front of Spaz. "Spaz, if you can hear me, meet us when you are no longer temporally immobilized." The Rotom-Porygon-Z turned around and followed Crawford up the stairs, beginning their chase for the two thieves.


	18. Profectus Inc Battlefield

Several scenarios ran through Zoey's mind as she ran through the halls. What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? Why was she putting herself in danger for the sake of some stupid documents? Frankly, she wasn't sure. She only did what was asked of the Rogues and she planned to complete her assignment without interference.

She just wasn't expecting three Fusions to be acting as security guards.

Zoey swung around the corner, dodging a Bubble Beam fired by Crawford. The fighting crustacean scuttled after her quickly, banging his pincers together. "Argh! Keep running, ye sniveling crook! Once these pincers grab ye, I'll be giving ye the fight of yer life!"

Zoey glared over her shoulder. "Put a sock in it, bozo!" She ducked under another Bubble Beam and turned another corner.

As she was running, she carried the temporally frozen Sunny in her arms with the classified file tucked under her arm. As she looked over her shoulder, Sunny's color slowly returned to her. The rigidness in her body went away, allowing her to freely move. "…good!" she finished her drawn-out sentence. She blinked and looked around. "Did I blank out?"

"Sort of!" Zoey shouted as she dodged more Bubble Beams. She slid on her back before jumping to her feet. "We have three Fusions chasing us! I froze the same guy who froze you, but it'll wear off soon!"

Sunny gasped. "What do we do?!"

"The only thing we can do: find an exit!" She glared around. "I got a good look at the windows! They're reinforced, but I can get through them! Problem is doing it while we're being chased!"

Sunny nodded. "Okay! Seems simple enough-LOOK OUT!"

Zoey looked over her shoulder before being nailed with an Ominous Wind, curtesy of Codex. The winds harmlessly passed over Zoey, but they were strong enough to rip Sunny out of her arms.

"AAHHH!" The winds threw her around before slamming her into the wall.

"Sunny!" Zoey called out.

Codex floated into view, then lit his eyes up as he scanned Zoey. "Target acquired. Lock-On." He fired red beams from his eyes that hit Zoey in the back.

"Huh?" She looked over her shoulder, then stretched her neck a bit to see the target symbol painted on her back. Her eyes widened before she deadpanned. "Oh, you son of a-!"

"Initiate combat sequence." Codex sparked with electricity. "Discharge!" The normally unstable Discharge shot bolts of lightning all out from his body, but the target symbol on Zoey's back attracted the electricity and aimed it straight for her.

Zoey clenched her teeth, then ran towards the wall. She ran up it, then flipped backwards as the bolts grazed her ears. They performed a perfect turn and followed her movements near perfectly. Zoey tried to avoid them with her reflexive movements, but the hallway didn't provide enough room or clever spots to outrun them. With no time to pull out her key, she crossed her arms and took the blast that sent her off her feet.

Codex faced her and held his arms out. "Zap Cannon!" He formed the electrical sphere of energy and fired it.

Zoey, while sprawled out on her back, pulled her golden key out and aimed it. "Secret Storage!" She twisted it and summoned the golden rift that took in Zap Cannon before closing.

Codex tilted his head. "Hmm…error. I cannot seem to access Zap Cannon. Analysis: Secret Storage locks down the use of moves."

Zoey flipped to her feet and glared. "Oh greeeeaat, I'm fighting a flying computer head. Just my luck." She spun on her heel and darted away from him and Crawford.

Codex scanned Zoey before saying, "Spaz should be recovering from his time stasis soon. Crawford, take care of the other thief while I pursue this one."

Crawford punched his pincers together. "Ye're leaving me with the small fry?! Why can't I take the other one?! I should be stronger against her!"

"There is no time to argue, my friend! Besides, I must reclaim the stolen file!" He flew after Zoey, disappearing around the corner.

Crawford crossed his arms and muttered bitterly. "Sticking me with the puny pixie…" He turned to the cotton fairy. "Alright pipsqueak, let's make this quick!" He blinked, then looked around. Sunny was gone. "The heck? She was here a moment ago."

"Giga Drain!" Crawford barely dodged the energy sapping beams that shot past his face. He glared up as Sunny flew around his head, firing Giga Drain from her hands.

Crawford dodged, then pulled his fist back. "Power-Up Punch!" He leaped in the air and threw his pincer, coated in a golden aura. Sunny flew around it and fired Giga Drain, but Crawford spun around and threw his other pincer. "Dynamic Punch!" His red glowing punch broke the Giga Drain apart into sparkles.

Sunny flew away with wide eyes. "Wow! You must be a really strong Fusion!"

Crawford smirked and punched his pincers together. "That's nothing, pipsqueak! Let me show ye real power! Power-Up Punch!" His right pincer glowed in the golden aura, then he sprung forward.

Thanks to Sunny's natural ability to fly, she kept her distance from the punch. Crawford mentally noted in his head that she was likely a Bug/Fairy/Grass-Type, meaning almost his entire move set would be ineffective against her. That said, all he had to do was score some hits with Power-Up Punch and he can bypass that glaring issue. Plus, if anything, he could end the fight in one shot should it come down to that.

Sunny darted through the halls before slipping into an office. She slammed the door shut, but Crawford broke it down in a single blow, knocking Sunny into a desk. She quickly got up and started throwing office supplies at the crustacean. Crawford blocked with his Corphish pincer, smirking at her desperate attempt.

"Oh no, office supplies, I am helpless!" he cried out sarcastically before laughing. "Ye really are a weak, little pixie!"

Sunny pouted angrily. "I'm not that small!" She grabbed a desk lamp and threw it at him.

Crawford punched through it, then leaped forward. "Power-Up Punch!" He nailed Sunny and punched her through the desk, directly into a shelf.

Sunny found a stapler next to her, then slapped Crawford across the face with it. It did enough to push him back, allowing Sunny to fly up to safety. "Moonblast!" She formed the pink orb of energy and fired it at Crawford.

"Crabhammer!" With his added buff in power, he smashed through the Moonblast, which washed over him. He growled. "Argh, Codex definitely left me with someone I have a disadvantage against! Probably on purpose, too!" He punched his pincers together. "Whatever! A puny pixie is no match for me! Close Combat!" He leaped up and threw a barrage of punches.

Sunny dodged the attacks as she best she could, grateful for her small size to allow easy escapes. She landed on Crawford's head, then patted her hands together. "Pollen Puff!" She formed the puff of pollen, leaped off Crawford's head, then threw it. The puff exploded him through the floor, nearly sending him to the next floor.

Thankfully, Crawford hung on to what's left of the first floor of the office and pulled himself out. Sunny attempted to leave, but Crawford fired Bubble Beam as a means to knock her out of the air. It didn't hurt her, but it did do its intended purpose. Sunny ended up smacking into a window, then slowly sliding down with quiet squeaks.

Crawford scuttled over to the cotton fairy and raised his red glowing pincer. "Dynamic Punch!"

"Meep!" was all Sunny could muster as the punch slammed down on her, cratering the floor. The punch left the cotton fairy in a daze. "Oooohhh…"

Crawford lifted her by the wings and threw her against the wall. He crossed his arms and laughed. "This is pathetic! Put up an actual fight, ye wee baby!"

Sunny held her head, then glared over her shoulder. "You're really mean."

"Thank ye!" He lunged forward. He opened his pincers, which glowed light blue. "Guillotine!"

Sunny thought fast and fired off a Moonblast just before the pincers snapped down on her. The explosion knocked them both into opposite sided walls, smashing into individual offices.

Crawford rolled onto his legs and shook his head. "Yarr…me head…" He darted across the hall just as Sunny picked herself up.

The cotton fairy leaped into the air and took fly. "Cotton Spore!" She rained down the speed decreasing cotton that latched onto the crab's body.

"Argh! Get this fluff off of me!" He could feel it decreasing his mobility. He staggered around uncoordinatedly before getting his balance together. "Bubble Beam!"

"Giga Drain!"

The two attacks clashed with each other, but Sunny's powered through and nearly hit Crawford, but he used Dynamic Punch again to break the beams apart. Sunny rolled up multiple Pollen Puffs and threw them down like explosive marbles. They exploded individually, with the shockwaves bouncing them around before exploding. It tore the office to pieces before blowing Crawford into the next room, which turned out to be a copy room. He slammed into a printer.

Sunny flew through the hole and fired off Giga Drain again. Crawford got out of the way, letting the Giga Drain sap the copy machine's energy. Crawford lunged up and pummeled Sunny with a Close Combat, bashing her into the wall. Thankfully for Sunny, the copy machine supplied her with some energy to take the hit.

She pulled out another Pollen Puff and flicked it around Crawford, letting the shockwave of the explosion push him into the wall with her while also knocking him out of the Close Combat. She pressed her hands against him and blasted him off with Moonblast.

Crawford tumbled across the floor, but caught himself on his legs. He held his smoking chest in frustration. "Any more of this nonsense and I'm down for the count!" He raised his pincers and punched the air. "Eh, ye're not so tough, pixie! Fight me like a real Fusion!"

Sunny pulled on her scarf and screamed. "Stop teasing me! It's not funny!"

Crawford smirked. If there was one advantage he seemed to have over her, it was making her lose her cool. She acted like a child, so taunting her was the way to go. And he was enjoying it. "A little small fry like ye couldn't beat me in ten lifetimes!"

Sunny pouted irritably and raised her hands, summoning two Moonblasts. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" she repeated angrily as she threw several Moonblasts in his direction. Crawford maneuvered around the attacks as they destroyed the office and the hallway. Sunny wasn't doing much to aim as she just wanted to wipe Crawford's annoying face out.

Crawford ducked into the hallway and waited for Sunny to end her assault. Once she did, she flew out and charged Giga Drain, only to get nailed in the face by Crawford's Power-Up Punch, followed by a Crabhammer. The attacks, while not very effective, proved to be stronger with each Power-Up Punch she received.

Sunny tumbled across the ground and groaned tiredly. "You're not fun…you're a big jerk…"

Crawford picked her up and laughed. "That's what ye get for playing with the big boys, squirt!"

Sunny pouted and shook her fists. "Stop calling me small! I'll make you pay!"

Crawford continued laughing, poking the annoyed cotton fairy. "Ye're a cute kid. Pretending to be tough." He gave her a noogie on the head. "Playtime's over, squirt."

Sunny practically steamed from her nonexistent ears, then exhaled tiredly. "Okay, you like making fun of me?" She smiled childishly, though the smile presented some form of deviousness behind it. "I have a fun game we can both play. Let's switch roles!"

Crawford narrowed his eyes. "The hell do ye mean by that?"

Sunny giggled behind her hand, then said, "Growth."

"Come again?"

Crawford gasped as Sunny erupted in green light. A second later, she began to increase in size. Crawford dropped her and stepped back as the cotton fairy grew to a height doubled his own.

Once the light died out, Sunny opened her eyes, then smiled down at the now shorter crustacean. She leaned down, hands behind her back, and giggled childishly. "Hello~!"

Crawford blinked in bewilderment. This was not something you see every day. How the small have become the tall. He backed away slowly, holding his pincers up. "N-Now lass, that was just playful teasing back there. Ye don't actually think I meant it?" He gasped as Sunny picked him up by the wrist and dangled him in front of her face.

She giggled playfully. "Aww, aren't you an adorable little pipsqueak?"

 _This is going to be a LOOOONG day._

* * *

Julian and Brea used the stairs and ran to the first floor. When the alarm system triggered and Codex relayed the situation, the Machamp was quick to get to the basement. The noise echoing around the building indicated his Fusion guards were chasing after their thieves. Julian had to get to the basement and make sure all the files were in order, while also making sure Dr. Gates was alright.

Brea narrowed her eyes. "Well, I see this plan is working out swimmingly."

"At the very least, we have confirmation of the thieves! That's as much as we can ask for!" Julian shouted. "Hopefully they didn't rough up Gates!"

When they reached the first floor, they were greeted by Spaz, who appeared in front of the stairs in the blink of an eye. "Mr. Roteman?" Spaz questioned. "What-are-you-doing? We-have-this-under-control!"

"I'm well aware of that, but I must check on Gates and the files! Did the thieves take any?" Julian asked.

Spaz tapped his head quickly. "Let's-see! Yeah, they-do! An-Audino-Klefki-holding-some-classified-file!"

Julian scratched the side of his head. "Classified file?" He flinched as the building shook from the activity over them.

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Now, if-you'll-excuse-me, I-have-payback-to-get!" He sped past the two, disappearing in a green streak.

Brea narrowed her eyes. "Barley understood a word he said. What do they feed that kid?"

Julian tapped his chin, now curious by Spaz's observation. Julian knows he has numerous files, several that he probably doesn't remember drawing up, but one would think he'd remember making a file labeled classified. He probably wouldn't have kept it in the filing cabinet if it was that important.

Regardless, he had to check to make sure. He ran to the basement stairs with Brea following. They hurriedly made their way down before entering the dark hallway and coming across the slightly opened door. Julian pushed it open and immediately discovered Gates lying on the ground.

"Albert!" Julian exclaimed before kneeling down and sitting the Cacturne up. He shook him gently, arousing him from his slumber. "Albert, are you okay?"

The scientist held his face and groaned. "I took an explosion to the face…but I think I'll be fine." Julian helped him up, then he leaned against a table for support. "What happened?" he asked as he rubbed his head. He flinched from a faint crashing sound upstairs. "And what's going on?"

"The Fusions I assigned to stop the thieves are…well, trying to stop the thieves."

At the mention of thieves, Albert panicked and checked through his lab coat, remembering he stuffed the files inside them. "No, no, no, no! I lost the files!" He dropped to his knees. "I've failed you, sir!" He cried into his stub hands. "How could I be so careless?"

Julian held his hand up with a sigh. "Relax Albert, you did nothing wrong. Thankfully, according to Spaz, they only got their hands on one file."

Brea floated over Julian's head and spotted the other files scattered on the desk. "That must be the rest."

"Good catch, Brea." Julian walked over and searched through the individual files.

Albert picked himself up and wiped his eyes across his sleeve. "S-So, it was only one? T-That's not so bad."

"Perhaps, but Spaz mentioned something about it being a classified file."

Albert stood by his side and raised a brow, confused. "Classified file? I don't remember you making something like that."

"Neither do I." He held four folders up and asked, "These ARE all of the files from cabinet 5-A, right?"

"Yes sir, had the whole thing cleared out!" Albert stated with a salute.

Julian scratched his chin. "All the files are accounted for, then. If they're all here, that means whatever file they took has information we don't know about." He glanced at Albert. "Dr. Gates, we definitely need that file back. We can't risk them getting away with it, especially if it's an undisclosed file."

Albert nodded. "Of course, sir, but we won't be much help. Are you sure those Fusions can handle the task?"

Julian held his hips and smiled. "I'm sure they've got it covered."

* * *

Zoey backflipped as Codex fired Discharge across the room. She slipped through the bolts and ducked behind a corner. She peeked around, then pulled back as another Discharge blasted out the hallway.

Codex focused his sights on the corner. "You have evaded many of my attack with tremendous skill, thief. I commend you for lasting as long as you did, but I am afraid I will need that file back." He brought the tips of his arms together and formed an orb of electrical energy, ready to fire it. "Cooperate and perhaps we will convince Julian Roteman not to press _too_ many charges against you."

Zoey rolled her eyes. "A tempting offer, but I'm not one to be bribed, especially if my prize is jailtime." She felt her Secret Storage key glowing. "Crap." She aimed her key around the corner as her Secret Storage's time limit came to an end and automatically ejected Zap Cannon towards Codex.

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Ominous Wind!" He spun and fired the ghostly wind to redirect the Zap Cannon around him. It exploded against the wall. "That was not an option, ma'am. That was an order." He pulled his arm back. "Zap Cannon!" He threw the electrical orb.

Zoey rolled out of the way as the wall exploded to pieces. She flipped off her hands and pulled out a silver key with a symbol resembling a bright flash. She aimed and twisted. "Mirror Shot!" She fired rapid fire shots of the reflective bolts.

Codex avoided the Mirror Shots as they fired in a stream after him. "Confuse Ray!" He formed the yellow orbs around himself and fired them at Zoey.

She backflipped away from them, letting them explode against the walls and floor, but one shockwave knocked a Confuse Ray into Zoey and exploded against her, knocking her on her back.

Codex smiled proudly. "A perfectly calculated strike."

Zoey flipped to her feet, but stumbled around. She held her face, then looked forward at Codex. Her vision was blurred and distorted and she had trouble with her motor skills. She stumbled around like she had one too many drinks at the bar.

She aimed her Mirror Shot key again and attempted to blast Codex, but her aim was off and she ended up tripping backwards on her own feet. She groaned and held her head.

Codex floated over, arms behind his back. "Now ma'am, I do not wish to use excessive amounts of force to apprehend you, so please turn yourself in to make this easier for the both of us."

Zoey rolled onto her stomach and pushed herself up, laughing quietly. "This is the part where I try to charm my way out of this, but my guess is I'll have even less odds with you." She narrowed her eyes. "Even so, I'm not letting you take me so easily. I didn't spend all these years running away from the law just to get caught by them."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "You need to answer for your misdeeds. They cannot go unjust."

Zoey stumbled to her feet, teetering around. "Buddy, I see this world's possessions as fair game. They stole all I care about, including a normal life." She sneered. "Why should I give the law a chance to redeem the sins of the Pokémon?"

Codex grabbed her by the wrists and locked them behind her back. "Your story must be tragic, but I have no intent to listen to it. Your type suggests you deceive through words. Trying to stall me out until the Confusion wears off?"

Zoey smiled exasperatedly. "Oh great, you saw through that?"

"Your tricks have no effect on me."

"Hmm…I see. Well, guess I have no choice." Before Codex could question her or take the file out of her possession, she bashed the back of her head against his forehead, then stumbled out of his grasp before running down the hall uncoordinatedly.

Codex's eyes sparked with static before shaking himself and getting his bearings together. He narrowed his eyes, then flew after the locksmith Fusion.

Zoey ran through the hallway before finding the elevator. She pressed the button hastily while keeping an eye out for Codex. He zipped around the corner and darted straight for her.

"Lock-On!" He fired beams from his eyes. Zoey barely dodged them, with a target symbol plastering the wall. Codex repeatedly fired the Lock-On, with the intention of halting her movements with his Zap Cannon.

The Confuse Ray casted on her finally wore off, allowing her to focus clearly. She heard the elevator open. She pulled out her Mirror Shot key and fired shots at the ground to put up a wall of smoke. She ducked into the elevator and closed the doors.

She pressed the top floor button, hoping to gain some distance from the ghost computer. She sighed and pressed her back against the wall, sliding down. "Good grief, Norris better appreciate the hard work we're putting into this or he's gonna get it." She scratched her head, then looked at the elevator buttons.

A thought just suddenly occurred to her as she stared at them. Wasn't she outrunning a digital ghost?

She got a response to that question as the elevator came to a sudden halt. The button lights flickered wildly along with the elevator lights. She stood up and groaned in annoyance. "Okay, not my smartest escape plan…"

"A decent attempt for any other opponent." Zoey narrowed her eyes as the control panel sparked with electricity. "Sadly for you, I am the wrong opponent." He zapped out of the controls and took aim. "Tri-Attack!" He fired the three beams from his arms and mouth: electrical, freeze, and fire energy beams.

Zoey leaped around in the tight space. The Tri-Attack blew a hole into the corner of the elevator. Zoey swung herself upward and kicked the escape hatch out from the top. She landed on top of the elevator, then climbed up the guide rails. She kept her fingers tightly clenched against them to prevent herself from slipping.

Codex flew out and narrowed his eyes. "You certainly know how to use your environment."

"Comes with the experience!" Zoey shouted as she attempting to climb faster.

Codex fired off a Discharge at the guide rails, hoping it'll force her off. However, Zoey pulled her Secret Storage key out and twisted it. The Discharge, as a single bolt landed inside, gravitated into the space. She figured with all the metal around, Discharge as a bit of a problem in such a tight space.

"Zap Cannon!" Codex fired off the electrical orbs, but their horrible accuracy made it difficult to get an exact hit. "Lock-On!" He fired the beams from his eyes, only Zoey kept leaping between guide rails to avoid them.

Zoey hooked her legs around the guide rail and bent back. She aimed her Mirror Shot key and fired streams of reflective shots at the ghost computer. The Rotom-Porygon-Z zipped around skillfully while analyzing his opponent.

"You keep firing the same attack over and over." His eyes lit up. "You rely mostly on trickery rather than offensive techniques, correct?" He fired Tri-Attack.

Zoey dodged, though the Tri-Attack's fire beam hit her legs. She grabbed hold of the guide rail and clenched her teeth from the searing pain overcoming her legs. She glared at Codex. "You'd be right and wrong at the same time."

"I do not follow."

Zoey placed the Mirror Shot key back on her ear and pulled out a blue key with a tidal wave symbol. "I use Mirror Shot for rapid fire means. This, however, is used in case I need a grand escape." She gritted her teeth as she held on to the guide rail with only one hand. She aimed the key and twisted it. "Surf!"

A space in the air opened and a massive flood of water surged out. Codex's eyes widened before covering himself as the water forcilbly pushed him down and into the elevator. The water overflooded the elevator and spilt out into the shaft.

Zoey held the key between her teeth and pulled out two others. Her Secret Storage key and a dull gray key with a shooting star. "Gonna need this one after this stupid stunt," she told herself before aiming the Secret Storage key. "Secret Storage!" She opened the rift and fired out Discharge, which the water up with electricity and, consequentially, up the guide rails.

* * *

Spaz sped up to the floor he was positive he heard fighting coming from. He looked around quickly, leaving brief green trails with each head turn. He sped to the middle of the hallway, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted, "Guys, where-are-you?!"

His eyes widened as the wall behind him suddenly broke down, along with the wall just across from it. He turned, then sped over to the fresher hole. Crawford lay on his back, dazed from the beatdown he got.

"The puny brat…not so puny anymore…" he briefly muttered as he lay in the rubble.

Spaz was unsure how to take this, until he heard someone else come out from the opposite hole. He turned and sparked his cheeks, before dropping his fighting stance to stare in bewilderment at the taller Ribombee Fusion. Spaz was pretty sure his full height, disregarding his ears, reached up to her chin.

Sunny giggled behind her hands. "Ooh, I'm having so much fun!" She spun around on her foot. "I haven't battled anyone in ages! It's just been typical infiltration stuff!" She grinned at Spaz. "Oh hey! You're the green Pikachu who froze me! That felt weird! And a little tingly!"

Spaz stepped back and held his hands up. "You aren't…mad about that, are you?"

"Nah! Felt weird, yet pretty cool!" She glared at Crawford and pointed accusingly at him. "But he was really mean to me! Big meanie jerk!"

"Ye threw me through ten walls!" Crawford argued. "At once!"

"You called me short!" she yelled.

"Lass, that was not only a mocking insult, but also a general observation!" Crawford clarified in annoyance. "…well, it used to be until now."

Sunny pouted. "Hmph! Doesn't matter!" She charged Giga Drain through her hands. "I'm gonna zapping you with enough Giga Drain that you'll be dizzy for weeks!"

Spaz crouched down. "Try and hit me, first!"

Sunny fired off Giga Drain at the time mouse. He sped around the beams with ease, darting directly for the cotton fairy. He slammed his palms against her and fired off Psychic, blasting her across the hall and slamming into the wall. He jumped back and fired off Thunderbolt. Sunny reacted by rolling to her right, then lobbing Moonblast. Spaz stepped to the side and watched the moonlight orb fly past him.

Sunny rose up and dusted herself off, then started dancing on her feet. "Quiver Dance!" She glowed in a white light and danced around the hallway, leaving behind afterimages of herself with her movements.

Spaz spun on his hands, then his back as he charged up an Electro Ball. "Take this!" He fired it at Sunny.

Sunny stopped dancing and threw her hands out. "Giga Drain!" She fired the green beams and blasted the Electro Ball, wearing it down until all the energy was sucked out. She then rubbed her hands together and rolled out her species' signature attack. "Pollen Puff!" She threw multiple puffs into the air.

Spaz pressed two fingers against his temple and aimed his palm. "Psychic!" The Pollen Puffs froze in the air, then he flicked his fingers forward, sending the attacks back at Sunny before speeding towards her.

Sunny pouted, then dodged her Pollen Puffs as they exploded. She fluttered her wings and rose up to the ceiling. She looked around carefully, then narrowly dodged an Electro Ball firing off from a passing, fast blur.

Spaz appeared behind her and threw his psychically charged hands down. "Psychic!" Sunny felt a psychic force throw her to the ground. Spaz held his hips and smirked. "Sorry, I'm-just-too-fast!"

Sunny pushed herself up and groaned. "No fair! You have time powers!" She then smirked childishly, giggling. "Not for long! Cotton Spore!" She spun around and released an outward spread of Cotton Spore.

Spaz, however, just smirked as the Cotton Spore hit him. It latched to his fur, but it didn't seem to do anything to his speed as he was still moving around just fine. "Guess no one told you Cotton Spore doesn't work on Grass-Types!"

Sunny pouted, then stamped her feet. "No fair, no fair!" She flew up and crossed her arms. "Growth!" She added more power to herself while also doubling her enhanced height. She threw a few Pollen Puffs down the hall that exploded, with Spaz nearly caught up in it. Sunny clapped her hands together. "Again, again!"

Crawford stood up and rubbed his head, finally getting his bearings together. He glared at Sunny, then aimed his pincers. "Annoying brat…Bubble Beam!" He fired the rapid-fire bubble stream.

"Huh?!" Sunny squeaked as the bubbles exploded against her, pushing her into the wall. She waved away the water vapors that blinded her. "What the-?" She gasped out as Crawford slammed Dynamic Punch into her stomach.

"That's what ye get, thief! Close Combat!" He pummeled his pincers against the cotton fairy, bashing her through the wall.

Sunny winced from the punches, then glared down at the crustacean. She grabbed him by the head and shouted, "Giga Drain!" The close-range Giga Drain hit the pirate talking crustacean hard, as he shouted out in pain, trying to pull away from the energy sapping attack.

Spaz narrowed his eyes, then got on all fours. "Volt Tackle!" He charged forward, surrounded in a cloak of electricity, then slammed into Sunny's side. The larger cotton fairy flew across the hallway and slammed face first against the floor. Spaz landed beside his hut mate, flinched from the expected recoil damage, then turned to Crawford as he clenched his arm. "Ford, how are you holding up?"

Crawford pushed himself up and panted heavily. "To…be honest, I can go for…a drink right about now…" He glared at Sunny. "For a naïve brat, she's pretty strong."

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Kind of sad she's turned to a life for crime. Same for her friend."

"Bah! They got what they came for!" Crawford punched his pincers together. "She may be a kid, but I'm not going easy on her!"

Spaz channeled Chrono Shock through his fingers. "I have an idea. Wait for my signal, then pull out your Fusion Move."

Crawford smirked. "Heh. Fine by me."

Spaz bolted straight for Sunny as she pushed herself up. She saw the fast blur coming before flicker vanishing. Spaz gasped as Sunny suddenly appeared behind him. "Cotton Spore!" She rained the speed draining cotton on him.

Spaz made a sharp turn to his left and kicked off the walls, flying over her head. "Ha! Weren't you listening? Cotton Spore doesn't work on me!" He aimed his fingers. "Chrono Shock!" He fired the temporal beam.

Sunny quickly dodged to the right. The lightning bolt grazed her, but the Time Stasis status didn't take effect, thankfully. She straightened up and smiled. "I know! I'm not stupid! You're just too brash!"

Spaz raised his brow, then noticed green colored puff balls sprinkled in the cotton filled air. His eyes widened. "Oh crap…"

Sunny clapped her hands together. "Pollen Puff!"

The puffs exploded and knocked Spaz across the hallway. He dragged his claws into the floor, stopping himself, and panted heavily. While he could avoid most of her attacks, she seemed pretty creative with the placement of her Pollen Puffs, an attack that will continue to do serious damage against him if he isn't careful.

Spaz clapped his hands together. "Recover!" A white aura surrounded him and healed off most of his injuries. Once the process ended, he sped forward, charging the temporal electricity through his fingertips. "Chrono Shock!" He fired off multiple blasts from his fingers.

Sunny glowed in white aura and danced around the Chrono Shock. "Quiver Dance!" She powered herself with more energy. "Moonblast!" She fired the moonlit orb downward.

Spaz jumped back, with the explosion knocking him back a bit, but he kept himself together. He slammed his hands down. "Psychic!" He sent a psychic wave across the floor that threw floor tiles against her.

Sunny covered herself as they shattered against her. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Spaz sped around her and aimed his fingers. "Chrono Shock!" He clasped his hands together and fired off a big bolt of the temporal electricity that nailed Sunny straight in the back.

She gasped aloud and stumbled over, nearly tripping over her feet. Her eyes widened as the Time Stasis came over her and promptly froze her in place. She sparked with green electricity.

Spaz cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Crawford, your cue!" He sped away to avoid the splash zone.

Crawford smirked. "Finally!" He pulled his pincers back. "This is gonna hurt ye a lot more than it's gonna hurt me. Thousand…" Watery fists by the dozens formed around him, suspended in midair to wait for his commanded. "…WAVE FIST!" He threw his pincers forward and unleashed the storm of water fists directly at the temporally frozen cotton fairy.

If Sunny could react, she'd probably be screaming in panic. The water fist were rather inaccurate as they were a wide spread move hitting just about anything in Crawford's direct line of vision. Still, there were so many that multiple struck the frozen fairy. Her body didn't react to the punches as they crashed into her, but the damage she'll be feeling was guaranteed to take her down.

The water fists were surprising strong. The immense force the delivered smashed through the walls, ceiling, and floor. Heck, if he kept at it long enough, Profectus Inc. HQ would get a large hole in the side of the building.

Crawford fired the attack off for almost a minute before ending it. He kneeled forward and panted slightly, wiping his brow. "Phew…that should do it."

The Time Stasis status only lasts around a minute. Sunny eventually unfroze, blinked as she registered her surroundings, then gasped aloud as a strong surge of pain shot through her body. This collective pain forced her Growth to end and shrink her down to her original size. Once she was normal sized once again, she dropped to her knees and faceplanted with the floor.

Sunny groaned into the floor. "Everything…Everything hurts…"

Spaz gently picked Sunny up by the wings and cupped her in his hands to prevent escape and from using any of her attacks. "You, uh, okay, kid?"

"Nnnooo…" she whined.

Spaz carried her over to Crawford as he pulled himself together. "You think we overdid it with her? These guys aren't exactly like Norris or those other Rogues."

"Oh, hello!" Crawford shouted, gesturing to the current floor they were on. "Do ye not see the damage around us?!"

Spaz deadpanned. "Pretty sure we're just as responsible for that."

Crawford waved his pincer dismissively. "Details…"

Spaz rolled his eyes. "Right. Well, on the plus side, we've got one of the thieves." He looked around curiously. "Where's Codex?"

"He went off chasing the other one," Crawford answered. He scratched his head. "Actually, everything's pretty quiet. Not much fighting going on."

Spaz narrowed his eyes quizzically. "How odd." He turned around. "Well, we'll have to check all the floors and make sure he's alright."

Crawford groaned loudly, then scuttled towards the elevator. "Yeah, YE can take the stairs if ye want. I'll be sticking to the miracle invention known as the elevator!" However, when he got to the elevator, he paused in surprise as water leaked from the doors. It was leaking from the bottom and squirting occasionally from the doors.

Spaz walked up to it just as confused. "What the heck? Did Codex's fight blow out a water pipe of something?" Sunny raised a brow at the water, feeling something awfully familiar about it. There was no way a water pipe spilt this much water.

Crawford sighed, then rubbed his pincers together. "Well, only one way to find out!" He angled his pincers around the elevator doors and attempted to pry them open.

Spaz, however, was of a different opinion. "Uh, Crawford? Maybe we should tell Julian about this before you start-"

"Relax, matey! I have this under control!" Crawford put some muscle into it and slowly pulled the doors apart. The farer they opened, then more water that rushed out.

Spaz's eyes widened as he cautious stepped back. "Crawford, that's a lot of water!"

Crawford didn't listen as he pushed the doors wide open, leading to a strong wave of water rushing out of the elevator. Spaz and Sunny shrieked in shock before the water washed over them. The water completely filled the hallway and threw them around with the currents before displacing down other hallways and the eventual stairs.

Crawford shook his head and shook his pincers dry. He barely managed to stay on his legs after being hit with such a strong wave. "Blimey! Now what do ye supposed cause THAT?!"

As he said that, Zoey flipped out from the top of the elevator. She skipped off Crawford's head, shoving his face into the water. She slid against the slick floor before pulling out her Mirror Shot key and firing it at Codex as he flew out. He dodged her attacks and fired Tri-Attack. Zoey dodged as the three beams froze, evaporated, or electrified the water.

Codex spun around in the air, then analyzed his opponent once again. "Final analysis: you only have access to two offensive moves, Surf and Mirror Shot."

Zoey smirked irritably. "Boy, aren't you a smart cookie?"

"I simply gather information and record it," Codex explained.

Zoey held the key with the shooting star up. "Regardless, it'll take more than brains, speed, or fighting to stop me." She held the key up and twisted it. "Wish." A starry night sky appeared above her before being absorbed into the key, coating it in a night like aura. She placed the key back on her earring, then fired Mirror Shot.

Codex flew back as the Mirror Shots riddled the destroyed walls. Spaz tried to pick himself up, but the floors were too slippery. He groaned, then blinked curiously as he traced the water across the hall. The entire floor was wet, including under wear Zoey was standing. He narrowed his eyes as electricity crackled from his cheeks. "Crawford, heads up!" He aimed his hand at him and telekinetically lifted the fighting crustacean in the air.

Crawford flailed around. "Arrrrggggh! What's this about?!"

Spaz raised his hands high as electricity channeled through them. "Thunderbolt!" He slammed them down and sent out a wave of electricity across the water's surface.

Zoey was caught off guard and screamed as the electricity consumed her. She slipped on the water and stumbled back until her back was against the wall.

Codex flew right up to her face, then examined her. He raised his brow. "Curious, you no longer possess the documents."

Zoey chuckled dryly. "I'm no amateur. Before I got caught up in my own Surf, I stuffed them away in my Secret Storage. Unlike moves, I can keep material items inside for much longer." She twirled the key behind her back and opened Secret Storage before reaching in. "Comes in handy when I need to hide stuff away."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Make this easier on yourself and give me the documents. I do not wish to inflict serious harm onto you."

Zoey smiled slyly. "My, my, what a gentleman." She wrapped her hand around a certain item she picked up along the way. "I'm flattered by your chivalry, but I'm not so civil!" She swung her arm and bashed Codex's head with the Fusion stun baton she pilfered off the guard outside.

As expected, the specially designed baton sent Codex crumbling to the floor as it momentarily stunned it. "AGH!" he cried out as he held his face.

"Codex!" Spaz and Crawford cried out.

Spaz glared, then sped across the water. "Now you've done it!"

Zoey ran up the wall and flipped over the Pikachu-Celebi. "It's called survival of the fittest for a reason." She landed and thrusted the weapon at Spaz.

He dodged the baton before catching it in his hand. Zoey spun around and attempted to hit him with her elbow. He stopped this from happening as well. However, Zoey managed to kick him in the stomach, temporarily stunning him, before jabbing him with the stun baton that knocked him on his rear.

Zoey twirled the weapon in her hand, chuckling. "Heh, all the praise for this stuff really shows."

"Ye're going to need it to stand a chance against me!" Crawford leaped out and threw a Dynamic Punch.

Zoey leaped over Crawford and thrust the baton at his back. However, he slid to the right and caught the weapon in his pincer. Zoey growled and tried to pull it back, but Crawford clamped down tightly to prevent escape. He then spun himself around and delivered a Power-Up Punch into her side, knocking her into the wall and losing her grip on the baton.

Crawford threw it down and punched it, snapping it in half. The two ends sparked before dying. Crawford folded his arms together and laughed victoriously. "Not so tough now!"

Zoey picked herself up, then pulled out a dull gray key with a recycling symbol on the head. "Recycle!" She twisted the key and opened a blue portal. A second portal opened up next to the broken stun baton and sucked it in. A second later, it ejected the stun baton, fixed and working at full power. Zoey switched it on while smirking at the fighting crustacean.

Crawford blinked, then shouted, "Ye have got to be kidding me!" Zoey lunged forward and jabbed Crawford with the weapon, knocking him to the ground.

Zoey spun the weapon around in her hand. "Look, much like you three, we have no interest in prolonging this fight. We intend to leave with our stolen goods and carry on with our day."

She glanced at her Wish key. It glowed and passed off a nightly energy around her, healing off her injuries. She felt much more relaxed. She opened Secret Storage and pulled out the file, not wanting it to automatically eject without her knowledge. "With that, I bid you ado." She headed towards the windows. "Sunny, we're leaving!"

Codex recovered from the stun baton and glared. "I am afraid I cannot let you do that. Lock-On!" He blasted Zoey in the back, placing the target symbol.

Zoey glanced at it, then smirked. "Oh please, you honestly think you can stop me with your Zap Cannon?" She tapped her dangling Wish key. "I'll just recover from it."

Codex floated up. "Your actions today have proven you are a master at surviving for long periods of time. In response, I must end this quickly." His eyes lit up. "Prepare yourself for my Fusion Move: Call of Rotom!"

"Call of what now?" Zoey questioned.

The Audino-Klefki gasped and stumbled back as electricity fired off Code and surrounded her in a ring. The electricity took on new shapes and transformed into all the different forms of Rotom, including a regular Rotom. Each one of them, plus Codex, powered up their moves: Tri-Attack, Electro Ball, Air Slash, Overheat, Blizzard, Leaf Storm, and Hydro Pump.

Zoey paled at the attacks, only able to utter, "…oh crap," before the attacks fired at her.

The collision of the attacks caused a massive explosion that dissipated the Rotom and pushed Codex back. Call of Rotom fired off the moves at half their original power. It made for a great finisher move or when he had to severely weaken his opponent.

The smoke cleared and Zoey had her arms crossed defensively, though her knees were shaking a bit from the combined attacks. She peeked through her arms, panting heavily. She reached for her Wish key. "Got…to…heal up…"

Spaz surprised tackled her to the ground, while also knocking the file out of her hands. Codex retrieved it before it hit the wet floor. Spaz sat on Zoey's back and pinned her arms together as she tried to get up. He held the stun baton overhead, which made Zoey's eyes widen. He glanced at it for a moment, then tossed it away.

 _No unnecessary actions_. He pulled Zoey up, while keeping her arms locked together. He smirked lightly. "Well, who's the slick one now, thief?" he taunted.

Crawford looked around for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. "Spazzy, where's the other one? Weren't ye holding her?"

Spaz's eyes widened, then he groaned. He would have facepalmed if he wasn't holding Zoey captive. "Dang it! I lost track of her when we got flooded!"

Crawford punched his pincers together. "Doesn't matter. We know she's around here somewhere. She's still weak from my last attack."

Codex scanned the hallway. "Crawford, you are aware we are dealing with a Ribombee Fusion who can use Giga Drain, right?"

Crawford looked to the side. "Uh…" Everyone kept their backs together as they slowly made their way through the hallway. Crawford waved his pincers. "Don't try anything, ye tiny pixie! Or we'll make yer friend here walk the plank!"

"Excuse me?!" Zoey shouted angrily.

"He-doesn't-mean-that-literally!" Spaz reassured quickly.

Codex scanned the hallway meticulously as they made their way to the building stairs. "We must inform Mr. Roteman that we have apprehended one of the thieves. And retrieved his stolen file." The ghost computer looked at the file curiously. "Hmm…tempting…"

Crawford didn't pay any attention to Codex's fascination with the file, neither did Spaz. The crustacean laughed to himself. "Heh, we can still take her on. She wasn't that much of a threat." He smirked at Zoey. "We've got ye, after all!"

Zoey blinked with a deadpan expression, then glanced at Spaz. "Is he always like this?" He shrugged a bit. Zoey sighed, then said, "Look crab, I'm no battler. It's not my strong suit. I'm much better at stealing valuables than punching others."

"What's yer point?"

The three Fusions gasped as the lights flickered unexpectedly. Codex scanned the lights. "Power failure?" Once he fully examined the lights, he narrowed his eyes. "No…something is drawing energy from the lights." The hallway went completely dark, with only the daylight from outside illuminating it. "Correct, something drew ALL of the energy from the lights."

Spaz deadpanned. "That…can't be good." He glanced questionably at Zoey as she started to laugh quietly. "What?"

Zoey shook her head, unable to keep herself from smiling. "Oh boys, you've put up quite the fight. Don't think we can take you in a serious match. Well, at least, _I_ can't. Sunny, on the other hand…" She laughed, then said, "Oh, she LOVES to have fun."

Codex blinked emotionlessly. "That statement does not bode childish antics."

Spaz narrowed his eyes, then he twitched a bit when something landed on his shoulder. "What the? Crawford, what's on my shoulder?"

Crawford picked it off, then gave it a careful glance over. "It's…cotton." He flinched as he felt something flake down on him, as did Codex and Zoey.

They looked up and saw cotton flakes sprinkling from the vents. Codex examined the cotton before concluding, "The Ribombee-Cottonee Fusion is trying to hinder our movements with her Cotton Spore. Spaz, get our captive out of her before she attempts a rescue mission."

Spaz nodded, then sped down the hall. However, he skidded to a halt, nearly knocking over Zoey, when he saw the hallway was filled with a minefield of Pollen Puffs. Too many for him to tiptoe over, especially when he was keeping Zoey from escaping.

"Guys, slight problem…" he started saying.

"Giga Drain!" Spaz gasped and speedily dodged a Giga Drain fired from the dimly lit hallway.

"Discharge!" Codex exclaimed as he let loose a flare of electricity. The tiny pixie flew through the hallway, dodging the electrical bolts. She fired off Moonblast, creating a smoke cloud that obscured everyone's vision.

Crawford coughed from the smoke and glared around, trying to listen out for the fluttering fairy. "Where are ye, pixie?!"

"Do not lose sight on her," Codex stated as he peered through the smoke. "Keep a trained eye on her and…" However, once the smoke cleared, Codex caught sight of Sunny and was surprised with what he saw. "…oh my."

Sunny fluttered in front of them with a big ball of compacted cotton, about three times her own size. She winked at the Fusions. "Say hi to my Fusion Move!" She reeled it back. "Cotton…BURST!" She flung it straight at them.

"Scatter!" Spaz shouted.

However, the Cotton Burst hit the ground and exploded into a wave of cotton that splattered everyone against the walls, including Zoey. They peeled off the wall and faceplanted to the floor.

Zoey picked herself up and groaned. She spat cotton from her mouth in discuss. "Ugh…nasty." She raised a brow as Sunny giggled at her, trying to keep herself from busting out into laughter. Zoey peeked up, then deadpanned at the cotton afro she unexpectedly wore. "Sunny!"

She looked away, giggling childishly. "Sorry~!"

Zoey sighed and stood up. "Let's get the file and get out of here!"

"Got that taken cared of!" She held up the file in her hands. "Snagged it off the ghost in the explosion!"

Zoey smirked. "Good girl! Now come on!" They ran to the windows, their only means of escape.

Spaz pushed himself up, noting the cotton that surrounded him. He tried to pluck it off, but it kept tearing off smaller bits. He ignored it and sped over to the girls. He grabbed hold of the file and tried to pry it out of Zoey's hands. "Give me that file!"

Zoey clenched down on her end tightly and pulled it her way. "Heh, no way! I've worked too hard to get this! So, mind your own business!"

They tugged on the file hard, however they both briefly forgot they were standing on a still slippery floor. Their feet gave out from the watery floor and the file flew out of the hands. The folder opened and sent papers scattering into the air.

Codex, through compulsive instinct, scanned the papers as they fluttered downward. The information printed itself into his mind.

Sunny flew around and caught all the falling papers, holding them to her chest tightly. "I got them, Zoey!"

"Oh no, ye don't!" Crawford shouted as he lunged forward and slammed his Crabhammer against her. However, because of the effects of Cotton Burst, his cotton covered punch didn't seem to hit as hard. If anything, it just made Sunny spin around in the air.

Zoey staggered to her feet, still weak from the Call of Rotom attack. "Sunny, we need to go, now!"

Sunny rolled up a Pollen Puff and threw it against the window, blasting it open. Zoey leaped out the window while Sunny flew after her. She passed off the papers to the Audino-Klefki before grabbing her under the arm. She pumped her wings as hard as she could to slow the lager Fusions fall.

Zoey crashed into a car while Sunny slammed into the windshield. Sunny pulled herself up, then rolled up another Pollen Puff. This time, though, it wasn't an explosive variant. She fed it to Zoey and the Pollen Puff rejuvenated her energy, enough so she could stand up.

Zoey pushed herself off the car and waved the papers at Sunny. "Great! Let's get out of here!" They sprinted down the street, running as far away as they could from Profectus Inc. HQ.

Spaz sped over to the shattered window, horrified that the thieves got away. "NO!" He slammed his fists against an unbroken window, cracking it. "No, no, no!"

Crawford growled. "They got away! Beaten by a couple troublemaking-!" He punched the ground. "ARGH! This is maddening!"

"I'll say!" Spaz turned to Codex and shouted, "Codex, fly after them, now! We can't let them escape!" Codex floated in the air, unmoving as his eyes simply glowed absently. "Codex, aren't-you-listening?! They're-getting-away!"

Codex snapped out of his thoughts, then turned to him. "Oh. I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Wouldn't worry about…what are you talking about?! They got away with the files!" Spaz shouted. "A classified file, no less! That means something bad, obviously!"

Codex nodded. "Yes, they did, and it would be dangerous, assuming they could read it."

Spaz's limbs went limp in confusion, while Crawford could only say, "Ye say what now?"

Codex stared at the wall, then projected a scanned copy of the first page of the files. "Observe, my friends."

Spaz and Crawford walked over and stared at the projection. Immediately, they could see blocks of text written in…something that most definitely wasn't in English. Or any language they knew about. The text was spelled out in some strange code of symbols.

"The heck is that?" Spaz questioned. "Wingdings?"

Codex shook his head. "No. If it was, I would have easily translated it. It seems to be a personalized code, meant only for the writer and close associates of the writer, obviously. Fascinating. We may be staring at a rich well spring of knowledge right before us and we cannot even read it. Truly, this is even more maddening."

Crawford scratched the back of his head. "Wait, so…ye can't read it yerself, Cody?" The ghost computer shook his head. "If ye can't interpret this picture puzzle, then we're definitely in the clear." He crossed his arms smugly. "Problem solved!"

"Not necessarily," Codex stated. "This means someone knows how to read it. If someone knows, it means the Rogues will find a way to." He ceased projecting the document. "For now, we at least know the Rogues cannot read it until they discover a way to. We must act cautious and inform Mr. Roteman of this. Perhaps he knows about the document's secrets."

Spaz looked around at the destroyed hallway. "Heh…assuming he isn't mad we trashed an entire floor…and an elevator."

Crawford laughed. "Sounds like a party I would've thrown!"

Codex floated around the two. "Perhaps we should wait for him in his office. Come along, you two." Spaz and Crawford nodded before following Codex through the destroyed floor.


	19. What Comes Next?

After everything cooled down, the security measures on the building were disabled. Julian dismissed his employees for the day, knowing full well they've been through enough excitement for one day. With all the fighting from earlier, they had to evacuate the higher parts of building. Thankfully, most of the fighting centered around the bottom floors of the building, so none of Julian's employees were injured.

Though, he wasn't particularly happy when the Fusions showed him the damage brought upon the floors. Several floors destroyed, several offices totaled, and an inactive elevator soaked in water. That was the last thing he expected to happen today. He didn't realize two thieves would cause this much chaos, but they did.

Julian calmly rubbed his temples as he sat at his desk, trying to process the info dump thrown down on him. As he did, the three Fusions stood before him with differing expressions. Spaz looked pretty nervous about screwing up the job, Crawford tapped the ground impatiently as he waited for Julian to say something, and Codex floated above them with a neutral expression.

The Machamp leaned his head back and took a deep breath to clear his swirling mind. He pressed his hands together, then breathed out. With all this Fusion business he put on himself, he needed time off at some point. Right now, he had a mess to clean up.

He calmly placed his lower hands on the desk while folding his upper hands together and holding them up to his mouth. He closed his eyes and sighed tiredly.

"So…they got away…" he started before Spaz interrupted him.

"We're REALLY sorry, Mr. Roteman! We tried our best, honest! We got carried away and let them get the better of us!"

Crawford punched his pincers together. "If I ever see those lasses again, I'm giving them a taste of me right hook!" He swung at the air, punching a gust of wind outward.

Julian held his hands up, stopping them from rambling on further. "Boys, boys, it's…it's fine, okay? I'm not mad or anything. Just…" He sighed and pressed his fingers against his eyes. "Just…tired, if anything."

"But we let them get away," Spaz went on.

"You three manage to catch them in the act when my own security couldn't. Give yourself credit for beating out my own security system," he joked lightly, trying to relieve the tension. He sighed and held his face. "I can pay off the damages easily. I'm honestly not surprised this happened." He smiled carefully. "Still…at least it isn't a city block this time. You kept the damage fairly controlled."

Spaz grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Right…thanks, I guess."

Julian then frowned and shook his head. "So, now we know officially that are two mystery thieves are part of the Rogues. That poses a bit of trouble. With their small-scale activity as of late, they must be getting desperate to fight back. They wouldn't send thieves to my labs without a higher purpose. Given my line of work, they may have been trying to steal my tech. The blueprints to my tech, at least."

"Should we be worried?" Crawford asked curiously.

"I can't say the Rogues would have the resources to build most of my tech, but…they've surprised me before." Julian gritted his teeth before sighing. "I don't know. I should be glad they only got away with one file."

"Yeah, but that _one_ file looked pretty important," Crawford argued. "I'm no scientist, but ye don't slap the word 'Classified' onto any ol' folder just for laughs!" He crossed his arms. "So, what was in the file?"

"I'm…not entirely sure. I don't know which file was taken."

"Then allow me to shed some light on our situation," Codex offered. He floated above Julian's desk and lit his eyes up. "I performed a perfect scan of each paper in the split second I had." He projected a digital replica of the files onto the desk. "Quite a fascinating find, I must say. I am curious as to the contents and information hidden behind such a complex code."

Julian folded his hands together as he quickly skimmed through the paragraphs of symbols. He held his chin with interest, examining a few areas closely. Along with the paragraphs, there were illustrations of the intended purpose of the file.

He nodded to himself, then leaned back. "Well, I've come to a conclusion." The Fusions smiled excitedly. "…I have absolutely no idea what I'm looking at." The Fusions faltered over in response.

Albert looked over his shoulder to glance at the file. "Really, sir? Not once?"

"No. I would remember making something like this. Though, I must admit, a personalized code probably would have been a smart idea. Brea, make a note of that." Brea wrote it down on her clipboard. "In regards to the document itself…this is very odd. Aside from myself, very few employees have access to the filing room. No signs of break-in and the walls are made so Ghost-Types can't slip through." He held his chin. "This is peculiar."

Codex tilted his head. "Is this an issue?"

"Not necessarily, depending on what is even in these documents." He scratched his head. "Because we don't know what we're looking at, I can't determine whether or not we're in trouble. This could be some prototype design for a weapon or a cookie recipe. It's just not clear."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "And since it is a personalized code, it would take me ages to find the right combination of words to make sense of it."

"I'll have to question all my employees and see what they know. Only those who work at my company have access to the building." He scratched his chin. "The sooner we determine the contents of this file, the better our lives will be. With any luck, this file could just be something mundane, like a recipe or one of those…roleplaying character sheets."

Crawford held his hips and laughed. "On the plus side, we don't have to worry about those idiots finding out before us!"

Julian switched his computer on and pulled up his email. "I'll have to hire an investigation team to sort this out. They should be able to trace any leads connected to it. Perhaps something from the other labs or in the building." He quickly glanced at Codex. "Codex, if you don't mind, I require a copy of the file."

He nodded. "Of course, sir." His eyes lit up for a moment, then he smiled. "I sent an email attachment to you, Mr. Roteman."

"Thank you." He pulled up the file and copied it onto his desktop. "You boys should probably start heading home. If any trouble comes up about today, I'll put in a good word to your superiors. Despite failing to stop the thieves, you've helped me a lot today. I wouldn't have even known about this if it weren't for you."

Spaz grinned sheepishly. "Always…happy to help, sir."

Codex bowed respectfully. "Take care, Mr. Roteman."

"And if ye need us for more guard duty, I'm more than happy to help!" Crawford added. "Just so long as there's a guarantee I get to fight!"

Spaz grabbed Crawford and dragged him out of the office. "Come on, Crawford. No reason to bother the man."

"Can we at least get a beer on the way out?"

"I don't think Chief Liam wants to know you've been drinking on the job!" The doors closed behind the Fusions.

Julian shook his head, chuckling quietly. He pulled up the copy of the file and looked it over carefully again. "Hmm…Albert, you should probably start heading home, too. You're probably sore after today."

Albert held his neck and gently rubbed it. That blast he took left him pretty sore. "Um…yeah, good call." He headed out. "Good day, Mr. Roteman." He shut the doors behind him.

Brea crossed her arms and peered over her boss' shoulder. "This isn't going to end up being one of those restless nights you put yourself through, is it?"

Julian shook his head. "I don't plan for it to be, but I do feel…apprehensive." He held his head. "Ugh, I might not get any sleep tonight with this on my mind. Just when things were going good, suddenly this gets thrown on my desk."

Brea pushed her glasses up. "Well, at least it isn't a mountain of paperwork like last time."

"Don't be so sure. I'm bound to get a few complaints from my employees for letting Fusions guard the place. Plus, the damages I have to cover." He rubbed his face. "More and more work."

Brea shook her head. "Well, if it helps, I'll be here to assist you in any way I can."

"You're a good assistant _and_ friend, Brea. Remember that," he muttered behind his hands. He pulled his hands away and sighed. "I suggest we do takeout and work on this later. Not much I can do until the investigation team finds clues." He glanced at the Musharna. "Can you question the employees tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Of course, sir. This…has me rather curious myself."

"Thank you." He pulled up a blank document to type up an email to the investigation team. He narrowed his eyes. "How could a file like that sneak past me without me knowing? I check the filing cabinets every week. Heck, I double check them!"

Brea rubbed her chin. "Rather peculiar, sir."

Julian sighed as he typed away on his computer. "For my sake, this is nothing more than a useless piece of paper…"

* * *

"Three-hundred fifty-one," Norris grunted as he pulled himself over the chin-up bar he was using. "Three-hundred fifty-two…" His forehead dripped with sweat from all the work he was putting his muscles through. He clenched his teeth in frustration, getting tired, but pushed through as he pulled himself up again.

Eli watched the Golduck-Electrode perform his chin-ups as he lazily sat on a crate. He threw a ball against the far wall repeatedly as it bounced back into his awaiting hand. He caught the ball for a moment and smirked at Norris. "So, how's the workout coming along?"

"S-Shut up!" Norris growled.

Eli chuckled behind his hand, then asked, "I thought Mikayla told you to try out her meditation techniques if you get worked up."

"Well, I did! They're still stupid!" He pulled himself over the bar again, panting heavily. "Sitting still _isn't_ going to clear away my anger!" His orbs crackled wildly.

Eli held his hands up calmly. "Calm down, boss. No need to work yourself up more than you already are."

Norris snarled through his teeth and performed his chin-ups faster. Eli rolled his eyes and continued tossing his ball around. There was nothing he could say to cool the mad duck off. Once he got this infuriated, nothing was going to stop him until he vented out all that anger. From his experience, that will take hours unless he found something to blow up. It made the dark poisoner wonder how they've never been caught yet.

As the two went on with their personal business, Mikayla walked in from around the corner. "Hey Norris, Zoey and-whoa!" she yelped as Norris' dangling legs nearly hit her as he lowered down.

"What?" he asked through his teeth as he pulled up.

Eli waved at the frosty Fusion. "Hey Mikayla. What was that you were saying?"

Mikayla stepped away from Norris and cleared her throat. "Ahem. What I was saying was, Zoey and Sunny are back from their morning excursion."

Norris grunted as he pulled himself up again. "And?"

She crossed her arms. "They said they found a file you might be interested in."

This finally got the mad duck to cease his overexerting workout. He narrowed his eyes seriously before dropping to the ground. He grabbed a towel hanging off a box and wiped himself down. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. They said it was more trouble than it was worth, but they got it anyway." Mikayla saw the confused and questioning looks she got from Norris and Eli. "Trust me, you'd have to see for yourself."

Eli leaped off the crate and landed next to Norris, chuckling with his feathered hat lowered over his eyes. "Looks like our darling pair of thieves proved themselves." He tipped his hat up. "Oh, I'm so proud of them. I knew I made the right decision with those two."

"I suppose," Mikayla muttered. She shook her head. "Though, they seemed pretty nervous about showing you the file."

"Why would they be…?" Norris blinked and stared off to the side for a moment, holding his chin. "Wait…don't tell me they actually _found_ a blueprint for a billboard that constantly screams!" he begged with wide eyes.

Mikayla waved her hands dismissively. "No, no, don't be ridiculous. I'm sure Sunny would have blathered her mouth off if they did." She crossed her arms. "No, they just seemed worried you weren't going to like what they brought back."

Norris rolled his eyes. "Why bring me back a file they _think_ I'm not gonna approve of?"

Mikayla shrugged with a raised brow. "I don't know, ask them yourself." She looked over her shoulder and shouted, "Alright, come in!"

Zoey walked out from around the corner, with Sunny perched on her head. Upon seeing the two, Norris and Eli were surprised to see them covered in bruises and scratch marks. They expressed great weariness, appearing dead tired from their thievery activities. They were about ready to collapse on the spot.

Zoey grinned weakly, trying to put up her usual charm. "Hey, cuties~…" she greeted tiredly. "Did you miss me~?"

Norris glared and ignored her question as he stepped forward. "What the hell happened to you two?! I sent you to retrieve useful files! How did this happen?! Did you find explosives?! Fall down an elevator?!"

Zoey raised her finger and said, "Well, I did, technically…"

Sunny sprung up and stood tall on Zoey's head, waving her arms around frantically. "It was a disaster, boss man! All was going super-duper well! We snuck in and found this basement room that held all the buildings files, then we found a really, really weird looking file that I can't read, then-then-then-!"

Eli raised his hands to stop her. "Sunny, sweet pea, we don't need every detail explained to us. What happened?"

Sunny took a deep breath and shouted at the top of her lungs, "THEY HAD FUSION GUARDS!" She inhaled deeply once again, then collapsed on Zoey's head.

Norris, after recovering from her loud tone, slowly shifted his face into a scowl. "What?! What do you mean Fusion guards?!"

Zoey held her hips. "That Gappei Village you keep ranting about? Yeah, three of their villagers were hired to intercept us. Good ol' Roteman narrowed down our remaining hits and knew we'd come." She shrugged. "I was expecting some police with Fusion Containment Equipment, not a time mouse, an annoying crab, and a ghost computer."

The mention of time mouse made Norris grunt. "So, that no-named rat and his friends are to blame for this?" He cracked his knuckles. "Ugh, sooner or later, I need to pay that village a not-so-welcoming visit."

Eli held his hips. "Great idea, boss!" he exclaimed exaggeratedly. "So, which one of us gets to take on the all-powerful Fusion Council? Personally, I don't want to fight the bear who can punch me halfway across the planet!"

Norris deadpanned bitterly. "I was joking…"

"I know!" Eli teased with an irritating grin.

Norris pinched between his eyes, feeling heat building up in his stressed face. "Ugh…"

Sunny grinned. "On the plus side, we won! Yay!" She clapped happily.

Zoey rolled her eyes. "Well, sort of. Honestly, I'd be down for the count if it weren't for Sun."

"D'aww!" Sunny squealed before hugging the top of her head. "I'd never leave my bestie behind!" Zoey smiled and patted the adorable fairy's head.

Norris groaned, then held his hand out. "Whatever. Just hand me the file so we can be done with this. We need something to increase our influence over these fools."

Zoey and Sunny looked at each other worriedly as the Audino-Klefki held the folder up. They chuckled nervously. "Right, so…here's the deal," Zoey started. "We only stole this because it was labeled 'Classified,' so we kind of stole it blindly." Norris swiped it out of her hand.

"We thought it would be super cool!" Sunny declared. "But, when we got to safety and looked at it…" She tapped her hands together. "It, uh…not so cool anymore."

Fed up with their cryptic nonsense, Norris opened the folder and skimmed through the contents to see what they were rambling on about. The shift from curiosity to annoyance in a gradual motion. He lowered the folder down and glared at the two thieves. They gulped worriedly.

"What the hell is this chicken scratch you gave me?" he asked quietly, trying to hold back his temper.

Sunny tapped her hands together with a wide, awkward smile. "Um…confidential information?" she answered with an unsure shrug.

Norris closed his eyes and shook in place, trying to keep his ever-rising temper bottled up. Eli sneaked a peek of the documents and held his chin. "Boss, this doesn't look like chicken scratch. The differing symbols, arrangement, and structure…seems to me we're looking at a code."

"A code?" Mikayla questioned.

Eli shrugged. "Yeah, why not? Top secret stuff like this needs to be kept on the down low for a reason. They can't just spell everything out without some peeping eyes getting their hands on it."

Norris gripped the papers tightly, looking about ready to tear them to shreds. "Weeks of searching labs and digging through information…and the best you could come back with is a file we can't READ?!" he roared furiously.

Sunny squeaked and flew into Zoey's arms, shivering worriedly. "W-W-We're sorry, boss man…" she whimpered, tearing up at her failure.

Zoey frowned and rubbed the Ribombee-Cottonee's head. "Oh Sunny…" She glared at Norris. "Will you lay off?! We did our best!"

"Was this seriously all you could get?!" Norris growled.

"They had stupid files for other stupid stuff and some Fusion Containment Equipment." She scoffed. "Could have stolen that, but it's really not that hard to steal a stun baton from the police."

Norris' orbs sparked uncontrollably. Mikayla narrowed her eyes and slapped the mad duck in the back of the head, staggering him. "Norris! That's enough!" she scolded. "It's not the end of the world or anything! They did their job and that's all that matters!"

Norris glared at the Slurpuff-Vanilluxe for a moment, before inhaling deeply and sighing tiredly. "Right, right…" He faced the thieves and said, "S…Sorry for…snapping at you two." He growled and turned away. "Just sick and tired of those Gappei wimps getting in our way!"

Eli gestured to himself. "Then allow me to handle solving the file, boss. If you need information dug up, I'm your man." He gasped lightly as Norris slapped the files against his chest and marched off.

"See to it! Otherwise, this has been an utter waste of my time!" He stormed out through the archway and walked around the corner.

Zoey glared lightly as she gently patted Sunny's back. "Yeesh, what bit him this morning?"

Eli shrugged. "The stresses of running a gang, my dear. Concerns I hope you'll never have to put up with."

The Audino Fusion looked to Mikayla for answers. She sighed and crossed her arms. "We…found out this morning that we're suffering from a minor food shortage. With bringing in new Rogues, we're exhausting resources faster that we can supply." She scratched her head. "We may have to start rationing food."

"Wait, a food shortage?" Zoey questioned. "Can't you steal more? There's bound to be food trucks that'll stuff you for weeks."

Eli waggled his finger. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Not that simple, my dear. Ever since Gappei Village has been assisting the city, the police force is working double time to ensure nothing happens to their supplies. I never thought I'd see the day where a food truck has to be guarded by the police."

Zoey held her hips. "You mean to tell me we have absolutely no way of acquiring food?!"

Eli shrugged. "Not exactly. Large scale operations will have a small window of chance in our favor. We wouldn't be able to stockpile for weeks." He held his chin. "Small scale operations are the safer bet, but we have to ration food until we come up with a long-term solution. Someway to acquire food without getting the police on our cases." He waved the files around. "Until then, along with rationing food, I'm stuck figuring this shit out."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes sympathetically and held his shoulder. "You have a lot of work riding on your shoulders."

Eli glanced at her and smirked confidently. "You kidding?! I love it when Norris dumps work on me!"

Mikayla, Zoey, and Sunny, who ceased whimpering for a moment, stared at the Toxicroak-Honchkrow in shocked disbelief. "…seriously?"

"I have _never_ heard ANYONE say _that_ before!" Zoey emphasized sharply.

Eli snickered. "Hey, I'm the kind of guy who likes to keep busy. Sitting around and doing nothing but stare off into space? Yeeeeah, not how I want to spend my evening." He waved the papers around. "Unlike Norris, I'm pretty chill about this junk. Rationing food, maintaining order around here, finding out what all this is about, and continue scouting out for potential recruits, I'll be busy for weeks!" He held his hips and laughed.

Zoey narrowed her eyes, still surprised by his claim. "You're one strange guy, Eli." She smiled lightly. "Kind of like that."

Mikayla chuckled quietly, then said, "You girls deserve a break after what you went through. I suggest getting some rest and maybe help out with our food shortage."

Eli nodded. "Robbing trucks is a no go, so set your sights on some stores. That should be an easy couple of weeks for you gal."

Sunny sniffled and wiped her arm across her eyes. "O-O-Okay…"

Zoey smiled at the cotton fairy and set her on her shoulder. "Come on, Sunny. Let's take a little nap, then I'll take you out to steal that ice cream I promised." She gently poked the fairy's cheek. "Okay~?"

Sunny sniffled again, then smiled before hugging Zoey's cheek. "Thank you…" They left the room.

Mikayla held her hips and smiled warmly. "Heh…perhaps Zoe isn't as bad as I thought. She's sweet to Sunny." She turned back to Eli, who was examining the files. "So, how are you going about this?"

Eli hummed quietly, then faced the frosty Fusion. "Security's going to be increased after the mess those two caused." He smirked confidently. "Though, I have my way around that sort of stuff. When it comes to picking up information, I always catch my prey." He rubbed his chin. "I'll have to keep a close eye on Profectus Inc. and keep tabs on their operations. Perhaps find out what they know about this file."

Mikayla tilted her head, examining the file closely. "You know what I don't understand? Roteman clearly knew about these break-ins in advance. You'd think he would have taken the files away in advance."

Eli raised a brow curiously. "The Pokémon mind can be an enigma to comprehend, my dear. I shall do all I can to solve this mystery and get our answers."

Mikayla held her hips and sighed. "Good." She turned around and started heading out. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure Norris isn't breaking anything."

"Have fun with that!" Eli called out as she left. The dark poisoner paced around the room as he studied the papers with curiousness reflecting from his eyes. He smirked to himself. "This…should be an interesting week."

* * *

After returning to the village, Spaz, Crawford, and Codex submitted their report to the council. It was a little hard for them to explain how they basically contributed to destroying part of a building, but they managed through despite the small blunder. They were a little ashamed for not completing their mission, but the council didn't give them a hard time about it. Not every mission is expected to go well, after all.

Codex did most of the talking regarding the files, even explaining the mysterious, unknown origins of it. This did leave the council a bit concerned, but they chose not to show it until they left. Codex offered to give them a copy of the files, but they rejected and stated they'd talk to Julian about it.

Once the Fusions were gone, the council turned to each other and sighed. Peregrine pinched between his eyes and groaned. "At least it wasn't another city block…"

Abraham chuckled. "If they were able to keep damage control that contained, I say they're training has vastly improved."

"We're lucky Julian doesn't charge us for this crap…" Peregrine mumbled. He glared ahead. "Now, onto more pressing matters." He folded his wings together. "Just like York said, the Rogues are recruiting Fusions off the streets. If they managed to pick off two professional thieves off the streets, we're in deep trouble here."

Lewis closed his eyes. "The mind can be more dangerous than the power of a Fusion." He folded his arms over the table. "Fusions with great skill like that can cause trouble." He shook his head. "Such a waste of talent."

Cade scratched his cheek. "I fail to see how robbing people is a _good_ talent."

"Spy work," Lewis answered.

"Ah, yeah."

"Regardless," Liam interrupted, "this only proves the Rogues are becoming much more than common criminals. If they can sneak into highly secured buildings without being detected, then their increasing numbers will prove an issue."

Gracelyn raised her hand and asked, "How do we go about it? We can't exactly flush them out of the city. No one knows where they're hiding out. It could take weeks to find a lead."

Abraham held his chin. "And they _are_ crafty. Should they catch wind of our snooping, they'd simply relocate to another undisclosed hideout." He shrugged. "Taking the direct route and forcing them out would lead to disorder of peace. Our reputation as Fusions is improving with time. If we start an act of war against the Rogues, we could put the city between the crossfire and lose that respect we've been earning."

Liam sighed. "So, letting the Rogues go about their business until we find a way to stop them?"

Cade shook his head. "Seems bad when you put it like that, but the increased security around the city will ensure the people's protection. They haven't been able to go after their bigger targets in weeks."

Lewis leaned forward, slumping onto the table. "We wait until they give up or we capture them."

Liam rubbed his eyes. "Fair enough." He lowered his hand onto the table. "Now, onto this business with the mystery file…"

Peregrine started with, "Yeah, that stupid file that look like was written out by a five-year-old learning to draw."

Abraham smirked. "The arrangement of symbols must imply a gifted five-year-old."

"Shut up!"

Liam groaned and continued, "According to Julian, he has never seen that file in his life and has no idea how it ended up in his filing room to begin with. He says very few of his employees have access to that room and he regularly checks the cabinets."

Peregrine glared. "It's a bunch of paper with symbols on it. What's so frightening about it?"

"The unknown is a scary place, dear friend," Abraham stated. "One can simply fear the ocean for drowning. One fears the number thirteen because of superstitious beliefs. One fears clowns because they represent an uncanny innocence with a darker side hiding under their eerie smile. But to fear the unknown…is to fear a number of possibilities. Without context of _what_ to fear, you fear everything."

Peregrine blinked, then scratched his head. "Fair point…"

"And those documents could literally be anything," Gracelyn pointed out. "Harmless nonsense or great disaster hiding behind a jumbled-up code. With the Rogues possessing the same papers, who knows how long it'll take them to undercover the truth? Perhaps years, months…or even days."

Lewis folded his hands together. "Our only saving grace for the moment is Codex not knowing the true contents himself. If he can't find the immediate answer, we do have time before the Rogues get a clue."

Cade nodded. "I suggest we keep closer tabs on the Rogues and their daily activities. Thwart their attempted burglaries as usual and keep an eye out in case they're acting suspicious. And I mean _really_ suspicious."

Liam held his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…we could make assign scouting duty to the village. Spaz already does it to find wandering Fusions, but…perhaps assigning a few Fusions to act like…"

"Vigilantes?" Cade finished.

Gracelyn giggled behind her hand. "Oh dear, don't let Tamara hear that out loud. She'd want all the available shifts just to play hero."

Liam chuckled lightly, then scratched his head. "I suppose that's the best way of putting it." He narrowed his eyes. "We'll draw up a schedule and ask any Fusions who are interested in the proposal."

Abraham nodded. "I'll handle drawing up the plans, chief."

"Excellent."

Peregrine stood up from his seat and tucked his leek under his wing. "Well, if that's all for today, then I must be off. I have a training session with Hawkins and Ren soon."

Cade tapped his head, then smiled. "Oh, that reminds me! My lesson plan for next week! I still need to write it up!"

"What lesson plan?"

Cade smiled. "Well, the kids are getting pretty far in their training. I feel it'll be time to teach them that…one skill a Fusion can use."

Peregrine blinked curiously, then his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, you can't be serious. They're not ready for _that_."

"Have more faith in our village, Perry," Cade reminded. "I know they're ready to take the next step in their training."

Peregrine sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you say so." He jumped from his chair and walked out of the hut.

Liam nodded to Cade. "I believe that's a wonderful idea, Cade. If there's anyone suitable to take on such a task, it'd be you."

Cade bowed. "Thank you, chief."

Lewis stood up. "Abraham and I will handle the scouting announcement."

Liam nodded. "Very good. Meeting adjourned."

* * *

Hawkins and Ren sat under a tree, awaiting the arrival of their swordsman instructor. Hawkins stared ahead with boredom in his eyes while Ren lay on his stomach and lost himself in the book Martin gave him. He kicked his feet in the air with a bright grin on his face.

"Hey Hawkins!" Ren yelled, making the Roserade-Meowstic flinch. "Did you know Ivan Faust went out of his way to afford medicine for sick Fusions being held in a shelter during the winter? It's incredible! He scrounged up as much money as he could to get the medicine, even taking some odd jobs to afford it!" He chuckled through his smile. "This guy's amazing!"

Hawkins groaned. "I honestly don't care…"

Ren glanced at him. "Rough day?"

Hawkins pinched between his eyes. "On top of my own training, I've been roped into training the children…"

"Oh yeah, that. How's that going?"

"Slow…and tedious," he answered. "I could teach Wantanabe just fine because I knew what I was working with. But now I'm stuck training over a dozen children who clearly can't fight the same." He rubbed his eyes. "And I'm stuck working with Dakota, of all people."

Ren chuckled. "Oh, come on, she isn't so bad."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "Oh please, she had the nerve to criticize my style of teaching the children, despite the fact I could easily beat her in a fight." He groaned. "That Fusion drive me nuts…"

Ren snickered quietly. "I've known Dakota for long time, pal. She was always a snarker."

Hawkins rubbed his temples. "I didn't spend years of training my mind and body to be reduced to teaching children like some, as Asadi put it, gym teacher."

Ren laughed and waved it off. "Oh, you're just overreacting. Kids are wonderful!" He smiled brightly. "Heck, I wouldn't mind training them myself!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Want to take my job?"

"That's not happening." The two turned their heads and saw Peregrine walking up to them. "I assigned you to train the children because you were the most qualified. _And,_ to get that attitude of yours in check." He poked Hawkins' chest.

Hawkins stood up and folded his arms behind his back. "Forgive my bluntness, but I still fail to comprehend how this is beneficial to me."

"Trust me, kid…" Peregrine narrowed his eyes seriously. "You'll know."

Ren closed his book, set it down, and sprung to his feet with an excited grin. "I'm ready to start my lesson, Mr. Peregrine!"

Hawkins scoffed and stood at attention. "So am I. Training with a master swordsman such as yourself is the logical step to take."

Peregrine took a few steps back and armed himself. "Very well. Bring out your weapons." Hawkins held his fists together and pulled green energy out from his left fist, then swiping it out and shaping into a Leaf Blade. Ren snapped his fingers, flashing a small light, and extended out a Cut blade in each hand. "Since you both are fairly skilled, we'll skip the exercises and move on to performance. I want to analyze the speed, skill, and power you deliver with every strike. Should you land a hit on me, I'll move you up to the next level of training."

Ren blinked in confusion. "Uh, sir? Isn't that a bit of a lenient way of moving us up?"

Peregrine smirked. "Trust me, it's the only requirement to receive higher training."

Ren narrowed his eyes, then crouched down. "Very well. In that case, I shall go first!" He kicked off the ground and dashed at full speed, rustling the grass with his movement.

Peregrine focused his eyes steadily on Ren's speedy movements. His eyes didn't waver as the frog knight flicker-vanished out of sight. Ren appeared above him and swung his blades down. However, without looking up, Peregrine blocked the blades with his leek. His wing didn't struggle to push against the energy constructs.

Ren gasped. "Wha-?!" Peregrine twirled his leek and pulled it back with the ends catching the blades and flipping Ren forward. He landed on his back hard and groaned.

"You lack the form and technique required to fight a swordsman. Your speed was excellent, but your body language indicated you would go for an aerial attack." He glared at Hawkins. "As for you…"

Hawkins spun his blade and ran forward. He wielded it like a fencing saber and thrusted it at the steel duck. Peregrine held his leek up and stopped the blade from moving. Hawkins formed a second Leaf Blade and tried to slash from the side, confident he could land a blow with Peregrine off guard.

However, in one quick motion, Peregrine directed his first Leaf Blade to the ground and swiped at the second one, knocking it out of Hawkins' hand and dispersing into nothing. Peregrine pulled his leek back and slammed the end against Hawkins' chest, sending him off his feet.

"You, Hawkins, are my most skilled student. You are exceptionally skilled in swordplay." He glared. "However, you seem to have too much confidence in your skills."

Hawkins pushed himself up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I distinctly remember you talking casually with Ren as you two sparred, all while your opponent was trying his best to one up you." Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "I don't know about you, but that does pose some lack of focus when taking a battle seriously."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "I am perfectly capable of multitasking in the heat of battle, sir."

"I'm aware of that. However…" He tucked his leek under his wing. "On some level, that poses an issue. For example, you possess an aggressive playstyle. Overpowering your opponent is key to most battles, but it's in terms of situation. You were wise to try and blindside me with a second Leaf Blade, but you must pay attention to how an opponent could counter you. You have great speed and strength in a fight, but split-second decisions must be made at crucial moments."

Ren picked himself up and held his head. He glared at Peregrine, then smirked as he quietly tiptoed towards Peregrine with Cut active.

"High speed movement and strength can only get one so far. A sharp mind is key, too. Along with strategy. You are a marvelous combat strategist, but one should never underestimate their opponent, especially when-" He threw his leek up and caught Ren's Cut blade between his leek's wedge before turning it and throwing Ren off his feet. "-you attempt a sneak attack."

Ren landed hard on his rear and groaned. "Ooowwww…"

"Ren, we need to focus on formal training. Hawkins, you will need to work on reading an opponent and not overestimating your own abilities."

"Yes sir," they said.

Peregrine held his leek up. "Come at me again, this time together."

For the next half hour, Ren and Hawkins repeatedly tried to land a hit on Peregrine. Not a single blow was landed on the duck's feathers. There were times where they came close to hitting him, but further observation showed he was just messing with them. One would think Peregrine himself was getting cocky, but he was too focused on defending that he never boasted his own skill. He kept analyzing their movements and instinctual behavior with fast tracking eyes.

Ren and Hawkins eventually dropped to their knees and panted, exhausted from the nonstop swinging. Peregrine twirled his leek between his feathers. "Alright, I think a small break is in order. Meet me back here in an hour and we'll go again." He tucked his leek away and walked off.

Hawkins panted heavily, then let out one big breath before standing up. "I knew he'd be a tough teacher, but I didn't expect to lose so easily."

Ren lay flat on the ground with his arms and legs spread out. "My arms are sssooo sore…"

Hawkins sat back down against the tree and groaned. "I still have much to learn if I intend to get stronger."

Ren sat up and smiled. "Eh, we'll get there! We just need to keep training ourselves and we'll be raring to go!"

"Maybe you, but I'm already leagues above your current skill level." He narrowed his eyes. "What does he mean I'm too overconfident? I never let my opponent get the upper hand on me."

Ren deadpanned. "You…do have a tendency to…undermine anyone who doesn't meet _your_ standards. Best example off the top of my head is Dakota."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "She is no fighter. She doesn't hold the aptitude needed to take part in a real fight." He shook his head. "If someone is beneath me, that's how it is."

Ren looked away. "Yeah, can't see WHAT Peregrine was talking about," he muttered sarcastically. Either way, Ren smiled. "Still, I'll get so strong that I'll impress Mr. Peregrine and master the art of the blade!" He swiped the air, then flinched as his arm locked up. "Ow, ow, ow…" he moaned quietly as he held his arm.

Hawkins narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. _I can exceed past my physical abilities. I refuse to be weaker than the enemy._ He clenched his fist. _I'll surpass my limitations and rise to the top._


	20. The Next Step

A week had passed since the Rogues stoles the mysterious file from Profectus Inc. Ever since, Julian has been dedicating nearly every waking hour of his day to find all he could about these unknown documents. Details on his search were left unknown to the public and Gappei Village.

The Fusion Council waited patiently for Julian to fill them about the situation, but he has been keeping a tight lip on possible findings. The most anxious of the council was Liam, as the safety of the public and his village was his primary concern above all else. The fact they had no exact information about what this file entails means they were taking a stab in the dark. For all Julian knew, he was wasting his time trying to find the truth to useless information.

Early in the morning, in his hut, Liam was relaxing on his bed with a cup of coffee sitting on his nightstand while enjoying the local paper. It was a quiet morning for the village, though the villagers will be waking up soon to partake in their daily training. Though, unbeknownst to them, Cade had something special planned for today. Something they were all sure the budding Fusions will enjoy.

Liam reached for his coffee and went for a sip when the phone on his nightstand began to buzz. Liam raised his brow curiously, taking a moment to wonder who would be calling him so early in the morning. However, upon second thought, he had a pretty good idea who it could be.

He set his coffee and paper to the side and picked up the ringing phone. He answered the call and said, "Chief Liam of Gappei Village. How may I help you?"

"Ah, good, you're awake," the voice said in relief. "I thought you'd be still asleep."

Liam pinched between his eyes. "I tend to wake up this early, Julian."

"I see. That's…good," the Machamp awkwardly muttered. There was a pause between the two, with Julian briefly clearing his throat. "So, uh…how did you sleep?"

Liam groaned. "Julian, if you called me just to make small talk, I'm hanging up."

"Apparently not all that well," Julian deadpanned. Liam heard him clear his throat again, then he spoke with a much more serious tone. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase. I'm gonna need you to come down to my office this afternoon."

"Why?"

"My investigation team made a break in the mystery files case. I was delivered the evidence yesterday afternoon." Julian groaned. "Let me tell you, that was four hours of my life I won't get back."

"Why didn't you call me about this last night?"

"Word of advice: don't keep yourself running purely on coffee. You get something similar to a hangover and it's not pretty, let me tell you. I woke up an hour ago, passed out on my couch."

Liam sighed. "And people say I tire myself out too much…" He narrowed his eyes. "Please tell whatever you found isn't something we should be worried about."

"That entirely depends on the results of my research. Listen, I need to go. I'm not in the best mood to drive right now, so I'm waiting for Brea to come pick me up. Remember, this afternoon. I'll have someone let you in."

Liam sighed. "Very well. I'll see you later, Julian."

"See you later." Julian hung up.

Liam set the phone down, then moved himself out of bed. He reached around at his bedside tiredly before grabbing his staff. He walked over to his window and opened the blinds. The first few Fusions were seen exiting their huts for breakfast. Liam narrowed his eyes seriously, then closed the blinds.

He sighed and rubbed his face. "This better be good…"

* * *

The day went by as the Fusions went through their usual training, with Peregrine keeping watch over them as usual. Once break time started, though, he, along with the other councilmen, were pulled to the side by Liam.

Liam paced back and forth in front of the council hut and said, "I suppose you're all wondering why I called you here." They gave him curious looks to show their interest. "I got a call from Julian early in the morning."

Gracelyn crossed her arms. "Does it have to do with those mystery files Spaz and his hut came across?"

Liam nodded. "Julian said his investigation team made a break in their searching. He hasn't told what they've found, but it must be important if it requires me to meet him face-to-face."

Abraham held his chin. "Hmm, I see. Hopefully we can put these matters to rest."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Liam muttered. He sighed and scratched his head. "I was really hoping to avoid speaking with him in person."

Lewis tilted his head. "Yeah, can't help but notice you're not particularly fond of Julian. You _did_ break into his apartment instead of calling him like a normal person would."

Liam gave the Lucario-Samurott a brief glare before sighing exhaustedly. "I just hope whatever he has to say doesn't leave me with migraines. I want to be in and out of his office quickly. Which reminds me…" He turned to Cade. "How is your lesson plan for the Fusions coming along? Is everything set?"

Cade smiled and held up some papers. "Got them right here, sir. I know they'll look forward to learning about this. I wouldn't be doing this if they didn't show promise in their growth."

Liam nodded. "Good. Considering how things might turn out in the future, we must make sure they prepared." He narrowed his eyes worriedly. "Still, the requirements to complete it are concerning. Some of them may have trouble pushing ahead in the lesson."

Peregrine waved his concern off. "You let us worry about teaching those brats."

Gracelyn rolled her eyes, then smiled at Liam. "To put it nicely, we will be here to help them through their troubles. That has been our job since this village was made."

Liam smiled at them. "I knew I could count on all of you." He stepped past them. "Now, I must be off. Pray that I come back with good news. With my luck, I'm not looking forward to coming back." He tapped his staff down twice, then flicker-vanished in an instant with Extreme Speed.

Abraham held his hips and turned to Cade. "Are we positive they are ready to handle the training? This won't be just about physical capability, you know. The mental strength required to…" He stopped as Cade raised his hand.

"I understand your concerns my friend, but I have everything under control." Cade cracked his knuckles and rubbed his shoulder. "You let me worry about teaching those kids a thing or two about peace of mind."

Peregrine sighed. "We have faith in your abilities, Cade." The phantom panda nodded, then made his way to the center of the village to prep for his lesson.

* * *

Just as quickly as he left, Liam appeared right in front of the Profectus Inc. building. He got a few yelps of fright from nearby Pokémon for his surprise entrance, but he paid them no mind as he stared at the building with focused, narrowed eyes.

He had to admit, despite seeing this building several times before, he still couldn't believe Julian made it this far in life. With everything they both had to go through, seeing both of them get the lives they deserved was a wonderful sight.

Too bad circumstances drifted them apart.

" _What do you want to be when you grow up, Julian?"_

" _Rich and famous, obviously! And with you by my side, we'll help all Fusions around the world! Pokémon and Fusions! Together as friends! Like us!"_

" _Hahaha! You said it!"_

"Chief Liam?"

Liam jolted from his thoughts and held his head. He nearly tripped over his feet, but caught himself with his staff. He groaned lightly, then looked down to see Brea floated before him with the door held wide open. She greeted him with her usual stoic expression.

The godly ape sighed tiredly, then resumed his professional stance. "Ms. Lackner. Always a pleasure to you."

"The feeling is mutual," she replied impassively. She floated out of the way and gestured into the building. "Please, come in. Mr. Roteman is expecting you."

He bowed politely. "Thank you." He stepped in and let the Drowsing Pokémon to lead him through the halls.

When the doors to Profectus Inc. closed, a figure stepped out of hiding from around the corner: Eli. The dark poisoner rubbed his chin and smirked cunningly.

"Hmm, now why is Roteman calling Chief Liam, of all people, to his office? Ooh hoo, I smell top secret information being discussed." The feathered poisoner has been staking out around Profectus Inc. over the week, keeping tabs on Julian's operations to see if he made any progress on the mysterious files. From the looks of it, his patience paid off.

He rubbed his hands together, then leaped onto the side of the building before stealthily climbing up the surface. "Time to do some digging."

* * *

Liam looked around curiously, hearing some construction sounds a few floors up. "I take it they're still repairing damages from last week's fight."

"Yes. They should be finishing up soon." She glanced sideways at him. "Not that I care, but I hope you don't mind taking the stairs. Elevator is still out from the water damage it sustained." She shook her head. "The complaints I've been getting about that were mind-numbing."

"I do not mind taking the stairs, Ms. Lackner."

The Musharna led him up the long flight of stairs. It took them nearly seven minutes to reach the top. They reached the top and Brea led him down a larger hallway before coming up to Julian's office.

Brea pushed the doors open, then gestured Liam to step through. He thanked her and entered the office, where he immediately spotted Julian working busily on his computer. Liam took a quick glance at his trash can and saw all the disposable coffee cups littered inside. Guess he wasn't kidding about the coffee thing.

Julian took a few seconds to realized his guest had arrive. He tore his eyes away from the screen and smiled. "Ah, Liam! So happy you could make it! Please, please, have a seat. We have much to discuss."

Liam sat down in the provided armchair, leaning his staff against the side. He heard Brea shut the doors before floating up to Julian's side. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, with Julian awkwardly tapping his fingers together. Liam continued to give the Machamp a stoic expression that didn't hint at the possibly of shifting to a pleasant mood.

Julian sighed heavily, then smiled. "So, uh, would you care for some coffee? I have a fresh pot brewing right now." Liam raised his brow questioningly at the Machamp, which he immediately picked up on the implication. "It's…decaf." He chuckled sheepishly. "I'm going to distance myself from caffeine for a while. A-Anyway, would you care for som-?"

"I'm fine," the godly ape stated objectively.

Julian blinked, then folded his arms over his desk. "Um…do you need anything?"

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Julian, you called me down here to discuss the files, that's all."

Julian sighed, then scratched his head. "Just…trying to make small talk with an…old friend."

"I'm a busy person, too, Julian. If you have anything important to discuss about the documents, it's best we get down to business."

Julian sighed once more. "Right, right, of course." He snapped his fingers. "Brea, if you would…"

Brea nodded, then looked down at her clipboard where a remote device sat clipped to the top. She pressed a red button. The blinds came down and covered the windows while the lighting in the room darkened, with a spotlight focused down on Julian and Liam.

Julian cupped his hands together and rested his chin on them. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Outside the windows, right after they closed, Eli bent down and attached a listening device to the glass. He smirked. "Thank you, Profectus Inc. spy gear." He flipped onto the edge of the roof and switched on a pair of headphones before slipping them onto his head. He crossed his legs and leaned back casually. "Let's see what you two are up to."

* * *

With their break over, the Fusions were ordered to meet up in the center of the village for their next lesson. However, they weren't given any details regarding the lesson in question. They've been notified of the lesson a week ago, but weren't given anything other than it was an important next step in their training. That left a bunch to be answered for the groups.

Tamara tapped her foot hastily. "Ugh, when are they going to start? I've been waiting forever for this!"

Shane glanced at her. "You're rather anxious to get started."

"One does not simply say a new training lesson to me without me getting hyped for it." She threw a strong punch at the air, creating a small breeze. "If this is a new type of speed training, I'm all set!"

Chris crossed his arms. "I find it hard to believe they'd be this secretive over speed training."

"Hey, you never know." She rubbed her hands together. "Might be a secret training technique to boost your speed potential."

Artemis smirked. "Or maybe we're playing a game." She giggled mischievously as she rubbed her paws together. "Oho, I hope it's dodgeball."

Wash shivered at the thought. There was only one other time he has played dodgeball since his time in the village. Artemis wasn't the most merciful of players. Once she got her paws or feelers on one of those bouncy, red spheres, you'd better hope you weren't her next target.

"I really hope not…"

Quinn rubbed his head. "If it is, I either get on your team or break my arm to get out of it."

Artemis held his cheek. "Oh sweetie, don't do that. I promise I won't hurt you."

"…you're lying, aren't you?"

"At least know I do it out of love~!" she reassured, purring against his side. Quinn sighed, but smiled nonetheless.

Juniper yawned tiredly. "Oh, I don't see what's so bad about dodgeball."

"Jun, you fell asleep in the last game we had," Wash reminded. He sighed. "…again."

Juniper giggled. "Oh, you make it sound like a bad thing. I never miss an opportunity for a good nap."

As the conversation of dodgeball steadily escalated, everyone's attention was drawn to the front of the crowd as Cade took his place. Everyone quieted down and stood at attention for the phantom panda.

Cade smiled, then waved his hand at him. "No need for the formal stances, everyone." The crowd relaxed themselves. Cade rubbed his hands together and started his lecture. "Well, I dare say it has been a long time since I've had all of you as your teacher. With all the training you've had to put up with. Let me tell you, Peregrine and Lewis can be quite the…motivators," he said with a hearty laugh. Aside from Peregrine, Lewis also helped with training. Though, the duck tended to get carried away and take over.

"It'll be some time before Abraham or Gracelyn become your teachers. But today, you've got me: the cool teacher!" he boasted, pointing at himself. The crowd laughed and clapped for the phantom panda.

Peregrine and Lewis rolled their eyes while Gracelyn giggled behind her hand. "Oh, Cade, you silly panda," she said under her breath. Abraham merely shook his head with a light smile.

Cade laughed for a moment before getting back on topic. "But seriously, kids, today's a special day that I've been looking forward to. It's a real honor to teach this subject as my own personal experience has helped me excel in my own learnings." He clasped his hands together. "So, can anyone guess what we're doing today?"

Artemis raised her feeler while rubbing her paws together deviously. "Dodgeball?"

"That is incorrect!" Cade exclaimed. Artemis stared off into space with blank smile while tears comedically streamed down her face.

"Aww…" she groaned.

"This isn't a game I'm referring to. In fact, my lesson focuses heavily on the key components that make up a Fusion, maybe even in Pokémon." He folded his arms behind his back. "You see, kids, this is supremely different from your previous training. Peregrine and Lewis trained your physical strength. Now, it's my turn to teach you the opposite."

Asadi scratched her head, confused. "Uh…are we going to take tests now?"

Spaz groaned. "Oh for the love of…I rather go through the obstacle course again."

Cade chuckled. "I'm not speaking of intellectual strength specifically. Your previous training was external training. I'm going to teach you…" He brought his palms together, then took a deep breath. "…internal training." He breathed out.

Dez scratched his cheek. "Um…what?"

"A well-trained mind is as, if not more, important as a well-trained body. What I speak of is mental capability, inner reflection, and, most importantly of all, balance."

"Balance?" Juniper questioned. She blew a raspberry and laughed. "I have the covered." She spread her arms out and stood on one leg…then fell face first against the ground. "…ow…" Wash grabbed the sleepy panda under the arms and lifted her up.

Cade chuckled and held his head. "No, not quite, Juniper. I'm talking about spiritual balance, or your ability to be in tune with your emotions." He narrowed his eyes and held his hips. "This is an important skill to have under your belt in a fight."

"How so?" Sheila asked.

"Consider it like this. An unbalanced mind leads to missteps on the battlefield. It can happen to anyone…especially if they're minds are filled with regret." He shook his head. "You see, it is believed we have positive energies and negative energies coursing around us. These energies can be given off by anyone, even a Pokémon. In a way, they can make or break your performance in battle. Too much negativity leads to doubt. Doubt leads to misstep. Misstep leads to failure."

Artemis smirked. "And I…" She took a moment to yawn, which got Quinn to look at her oddly. "Excuse me…and I suppose we should be filling ourselves with positive energies?" she asked jokingly.

Cade narrowed his eyes. "Actually, that could very well be worse." Artemis' eyes widened, puzzled. "See, internal regret can lead to doubt, but too much self-belief can be worse. One could even compare it to arrogance in one's skills." He sighed. "Imagine the weakest being in the world suddenly believing they can take on the likes of the gods, or perhaps a tank. They'd get themselves kill in an instance, or fail at the very least." Cade glared. "We all live with regret and content. One should never overpower the other. Our content allows us to strive forward, whereas our regret teaches us from mistake or perhaps forces us to face a side of ourselves we choose to forget."

Wash squeezed his arm as he looked off to the side. Tamara scratched the back of her head awkwardly. Artemis looked down and glared at the ground. Emily glanced up with a light scoff. Juniper merely teetered on her feet with a neutral expression. Almost everyone took a moment of silence as brief memories came to them.

"When our energies are in perfect alignment, we become something greater than the sum of our parts. Powerful now, we may be, but we can achieve power well beyond what we know currently." Cade closed his eyes. "Today's lesson focuses on internal balance, reflecting on the core of your character and figuring out who you are."

Artemis crossed her forelegs and raised her brow skeptically. "I'm not following. What's the point of this?"

Cade shook his head. "Well, aside from clearing your minds of doubt and egotism, it serves a greater purpose." He opened his eyes. "As you all know, certain Pokémon can achieve greater power through Mega Evolution. It requires a strong will and heart to initiate the change. With us Fusions, however, we all have something greater that can be access through hard work and balance with ourselves."

Shane raised his brow. "Wait…are you saying…?"

Cade smiled to the crowd and held his hips. "Children, today you'll be learning how to achieve Fusion Mode."

The crowd gasped in shock. Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Fusion Mode? As in the higher evolutionary state exclusive to us Fusions?"

Cade nodded. "Precisely." He held his finger up. "Fusion Mode isn't present with Fusions until they've reached the age of maturity, basically when all of you become teenagers. However, maturity doesn't automatically grant you the power to use it. A balanced mind and soul is required to access the state." He crossed his arms. "Unlike Mega Evolution, Fusion Mode requires no key items to perform the change. Balancing the soul requires a steady calmness. Balancing the mind, however, requires internal understanding of yourself."

"Meaning?" Crawford asked.

"It means you must recognize both sides of your character. A light and a darkness manifests in every soul, whether they like it or not. No life is without fault."

"How so?" Dez asked.

Cade crossed his arms and thought for a moment, then smiled. "Perhaps it's time for a demonstration." He placed his palms together, then took a deep breath.

The crowd stared at him patiently, waiting for him to make the first move in his demonstration. They were anxious to see a master at work. Cade exhaled his breath, then moved his hands apart. The crowd gasped once more as blue and red energy trailed off his palms. Blue energy followed his right palm while red energy followed his left.

"These energies are the principles of balance within all living creatures." He glanced at the red energy. "Red represents our regret. Something in our lives we hold on to, whether it be a moment in life or a core part of our character we cannot avoid." He spun the energy around.

"Growing up was hard for me as a child. My parents didn't want me going out in public, fearing what I was would drive the neighborhood against me. From birth up to my years in high school, I hid who I truly was. Only my family knew the truth. I had to lie to my friends and the love of my life. I forsake my true self." The red energy glowed brighter. "However, all secrets find some way to show themselves. I was revealed to the public and shunned for my appearance. I was unhappy with who I was…because the world couldn't see past the Fusion I was.

"But not everyone abandoned me." He waved his left hand around. "Blue is our content. Memories and those we cherish most. My love…my girlfriend…despite my friends abandoning me, she stayed by my side and made me the happiest man I could be. Now, I have a loving wife and a beautiful daughter to cherish for the rest of my life. They stepped into my life and never abandoned my side."

The two energies swirled around Cade. "One must not denounce their regret or their content. They are what make us into the Fusions we are today. We accept these parts of ourselves, to achieve a better us. Nothing too negative, nothing too positive. Nothing is without flaw…and nothing is without hope."

He slammed his palms together, causing the energy to wrap around him and explode upward into a powerful tornado of red and blue. The mixing the energies created a burning purple with the two colors. The crowd stepped back in awe at the spectacular sight. The power it radiated could be felt by them.

Within the tornado, Cade's form and appearance shifted, gaining new alternations along with his increased power. The transformative energy exerted massive pressure for only half a minute before dispersing, really the new Cade.

His whole body developed a rock-like shell, similar in color and texture to a Spiritomb keystone. Etched markings lined over his front, back, and legs while the spiral lines on his arms remained roughly the same. Purple and green energy flowed under the lines. Surrounding his body is a thick purple and green duster coat made up of pure, ghostly energy that flowed eerily. His head was enveloped in a purple and green flame that silhouetted it. Both eyes flashed with spirals through the flame.

The crowd stood dumbstruck at the powerful force as Cade stretched his arms out. "As you can see, I'm far stronger than in my base form. This is the power you, too, can achieve through my training."

Charlie broke out into a large grin. "That. Is. So. Awesome."

Artemis held her chin and smirked. "Heh, we could send the Rogues running for the hills with that kind of firepower."

Cade shook his head. "I believe you misinterpret the use of this power, dear Artemis." He took a deep breath, then exhaled. His body enveloped in red and blue, shimmering energy for a moment before dispersing, reverting him to normal. "This is no power that can be turned on and off willy-nilly. It can be quite taxing to keep active. Plus, the Rogues are just as capable of achieving this form as you all."

"So, what is the purpose of this power?" Rebecca asked.

"Fusion Mode should only be used when the situation truly calls for it. If you're backed into a corner and your own strength is not enough, that's when it is necessary. Fusion Mode brings out the full capabilities of your mixed DNA and channels it to new heights. Plus, it can be taxing on the body if used for too long. It's much, much, _much_ more powerful than Mega Evolution, but at a higher cost. With Mega Evolution, Pokémon can stay in their altered forms for as long as the battle lasts without negative side effects." Cade held his chin. "Well, except for increased aggression, but that's for those who are untrained."

York raised his hand. "How long will it take us to master Fusion Mode?"

"That's entirely dependent on you. Though, this is high level training I'm teaching. It could very well take months to master."

Artemis' jaw dropped, aghast by the estimation. "I'm sorry, but MONTHS?!"

Cade waved his finger. "There's a lot that goes into even achieving the form. The startup takes a long time to get down. One wrong move and you'll exhaust yourself on the spot."

Quinn narrowed his eyes. _So, this isn't something to take lightly._

"Learning more about Fusion Mode means having to dig deeper into the core of your characters. It'll be hard, dare I say frightening, but it's necessary if you wish to become stronger." Cade held his hips. "I'm not forcing all of you to take up this training. If any of you wish to back down, do so now."

The Fusions looked at the ground for a moment, contemplating their options. Was there any reason _not_ to take up the training? Sure, it required them to dig into repressed memories and…find themselves, which could lead to some bad memories resurfacing. However, the point of putting up with all their training was to get stronger and better at fighting. If they had to face the worst of themselves, then they'll do it.

After a moment of no objection, Cade closed his eyes and smiled. "No complaints? Good." He opened his eyes, with his left spiral eye flashing with purple and green energy. "Let's get down to the basics!"

* * *

Back with Julian and Liam, the Machamp narrowed his eyes seriously at the godly ape, who waited patiently for the businessman to get on with his findings. Julian reached into his desk drawers and pulled out a couple files before throwing them onto the desk, in front of Liam.

"My investigation team swept every inch of the labs to find evidence related to the file. This was all they could find."

Liam picked one file up and opened it. "I see. Do we have a name or identification for the owner?"

Julian narrowed his eyes. "Well…yes and no."

Liam raised his brow. "How can it be both?"

"We don't have a name or even the owner's species. However, that's only part of the problem." He held up one of the files. "Fact is, we still have no clue how these got in undetected, unless my mysterious perpetrator happens to be a spirit of the undead."

Liam blinked in confusion. "I don't follow."

Julian sighed. "This is going to take a bit of explaining. So, from what Codex told me, the documents were fairly new. The paper, at least. However, doing more digging, my team found a conveniently placed envelope in one of my employee's drawers." Julian pulled a piece of paper out of his blazer. "And, what do you know, it appears that envelope contained the half the key to the documents."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Did you question the employee about this?"

"Of course I did. I had him brought down here and questioned him intensively, but he didn't know anything about it. I had to question everyone one of the scientists stationed in that lab, but they didn't plant it. None of them did." He waved the file around. "Naturally, I used the incomplete key to determine what was on the page.

"The science it uses is rather outdated compared to today. Incomplete research on genetics with numbers that have been disproven in later years. I did some research to determine where this all came from. As far as I can tell, the language and science depicted indicates these documents are around three hundred years old."

Liam raised his brow skeptically. "Three hundred years?"

"I'm not saying anything like the perpetrator is an _actual_ ghost, but the research, including certain references to events, indicate these were written within that period." He looked at the documents. "Now, of course, that means they've been transferred over to new paper to keep the info fresh, but still…" He narrowed his eyes. "And then there's the manner of how we've been finding them."

"What do you mean?"

Julian leaned back and crossed his arms. "Well, think about it. I'm just _now_ discovering these documents when I never knew they existed." He glared. "I think someone's purposely planting them for me to find."

Liam rubbed his chin. "How very odd…" He narrowed his eyes. "What are the contents on the documents?"

Julian held them up. "Unfortunately, with the incomplete key, I can only interpret so much. Half this stuff is still illegible." He sighed. "Plus, after decoding everything, I made another discovery." He held the documents out and separated two pages from each other. The first had the number '4' on the bottom corner while the other presented the number '7.' "These aren't all the files. Someone must have taken the rest. For what reason? Probably to hide whatever it is they want me to find."

"Find what?"

Julian pointed to the second page. "According to what I could decode and guess, there's an unmarked location on the planet. From what I can tell, this is a set of coordinates to find it." He sighed in annoyance. "And…it's written in another freakin' code." He held his face and groaned. "What is with this guy and codes?!"

Liam held up the paper and rubbed his chin. "So, what we're looking at is three hundred-year-old documents that have ties to genetics and have more secrets hidden in this mystery location?" He narrowed his eyes at Julian. "Somethings definitely not right here. This is all looking too complex to be nothing."

"You suppose this mysterious location holds secrets?" Julian asked.

"A safe bet. If you truly believe someone is leaving these for you to find, it means they need help digging whatever it is up. The question is the intent. We still don't know what it is they want or why it's so important. Do these documents even mention what's hidden?"

"Without half the key, it's nonsense to me. Whoever they are purposely gave enough information without revealing the end goal in mind." Julian crossed his arms. "It's all too much to be taken lightly."

"So, what do you intend to do about it?"

"Ha, I'm going to look for it, of course."

Liam raised his brow questionably. "So…do exactly this mystery man wants you to do?"

"I intend to research and analyze whatever this mystery man wants. They clearly want something unearthed, but I'll make sure I'm the only one with access to it." He glared. "Meaning I can't have any other employees, or even the public, knowing about this. If anyone catches wind of some mysterious siting out in the middle of nowhere or whatever, it'll be hounded by reporters from all round. You know how greedy some people can get. If I have to deal with that, this mystery site will be compromised. We don't even know what it is we're looking for, so we can't take chances."

Liam nodded. "I'll make sure to inform the council about this."

"Just don't tell anyone else. I want to keep this as confidential as possible, at least until I've determined what all of this is." He held his finger up. "And we certainly can't let the Rogues know. You know how crafty they can be. They'll jump on the opportunity to unearth something dangerous if it'll benefit them."

"Right."

"Once I find this location, I'll enlist a team to help me dig it up. I may also require some assistance from a team of trusted Fusions. Think you can handle that?"

Liam nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem. Just say the word and I'll round up a team who can help."

Julian smiled. "I knew I could count on you, Liam." He sighed, then rubbed his head. "All of this is going to rob me of sleep. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better."

"Of course." Liam stood up and retrieved his staff. "If that's all, I shall be taking my leave."

Julian nodded. "Of course. I'll contact you soon should anything else come up. You have a good day, Liam."

"…you too, Julian." Liam turned away, tapped his staff down twice, then disappeared in a flicker. Julian reorganized the papers and sighed before turning back to his computer and continuing his work.

Outside the office window, Eli detached the listening device before sitting back down on the edge of the roof, rubbing his chin. "Hmm…how peculiar. The secret documents revealed a secret location? How…mysterious." Eli snickered behind his hand. "And he doesn't want the Rogues knowing about it? Oh Julian, unfortunately for you, you'll be getting some extra help in your digging. I'll make sure to take whatever this secret location has in store for the glory of the Rogues."

The dark poisoner leaped off the building and glided into the city, laughing to himself as he mentally prepared himself. He wasn't sure when, but he had to prepare for an important trip in the near future.

* * *

Back in Gappei Village, the Fusions were hard at work trying to perfect Fusion Mode. Since the process had to be taught through various steps, the first was learning through meditation. Everyone took meditative stances with their eyes closed and breathing rhythmic.

For the most part, everyone was doing fairly well at retaining the stances. The key, according to Cade, was to equalize their energies before they could fully harness them. Meditation was the easy part, but actually getting to the self-reflection will be a challenge.

Though, not everyone was having the easiest time getting it down. Spaz, for instance, couldn't stop himself from jittering in place. He tried to keep himself still and unmoving, but his body shook and buzzed with impatience. He held his breath tightly, trying to keep himself from bursting out.

Tamara looked to her side and saw the time mouse struggling to focus. "Uh, Spaz? You okay there?"

Hearing the ninja cat speak to him caused Spaz to exhale a sharp breath before falling over on his back. He kept his eyes off Tamara as his face lit up red. "I-I-I'm fine!" His blush deepened as Tamara proceeded to pick him up under the arms and set him back on his feet.

"I get this is troubling for you, but you need to relax yourself if you want to learn Fusion Mode." She grabbed his wrists and pressed his palms together. "Try not to think so much about moving. I may like to run fast, too, but I know when it's time to sit still."

Spaz shivered from her touch, but he took a deep breath and attempted to relax himself. He exhaled shakily and closed his eyes. "R-R-Right…" He breathed in and out repeated and focused on keeping himself still. Tamara pulled away and smiled.

"See? Not so hard, is it?" Spaz opened one eye at her, then smiled thankfully with a blush on his cheeks.

While that was going on, Wash tried to focus on meditating, though he was worried he wouldn't get it down. When Cade said he had to face his own regrets, it made the Frogadier-Banette worry he'll have to confront that side of himself he wanted to forget.

Thankfully, the Fusion meditating next to him made a useful distraction for such thoughts. Juniper stood next to him in the same stance, though the light bit of drool dripping from his mouth indicated she was seeking enlightenment through meditation.

"Juniper?" No response. "Juniper, wake up!"

The sleepy panda snapped awake, nearly falling backwards. "Whoa!" Thankfully, she caught herself and sighed. "Phew…" She smiled at Wash. "Need something?"

"Focus. Don't you want to learn Fusion Mode?"

She laughed. "Oh, don't worry about me, Washster. The point of this is to clear our heads, right?" She knocked on her head and laughed again. "Pretty clear up here!"

"Just please try to stay awake. This is pretty important."

She patted his arm. "Aww, you're sweet. Alright, I'll try to keep my eyes open." She pressed her palms together and inhaled gently. Wash smiled, then presumed meditating.

Everyone was slowly getting the hang of the meditation…all except Artemis. The impatient Sylveon Fusion grumbled under her breath as she shifted in place, trying to get comfortable. Her closed eye twitched uncomfortably. She tried to keep herself together, trying to be patient…but she couldn't it.

She threw her head back and screamed in frustration. "Ugh! This is so LAME!"

Her boyfriend opened one eye at her, not breaking his stance. "Artemis, come on, it isn't that hard."

"Easy for you to say! You're used to doing all this meditation stuff! I'm a fighter, though! I don't practice meditation! I practice kicks and headbutts!" She kicked the air with her hindlegs, then threw her head forward. She stretched her legs out and yawned tiredly. "I'm not…*yawn*…going to get this down."

Quinn ceased meditating and raised his brow. "Um, how so?"

Artemis rubbed her eyes with her feelers. "Cade said we have to embrace who we are and junk like that, but I don't have any problems. I've moved on from my past and I'm _clearly_ the most chill Fusion around," she bragged.

Quinn scratched his cheek. "Pretty sure Asadi and Juniper have you beat there…" He glanced at the Sylveon-Scrafty curiously as she rubbed her tired eyes. He saw them droop, like she was ready to fall asleep. "Uh, Art? Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Huh?" Artemis smiled at him. "Oh, don't worry about it."

"You sure? I've never seen you this…groggy before. And you're acting a bit more irritable than usual."

She scoffed and waved it off. "It's nothing more than a little off day, Spooks. These early morning exercises are starting to get to me, I guess."

Quinn scratched his head. "I suppose, but I don't normally see you this sleepy. You stay up late a lot, sure, but you're usually more energetic throughout the day."

She, once again, waved it off. "I'm fine, Spooks. Don't worry about me."

Quinn narrowed his eyes worriedly, but didn't press on about the matter further. "Okay…but if anything's wrong, just tell me."

She yawned into her paw. "I will, I will, but I'm fine."

Quinn sighed, then resumed his meditation stance. He opened his eye for a moment to glance at the tired Fusion next to him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his training. He'll have to keep an eye on Artemis to make sure she's speaking the truth.


	21. Dreaming of a Better Life

Training had been going on for the last few days. With Fusion Mode now their main objective to master, the Fusions will stop at nothing to unlock that hidden power buried deep inside them. However, the process will be mentally taxing from what everyone agreed upon. As it turns out, no one likes being reminded of regrets in their past. Some of them were having trouble even wondering what it was they had to reflect on or how accepting it works. Do they have to say or…truly accept it?

Regardless, it wasn't something they wanted picking at their brains all night. With physical training and Fusion Mode training underway, they still had a lot to learn in order to get a full grasp on their abilities.

However, it became clear to some this won't be the easiest task in the world.

It was the middle of the night in Gappei Village and everyone was fast asleep in their beds. No activity other than the calm winds drifting by gently. Within the hut of Quinn, Ren, and Artemis, though, things weren't particularly peaceful.

Quinn slept with his covers wrapped around him, attempting to be as sound as possible. However, Quinn wasn't known for being a heavy sleeper. He can wake up rather easily should anything particular disturb him, like a nightmare, constant bothering, or any particular sound that would alert him.

Like, for instance, someone walking around on the bottom level.

The nightmare lizard opened his eyes and turned his body around tiredly, checking to see what was happening. He found a small lantern sitting on the kitchen counter, along with someone messing around in the fridge. Unless someone broke into their hut, it was either Ren or Artemis.

Quinn threw his sheets off and levitated off the bed. He floated past the other two rooms and crossed his arms. Ren was fast asleep with his new book resting on his face. _He's been reading that thing all week._ Quinn checked Artemis' room, then found an unusual sight.

She wasn't in bed.

The deceptive Fusion made it clear that she hated to be woken up early or in the middle of the night, so seeing her out of bed this late raised some questions that the Charmeleon-Darkrai wanted answered. He floated down to the floor, careful not to make a sound.

As he guessed, the Sylveon Fusion was in the kitchen. She was pouring herself a glass of milk before placing it in the microwave. She put the milk back after turning on the microwave. She looked down and rubbed her tired eyes with an exhausted sigh.

She looked forward at the microwave, then smiled drowsily. "Sorry that I woke you, Spooks."

Quinn shook his head, then walked up to her. "Do you know what time it is?"

She shrugged. "Two o'clock? I've been awake at that time before."

"Yeah, when you were still awake and not in bed at eleven." Quinn pinched between his eyes and sighed. "Why are you up so late? You _never_ get up once you fall asleep."

Artemis chuckled lightly. "First time for everything, right?"

Quinn crossed his arms. "Artemis, you're not pulling that on me. I know you. You lie through your teeth just to act tough." He narrowed his eyes caringly. "We're alone, you know. Don't need to put an act up in front of me."

"…" Artemis sighed, then turned to the microwave once her milk finished warming up. She pulled it out, then sat in a chair, with the Charmeleon Fusion joining her. She took a sip of her milk and set it down, tracing her digit around the edge. "Sssooo…remember before this whole deal with Roteman started and when we were talking about _your_ nightmares?" She chuckled dryly. "Yeah, uh…guess I'm not immune to the same treatment."

Quinn leaned forward. "You've been waking up in the middle of the night, huh? Why? What were the nightmares?"

She scratched her head, clearly showing she needed to go back to bed. "Honestly, I can't remember. I thought nightmares would be easier to remember, but…I guess I can't recall what's throwing me out of sleep." She shook her head. "I didn't want to worry you…though, hearing myself out loud, I sound like a massive hypocrite." She laughed restlessly and rubbed her eyes. "…maybe I'm being stupid."

"Artemis, you've been pretty tired over the last few days. When did this start?"

She sighed. "I…guess I woke up in the middle of the night before that lecture with Cade. Nothing too bad…but then I found it harder to get any rest after training started."

"Is that so?" Quinn rubbed his chin and thought it over. "Hmm…curious…"

She sipped her milk and leaned back in her chair. "Maybe all that self-reflection crap is getting to my head. Making my…psyche all loopy and…reflective…" She crossed her forelegs. "I don't know, you're the smart one, not me."

Quinn tapped his chin. "Well, I'm not sure if there's much we can do right now. Perhaps we can figure it out in the morning."

Artemis groaned and rested her chin on the table. "Assuming I don't wake up an hour later."

He rubbed her back. "Maybe I can soothe you to sleep. You know I've dealt with nightmares, too. I know some ways…to…" He blinked, then looked at his hand, then at his mane. His eyes widened with sudden realization. "Wait…or maybe I can tackle the problem directly?"

"You're going to beat the nightmare out of me?" Artemis questioned. She straightened up and gave him a look. "Spooks, while I'm not one to turn down a fight-"

"No, no, no, no, not literally," he quickly stated, waving his hands. "I mean, let me enter your dreams and see what's bugging you so much."

Artemis blinked, then pointed at him. "You're suggesting…that you go inside my head?" He nodded, which led her to blush in embarrassment. "Um…I-I-I don't know, Spooks. I love you and all, but I don't think we're _that_ far into our relationship," she joked nervously. She blushed brighter as he placed his hand on her paw.

He smiled at her. "You can trust me, Artemis. I'm just going to poke around inside and see what's bugging you. I'll try and convince your dreams that whatever's troubling you isn't worth getting worked up about."

She narrowed her eyes. "You're willing to stay up just to help me sleep?"

He chuckled. "Of course. I'd do anything to make you happy."

She blinked, then smiled caringly. "Oh Quinn…" She leaned forward, wrapped her forelegs around him, and kissed him, to which he returned the affection. They kissed for a few seconds before separating. She nuzzled his head. "You're sweet…"

"I try to be," he stated as he rubbed her back.

The Sylveon Fusion patted the back of his head, then whispered with a smirk, "But if you see anything in my brain that'll lead to teasing, you're getting the full onslaught of my type advantages." Quinn laughed awkwardly, not taking the threat seriously.

* * *

Once they were up in Artemis' room, the Sylveon Fusion finished off the last of her warm milk, set the glass on her nightstand, then relaxed her head in Quinn's lap. He made sure to make the bed comfortable before they performed the deed.

Artemis twiddled her digits together. "Sssooo, how does this work exactly?"

"It's pretty simple. I'm going to use Dark Void to put you to sleep, then I'll use a low level Dream Eater to place myself in your subconscious. Once inside, I'll refresh your previous dream and work my way through the shifting images."

Artemis scratched her head, a bit confused by his plan, but she shrugged. She trusted him, even if she was a bit uncomfortable with him going around in her thoughts. "Just…don't go snooping too deep."

Quinn patted her head. "You have my word." He inhaled calmly, then looked into her eyes. "If you're ready, we can begin."

She nodded. "Yeah, sure…"

He leaned down and gave her one more kiss before whispering, "Sweet dreams." He channeled dark energy through his hands, then sent a wave of it across Artemis. Her eyes widened for a moment, then they glazed over before closing as she drifted off to sleep. She snoozed soundly in the Charmeleon Fusion's lap.

He took a minute to admire her sleeping form, finding it rather cute. He shook his head lightly, then narrowed his eyes. "Okay Quinn, let's see what's bothering Artemis so much. Dream Eater." His eyes flashed red as a shadow of energy casted from his body and wrapped around Artemis. His eyes rolled back as he fell back unconscious.

* * *

 _Quinn opened his eyes, then found himself in the middle of a dark void. A pitch-black darkness that seemed to stretch on for miles. He looked around meticulously for anything out of place, but it was nothing more than sheer emptiness._

" _Okay, I guess I'm in." Quinn raised his claw, then twirled it around, forming a ring of dark energy. "I want to see Artemis' last known dream. I want to know what's connecting her nightmares to her psyche."_

 _He concentrated for a moment to find the right dream frequency, before stumbling upon something that felt nightmarish. Once he found his target, he stomped his foot down hard, rumbling the surrounding blackness before it shattered apart like glass. The darkness crumbled and vanished into dark wisps as it broke apart._

 _Once the blackness was gone, Quinn's eyes were bombarded with a bright white light. Soon after, he was hit with a cold breeze that slammed against his back. He gripped himself and shivered from the cold as he looked around. Once his eyes adjusted, he made out the snow-covered town he was stuck in. A blanket of white covering the buildings and roads. A powerful wind wash over the town, bringing about its icy bitterness._

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Her dream starts here? Where is here?" He looked around. "And more importantly, where's Artemis and her nightmare?" He held his arm over his eyes. "Ugh, it's going to take me forever to find my way through this mess of a dreamscape."_

 _Before he started wandering aimlessly, the winds spun around him and completely blinded him of the town. He covered his eyes as he stumbled around in the swirling snow. Once it dropped, he opened his eyes and looked around. The scene now shifted to a neighborhood covered in snow. It dropped him off in front of a small house._

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes curiously, then walked up to the house. He breathed on the window, then wiped it to get a clearer view of the inside. He peeked around and discovered it was a living room. Not too many possessions, just a simple couch, rug, and an outdated TV. There weren't even family picture hanging from the walls._

" _Odd…" he mumbled._

" _Hehehehe! You can't catch me, Daddy!"_

 _Quinn's eyes immediately darted to the squeaking voice coming into the living room. His eyes widened upon seeing it was an Eevee-Scrafty, one completely identical to Artemis when she was still an Eevee, only she was much younger._

" _Artemis…" he said aloud. He looked around. "This is her home?" He blinked. "Wait, daddy?"_

 _Just as he questioned that, a Luxray came into the living room with a tired grin. He wore a pair of glasses. He chuckled lightly. "Slow down, sweetheart. Dad's not quite that energetic today."_

 _Artemis kneeled down, wagged her tail, then ran under her father's legs before leaping at his tail and biting down on it. Though, her teeth didn't do anything to hurt the Luxray, rather it felt like a light nibble. "Grr! I got you!"_

 _Luxray wagged his tail until Artemis was thrown off into the air and caught in his forelegs. He smirked at the giggling Fusion. "Now I got you," he stated, tickling under her chin, making her laugh._

 _Quinn smiled lightly. "Aww…now that's really sweet." He then blinked, then scratched his head. "Wait, how is this connected to her nightmares, though?"_

 _Before he could ponder it critically, the lights to the house cut out unexpectedly, leading Artemis to squeak nervously. Luxray rubbed her head, then glared up at the ceiling. "Dammit, the power went out again."_

" _OH, what a surprise!" Quinn turned to the living room entrance as a new figure entered the scene. A Vaporeon who looked absolutely enraged. "Power always goes out at the worst possible times! I was trying to heat up my leftovers!"_

 _Luxray set Artemis down and turned to the Vaporeon. "Irma, calm down."_

" _Calm down?! CALM DOWN?! Silas, take a look around, will you! WE'RE DIRT POOR! We can barely keep this house running because you're stingy on paying the electric bill! You have a ton of money saved up in your account! Why the hell are we sitting in the dark?!"_

" _Irma, I've told you, we need that money to afford the new house. I understand this is all frustrating, but it'll all be worth it once we move out of town."_

 _Irma scoffed. "We'd be better off living in a motel! Why couldn't you find a better job than what you've got now?!"_

" _I'm an intern, dear. I'm working as hard as I can to get the promotion. I was fortunate enough to convince my boss to make me a paid intern, but it requires me to be away a lot."_

 _She rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course! That excuses you for sticking me on a flimsy budget and leaving me to take care of that accident over there!" Artemis' ears drooped as she shied away from the aggressive Vaporeon._

 _Quinn's claws clenched the windowsill tightly as he glared at the Vaporeon. "Accident?"_

 _Silas shook his head. "Dear, I know we weren't expecting Artemis to be a Fusion, but…that's no reason for such harsh language. She's our daughter and we have to raise her properly."_

 _Irma glared the other way. "We would have more money to use if she wasn't around. Certainly save me the trouble of having to eat those tiresome leftovers in the fridge."_

 _Silas groaned and rubbed his face. "Why do you have to be so greedy?"_

 _Irma glared. "Don't act like you have a say in this argument. We're standing in a house without electricity! I say we'd just hook you up to a battery and power the house that way!"_

" _Okay, first off, I do have a say in this argument. I'm budgeting the money as fairly as possible. Secondly, there is no way I can supply a constant stream of power that would keep this house running! Do you know much that would exhaust me?!"_

 _Irma glared. "And I'm not exhausted sleeping in a house without proper heating? You're too cheap! You leave for days, maybe even months, just to get that promotion at the science labs, yet I'm stuck here trying to manage the electricity around here AND making sure this one doesn't get in my way!"_

" _She's a child, Irma. She just wants affection from her mother."_

 _Irma rolled her eyes. "Give it a few years and the real world will give her a slap to the face."_

" _I'm doing the best I can on such a short salary!"_

 _Irma glared. "We could be living better if you put more money into keeping this house powered and stocked with food for more than a week!"_

" _You're the one complaining about this town for the blizzards! Don't you want to leave?!"_

" _I want a life of luxury, not this! I've never had to deal with this sort of life!" Irma snarled. "If you don't swallow your damn pride and use that money to give us better living conditions NOW, I'll have to do something about it!"_

" _Now listen here, I…!"_

 _With that, the two shouted at each other loudly, arguing left and right on the issue of money. As they argued, Artemis crawled under the couch and hid herself with her forelegs over her head, shivering and waiting for the fighting to stop. Quinn stared at the small Fusion in pity, then glanced over at the arguing Pokémon._

 _He stepped away from the window and held his hips, sighing. "Artemis never mentioned much about her parents…though, she did mention her mother was cruel and…her father was…no longer with her…"_

 _His eyes widened as a strong breeze blasted against his back and obscured the scene in front of him. He turned around and found himself in a new location. He was now inside the house, specifically near the front door. He jumped back when he saw he was in the middle of Silas and Irma, with the former looking utterly shocked by something the Vaporeon said._

" _What do you mean you're leaving?!"_

 _Irma sneered. "You heard me." She glared down at the meek Fusion, who looked at her front paws awkwardly. "Frankly, I was getting sick and tired of taking care of her! However, what I'm really getting annoyed with is YOU!" she yelled, making Silas flinch._

" _W-What do you mean?"_

" _Oh, don't give me that! Every day, it's the same excuse! We can't afford anything because you want to save up for our future! Well, guess what, buster?! I'm done living like this! I'd be better off living homeless! At least then, I wouldn't have to worry about budgeting money!"_

 _Silas was absolutely baffled by her. "Y-Y-You can't be serious! You'd rather live out in the cold than in the comforts of our house?! How does that make sense?!"_

" _Oh please, I can find someplace better to live! I refuse to stay in a barely functioning house raising this thing for no reason other than for standards!"_

 _Silas gripped his head and shouted out in frustration. "You…You…You can't just do that! I'm doing all I can to raise money! If you just stay patient with me for a little longer-"_

" _A little longer?! How much longer?! Another year of freezing our butts off?!" She glared. "I didn't marry you just to work for my survival! Look at us! We're poor because you are so darn cheap! I want is something more! I will not stand living out here with no benefit whatsoever!"_

 _Silas glared back at her, angrily. "Irma, I'm doing everything I can! I'm doing this for you and Artemis!"_

" _You have a funny way of showing it…" She glared at the meek Fusion. "We'd be better off living on the streets and living like thieves. Dishonest work, sure, but at least we'd have a better chance of living out here when the answer is right in front of us!"_

 _Silas clenched his teeth. "You complain about this town, now you're complaining about money troubles! I thought you would be able to put up with some budget restraints!"_

" _You're a scientist, not an accountant! Bland microwavable meals, faulty power, all this FREAKIN' snow, and so much more I should be mad about! Frankly, you've been making my life worse ever since we moved here, all because we needed somewhere cheap to live so we can get a better home!"_

 _Quinn stepped next to Silas and observed the pain in his eyes. The Luxray looked like he was struggling to not cry. The Charmeleon Fusion noticed Artemis walking away from her mother and looking up at her dad. He rubbed his eyes, then asked, "Y-Yes, sweetheart?"_

 _Her eyes watered, then she hugged her foreleg. "I don't like it when you're sad, Daddy…" She closed her eyes. "Please don't be sad…"_

 _Silas resisted the need to breakdown into tears for the sake of his daughter's wishes. He scooped her up in his paws and looked at her. "Artemis…I'm sorry you've had to live like this. I promise you, I'll find some way to make everything better. It'll be hard, and you may have to tough some things out. But I know you can handle it."_

 _Artemis quivered, then clenched her eyes shut and gave a sharp nod. "I-I'll be strong, Daddy!"_

 _Silas hugged the little Fusion. "That's my girl…"_

 _Quinn smiled lightly at the bonding between the two, then turned his attention to Irma. Now, it'd make sense that Artemis wouldn't be able to remember every exact detail from her memories. She had a rough idea of what her house looked like since she lived in it for so long. It'd also make sense that she wouldn't remember her mother's expression during this moment since she wasn't looking at her._

 _What_ didn't _make sense was the shadowed over face the Vaporeon gave, followed by a flash of blood red from her eye. Quinn's blood went cold as he back away from the Vaporeon. Something about this didn't feel like a memory._

" _When I ask for something…" Irma said slowly, though it felt like it was being directly aimed at Quinn, much to his horror. "I'm not making suggestions…" She stepped forward. "I'm giving…" She flashed a demonic stare at the nightmare Fusion._ _ **"AN ORDER!"**_

 _Quinn screamed and tripped over backwards, following on the hardwood floor. However, when his back touched the floor, the entire house and dream Pokémon exploded into snow, transporting the Charmeleon into complete whiteness. He sprung to his feet in alert and looked around frantically for the insane Vaporeon._

" _What…What was that?" he asked himself as he held his racing heart. Dreams don't usually notice him unless he willed it. He definitely didn't will a dream Vaporeon to turned into a demonic creature and scream at him. The only plausible explanation would be... "I'm getting closer to her nightmare," he mumbled._

* * *

 _Moments after the brief scare, Quinn trudged through the blanket of snow, mulling over the new information he has on Artemis' past. Frankly, he wasn't happy with what he saw so far._

 _He looked down worriedly. "I never realized…Artemis had to go through a dysfunctional family like this…" He trudged through the snow, trying to find his way through Artemis' memories. "Controlling and manipulative mother and a father who…" He shook his head. "Is it really true, though?"_

 _A piece of paper fluttered through the wind, catching his attention. He snatched it before he it could fly away. He unfolded it, then gasped. Before he could read it, the letter flooded out a water. A quick whiff of it indicated a salty smell._

" _Are these…tears?" he questioned. That didn't spell good news for this letter then. He glanced over the letter. "Mrs. Copas, we regret to inform you that your husband, Silas Copas, was…" Quinn didn't continue. He didn't want to._

 _Artemis said she didn't like talking about her past, especially when it came to her father. She didn't mention much about it, but…the letter said Silas died in an accidental car crash. She told him this in passing, but never stayed on the topic for too long. Just seeing the letter that was ingrained into her subconscious with such fine detail…she must have read this over hundreds of times to memorize it so meticulously._

 _Quinn clutched the paper tightly. Silas seemed like the one thing in Artemis' life that made her happy. To see something as simple as a car crash strip that away from her, it must have broken her little heart at such a young age._

 _The letter disappeared into the wind as the scene, once again, changed, sending him in the middle of the street, in front of a small shop between two larger buildings. The front looked barely shoveled out of snow, which continued to pile on in front of the shop._

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes. "If Artemis has been living like this, then how is she and her mother surviving out here for so long?"_

 _Suddenly, he felt someone walked through him like a ghost. He jumped back in surprise, then gasped as he saw Artemis walking towards the shop. She was dressed in a green winter coat and a black beanie, keeping her warm and concealing her Fusion appearance. The jacket, however, looked a little big on her. Regardless, she stepped through the deep snow before pushing the door to the shop open._

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes suspiciously, then followed Artemis inside. The shop was pretty standard. Shelves of food and racks holding items such as hats, keychains, and stuff that would make good souvenirs. Though, from his experience in this dream memory, this wasn't the best vacationing spot._

 _He stepped behind Artemis and observed her interaction with the store clerk, a Tropius. The dinosaur looked down at her and smiled. "Ah, hello, little one. How may I help you?"_

 _Artemis dragged her paw around the floor shyly. "Um, well…my mommy sent me to pick up some berries and…"_

 _The clerk chuckled. "Say no more, sweetheart. What kind?"_

 _Artemis reached into her jacket and pulled out a list. "Um…she says she wants Chilan and Kebia…"_

 _He nodded. "Very well. You wait here while I get those for you." He turned around and went to the back._

 _Quinn scratched his cheek curiously. "Hmm…she's just making her do errands? Well, I suppose that isn't so bad." However, he noticed Artemis looking all around her, as if making sure no one else could see her, before sneaking around the counter. The Charmeleon Fusion found this suspicious and jumped over the counter to take a look. "Artemis, what are you-?"_

 _He stopped midsentence when he saw the bottles of alcohol lined up behind the shelf, clearly placed there to keep out of sight of children. Artemis traced her digit across the bottles before snagging some vodka and stuffing it inside her coat. She quickly checked over her shoulder before running back into place and waiting for the Tropius to return._

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes. "…oh."_

 _He saw the Tropius returned, so he jumped off the counter and watched as he handed off the bag to Artemis. "That'll be twenty dollars."_

 _Artemis fished out a twenty from her coat pocket and handed it over. "Thank you."_

" _You're quite welcome. Have a great day and stay warm."_

 _Artemis waved with an innocent smile. "You too!" She pushed the door open with her back, then trudged through the bitter cold with the extra weight adding difficulty into the difficult task._

 _Quinn followed behind the Eevee Fusion, glaring ahead. "Guess she wasn't kidding about the whole stealing thing." Quinn held his face and groaned. "I can't believe this…no wonder Artemis has a thieving problem. It's basically her whole life."_

 _He followed the dream Eevee for a few seconds longer before the scene accelerated forward in time and landed him straight in front of an abandoned apartment complex. Windows were boarded up and the exterior was weathered down from the wind and snow._

 _Quinn was appalled by this sight. "You've got to be kidding me…this is where they're living?!" He watched Artemis pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Quinn narrowed his eyes. "I've got to see this for myself." He melted into shadow and slipped under the door._

 _Once he appeared out of the shadows, he got a good look of the abandoned building. From the looks of it, the building suffered heavy damage due to a fire, based on the scorch marks surrounding the walls. No one must have torn down the building yet. Supplies such as TVs and battery-operated heaters were on the first floor._

 _He glared ahead and found Artemis' mother laying on a mattress. From the looks of it, the years have not been kind to her. She looked even more irritable than before. Bottles of liquor surrounded her space. She has not been taking care of herself, succumbing to her slothful behavior._

 _She sneered at Artemis as she walked over. "You're late…"_

 _Artemis rolled her eyes and dropped the bag of berries. "Forgive me for not owning snowshoes. Do you know how deep that snow is?"_

" _I don't need any of your sass, brat." She sat up and rubbed her eye before asking, "Did you get my vodka?"_

 _Artemis pulled it out of her jacket. "Swiped it from the front counter as usual."_

 _Irma took it and popped the cork off before taking a sip of the drink. She sighed in content, then collapsed back into her bed. "Oh, that's good stuff…"_

 _Artemis raised a brow. "Don't you think you should quit drinking so much?" She glared off to the side and muttered through her teeth, "Not that I would care…"_

" _I don't need advice from some child! Now get lost!" Artemis rolled her eyes again, then began to walk away to her side of the floor. Irma pulled the bag over and peeked through, asking, "You got everything on the list, right? Including my Razz berries?"_

 _From the mention of Razz berries, Artemis ceased walking and froze with alarm in her eyes. Quinn understood what this look implied, as he also saw Irma's face twist in annoyance as she searched through the contents of the bag. "Oh no…" Quinn muttered._

 _Irma stood up, then marched over to Artemis with a glare that was clearly holding back a lot of rage. "Artemis…" She spun the Fusion around, who was offering her a nervous grin. "Where are my Razz berries?"_

 _The Fusion laughed sheepishly as she tapped her digits together. "Ooohhh, right…those. Um, so…I'm not sure if this is worth pointing out, but…I don't have the best handwriting in the world and…" She shrunk back as Irma gazed down on her with a cold glare. "I may have…forgot to write it down?"_

 _She squeaked as Irma grabbed her by the scruff and pulled her close to meet her furious glare. "I asked you to get my Razz berries. WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THEM?!"_

" _I just forgot! It's not like I could have got them! I only had enough for the others!"_

" _You could have just gotten the Razz berries instead! Or, you know, STOLEN THEM!" she roared, blowing Artemis' fur back._

 _Artemis gulped and shivered in terror. "I-I-I'm sorry! I'll go back and steal some! I promise!" Quinn narrowed his eyes in concern. He's never seen Artemis this scared before. He could see the hate burning in her mother's eyes as she glared at her own daughter._

" _You're not getting off that easily!" She reeled her foreleg back and threw Artemis through the boarded up window, smashing through and landing face first in the snow. Irma stuck her head out and shouted, "And don't come back until you've learned your lesson!" She stomped back to her mattress and sat down, huffing in irritation._

 _Quinn glared at the cruel mother, trying to control the burning rage in his chest, before turning away. "Let it go, Quinn. You have a mission to complete." He leaped out the window, landed in the snow, then walked towards Artemis._

 _The small Fusion wept into her forelegs, absolutely fed up with her mother's selfish attitude. It broke Quinn's heart to see her so vulnerable. Artemis was always the one who acted tough in front of everyone, but…to see that this was what she used to be, it was almost jarring. A simple child who didn't know what she was doing wrong._

 _Quinn walked up to her side, then plopped his rear in the snow. He gazed at the weeping Fusion, then stroked her head. He knew it wouldn't do anything. This is just a memory, but it didn't feel right not doing something._

" _Oh Artemis…" Quinn mumbled. "You didn't deserve to be treated like this. I'm so sorry…"_

 _He continued to listen to her heartbreaking cries. He wanted to hug her and make her feel better. But, before he could give the thought any consideration, something jumped down into view, spooking Quinn._

 _He, plus Artemis, looked forward and saw it was a Sneasel-Dusknoir. He had a dreary, gray scarf wrapped around his neck, which Quinn assumed was a part of him. His feathers were yellow and his blue fur was rather pale, like that of a ghost. He had two yellow bands on each arm and his eyes were a brighter shade of red. They looked like they were glowing, in fact._

 _He crouched down and held his knees, smirking at the weeping Fusion. "Hey kid? What'cha doing out here?"_

 _Artemis sniffled, taking a moment to look at him, before burying her head back into her forelegs. "Go away…I want to be left alone…"_

 _The older Fusion, who looked to be three years older than her, nudged her sides with a cheeky grin. "Aww, come on! I'm a fun guy! You can't stay gloomy forever!"_

" _Watch me…"_

" _I would, but that'd be creepy," he joked. "But seriously, I saw what happened." He rolled his eyes. "Your, uh…mother seems like quite the temperamental nutcase."_

 _Artemis' crying softened, lighting up her tense position. "…she is. She always has been…" Artemis glared at the snow. "…I hate her…"_

" _Ouch…harsh," the older Fusion mumbled with a smirk. He shrugged. "Eh, some folks just can't look past the prejudice. Let me guess, your dad's even worse?"_

"…" _Artemis looked away, her expression saddening greatly. "My dad was amazing…_ was _amazing…"_

 _The Fusion understood the subtle implication, then flinched in realization. "Ooohhh…I am so sorry, I didn't mean to sound insensitive…"_

" _It's fine…"_

 _The Sneasel Fusion tilted his head. "Anyway, are you going to lay in the snow all day? This is how non-Ice-Types die, you know. Frostbite's a bitter death from what I've been told."_

" _My mom won't let me back inside until I've 'learned my lesson,'" she grumbled. "Basically meaning, don't come back until sunset."_

 _The Sneasel Fusion crossed his arms. "Yeah, um…that's not happening. I can't really let a little girl die in the snow. I'd take you to an ice rock and work around that problem, but that's a journey I'm not willing to take." He clapped his claws together. "So, instead, how about we go for the fun option?"_

" _Fun option?" Artemis mumbled, looking up at him with a questioning gaze. "What does that-?" She stopped and blinked as he presented a spray can to the younger Fusion._

 _He smirked impishly. "It'll be fun~!" he insisted._

 _Artemis sat up with skeptical eyes. "You're suggesting we…vandalize the city?"_

 _He shrugged. "Is anyone really going to try and stop us? This town's corrupt and broken down. It's practically uninhabitable for anyone who isn't an Ice-Type." He snickered. "Besides, we aren't hurting anyone…physically speaking. We're just going to give those prejudice Pokémon a little something to show we aren't filthy rats."_

" _I'm not sure…"_

" _At the very least, this is to help you blow off steam." He shook the spray can with a large grin. "Come on, I know you're tempted to let out your bad side. There's nothing wrong with being bad. If you ask me, it's cathartic."_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes on the spray can, then glanced over her shoulder with an angry glare. She looked back at the Fusion, then smirked and she placed her paw on the spray can. "When do we start?"_

" _After introductions." He held his hand out. "Name's Asher."_

 _She shook his hand. "Artemis. I'm Artemis."_

 _Quinn wasn't sure how he felt about this new friendship in front of him. Artemis' entire life was starting to look like she was molded by every bad influence that came into her life. Though, to be fair to Asher, at least the nightmare flame didn't want to incinerate him like he wanted to do to his girlfriend's odious mother._

 _Quinn flinched as he was subjected to another scene change via the snowstorm. He opened his eyes a bit as he found himself in front of an alleyway, with light, powdering snow decorating the grounds. The Charmeleon Fusion looked around, then his eyes widened in surprise._

" _Artemis…just why?!"_

 _The street he was standing on was covered in graffiti, ranging from insulting language to (admittedly well painted) paintings of threating symbols such as skulls, spiked bats to the skull, a skull being used as a bowling ball…wow, a lot of these paintings involved skulls._

 _One that stood out was a box shape emblem with words popping out in bold text, saying 'Mischief Duo.' The text itself was green with the popped-out sides being purple._

 _Quinn face-palmed and groaned. "I am…so glad I convinced her not to spray paint the city…" He shook his head, then made his way into the alleyway._

 _He came into a small section of the alleyway that was set up to look like a home. A dusty rug, a cooler, a couch, a TV, a makeshift sink which was really just a bucket, and much more. Sitting on the couch were Artemis and Asher, who were watching TV. Judging from how it was connected to a long cable, not to mention this was an alleyway, someone was being cheated out of power._

 _Artemis giggled in delight. "I can't believe you actually stole their cable! How haven't you been caught yet?"_

 _Asher was sitting upside down on the couch, snickering. "I did a little rewiring. They'd have to dig through the walls to find that cable."_

 _Artemis giggled once more, then looked down at her paws with a bright smile. "Asher…this past week has been…well, amazing! I've never felt more alive!" She flew back into the couch and laughed. "I feel so free!"_

 _Asher spun himself around and hooked his arm around her. "That's the beauty of living on the streets, kid. No one can stop you. You're your own Fusion." He then narrowed his eyes. "Still, why do you keep going back to your mother if you don't like her?"_

 _Artemis frowned. "I don't think I have the confidence to just leave…"_

" _Why not? You could stay here with me. I've got all the essentials to live off the land…well, live off other people's fortune." He frowned. "Seriously, your mother isn't worth your time. Just come stay with me."_

 _Artemis sighed. "I…don't know. If she knew I was still in the city, she'd come after me. She sees me as her possession for her fortune…I've tried talking back at her, but I never had the courage to."_

 _Asher narrowed his eyes and held his claws up. A thin sheet of ice froze over them, with a thick cloud of mist surrounding them. "You want me to pass the message off to her?"_

 _Artemis shook her head. "No…" He lowered his claws and looked at her. She sighed and rubbed her foreleg. "I'll…figure something out. Maybe when I have the confidence, I'll try and leave…"_

 _Asher narrowed his eyes worriedly, but sighed and looked back at the TV. "If that's what you want, I'll support you…"_

 _Quinn narrowed his eye suspiciously, beginning to see a connection to Artemis' nightmare. Her past is heavily involved from the looks of it. He just needed to keep moving deeper to find the truth. He crossed his arms and said, "Take me further into the future. When does this all start to unravel?"_

 _The snowy winds wrapped around him and blinded him in the white abyss. Once the cold air had passed, Quinn found himself on the rooftops, which were decorated in powdery snow. He looked over his shoulder and found Asher and Artemis, with the former covering the younger Fusion's eyes. Artemis looked older than before, around ten years old._

 _Artemis giggled, confused about the secrecy. "Come on, Asher! Why did you bring me up here?"_

 _Asher grinned. "A little special something for a special birthday girl." He removed his hands, allowing Artemis to look down and gasp at the item sitting in front of her paws: a small, chocolate frosted cake with ten lit candles. Asher snickered. "Happy Birthday! To you from me, your first ever chocolate cake!"_

 _Artemis' eyes lit up in delight. "For me? Oh Asher!" She lunged at him and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you SSSOOO much!"_

 _Asher laughed and patted her head. "Anything for my best friend! You deserved it!" He pulled her off and turned her towards the cake. "Don't bother with the common decency crap! Blow out the candles and dive into that cake!"_

 _She rubbed her paws together. "Way ahead of you!" She inhaled deeply and extinguished the candles with one breath, then threw her head into the cake and much loudly on the chocolatey treat, much to the amusement of Asher and Quinn._

 _Quinn scratched his head with a light chuckle. "Heh…wow." He looked up at the sky. "So, this is her birthday. The fourteenth of March." He smiled to himself. "Guess she did have some fond memories to call back to."_

* * *

 _A little while after Artemis finished her cake, she and Asher walked along the sidewalk with Quinn following close behind. Artemis tried to lick frosting she had stained on her cheeks. Her jittery eyes and wagging tail showed she absolutely enjoyed her cake, along with a small dose of sugar rush._

 _Asher snickered at her bouncy behavior. "Maybe I should have gotten you an even smaller cake."_

 _She stuck her tongue out at him. "Too late now!"_

 _Asher laughed. "Whatever." He looked on ahead with his arms folded behind his head. "Hey Artemis? Do you know about that old birthday tradition where, if you blow out your candles, you get a wish?"_

 _She ceased trying to lick the chocolate stains on her cheeks and looked at him curiously. "I'm not familiar with the tradition."_

 _Asher sighed. "Should have figured if that was your first cake." He smiled. "Well, if I remember correctly, it's a tradition centered around the wish maker, Jirachi. Basically, if you blow out your candle on your birthday, you're entitled to a wish."_

 _Artemis' eyes sparkled. "Really?!"_

" _Normally the tradition is done as you blow out the candles…" He smirked. "But hey, I'm sure good ol' Jirachi will make an exception for you."_

 _Artemis jumped around the Sneasel Fusion. "Yes, yes, yes!" She raised her paw up high. "Then my wish is for an infinite supply of-!"_

" _Doesn't work if you say it out loud," Asher warned with a teasing grin. "Plus, it's not to be taken literally. Jirachi won't come down and go out of her way to make your wish come true." He smirked. "Also, you're seriously going to waste your wish on food?"_

 _Artemis pouted with a bright blush. "Shut up!" Asher laughed out loud heartily, which got Artemis to soon join in._

 _Quinn rolled his eyes and chuckled along with them. His eyes widened as the snow picked up and changed the scene once more. However, this scene change was a little different as the world seemed to rumble. Quinn stumbled around and caught himself. He narrowed his eyes cautiously and held his fists up defensively._

" _I don't like the looks of this…" he told himself._

 _The snow dispersed and transported him back into the crummy apartment complex. He looked around cautiously before setting his eyes on Irma and Artemis, with the mother scolding her daughter for the umpteenth time._

" _Where have you been?! I sent you to get vodka hours ago!" she shouted at the Fusion._

 _Artemis seemed rather unfazed and glanced off to the side uncaringly. "I got lost…"_

" _That's a load of crap!" She jabbed Artemis' chest. "I don't ask for much around here! All I wanted is for you to steal some supplies so we can live a leisurely life out here!"_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes and pushed her paw away. "No…_ you _want to live a leisurely life. You're using me to get that leisure, even if it means acting like criminals."_

 _Irma sneered. "Oh please, you act like you don't like it!"_

" _I don't like acting like your servant," Artemis spat, trying to hold back a strain of rage in her throat._

 _Irma growled. "Listen brat, I'm your mother! You do as I say or…" She stopped talking and took a closer look at her daughter's face. "Wait…what's that on your cheeks?"_

 _Artemis covered her cheeks, though halfheartedly. "It's nothing…"_

 _Irma pushed her foreleg around and wiped her digit across her cheek. Irma inspected the brown, sticky substance, smelled it, then glared at the Fusion. "Why…is there chocolate on your face?"_

 _Artemis rolled her eyes, then said, "Because I had a chocolate cake earlier," she admitted shamelessly._

 _Irma stamped her paw down and growled angrily. "Why did you have cake without letting me know?!"_

 _Artemis clenched her teeth and looked away for a moment, before facing the Vaporeon with anger burning in her eyes. "Because it's my birthday, you ungrateful bitch!"_

 _Quinn's eyes widened, completely taken back by her sudden outburst. Living on the streets and spending time around Asher clearly helped boost her confidence. The once meek and shy Fusion was slowly molding herself into the Artemis he knew from today._

 _Artemis stomped her paw forward and growled. "You heard me! It's my birthday, not like you'd remember! I went out and had some fun! I ignored your stupid list! I'm through running errands for you! All you do is whine and moan about how you want a life of leisure! Well, guess what? You're not the only one! I've been through enough shit in my life because of you! The constant aggression, the tedious nagging, and that stubborn pride of yours! All of it! I'm done acting like some tool to you! Either you change that rotten attitude of yours or I'm leaving!"_

 _Irma glared. "Don't talk back to me like that, young lady…"_

" _NO! You have no power over me! You never did and never will!"_

 _Quinn smirked. "Way to go, Artemis!" He gasped again as the world shook, knocking him onto his knees. He looked around vigilantly. "Where is that coming from?!"_

 _He looked back at Artemis, who was glaring up at her mother. Irma glared back at the Fusion, then lowered her eyes as she let out a low, off-putting chuckle. Artemis' eyes widened, then she took a gingerly step back. Irma shook her head, still chuckling. "You simple, confused brat…" She looked directly at the Fusion. Her eyes blood red like blood. "Do you really think you can escape me?"_

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Wha-?" He gasped again as the world shook harder. "What the hell is this?!" His eyes widened as fire spread across the complex, wrapping around the walls, ceiling, and floor, trapping them all in a raging dome of heat._

 _Quinn's shock furthered as Irma increased in size. Her scales turned red and her face morphed into a more demonic shape that terrified the dream Artemis. She glared down at the tiny Fusion with a snaggletooth grin. "No matter where you go or where you hide, I will always find you! You can't…_ _ **ESCAPE ME!"**_

" _NO!" Artemis screamed as she dropped down and covered her head. "Y-Y-You don't control me!"_

" _ **I've made you into who you are! I've brought you into this world and I can easily take you out of it!"**_ _She slammed her tail down, rumbling the complex._ _ **"My word is law! You will not disobey me!"**_

 _Quinn stared at the demonic Vaporeon as realization hit him hard. "Her nightmare is tied to her memories…she's scared of her mother!" He glared and ran towards Artemis. "Hang on Artemis! I'm coming!"_

 _Irma directed her attention to Quinn._ _ **"LEAVE!"**_ _She fired a powerful Hydro Pump that blasted Quinn across the complex and smashed him through the wall._

 _He gripped to the broken sides and looked down. Much to his alarm, they were no longer in the blizzardy town. The apartment complex was trapped in a spiraling, scarlet tornado that threw them around. Quinn gripped on for dear life as the tornado nearly through him into the unknown that lied beyond it._

 _He used Shadow Claw and hoisted himself back inside. He covered his face as the flames grew larger, blocking his path to Artemis. He growled and fired a Dark Pulse through the flames, but they reformed in an instant. He growled in annoyance, then channeled Dark Pulse throughout his body before releasing a wide range pulse that blasted the flames out of his way. He raced towards Artemis._

 _He narrowed his eyes as he found the young Artemis cowering in fear. However, sitting right behind her was present day Artemis, who faced away from the monstrous representation of her mother with her eyes and ears covered._

 _Irma roared at the Fusion._ _ **"You can't hide from me forever!"**_

 _Artemis clenched her teeth. "Go AWAY! I never want to see you again!"_

" _ **You can't run away! I will find you! I will bring you back even if I have to kill you!"**_

 _Artemis snarled through her teeth. "I'm…not…scared! I don't care!"_

 _The younger Artemis cried loudly into her forelegs. "I WANT DADDY BACK!"_

" _ **He's never coming back!"**_ _Irma roared as she raised her paw._ _ **"You belong to ME!"**_

 _She swung her paw at them, but a massive Shadow Claw sprung from the floor and blocked her attack. She glared forward as Quinn flew up to eye level, crossing her arms._

" _You're not laying a paw on her," he threatened darkly._

 _The demonic Vaporeon roared in his face and fired Hydro Pump again. Quinn clapped his hands and fired off Will-O-Wisp. The two attacks collided and burst into a thick steam. Irma waved her paws around to smack Quinn out of the air. He flew around her and fired Dark Pulse in the back of her neck._

" _Artemis!" he shouted as he dodged another attack. "This isn't real! You have no reason to fear your mother!" He fired Flamethrower in the monster's eyes. She recoiled in pain as her eyes smoked._

 _Artemis didn't seem to listen as she shook her head frantically. "She won't go away! SHE WON'T LEAVE!"_

 _Quinn flew all around the demonic Vaporeon, firing off rapid fire Dark Pulses. "Why are you scared of her?! You have nothing to fear!"_

" _Because I don't want to face my past!" she screamed. She slammed her paws down and tried to keep herself from tearing up. "I don't…want to remember the abuse. I don't…want to reflect on what was. I just can't…it's too much." She collapsed to the ground and buried her head in her forelegs. "It's too hard…to forget the worst years of my life…they haunt me…everything about my mother…everything I can remember…it all becomes twisted and heartless. It's a nightmare I never want to relive!"_

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes sympathetically, then glared furiously at the monster Vaporeon. She attempted to grab him so she could eat him, but Quinn's eyes flashed red and fired his shadow off for a Dream Eater. Since this was all a dream, his Dream Eater slashed through the monster like a hot knife. She recoiled and screeched in pain. Quinn slammed his palms against her stomach and blasted her far back with Dark Pulse._

 _Quinn landed in front of Artemis, then picked her up so he could look at her. "Artemis…I know you don't want to remember your past. I get it…whenever you look back, you don't see a parental figure. You see a monster that's made you feel miserable." He narrowed his eyes. "You only had this dream once before our lesson, but you didn't let it bother you. But now, because we need to focus on who we are and who we once were…"_

 _Artemis sniffled, then looked down. "…it's all I can think about…" She clenched her eyes shut tightly. "I don't like feeling like this…I feel so weak thinking about it…I feel powerless…"_

 _Quinn held her chin and looked into her eyes. "You're not powerless. You're stronger than that. The Artemis I know is tough, mischievous, outgoing, and doesn't let anyone see her when she's vulnerable. No one…except me." He smiled. "You know I'd never judge you. If there's ever a point or time where you need to cry, you know I'll be here to help you."_

 _Artemis' lip quivered, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Quinn…"_

" _The village and I care for you, Artemis. Nothing will change that. Your mother has no power over you anymore. That was years ago. Now…Now you're stronger than you were once before. No one controls you, Artemis. We've all had our fair share of troubles to go through. Wash's madness, Shane's abandonment, Emily's grudge, Tamara's regret…all of us have something in our lives we wish to forget. You're just overthinking this. Your mother isn't coming to get you, and she never will take you. The past isn't the present. You're not a little kid anymore."_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes sadly, breathing lightly. "How…can you be so sure?"_

 _He smiled lovingly. "Because I care about you too much to lose you." He wrapped his arms around her. "Artemis…I love you…"_

 _Artemis stared forward in surprise, as tears dripped down her cheek and landed on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, then wrapped her forelegs around him. "Quinn…I love you, too…"_

 _The demonic Vaporeon picked herself up and roared at the two. She pawed at the ground and charged towards them at full speed, but they ignored it as they embraced each other._

" _I won't let anything bad happen to you…" Quinn whispered._

 _Artemis let his words sink in before smiling lovingly. "I know you will…you've done so much for me already…"_

 _Quinn glanced at her. "What do you…?" However, he saw the demonic Vaporeon leap into the air and fired down a powerful Hydro Pump. Quinn gasped and covered Artemis, bracing for impact. His face tightened as he waited for the inevitable attack._

 _But it never came._

 _His eyes slowly opened, then realized he was no longer holding Artemis. He rolled back and saw he was back outside of the complex. The blazing heat now replaced with wintery cold. The sudden whiplash in scene transition through him for a loop._

 _He stood up shakily and looked around with a cautious gaze. "What…happened?"_

 _He flinched and spun around as the ten-year-old Artemis was thrown through the window and crashed into the snow. He looked back at the window and glared as Irma sneered at the Fusion. "Now get me my vodka, birthday brat." She marched back into the complex, shouting over her shoulder, "And never talk back to me again!"_

 _Quinn clenched his fist furiously, wishing he could have gone a few more rounds with the demonic Vaporeon. He set his attention back onto Artemis, who rested her chin in her forelegs with a somber look._

 _She sighed, then glanced forward as someone walked up to her. She didn't have to look to know it was Asher. She buried her face into her forelegs. "Asher…what do I do?"_

 _Asher looked down at her with a solemn look. He sighed, then crossed his arms. "You want an honest answer?" She nodded. "…run away."_

 _She blinked, then looked up at him in bafflement. "What?"_

 _Asher crouched down and rested his arms on his knees. "I saw everything that happened. You've really grown out of that meek behavior of yours." He narrowed his eyes. "Your mother doesn't hold power over you. The way I see it, she has no right to call herself your mother." He grabbed her sides and picked her up onto her feet. "You shouldn't have to stay here. You should go out and see the world as yourself."_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes. "But…I'll never see you again. Why can't I stay with you?"_

" _You wouldn't last long in the cold like me. Besides…" He held her face with a smile. "You don't need me anymore. I did a pretty good job teaching you how to fend for yourself. Don't let society stop you from being you. We've reached the point in your journey…where it's time for you to find the path that best suits you." He laughed quietly. "All I've wanted was to help you realize you're free. And now…I say you're ready."_

 _Artemis' lip quivered as she began to tear up. "Asher…" She clenched her eyes shut, then threw her forelegs around him. "Thank you…"_

 _Asher hugged her back warmly. "You're welcome…" He sighed, then pushed her away. "Now go. Run far away from here. Don't even look back. Where? I don't know." He smiled. "Just promise me you'll be better than your mother. Be better than all the scum who've treated us like dirt."_

 _Artemis stepped back, rubbing her eyes, before nodding with a bright, confident smile. "R-Right!" She spun on her heels and raced across the snow. "I'll never forget you, Asher! Goodbye! I'll miss you!" Artemis ran as fast as she could, with a new sense of freedom rushing through her blood._

 _Quinn smiled at the fleeing Fusion as the world dispersed into snow. He managed to calm the stressful Fusion. Maybe now she'll be able to sleep well tonight. It saddened him how much of her life she had to through or leave behind. It made him wonder if she missed Asher. Missed him so much that she wanted to return to him._

 _Quinn shook his head. "Maybe so…" He raised his claws, preparing to snap them. "Time to wake u-"_

" _What do you want, lame-o?"_

 _Quinn's eyes widened, suddenly realizing he was in Grandis City. He stumbled back in shock. "Wha…What's going on? Why is she still…?" He blinked, then glanced sideways._

 _There were two Fusions bickering with each other. One of them was Artemis, a year older than before, who was bouncing an Oran berry in her paw. The Fusion confronting her was…himself._

 _Dream Quinn crossed his arms and raised his brow at her. "I saw you stealing from that fruit stand. What do you think you're doing?"_

 _Artemis hummed exaggeratedly, tapping her chin. "Hmm…well, I think I'm stealing myself some lunch!" She smirked. "It's surprisingly easier than just paying for food. Go figure." She attempted to bite down on the berry, but Quinn's counterpart swiped the berry from her paw, causing her to bite down hard on her own teeth. She froze up in pain. "Ow…"_

 _Dream Quinn tossed the berry back into the stall, then pointed accusingly at her. "You shouldn't be roaming around in public. This city has a big problem with Fusions out in the open."_

 _Artemis raised her brow smugly. "And you're the exception?"_

 _Dream Quinn rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I…needed to get out for a bit, that's all." He glanced to the side and grumbled, "Going to it when I head back, though…"_

 _Artemis laughed arrogantly, holding her paw up against her chest. "Listen, buster, I've been at this for over a year. I haven't got caught then, so I don't plan on getting caught today." She flicked her tail in his face, then made her way around him._

 _He narrowed his eyes for a moment, then looked over his shoulder. "Where are you going?"_

 _She shrugged. "Wherever my legs take me. Got a problem with that?"_

 _He shook his head. "No, but…you don't have anywhere to live?"_

 _She stopped and turned around with a smirk. "I'm a kid. You think I can afford some fancy house." She shrugged once more. "I'll just find some old box to sleep in or something. No big deal."_

" _Well, if you're not picky about place of residence, then mind if I make a suggestion?" She glared at him confusingly, then her eyes widened as he extended a friendly hand out. He smirked back at her. "You want to live in Gappei Village instead?"_

 _Quinn stared in awe at the interaction between himself and Artemis. He stepped back. "This was when I first met her…" A loud boom sounded behind him, causing him to yelp and clutch his head in alert._

" _Wow, this is amazing!"_

 _Quinn's eyes widened, then he turned around. The scene behind him completely changed into a forest. The forest that surrounded Gappei Village. Fireworks were firing in the sky near the village. Laying in a tree above him was his dream self and Artemis._

 _Dream Quinn smiled at Artemis. "Told you we would get a good view of the fireworks from here."_

 _Artemis chuckled. "I never doubted you for a second." She smirked and jabbed his side. "You've been holding out on me."_

" _Hey, I just know this is a good spot to see the fireworks. This isn't where I normally take time for myself."_

 _Artemis snickered mischievously. "And where would that be?"_

 _He tapped her nose jokingly. "You won't get a peep out of me."_

 _Artemis rolled her eyes and laughed. "I can work around that."_

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to the tree. The fireworks being fired indicated the Gappei Village Festival was going on. Question is, which one? Something about this felt familiar to the Fusion, but he couldn't immediately place it._

 _As they lay together in silence, Dream Quinn tapped his claws together as a small blush crept up across his face. He smiled lightly. "I'm…really glad you said yes to joining me up here. I really enjoy your company."_

 _Artemis glanced at him in surprise, then turned her face away as a blush appeared on her cheeks. She tried her best not to squeal with glee. "Why…Why wouldn't I? I love your company, too." Her face glowed brighter. "I…love being around you."_

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes curiously. Something about this was definitely familiar. It was slowly coming back to him. "Wait…isn't this from two years ago?" he questioned._

 _Dream Quinn looked around nervously, then asked, "Artemis, I've been meaning to ask, but…are you…happy that we met?"_

 _Artemis smirked at him. "Hmm…oddly stupid question, but yes."_

" _No, what I mean is…why did you decided to stay?" he asked. "Honestly, when we met, you sounded like you were better off as a criminal. What changed that?"_

 _Artemis narrowed her eyes, then looked up at the sky as the fireworks exploded across the night sky. She smiled as another blush formed. "Well…this cute guy I know came up to me and asked me to come to the village. I was reluctant since I've never had other friends to interact with. That cute guy, though, convinced me to give the world another chance through a community I can trust and feel open with." She smirked at him. "Can you guess who I'm talking about?"_

 _It didn't take long for Dream Quinn to realize who she meant. He sat up and looked at her with a bright blush. "W-W-Wait, really?"_

 _Artemis sat up, then pressed her paws against his chest. She lifted herself up until she was staring him in the eyes. Her eyes narrowed as she smiled bashfully with a bright red blush. "Duh. Why wouldn't I? I had someone in my life who helped me stand up for myself. Now…I have someone in my life who helped me pick up the pieces of my life." She leaned closer. "You're an amazing guy, Spooks. I…don't know what I could have done without your kindness."_

 _He narrowed his eyes. "Artemis…"_

 _They stared at each other for a moment, wrapped their arms/forelegs around each other and leaned closer to each other's faces before closing their eyes and sharing their first kiss._

 _Dream Quinn rubbed the back of Artemis' head while she wagged her tail in pure bliss. Neither of them realized, but Artemis began to glow in a bright blue light that completely surrounded her. They were too caught up kissing that neither noticed Artemis growing in size and changing form. The light dispersed, transforming her into a Sylveon-Scrafty._

 _Quinn's jaw dropped slowly in awe. "This…was the same day we started dating…"_

 _He flinched as a light breeze passed by him. However, this particular breeze made peculiar sounds as it passed by his face. The sounds sounded like…whispers._

" _You've done so much for me."_

" _You've helped me step out from the darkness and into a new side of reality."_

" _You've helped me grow into the Fusion I am today."_

" _I don't know how else I can thank you."_

" _I love you, Quinn."_

 _Leaves swirled around Quinn like a cyclone. Each leaf projected a memory of Artemis'. All her memories with Asher, her time in the village…and spending time with Quinn. Each one showed her being happy, goofing off, or just having a fun time with her favorite nightmare flame, before and after they got together._

 _Quinn picked two leaves out of the cyclone and looked at them. One was of the birthday memory between her and Asher. The other was of Quinn and Artemis sitting under a tree together, dozing off with hand and paw together._

 _Quinn blinked at the memories, then smiled warmly. "Artemis…" He released the leaves and let them flutter off back into the wind. Quinn spread his arms out and exhaled softly as he dissolved with the dream world around him._

* * *

The Charmeleon-Darkrai lightly shook his head, then opened his eyes softly. He peeked around the room. It was still dark outside. However, when he checked the clock, it read five o'clock. He was in Artemis' dreams longer than he thought.

Speaking of Artemis, Quinn looked down at the sleeping Fusion. He smiled gently as he saw the content, peaceful expression on her face as she lay her head on his chest. She had a soft, warm smile present on her lips.

Quinn stroked behind her ear and rubbed her head. "I see now. You never wanted to face your past…because it left scars on you as a child. Even though you're older, they still haunt you." He chuckled quietly. "I know the feeling…you wanted to deny something that bad could happen to you."

A tear dripped down his face. "I…never knew you felt that strongly about me. I know I helped you, but…I didn't know you held me in such high respects." He shook his head. "Asher helped bring you the courage you needed. I…gave you the life you always wanted. One where you could be happy with yourself. That's why you fell in love with me, isn't it?"

She didn't respond, still sleeping soundly. However, after subconscious hearing his words, she purred against his chest and wrapped her feelers around him affectionately.

Quinn smiled lovingly, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Artemis." Quinn glanced at the clock again and narrowed his eyes. "We'll have to wake up soon…" He looked back at the peacefully sleeping Fusion, then shook his head. He reached over and turned off her alarm. "If Peregrine gets mad at us for being late, I'll take the risk."

He pulled the blankets over himself and Artemis, then wrapped his arms around the Sylveon Fusion. He gave her a gentle nuzzle, then closed his eyes with a warm smile on his face.

They both deserved sleep.


	22. Test of Acceptance

Hawkins wasn't the most sociable Fusion in the village. With someone who holds fine standards to the refined and cultured, many of his fellow villagers simply didn't live up to his own practices. Someone who'd much rather spend his time tuning his battle skills to prove his abilities to the inferior.

And yet, his time was now spent trying to teach children that concept.

Ever since Peregrine forced the Roserade-Meowstic to partake in teaching the Fusion children how to battle, Hawkins was outside his normal comfort zone. For one, with so many different Fusions to cover, he had to find the best way for each of them to battle. As he well knew, different Fusions knew different ways to battle.

Second, he didn't have much experience teaching multiple children. True, in his spare time when he wasn't training, he was taking the time to train Wantanabe to battle. He saw potential in him and knew how to work with it. But this many? It was a nightmare.

It didn't help they were all hyperactive and much more interested in goofing off, which infuriated him to no end. However, he couldn't care scold them in his usual manner without getting an earful of Dakota's unending complaints. That was another thing: he had to work with someone as incompetent as Dakota.

He can acknowledge her for her studious demeanor, but appropriately scoffs when she tries to offer advice about training the kids. The argument always ended with one of them marching away from each other, fed up with each other's presence.

Today was no exception. Hawkins sat by the sidelines on a bench and closely analyzed the practice battle between Harper and Wantanabe. Wantanabe, for the most part, proved to be doing well thanks to all his private lessons. He did fairly well at performing quick dodges when needed to. Harper, however, wasn't so much battling as she was playing a game.

Harper leaped in the air and landed on the dragon fox's back, then bit down on his ear. "Grr!"

Wantanabe thought quickly and rolled around the battlefield before flinging her off. Just before Harper could recover, Wantanabe kicked dirt up into her face before running away with childish laughter. "Haha! I got you!"

Harper shook the dirt off, then darted for him. Wantanabe noticed the maneuver, then performed a spinning skid to face her direction before taking off straight at her. Their legs flew like the wind as they aimed their heads straight for each other and collided with a powerful blow.

They froze for a moment, then shivers ran down their backs all the way to their tails before landing on their rears and hold their sore heads with watery eyes. "Owie!"

Hawkins facepalmed and shook his head while the other children laughed. "Harper, Wantanabe…a fighter does not say 'Owie' when they get hurt. They take the hit with pride and continue with the battle."

"But it really hurt," Harper whined as she rubbed the reddened spot.

"I keep trying to tell you: change up your strategy in a fight! I've told you this ten times! You just keep going for pins!"

"But it's fun!"

"Battles are a test of persistence, determination, and skill. They are not meant to be fun." He crossed his arms and glared. "Now, I'm only going to explain this once more, then we're going again. Get into position!" Harper and Wantanabe sighed before getting back up and walking to their sides of the field.

Dakota was watching from nearby and she wasn't particularly happy with Hawkins' preferred method of teaching. She knows he's a competent teacher, but that's only with Wantanabe. He's not taking the time to getting to know the kids on a personal level. That's why his progress with the dragon Eevee has gone better.

She couldn't stand working with him. Anyone could see they were polar opposites just from their daily interactions. It was hard to see eye to eye with someone who constantly acted cold towards you just because you were weak and not worth their time. It was insulting to listen to. Dakota wasn't a fighter, but she took pride in that. She didn't frown on fighting, but someone like Hawkins got under her skin.

She pressed her back against the school hut and slid to the ground, sighing in irritation. She scowled at the ground, though her mood changed when someone walked up to her. She glanced up and met eyes with Asadi, who was holding a glass of lemonade in each hand.

She smiled at the teacher with her usual lax demeanor. "Heya, Dakota. You might want to lose the scowl. You're too young to be having wrinkles."

Dakota sighed and rubbed her face. "Hawkins is driving me nuts…"

"How do you think I feel? I live with him." She handed her a glass, which the Sandshrew-Glaceon accepted and took a big swig of it. "You just need to chill, girl. That's how I get through an afternoon hanging around him. Heck, I'm pretty cool around him while he thinks _I'm_ the annoying one."

Dakota smirked. "You aren't annoying."

"I'm flattered. Lay down with me. Tell your best pal Asadi what's got you so moody about Hawkins." Asadi sat down, set her glass to the side, then lay on her back to stare at the clouds.

"I really should be watching the-" Dakota tried to say, but Asadi wrapped her tail around her and pulled her onto her back. "Or I'll just lay here."

Asadi folded her arms behind her head and watched the clouds as they passed by. "There we go. Let the stress out. Tell me what's bugging you."

Dakota looked at the clouds, then groaned. "Hawkins isn't the best at teaching the kids. They aren't complex thinkers like him. It's like he doesn't care."

"Sweetheart, Hawkins has always been pretty cold with everyone." Asadi rolled her eyes. "It's all about combat with him. You know how he is. Growing up with a rich family didn't leave him much time to learn about the rights and wrongs. Pretty sure he much rather be at a fancy dinner gala than hanging around us. Or, you know, training on his own." Asadi chuckled as she spotted a cloud shaped like a wing. "He's been trying to impress Peregrine so he can move up in the training."

"How's that going for him?"

"It's Peregrine. Do I have to explain?"

"Point taken." Dakota closed her eyes and sighed. "…Hawkins doesn't appreciate me on equal terms. He just sees me as the weakling who teaches the children, all because I've sworn off violence."

Asadi hummed questioningly. "Huh…you never told me why you hate fighting."

"I just do. Before the village was made and I was sent here, I got picked on a lot at a public school. The kids feared me, half the teachers hated me, and I was generally alone because of…me." She sighed. "I spent a lot of time alone, sometimes with other teachers who didn't despise me. I took to studying above everything else.

"I've grown to hate violence in general. I get it's necessary and I won't demean others for it, but I don't want to be the one to incite it. I'll do everything I can to protect myself, but I'll never throw a punch or fire an attack."

Asadi smirked lightly. "So, you don't like Hawkins questioning your ideology?" She shook her head. "Pretty sure he's feeling the same way."

"Probably deserves it…" she muttered.

"I think Artemis said this to York once, but generally people don't like their ideologies being bashed all because another of the opposite side of the argument doesn't agree. Usually you have others hammering in their own ideology without giving consideration to the other side. If anything, a…perfect 'fusion' of the two sides can make something better."

Dakota glanced at her with a raised brow. "Was that a pun?"

"If you want, plenty more where that came from!" Asadi exclaimed with an impish grin. She sat up. "I suggest trying to talk things out with Hawkins. Maybe you two can reach a better understanding with each other if you both put the arguing on hold and really try to connect. It does the soul wonders to let that stress out." She took a sip of her lemonade.

Dakota sighed and turned away on her side. "He's not going to listen…"

"That's why you'll have me along. I know the dude pretty well. I can get him to shut up for a couple minutes if I have to." She jangled the ice cubes in her glass around. "Come on, what's the harm in trying?"

Dakota lay in silence for a moment, then sat up with a sigh. "Fine. I'll try and compromise with him."

Asadi patted her back, laughing. "Haha! Atta girl!" Dakota chuckled lightly, rubbing the back of her head.

* * *

Dakota agreed to speak with Hawkins after school was over. Right now, she was wrapping up her math lesson with the kids. She glanced up at the wall clock and saw class was nearing the end.

She smiled, then grabbed a stack of paper off her desk before passing it out to the kids. "Alright everyone, this review sheet should help make sure you have multiplication down. If you need any help later, you're free to come to me. I encourage you to do it on your own, of course."

Once everyone got a review sheet, they exclaimed, "Okay, Ms. Dakota!" before dashing out of their seats and racing out of the classroom, passing Asadi just as she entered.

Dakota went back to her desk and got her stuff in order as Asadi walked up to her desk. She carried a foldable lounge chair and wore a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Dakota placed her papers into her messenger bag, then acknowledged the Raichu-Sneasel. "Hey Asadi. I see you've been sunbathing."

Asadi leaned her head back and took a deep breath before sighing contently. "Oh yeah…that fresh, afternoon air and warm heat of the sun…I feel amazing."

Dakota chuckled for a second, then sighed grumpily as she swung her bag onto her shoulder. "Well, let's get this over with. Is Hawkins back at your hut?"

Asadi tipped her sunglasses up and blinked curiously. "He told me you needed help with an assignment for tomorrow."

Dakota took a moment before deadpanning at the claim. "Asadi…mind repeating that to yourself?"

Asadi looked up as she thought the sentence over, before laughing goofily. "Oookay, now that you mentioned it, sounds odd. Eh, then again, I was sunbathing when he told me." She fluttered her hand up. "My mind was in the clouds. Hehehe…"

Dakota groaned and facepalmed. "Great, the one time I do need to talk with him and he up and disappears."

Asadi waved her concern off. "Eh, don't stress yourself out. Hawk-o's not on a mission, so he's still in the village."

"But where?"

The Raichu Fusion rubbed her chin. "I have a couple ideas. Follow me." She led Dakota out of the school.

Once they were outside, Dakota expressed her disinterest in speaking with the coldhearted Fusion. "I'm not looking forward to this…"

"You two are working together. Better to bury the hatchet now than to toss it back and forth." Asadi scratched her head, then pointed her tail in a random direction. "Let's try over there."

"The sooner we get through this, the better," Dakota muttered as she followed Asadi.

Unbeknownst to them, Peregrine was just around the corner, leek under his wing and a cup of coffee wrapped in his feathers. He narrowed his eyes at Dakota, having briefly overheard her continued conflict with Hawkins. It…wasn't much of a secret in such a small village. The steel duck looked ahead and rubbed his chin, pondering his next move.

* * *

Alone. After pulling himself through another stressful day, he was finally alone. With no one else around, Hawkins could focus his time into his private training. He raised his Leaf Blade in front of his face and straightened his posture as he narrowed his sights of the tree in front of him.

He took a gentle step forward, then sped across the grass like the wind. In a flash, he zipped past the tree with a green slash cutting through. He spun his Leaf Blade around before resuming position, just as the tree slid down at an angle and toppled to the ground.

He sighed, then faced the other trees. He aimed Leaf Blade at them like a fencer. _All that wasted time that could've been spent perfecting my skills, stuck teaching the likes of developing children who can't grasp basic knowledge or heed my instructions. What was Peregrine ruminating when he assigned me to a trivial task?_

Hawkins dashed around the trees, delivering perfectly placed slashes across the rows of trees that sent them all toppling to the ground. He spun on his foot and lunged his blade through the trunk, blasting out the bark on the other side. _Is this supposed to be some sort of training exercise he's putting me through? What angle is he working from?_

"You know, if you're trying to hide from us, you aren't very subtle." Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then looked over his shoulder as Asadi and Dakota stepped into view. Asadi sat on one of the fallen trees and grinned, with her sunglasses tipped down slightly. "How you doing, Hawk-o? Doing some afternoon weeding with the trees?"

Hawkins turned away from them and raised his blade. "Go away, I'm training."

"We have a whole training ground for your use~!" Asadi tempted with jazz hands. She shrugged with a little smirk. "Ah, come on, Hawk. Lighten up a bit. Life's too short to be pushing yourself."

"That may work for you, but it is not how I perceive life." Hawkins dispelled Leaf Blade and turned to them. "I must increase my training so I can prove my worth to Peregrine. I wish to learn from a skilled master like him. I want to improve my skills so I can rise above all else."

Dakota glared at him. "Is this why training a group of children is such a chore for you?"

He closed his eyes and folded his arms behind his back. "They simply can't grasp my teachings. It's a lost cause."

"You're not even trying to connect with them!" Dakota growled. "All you've been doing is barking orders!"

Hawkins leaned forward and tapped her on the forehead, which infuriated her. "I wouldn't expect an inferior weakling like you to understand the detailed nuances that go into a battle. You may remark it as 'barking orders,' but I've been giving demonstrations on the proper form needed to execute techniques." He rolled his eyes. "Do not get me started on having to explain and display the proper fighting style to a quadruped. How I degrade myself to teach."

Dakota clenched her teeth. She desperately wanted to stay calm, but that small threshold of patience for Hawkins was wearing thin. "That's…the problem. I came here to discuss how poorly you treat those kids! They love and respect me because I get to know them on an individual basis! You're trying to train them like soldiers!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "I fail to see how that helps."

"If you just took the time to learn about the kids, you would know how they fight! I know how they fight better than you!"

Hawkins leaned forward and glared. "You are not a fighter. Any claim you feebly attempt to make against my teachings is rendered invalid."

Dakota leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his. "I may be part Ice-Type, but at least my heart isn't frozen, you pompous, demoralizing, coldblooded rich kid! It's the same thing every day with you! You don't take me seriously, or hardly anyone in this village other than the council! You treat us like dirt just because you have some superiority complex you want to flaunt! You _never_ recognize anyone for their individual talents! Only if they can stack up to yours! It's like you don't believe in teamwork or something!"

Hawkins clenched his teeth and pushed against her. "And this is why I don't believe in moralistic drivel like this! Teamwork can only get you so far, but strength in numbers is fruitless without the strength of the individual! If I had to solely rely on others to get stronger, I'd be weaker in comparison to now! All I get from people like you is that I'm some self-centered jerk who's in it for himself! Why do you think I came here?! To protect my family and push myself to achieve beyond my potential! At least I'm striving for more other than you!"

"I much prefer a simple, humble life! Not a path driven by conceited ambition!"

"You're holding yourself back because you can't accept the world is a sad, miserable place!"

"No kidding! I'm stuck with people like you in my life!"

As they bickered and shouted at each other, Asadi watched on in the comforts of her lounge chair. She pushed her glasses up and squinted a bit as her eyes adjusted to the light. "Guys, will you cool it? We're all friends here. No reason to tear each other's throats out."

Dakota and Hawkins ceased fighting for a moment to stare at her, then glared. "Are you just watching us argue?!"

Asadi pushed her sunglasses back over her eyes. "I prefer not to interject into aggressive conflicts. They can get pretty messy. Still…" She pointed at the two. "The both of you make some good points. I can freely admit _I'm_ not perfect, but I'm happy with who I am."

"Well, so am I!" they both shouted, then glared at each other.

"Not my point." She took her sunglasses off and waved them in their direction. "You two need to learn to compromise and see there's an opposite to every negative and positive…or some other fortune cookie nonsense. Acceptance is key to successful teamwork."

Hawkins turned away with his hand on his hip. "I don't need anyone to get stronger."

"That's not an option, boy." Their eyes widened, then they turned to meet eyes with Peregrine, who was standing on one of the fallen trees. "We are a community of Fusions who had to go through hardship. Isolating yourself from everyone is not how you build a successful community."

"Peregrine?" Dakota responded with a head tilt. "What are you doing here?"

"Saw you and Ms. Asadi sneaking out here. And it seems Hawkins took the liberty of tearing down these trees." Peregrine poked at the trunk he stood on twice. "I suppose we could use more building material and firewood." He rested his leek on top of his shoulders. "You two, however, are my main concern," he addressed to Dakota and Hawkins.

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Us? What for?"

"You both need to learn to cooperate, especially you," he pointed out to Hawkins. "Hawkins, I may be a grouchy duck, but I don't push others away simply because they don't serve a purpose for _my_ benefit. You're purposely putting up a barrier to keep everything that doesn't suit your needs out. Frankly, that's an unhealthy way of justifying your actions." He shook his head. "Also…I'm about fed up with you and Ms. Dakota arguing so much."

Dakota turned away with her arms crossed. "He started it…" she muttered grumpily with a pout.

Hawkins shook his head. "This is what I'm forced to work with: a juvenile pacifist who acts like a know-it-all."

Dakota shot daggers at him, grinding her teeth together. "You want to test me, bucko?! There's a number of things I can do that don't tie into violence!"

Peregrine raised his wing to silence her. "That's quite enough, Ms. Dakota." He glared at Hawkins. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Hawkins crossed his arms. "If this is about me not being a team player, you're wasting your time. I've worked better on my own and still do. Teamwork doesn't solve everything! And it never will! I can guarantee someone out there in history, maybe even now, defeated an entire squadron of Fusions or Pokémon, yet it took only one to put the threat down! Teamwork is nonsensical ethics parents and teachers teach children so they can 'cooperate' better." He pointed behind him. "I've seen the face of pokemanity. The people out there are cruel and malicious."

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about teamwork, boy, it's about accepting others for their nature, not for their strength. You have a habit of judging others solely by strength, merely glossing over their personal traits."

Hawkins pointed at himself. "I am one of the strongest Fusions here. Anything they can do, I can do better. And all because I've relied on my own strength to surpass myself and win the fight." He crossed his arms. "What is there left for these inferior Fusions to teach me?"

Peregrine raised a brow through his deadpan stare. "Might I suggest humility?"

Dakota clenched her teeth together and jabbed her finger against Hawkins' chest. "Oh, I have had it with that stuck up attitude of yours! News flash: you aren't the strongest! I bet Juniper or Emily could kick your butt in a fight!"

Hawkins closed his eyes. "And if they did, I'd hold them in much higher respects." He opened one eye and stared at her judgingly. "Unlike you who couldn't last a second up against me."

Dakota snarled. "At least I don't lose my temper around children just because they don't follow my orders PERFECTLY!"

Hawkins growled. "Now you're testing _my_ patience!"

"You both are testing _mine_!" They flinched, then faced Peregrine once more. He hopped off the trunk and spun his leek around. "Hawkins, it's clear giving you a lecture won't solve anything. You still don't understand the purpose of your assignment."

Hawkins held his hips. "With all due respect, sir, I've tried. They don't listen. They either goof off or whine when I'm being 'too harsh.'"

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, because none of you aren't a bunch of whiners." Dakota snickered, which made Hawkins glare at her. Peregrine leaned forward on his leek. "I'll have to get my point across in a manner you'll understand: a battle with the promise of a reward."

Hawkins raised a brow, genuinely curious about his offer. "Hmm…go on."

"The task will be the same as your training exercise: land a single hit on me and you'll advance in your training with me…with two key differences."

Hawkins was now interested in his proposal. Whatever these two new conditions were, he had no doubt he could handle them. He held his hips and nodded in approval. "Very well. What are your conditions?"

Peregrine held up one feather. "One, no point in holding back. I won't hold back, you won't hold back. This is no longer a sparring match. It's me and you fighting until one of us goes down."

Now Hawkins was _really_ excited. He gets to fight his master at his full strength. This was perfect. It made the Roserade-Meowstic smirk in delight. "I humbly accept your challenge, sir."

Asadi rubbed her chin with a knowing smile. This seemed too simple of a change for someone like Peregrine. "I've got a funny feeling about that second condition."

Peregrine closed his eyes. "You're rather sharp for a lazy buffoon, Ms. Asadi."

Asadi chuckled and placed her sunglasses on coolly. "You're too kind."

"Ms. Asadi's observation is correct, because there's a bit more to this exercise than just a test of skill. It's a test of cooperation…specifically for you two," he explained, pointing to Hawkins and Dakota.

They blinked with horror in their eyes. "Wait…you don't mean…?" they started saying.

He nodded. "The second condition…is that you _and_ Dakota have to battle me. Together. As a team."

"WHAT?!" they screamed in revulsion.

"Absolutely not!" Hawkins protested.

"I am not taking part in a fight with _him_!" Dakota yelled.

Peregrine turned his back to them. "Too bad. My mind's made up."

"B-B-But…I've never fought a day in my life! Why am I being forced into this?!" she asked.

Peregrine glared over his shoulder. "Because you both deserve a lesson on how to act like proper teammates. Just because you're not part of the lessons, Ms. Dakota, doesn't mean you're completely excluded from _mine_."

Hawkins stepped forward. "There is no way I'm battling with her! I fight my own battles! Besides, what kind of contribution could she provide other than her incessant whining?!"

Dakota shot a glare at him. "Oh, like you could do much with that inflated ego of yours!"

"Regardless, I refuse to partake in this challenge if it means having to deal with her!"

Peregrine shook his head. "Then…good luck trying to ever match up to my expectations." He glared at the Roserade Fusion. "You're never going to step up in your training at the rate you're going." Hawkins' eyes widened. "I'll take your stunned silence as a 'yes' to the challenge." He began to walk away. "I'll see you at the battlefield in an hour. Both of you."

"Hey!" Dakota shouted. "What about me?! I told you, I don't fight!"

"…yeah, good luck with that," he replied dismissively before continuing on his way. Dakota's jaw dropped while her right eye twitched in stunned panic.

Asadi walked up behind the two and patted them in the backs, laughing. "Oh dudes, you should see the looks on your faces! This is either going to go horribly wrong or…yeah, I got nothing uplifting to continue that with."

Hawkins deadpanned. "You're not helping…"

"You're welcome~!"

Hawkins and Dakota glared at each other for a moment, before dropping their heads forward with heavy sighs.

* * *

It was impossible to keep secrets like this under wraps, as word spread fast about how Peregrine challenged Dakota and Hawkins to a battle. A crowd slowly formed near the battlefield, with everyone excited for the unorthodox match.

Quinn and Artemis sat on a blanket with a tub of popcorn between the two. Quinn had his arm hooked around his girlfriend while she ate from the popcorn tub. She snickered eagerly. "I haven't seen that cranky duck fight in forever! This is going to AWESOME!"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "I'm more worried about Hawkins and Dakota."

Ren plopped himself down next to Quinn. "Man, I want to root for Hawkins and Dakota! I mean, I feel obligated since Hawkins is my training buddy and Dakota's just so sweet! But…then you remember Peregrine's their opponent, so…"

York crossed his arms. "I'm already expecting a curbstomp."

Shane rubbed his head awkwardly. "You're not wrong…"

Rebecca patted their backs and laughed lightly. "Don't be a bunch of downers! Maybe Peregrine will go easy on them!"

"It's a no-holds barred match, Becca," Tamara reminded. "How seriously Peregrine takes that is up to him." She glared. "Though, I'm with Quinn on this one. That cranky duck is freakin' strong."

Juniper laughed after taking a sip of her soda. "I still can't believe he got them to work together! This is awesome!"

Asadi laughed and patted Juniper in the back. "Crazy, right?" She leaned back on her hands and narrowed her eyes. "Still, I wonder what he expects to happen from all of this. I know he's cranky, but not sadistic."

On the field, Peregrine was performing some casual, warm-up slashes with his leek. On the opposite side, Hawkins was pumping himself up with some punches and kicks thrown at the air, trying to get the blood pumping. Standing nearby was Dakota, who was…shivering with a terrified expression while sweat poured down her body.

Peregrine ceased his warm-up, then faced his opponents. "Are you two ready?"

Hawkins straightened his stance, then bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir."

"No…" Dakota squeaked nervously.

"Excellent! Now, the rules are simple," Peregrine started as he ran his wind across the sharp edge of his leek. "In order to win, all you have to do is touch, whether it be an attack or simple contact. We will fight until one of us…actually, until either you two are knocked unconscious or if I get bored." He pointed his leek at them. "Any questions?"

Dakota raised her hand. "Can I leave-?"

"Great, no questions!" Dakota slumped her head forward and sighed with a nervous, defeated smile.

Thankfully, she got some positive encouragement from the children, who were absolutely excited to hear that their two teachers will be battling together. "YAY! This is much cooler than homework!" Matthew cheered.

"Go Ms. Dakota! Win, win, win!" Poppy shouted.

"Do your best, Hawkins! Woohoo!" Wantanabe cheered.

Dakota smiled a little at the children. _Well, at least the kids believe in me. Won't change anything, but it's the thought that counts…_

Peregrine raised his leek in front of his face. "Prepare yourselves." Hawkins nodded, then assumed an upright stance with his Leaf Blade held before his face as well. Dakota awkwardly slouched, quivering silently.

The audience held their breath in anticipation. Charlie narrowed his eyes. "I hope they can pull through."

"Peregrine's the second strongest of the council," Chris reminded. "All I can hope is that they end this quickly."

Peregrine closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "…you may have the first attack."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Well appreciated." He glared at Dakota. "Don't get in my way." Dakota shot the glare back at him.

A long stretch of silence came between the two sides, with Hawkins focusing hard on his target. After a moment, his eyes sharpened and he kicked off the ground at lightning fast speeds, surprising Dakota.

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "He's fast."

Hawkins got within striking range of Peregrine and thrusted his Leaf Blade forward. However, with an unwavering expression of disinterest, Peregrine moved his head out of the way. Hawkins pulled back, keeping his composure in line, and performed a flurry of thrusts that the steel duck casually dodged.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "You have the speed."

Hawkins leaped into the air, spun gracefully, then swung downward. Peregrine jumped out of the way and let the blade hit the ground, sending off a green energy slash across the ground.

"And the power," Peregrine continued.

Hawkins spun his Leaf Blade and pointed it at Peregrine. "Very well, I'll have to get creative in my approach. How's this?! Psychic!" He wrapped Psychic around his Leaf Blade and slashed the air, sending psychic slashes with a green trail tailing behind.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes, then swiped his leek swiftly at the air, breaking apart the psychic slashes in perfect, fluid motions. "Interesting application to two moves, Mr. Hawkins."

Hawkins crouched down, readying himself up, then kicks off the ground in a short burst of speed. He thrusted his Leaf Blade out, which Peregrine blocked without being pushed back. Hawkins pushed off and ran around Peregrine to get a proper attack point on him. The steel duck kept his deadpan composure as he continued to face forward.

Hawkins appeared behind Peregrine and swung down. His strike was halted by a fast block that ended his momentum, cratering the ground beneath the duck. Peregrine looked up calmly. "You're a highly trained fighter, boy."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then pushed off. He threw Leaf Blade in the air, then sprung forward. His eyes glowed with Psychic as he glided his hand over the ground, then flung it up to send a wave of dirt and sand at Peregrine. With the distraction up, Hawkins leaped into the air, retrieved his Leaf Blade, and spun downward to deliver a powerful strike.

"…Aqua Jet!"

Hawkins struck something, but it wasn't Peregrine particularly. Rather, it was a cloak of water that enveloped the steel duck. With his leek aimed upward, he took off into the air with Hawkins in tow. He rammed into the Roserade Fusion's stomach and knocked him off before u-turning and slamming back into him.

Hawkins fell back to the ground, which he caught himself on his hands and feet. He narrowed his eyes on Peregrine as he dispelled the Aqua Jet and looked down on him with one wing keep him airborne. Hawkins pressed his palms together and psychically pulled out chunks of earth, then threw his hands out to fire them.

Peregrine spun his leek, then dove towards the flying rocks. He glided his wing along the sharp leek, coating it in a sinister purple energy. "Night Slash." With incredible speed and maneuverability, he cut through the flying earth and shattered it into raining chunks. He flew straight down towards Hawkins, then flicker-vanished.

Hawkins raised his Leaf Blade and looked around cautiously. _Where did he-?_

He gasped out in pain as Peregrine struck him from the side. He spun in the air from the momentum, but caught himself on his feet. He spun his Leaf Blade to get momentum, then blocked the anticipated second strike from his teacher.

Peregrine still didn't appear impressed, despite his praise. "Very good guess work, boy." He pushed Hawkins back and clashed weapons with him.

Hawkins clashed back fiercely, with one hand behind his back to assume a fencing stance. He kept his composure as he talked during the clash, "I aim to succeed, sir. I shall be taking my victory soon."

Peregrine shook his head, then blocked a strike that slid past his face with sparks. "You young, simple minded fool. I think you've already forgotten the point of this exercise."

Hawkins shook his head as he performed a lunge, which Peregrine parried. "I didn't forget. The goal is to land a strike on you."

"That's not what I meant."

As the two clashed blades with each other, Hawkins' partner stood by awkwardly as sweat continued to drip down her fur. She gulped and tapped her fingers together while her knees buckled. _There's NO WAY I'm getting anywhere near them like this!_

Rebecca cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Come on, Dakota! You're part of this, too! Get him while you can!"

"I rather not!" she shouted back with fearful eyes.

"You can do it, Dakota!" Wash cheered on. "You don't even have to fight him! Just tag him and it'll all be over!"

Dakota looked back at the dueling Fusions with nervous thoughts. She knew her chances of lasting in a fight with Peregrine were pathetically slim. Hawkins stood better odds at ending the match than her. However, Peregrine made her do this for a reason. She knew the cranky duck long enough to know he made decisions with reason. She had to at least participate, otherwise she'll have to deal with one of his longwinded rants.

She sighed, then tried to shake the jitters out of her system. "I-It's simple," she told herself. "While he's distracted, just tag him. S-Shouldn't be too hard." She took a step forward with a small strand of confidence to go on…

…until her confidence was shattered by a burst of ridiculous speed, curtesy of Hawkins and Peregrine as they ran and clashed around the battlefield at ridiculous speeds. Dakota squeaked in terror and curled up into a ball, rocking herself back and forth.

The crowd sweat-dropped at her cowardice. "That…is kind of sad," Emily commented. Half the crowd nodded in agreement.

Hawkins noticed this and groaned. _I knew she'd be deadweight. Why did Peregrine stick me with a useless partner? I'm handling myself just fine!_

He blocked a strong thrust from Peregrine and was sent back across the field. He kept his feet planted down and continued standing. Hawkins flicked his twin tails of dirt and ran his hand through his hair. He pulled out Leaf Blade again and took his stance once more. "It's refreshing to take on the likes of a true master in a real fight."

Peregrine landed on the ground and rested his leek on his shoulder. He rolled his eyes dryly. "This isn't a fight. If anything, I'm killing time until my shows come on. Making it pretty difficult to hold back. I'm not sure if it's possible to extend this match for three hours."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Are you mocking me?"

Peregrine raised his brow. "No. You're just not worth my time."

Hawkins' eyes widened for a moment, then they shaped into a glare. He retained the calmness in his tone. "If you insist, allow me to prove my worth." He sped at Peregrine, then flicker-vanished.

Peregrine shook his head, then blocked a Leaf Blade thrust aimed at his back. Hawkins sped around him before attacking from the side, but Peregrine blocked that one. Hawkins ran around from all sides to get a good hit in, but Peregrine continued to halt his attacks without seemingly looking.

Hawkins glared deeper. _His focus is incredible. He's perfectly in tune with his environment. How is he doing this?_ After the fifteenth block, Hawkins backflipped to give himself some distance to think. He raised his Leaf Blade and studied Peregrine's stoic gaze. _I can beat him. All I need is the proper opening and I'll win._

Peregrine, while keeping his focus on Hawkins, was equally paying attention to Dakota, who uncurled herself once the madness died down. He closed his eyes. "Ms. Dakota?" He heard her squeak quietly. "This is a team exercise, remember? I expect participation."

Hawkins glared. "Do not delude yourself, sir. She has nothing of worth to bring to the fight." Dakota dug her claws into the dirt, growling furiously at the hoity-toity Fusion.

Peregrine, however, was unimpressed by his lack of cooperation. "I can assure you, Mr. Hawkins, that your chances for victory will be significantly worse if you don't work with Ms. Dakota."

Hawkins shook his head. "With all due respect, sir, I've prove my superior technique far more than this inferior whelp."

Dakota pushed herself up and glared furiously. "Okay…suddenly feeling a confidence boost. Or is that just my rage mixed with adrenaline?"

Hawkins rolled his eyes and crouched. "Just stay out of my way." He dashed towards Peregrine.

The steel duck merely sighed as he effortlessly dodged his sword slashes. He caught Leaf Blade between the wedge of his leek and held the blade in place. Hawkins formed a second Leaf Blade and thrusted it at him. Peregrine leaped over it and slammed his webbed foot against Hawkins' face, then bonked him on the head with his leek.

Dakota tried to run forward, but gasped as Peregrine suddenly appeared in front of her before proceeding to bonk her on the head as well. She collapsed with a groan as the Farfetch'd-Empoleon floated above her.

"Look at the both of you. Aggressive arrogance and barely even trying. Where's the passion for battle? Where's that commitment?"

Hawkins crouched down, pressing his hand against the ground as he steadied himself. "You're about to find out. Agility!" His eyes glowed blue as he vanished in a burst of speed.

Peregrine could hear the wind parting as he spun around and blocked Hawkins' Leaf Blade. The force did knock him back since he was flying, but he kept his stability. He swung his leek evenly as Hawkins performed a multidirectional strike in an attempt to throw him off. However, once again, Peregrine wasn't so easy to take down.

Dakota watched Peregrine defend against Hawkins, with her hands on her hips. _Okay Dakota, think. If you can't get close, you'll just have to outthink him. Ooh, but how do I do that?_ She tapped her chin contemplatively. She looked at the ground, then smiled lightly. _Hmm, maybe…_

The fight brought Peregrine closer to the ground, which Hawkins wanted. He kicked off the ground and crossed his dual Leaf Blades before slashed them at Peregrine. However, he slammed his leek against the Leaf Blades and completely halted their momentum. The sudden stop made Hawkins freeze up for a moment, long enough for Peregrine to jab him in the head and knock him away.

He tumbled across the ground, but rolled to his feet. He glared lightly, then opened his ears to reveal the eye organs under them. Using Psychic, both his eyes and the eye organs in his ears glowed and wrapped around his Leaf Blades. He pulled out another pair of Leaf Blades and crossed them.

Peregrine raised a brow. "Four sword style, huh? Interesting approach."

Hawkins dashed forward and slashed all four Leaf Blades down on his leek. Even with the added strength, the steel duck didn't falter. He kept his cool and continued on as normal. Hawkins pulled the psychically wielded Leaf Blades back and struck against Peregrine's leek with the two in his hand.

Peregrine easily blocked them, despite the added force being thrown down into the strikes. "Hawkins, why does power mean so much to you?"

Hawkins slammed his sword down on his weapon, then crouched and spun on his foot to sweep kick him, but Peregrine leaped over. "Because I intend to prove myself to all who stand against me." He psychically commanded the Leaf Blades to fly over Peregrine while he clashed from the ground.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "So, why distance yourself when you could gain more by learning from others?"

"Because they have nothing to teach me. I've learned from the best already. I don't need others to make me stronger."

Peregrine pushed against his grass blades. "Perhaps, but do you hate them? Do you only seem your fellow neighbors as sparring partners?" He shook his head. "Honestly, you sound like fighting is all there is."

"In this world, what else is there?" Hawkins glanced at his Leaf Blades that floated down behind Peregrine.

"You distance yourself from your own allies because you choose not to socialize with them." Peregrine closed his eyes and shook his head. "Young man, I hate to break it to you, but distancing yourself will only put you in danger."

Hawkins glared. "How so?"

"Well, for starters…"

Just as he said that, Dakota burst from the ground using Dig and reached her had out for his back. "Got you!" However, she picked the worst possible time to emerge because Hawkins commanded the Leaf Blades to fly at Peregrine. Instead, they ended up hitting Dakota in the back.

Peregrine backflipped over Dakota, who flew into Hawkins and knocked him flat on his back. His Leaf Blades disappeared. The steel duck flapped his wings and smirked. "For starters, poor communication skills with unwilling teammates can cost you the match."

Hawkins and Dakota picked themselves up and groaned before the former jabbed his finger against Dakota. "What did I say? Stay out of my way! I almost had him!"

Dakota glared. "You?! You haven't landed a single hit on him! If it weren't for your darn Leaf Blades, I could have tagged him! I was trying to contribute!"

"Oh, why thank you, my dear…for being an indecorous, hazardous nuisance whose only purpose is to get in my way!"

Dakota stood up and glared furiously. "WHAT is your problem?! I'm at least trying!"

Hawkins stood up and crossed his arms. "My dear, you're pretending to be something you're not. I've been putting in all the work and have gotten closer!"

"I would have got him! It's your fault I'm even in this mess! I'm trying to prove I can do more!"

"One thing. You did one thing and you botched it up!" They pressed their foreheads against each other and growled viciously.

Peregrine landed on the field and narrowed his eyes seriously. "You two _really_ don't get the point of this lesson, do you?"

"WHAT?!" they shouted.

"I told you, I don't need anyone to win!" Hawkins yelled.

"And I refuse to fight! End of story!" Dakota shouted. "How is this so hard for you to understand?!"

Peregrine raised his brow. "Oh, so now we're turning this on me?" He jabbed his leek into the ground, then stretched his wings. "Let me tell you all a little secret…" He glared. "All of you are a waste of my time." Their eyes widened, including the crowd's.

"Sir…" Ren started.

The steel duck shook his head. "Hawkins, I didn't make you take up that teaching job to learn about teamwork. I made you so you could learn acceptance."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Acceptance?"

Peregrine leaned against his leek. "The world _is_ a harsh, cruel place. Believe it or not, you can't rely on others just for benefit's sake. Surviving on your own can sometimes be the better of both options. However, be that as it may, times are changing. Right now, the world doesn't care if we rise or fall. In a fight, whether on your own or with a team, acceptance is key to understanding everything."

Hawkins glared. "Does it look like a care what anyone else thinks? My family was threatened just because I existed." He closed his eyes. "That's the one thing I hold to my heart on moral grounds. What is so great about the world if they're just going to threaten your loved ones for…looking like this?" he asked, pointing to himself.

Peregrine blinked, then turned to Dakota. "And you think she doesn't feel the same way?" Dakota rubbed her arm awkwardly. "She saw the worst of pokemanity, too. Only for her, she chose to never incite that same behavior for as long as she can. Like you, Hawkins, she's ignoring a part of herself she never wants to see come true."

Peregrine shook his head. "I train a circus of freaks with past issues. I really don't care about that kind of stuff. I've gone to Hell and back more times than I can count and I'm still standing. I should be worse than the Rogues. It'd be so easy to take my frustrations out on everyone." He narrowed his eyes. "After all, everyone's inferior to me."

Hawkins' eyes narrowed cautiously. "Wait…you…"

Peregrine plucked his leek from the ground and raised it. "If you two refuse to accept each other and learn from it, you'll never win separate or together." His eyes sharped into a glare. "So, as a fair warning…brace yourselves." He flicker-vanished silently, unnerving Hawkins and Dakota.

They looked around vigilantly, keeping their guard up. Suddenly, Dakota was struck from the side brutally. She gasped aloud as she was thrown into the air by the force. Hawkins raised his Leaf Blade, but was slashed from out of nowhere, too. He tried to intercept the attacks, but Peregrine's movements were impossible to, leading for both him and Dakota to be thrown around in the air in a tornado of slashes.

The crowd flinched, feeling the impacts of each individual hit inflicted onto them. "Isn't this overkill?!" Charlie exclaimed.

Asadi narrowed her eyes worriedly. _Come on, you two. I know you can win._

Dakota crossed her arms and endured the strikes as much as she could. "Grr, I never asked for this! Defense Curl!" She curled herself up, with her dangles slapping flat against her spherical surface, and took the strikes with more ease.

Hawkins blocked the strikes with his Leaf Blades, though each hit kept shattering the blades. He ditched the Leaf Blades and crossed his arms. "Reflect!" A blue, glass-like energy surrounded him like a cube. It also wrapped around Dakota, adding to her own defenses. Hawkins then spun in place and unleashed a massive Leaf Storm that pushed Peregrine away from them.

Hawkins landed on his feet while Dakota simply crashed like a meteor before uncurling. She rubbed her head. "I don't feel so good…" She gasped as the ground split in front of her. She backed away as the steel duck flew around them at swift speeds, enclosing her and Hawkins in a tight space.

They backed up until their backs were pressed against each other, making them jump a bit. They glanced at each other for a moment, then looked back at their opponent.

Hawkins clenched his teeth. "This is hopeless. We can't get anywhere near him."

Dakota narrowed her eyes a bit. "…I didn't want to be brought into this." She glanced at Hawkins for a moment, then looked at the ground. "Hawkins…is power really that important to you?"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "It is. I refuse to be weak in the face of danger. Others have always held me back because there's unwritten standards we have to abide by. Morals, ethics, principles…I ignore that kind of stuff to fight at my best."

"…but is it really necessary to be a jerk to everyone?" She looked down. "The world doesn't work like you think. I may be a pacifist, but I know the value of battle. I don't fight, I survive."

"…" Hawkins looked up at the sky for a moment. "…I want to surpass the greatest so I don't have to live in fear of others. I isolate myself to focus on my own goals. I am who I am. Nothing's ever going to change that."

Dakota sighed. "…and I am who I am, too. Nothing will change _that._ "

"Why are you so stubborn against fighting?"

"Because I've been on the receiving end of punches my entire life." She closed her eyes. "Hardly anyone cared about me. I was the target for bullies my whole life until Gappei Village was made. They knew I was weak, but I never let it get to me. I never, ever want to bring that kind of harm to anyone…unless absolutely necessary." She shook her head. "And right now, I don't want to fight…"

Hawkins clenched his fist up tightly. "…you just take the punches?"

"No…I'd just avoid it." She shrugged. "Surprisingly simple, considering the bullies I grew up with aren't as smart as me."

Hawkins looked back at Peregrine, who was still circling around them swiftly. He narrowed his eyes. "Alright…" He pulled out Leaf Blade. "Just this once…I'm…" He gulped hard, finding it a bit difficult to get the next few words out. "I'm…going to need your help."

Dakota's eyes widened, then she turned to him in shock. "R-Really?"

"If you know how to avoid danger, I can apply the aggressive side of this fight. You just need to figure out a way to get us close to him." He raised Leaf Blade. "Can you do that?"

Dakota narrowed her eyes, then nodded. "Y-Yeah…I think so."

They kept their eyes on Peregrine closely. Hawkins then said, "My Fusion Move won't be much help. It requires direct contact with him…the whole point of the exercise. What about you?"

"Um…" Dakota sweat-dropped nervously. "So, funny story…"

"…please don't tell me you can't use your Fusion Move."

"Then…I won't?"

"…make it really hard to _not_ get angry.'

"Well, not in a literal sense. I can use it, but not against Peregrine. It nullifies and absorbs special attacks, something Peregrine doesn't use. I can fire off the store energy after using it five times or if no one attacks me while using it. It's…sort of like a Protect/Mirror Coat move."

Hawkins blinked, then rubbed his chin. "Can you aim it at anyone regardless of who fired?"

"Well, yes, why?" She turned around to look at him, then gasped as he raced towards Peregrine. "HEY! Don't abandon me again!"

Hawkins pulled out dual Leaf Blades and slashed down at the spinning ring. Peregrine stopped flying and stopped his two blades. He narrowed his eyes. "What are you up to?"

"Not sure, but I'm going with it!" Hawkins pushed Peregrine back, then clashed furiously against his steel leek.

Peregrine deflected his shots with newfound curiosity. He was listening in on his conversation with Dakota and could tell they were both strategizing something in secret. It actually excited the cranky duck that they were planning something with mutual agreement. Now he had to really step up his game to see what they had in store.

Hawkins and Peregrine clashed blades furiously as they ran around the field at breakneck speeds. Sparks went flying into the air and near the crowd. Hawkins pulled one of his Leaf Blades back as he continued to match blows with the steel duck.

"Sweetest Nectar: Paralysis!" The petals on his arm glowed yellow, then liquid strands traveled down his arm and absorbed into the Leaf Blade, turning it yellow with static flying around it. He dispelled the other Leaf Blade and slammed the Paralysis charged one against the leek.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "You do realize the point of this exercise is the tag me, regardless of what you do. Why waste the time to paralyze me?"

Hawkins glared. "To give you something to worry about!" He picked up the pace with his sword swipes and bashed harder against the leek.

As they fought, Dakota used Rollout to circle around the two, trying to think up a strategy. _Okay Dakota, use that brain of yours! What's the best way of catching Peregrine off guard? Hawkins is faster and stronger than me and I have the better survival instincts! Hmm…_

Hawkins managed to work his blade under the leek and knocked it right out of Peregrine's wing. He then went for the lunge. However, Peregrine leaped over him. "Acrobatics!" He glowed in a light blue light and performed several kicks in the Fusion's face, before kicking off him and retrieving his leek.

Hawkins backflipped and leaped into the air. "Okay, let's try this! Leaf Storm!" He summoned a barrage of leaves and fired them at…Dakota.

Dakota stopped rolling around and gasped. "What are you-?!"

"Absorb them or get hit!" Hawkins yelled.

Dakota glared, then held her hands out. "Crystal Mirror!" Her body glowed in a reflective material, then took the Leaf Storm. The leaves converted into green energy upon hitting her and wrapped around her body before disappearing. She sighed in relief, then her eyes widened. _Wait, now I know what he's doing!_

Peregrine narrowed his eyes on her. _I see they're beginning to work together._ He kept his guard up as Hawkins continuously slammed his Leaf Blades against his vegetable blade. From the corner of his eye, he saw Dakota dashing towards before spinning for in her Rollout.

Peregrine deflected the Leaf Blades and tripped Hawkins up before spinning around and pressing the tip of his leek against the spinning Fusion. Sparks flew as Dakota tried to push against the leek. Peregrine hopped out of the way, letting the surprise momentum throw Dakota into Hawkins. He flapped his wings and took off into the sky.

Dakota groaned and pushed herself up. "Now _he_ is getting on my nerves."

Hawkins glared up at Peregrine, then grabbed Dakota by the wrists. "No complaints or questions! Just act!"

"Wait, wha-AAHH!" Hawkins spun Dakota around and threw her right at Peregrine. She shook her nerves off and glared, throwing her hands out to tag Peregrine.

While slightly caught off guard by the surprise move, Peregrine used his leek to block Dakota's flailing arms. He flew around and kicked her higher in the air. He looked back down and saw a massive Leaf Storm flying at him. He slashed through the incoming projectiles while Dakota absorbed the rest as they got in close.

Peregrine dove straight towards Hawkins with his leek glowing red. "Fury Cutter!"

Hawkins formed Leaf Blade and held it over his head, bracing himself as the steel duck slammed the powered vegetable down hard, digging Hawkins into a crater. His knees nearly gave out from the force. His legs shook, but he still stood as he pushed back and clashed against the duck.

Meanwhile, Dakota was falling from the sky. When Hawkins said no time for questions, he really meant it. They didn't discuss a landing strategy! "Oh Arceus, oh Arceus, oh Arceus!" She closed her eyes fearfully, then they snapped open upon realization. "Oh, wait! Defense Curl!" She curled herself up, a sheen of light washing over her.

She hit the ground like a meteor once more, burying herself a bit down. She uncurled and rested on her back, panting. "Ugh, I'm never going skydiving…" She pushed herself up and glared as Hawkins and Peregrine clashed fiercely. Dakota rubbed her chin, heavily thinking about a possible strategy. _Hmm…it might just work._

Hawkins and Peregrine pushed their blades against each other, but Peregrine took strong steps forward to push Hawkins back. "So, boy, still think you can beat me on your own?"

Hawkins glared. "Now? Probably not. But I will someday."

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "You still fail to acknowledge a fellow colleague?"

"I don't acknowledge her as a fighter. That much remains true." He closed his eyes. "However…perhaps that was a blind way of judging her. She can act well when the situation calls for it." He glared over Peregrine. "Now!"

Peregrine quickly looked over his shoulder and saw Dakota consumed in aurora light energy. "Crystal Mirror!" She threw her arms out and fired a thick wave of energy down at the ground. The explosive impact sent up a wall of dust that completely obscured Peregrine's vision.

Hawkins jumped back while Peregrine fanned his wing in front of his face, coughing. "What…is this?"

Dakota narrowed her eyes. "Hawkins, now!"

They sprinted at full speed and threw their hands out to tag the steel duck. Peregrine squinted through the dust and saw their silhouetted figures through the dust. They came in reach, leading him to duck as their hands missed his head and tagged each other's palms instead. Peregrine twisted his leek, a sharp shine glaring off.

Outside the dust cloud, the crowd tried to get a better view of the inside by leaning in closer. Ren had his hands over his eyes, leaning forward on one foot. "I-I can't see them! Are they winning?!"

Hard smacking could be heard inside the smoke, followed by Hawkins and Dakota flying out from opposite sides of the cloud and tumbling across the ground. Wash flinched. "I'll go with 'no.'"

Hawkins pushed himself up, but stopped when Peregrine suddenly appeared in front of him with his leek aimed straight for his face. Peregrine raised his brow. "You two came up with that whole strategy without utterly a single word of your plan…and on the spot, no less."

Hawkins sighed and leaned back on his hands. "It's like you said…I just had to accept her." He narrowed his eyes. "I just went along with it…"

"An improvised strategy that could have gone wrong?"

Hawkins shook his head, chuckling quietly. "Maybe so…seems I have more learning to do." He looked up at Peregrine. "You forced me to work with Dakota just so I can see my view on weaklings is misguided…"

"I've known Ms. Dakota for a long time. A bright, young girl who hopes never to instill violence. She only wants to help the youngest of our generation find their path in life, so that we may one day find our callings in life should we be fully accepted into society. She holds bright hopes for the future. Just like how you hope to surpass your own limitations to become better than you are now."

Hawkins sighed. "I understand, sir…" He smirked. "I still intend to take my victory…"

"That won't be happening," Peregrine stated before whacking Hawkins on the head. However, his leek passed right through, much to his surprise. "Wha…?"

The illusion of Hawkins flickered as he chuckled. "Perhaps this one time, I did need help…" He vanished.

Peregrine raised his leek cautiously. "Double Team?" He glared at Dakota, who witnessed the entire exchange. She waved to him with an impish smile before vanishing herself. "She used Double Team in the smoke when they made contact…which means…"

His eyes widened as he saw a shadow growing under him. He rolled back as Hawkins came down with a Leaf Blade, then used the surprise attack to charge at Peregrine. He barely threw his leek up to defend against the strikes. Sparks flew off in rapid clashes.

Peregrine looked around cautiously for Dakota when the ground suddenly split apart. Dakota sprung from the ground and reached for his ankles. He used his leek to vault over her head and land right behind her before thrusting his weapon straight for her back…

…until someone tapped him on the back of the neck.

Dakota flinched as the leek came close to striking her, then sighed in relief when it stopped. Peregrine stared blankly at the female Fusion, before sighing and turning around to greet Hawkins, who used the small diversion to get around him and land the finishing hit.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes dryly, then smirked. "Lesson learnt. We begin the next step of your training tomorrow."

Hawkins sighed, too exhausted to properly thank him with a bow. "Thank you, sir…" In an unceremonious fashion, he collapsed on his back.

The crowd went into an uproar of cheers, happy the two manage to win out in the end. Rebecca ran over to Dakota and pulled her out of her hole. "Nice work, Dakota! How do you feel?"

Dakota groaned tiredly. "Like my limbs are going to fall off…Peregrine hits like a truck…" She passed out in Rebecca's arms, who tumbled back a bit to keep her balance.

Asadi sat down next to Hawkins and snickered. "Sssooo, you two friends now?"

Hawkins glanced over at Dakota as slept restlessly in Rebecca's arms. He closed his own eyes and sighed. "We'll see in the morning. Right now…" He pinched between his eyes. "I just want to rest…"

Peregrine raised his leek. "Someone take these two to the medical hut and have Gracelyn patch them up." Rebecca carried Dakota while Ulysses graciously volunteered to escort Hawkins, who was barely able to stand on his feet.

Peregrine leaned against his leek while Asadi went up to his side with her arms folded behind her back. She gave him a questioning look. "You were pretty rough on them for a moment. Could have seriously hurt them."

Peregrine shrugged. "I'm hard on everybody. Take it as it is."

Asadi raised a brow, then looked ahead with a smile. "Heh…something tells me Hawk-o reminds you of yourself when you were younger."

Peregrine scoffed. "Preposterous."

"Ah, getting all defensive, are we?" she teased, poking his side with her tail.

He whacked her tail, making her wince. As she rubbed the sore appendage, he sighed and closed his eyes. "…yes, I suppose I see a bit of myself in young Hawkins. Passionate in growing stronger, cold to all who are weak, and only caring about myself."

Asadi soothed her tail and let it go. "What made you change?"

He tucked his leek under his shoulder. "I met a godly ape who showed me life shouldn't be spent looking down on others. If I wish to grow stronger, I must first accept others and not downplay their hidden strengths." He smiled lightly. "I believe Hawkins and Dakota have a lot to learn from each other if they wish to grow as individuals."

Asadi smirked. "Heh. Hawkins acting nice?"

"More so tolerant and appreciative, if anything. Perhaps even Dakota will see a bit of a change herself. She isn't perfect, but she's a good influence on those still learning about themselves." He glanced at Asadi. "I expect you to take the time to learn more about yourself as well. You might find something you never realized you had."

Asadi saluted lazily. "If you say so, sir…" She stretched her arms out and yawned. "Well, I'm tired. I'm gonna chill in the hammocks before dinner. See ya later, Mr. P!" She walked off.

Peregrine sighed, then walked away to his hut. He smiled to himself. _Heh…I would never put those kids in any real danger. They can take a hit, though._

* * *

The next day, Hawkins and Dakota were released from the medical hut and were allowed to return to their jobs back at the school hut. Everything went well, for the most part, though Hawkins was still having a bit of trouble getting the kids to fire attacks correctly.

Hawkins pinched between his eyes in annoyance. He had bandages wrapped around his head and left arm. A scorch mark appeared behind him on the school wall. "Willy, you can't get distracted when you fire Dragon Breath. You could have hit someone."

Willy looked down sadly and sniffled. "I'm…I'm sorry…" He slid away with teary eyes.

Hawkins plopped himself down on the bench and groaned, hands pressed against his eyes. He felt someone walk up to him and turned his head slightly. It was Dakota with her arms crossed. She had a couple adhesive bandages on her cheek and some bandages around her head and body. She sighed. "He's trying."

"I know…" Hawkins rubbed his head. "I'm not the greatest with children." He saw her hand him something. A quick look showed him it was a foil wrapped, chocolate Bunnelby. He raised a brow, then looked up at her. "What's this for?"

"Willy's a sensitive kid. He won't learn if you act harsh with him. Positive criticism is the best way to go about it. A little kindness," she shook the chocolate lightly, "and motivation go a long way."

Hawkins stared at the chocolate for a moment before swiping it out of her hand and walking over to Willy, who was lightly crying for messing up again. Hawkins crouched down with his arms crossed. "Willy." The rainbow dragon squeaked in surprise, then turned around. Hawkins sighed, then held up the chocolate. "I…know you can do it. You just need to pay attention a little more, that's all."

Willy looked down. "I'm sorry…"

Hawkins shook his head and sat the chocolate down. He grabbed Willy by the sides, which scared him for a moment, but he calmed down when Hawkins only turned him around to face the target. He adjusted Willy's posture to the best of his ability since he was a goopy little fellow.

"When firing an attack, you have to keep your eyes focused on the target at all times. Looking away for a moment can trick yourself into firing off course. Steady your breathing, inhale sharply, and build up that Dragon Breath before firing it."

Willy looked at him nervously, then nodded. "O-Okay…" He looked at the target and focused hard on the ringed pattern. He inhaled deeply and built up the draconian energy deep inside him, then fired a light blue beam from his mouth. It didn't nail the direct center of the target, but nailed the sides instead. Willy frowned, then looked down sadly. "I missed…"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then shook his head. "No…that's a big improvement." He waved the chocolate Bunnelby at Willy. "Have Spaz or someone practice with you after school. You just need more practice, that's all. Just take my advice and remember to focus."

Willy looked at the chocolate for a moment, then at Hawkins' stern, yet surprising mellow expression. He smiled a bit. "Okay!" He grabbed the treat by the ear and slid off to enjoy his chocolatey goodness.

Hawkins stood up and dusted his hands off while Dakota walked up to him with a smirk. "Well, well, well, your heart isn't completely frozen. What a _chilling_ surprise."

He glared lightly at her. "You need to stop hanging out with Asadi." Dakota laughed with her hands on her hips. He looked down, hands folded behind him, and sighed. "…thanks."

Dakota stopped laughing, surprised by the acknowledgement. "Thanks? For what?"

"For…helping me, I guess." He shook his head. "I never realized there was more I had to learn outside of battle. I grew up in high society. None of this…mattered to me. Friends, interaction, morals…none of it was important."

Dakota raised a brow. "And now?"

He scoffed. "Don't expect me to have a complete attitude change in a day. I still say I'm one of the strongest fighters here." Dakota pouted a bit, but lightened up when he continued, "But…perhaps I was acting a bit too cold around everyone. I'll…try and fix that."

Dakota stared at him in astonishment, then smiled. "If you need help connecting with the kids, just talk to me."

Hawkins nodded. "Thank you…" He rubbed the back of his head and turned towards Caleb and Matthew, who he had do a practice battle with each other. "I better evaluate their progress."

"Uh, Hawkins, wait." He stopped and looked back at her. She clenched her fists and sighed. "Look…my stance on battling hasn't changed…at all. I still don't like fighting. That said…yesterday…showed me I should at least know _how_ to properly defend myself." She kicked at the ground awkwardly. "If it's no trouble, I'd like to learn self-defense."

Hawkins raised a brow. "You're serious?" She nodded meekly. He narrowed his eyes, then faced her fully with his posture straight and arms folded behind him. "Very well. I suppose I can find some time through my schedule to assist you. Just make sure you're up to it. You're not getting out of this once we start."

She shrugged with a wry smile. "Heh…fine, I guess." She held her hand out. "So…we cool?"

Hawkins examined her gesture, then shook it. "I take back all my _harsh_ criticisms against you."

Dakota raised her brow. "Just the _harsh_ ones?"

"I still believe you're weak, though that's only because you've never battled in your life. However, I have newfound respect for you." He groaned slightly. "How do you put up with those kids jumping on you?"

Dakota giggled. "They're kids. Rambunctious, but adorably sweet." She smirked mischievously. "Don't be surprised if they decide to gang up on you into a dog pile."

Hawkins shivered at the thought. "Greeeat…" He sighed and walked away. "Well, I'll leave you to your work." He walked over to Caleb and Matthew as the latter had a bite on the hybrid bat's right wing while Caleb used the other one to fly and drag him around.

Dakota held her hips and smiled lightly at Hawkins. "Heh…you're welcome."


	23. Breaking In

It was a crisp, cool night out in the land of Sinnoh. The moon was high above the lands, shining its white light down with the sky showered in stars. The perfect night to be sneaking about when going undetected.

Almost three weeks had passed for the dynamic duo of Vivi and Eddie, who were on their way towards the military base of Vivi's journey. She led the way with the laptop in hand. It took them days of screwing around with it, but they managed to boot up the system and pulled up a map that marked the desired base. Just thinking about her mission becoming a success filled Vivi with absolute glee, clicking her heels together in a jolly fashion.

Eddie wished he could share in the fun, but he was still weary of the plan in general. While he's grown to accept the fact he was following a possibly crazy Fusion, he was apprehensive about what they might come across.

First off, the thing they were looking for. Yeah, a doomsday device…of sorts. Greta conversation starter and ender, right there. Then there was this possible Fusion that's being held by the military, who is over three hundred years old and in some form of hibernated stasis.

While the machine itself didn't pose a direct threat to Eddie's life since it only targeted Pokémon, the issue lay in the unforeseen side effects to the planet: the destruction of the core, followed by the loss of the planet's magnetic field, and a whole bunch of stuff he rather not think about.

That machine had to be destroyed before anyone else found and reactivated it. Even _if_ modern times could improve the sides effects, the moral outrage brought upon by the forced change will lead to catastrophic events.

Eddie sighed and pinched between his eyes. He really needed a drink. He wasn't sure how much stress he could handle. The worst part is that they still needed Bartleby's help to get to the machine and they weren't sure he would cooperate with them.

He looked down at the enthusiastic Ledian-Decidueye. "Vivi, how much farther? We've been walking in this forest for hours."

Vivi chuckled and waved her hand around. "Patience, Eddie! We'll be there before you know it!"

"Yeah, clearly, because I don't know WHEN we'll get there. Again, we've been walking for hours. How big is this forest?"

Vivi shrugged. "Pretty big, I guess. But don't you worry! We're almost there!"

"You said _that_ an hour ago!" Eddie grumbled loudly.

Vivi rolled her eyes. "Hey, I'm only keeping up positive morale! I'm telling you, we're getting close to the base!" She looked back at the map, then scratched her head in puzzlement. "Though, I have to admit, this map isn't making a whole lot of sense. I'm certain we're in the general location, but we haven't come across any soldiers."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Come on, how hard is it to read a…map?" His eyes widened upon remembering the…peculiar quirk his friend possessed. He glared softly, then ceased walking. "Vivi…"

She stopped and faced him. "Yes~?"

He held his hand out. "Hand over the laptop."

Her eyes widened, then she looked around nervously. "Uh, why?"

"Hand over. The map," he ordered firmly, expressing a lack of tolerance from the hours of walking spent.

She held her upper hands up with a nervous grin. "H-Hey! I know where I'm going! I'm not completely brainless!"

"Then, where are we?"

"Um…" She looked around awkwardly, then shrugged with a sheepish grin. "In Sinnoh?" Having enough, Eddie swiped the laptop out of her hands. "Hey!"

Eddie held the laptop up and looked over the map. "Okay, the device says we're here and…" After a bit of scanning, he lowered the laptop to deliver a deadpan glare towards Vivi. "Vivi…"

She tapped her hands together, avoiding eye contact. "Y-Yes?"

"You've been leading us in circles for the last few hours. We've passed the base about five times."

Vivi flailed her arms angrily. "Well, sorry! It's not my fault these stupid maps are impossible to read!"

Eddie facepalmed. One of these days, if they make it through this stupid mission of theirs, he was going to teach her how to read directions. "Okay…looks like I'm in charge of the map."

Vivi crossed her arms and huffed. "Oh, like you could do better!"

Almost immediately, Eddie pointed to his right. "The base is that way," he stated with a firm look.

Vivi blinked, then slouched over with a tired groan. "Show off…" Eddie rolled his eyes, then grabbed the archer by the wrist and dragged her with him.

Upon closer inspection, the new direction they headed in felt much more diverse than earlier. If Eddie wasn't so darn tired, he might have caught Vivi's mistake earlier. They lost too much time as it is, but perhaps operating in the dead of night might be their best option. More cover to work with, at least for Vivi since she was arguably the more stealthy of the two. Eddie stuck out like a forest fire, quite literally.

This time, it only took them over ten minutes to reach the hidden base. Eddie closed the laptop, then he and Vivi poked their heads through the bushes. They narrowed their eyes on the metal hideout. Judging by its shape and structure, it was rather small on the surface, leading them to believe it was an underground base. That meant more ground to cover.

They pulled their heads back in when a couple of guards walked by. They were armed with standard equipment to protect themselves against Pokémon, along with the essentials used against Fusions. It seemed heavily guarded, more so than they expected.

They sat down behind the bush and faced each other. "What do you suppose they're up to?" Vivi asked.

"Hard to say," he admitted as he pushed the leaves apart to get another look. "It seems like they're expecting someone."

Vivi gasped quietly, hands flying up to her mouth. "Oh my gosh! What if they're shipping Bartleby off to another remote base? I can't deal with any more regional trips around the world!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He scratched his nonexistent chin. "Though, that does pose an issue. If this Bartleby guy, whoever he is, is in their possession, they might interrogate him on everything he knows."

Vivi gasped again. "Which means, the military will find out about the Pokémon Targeting Evolution Fusion Doomsday Device of Doom!"

"…really? That's what you're calling it?"

Vivi held her hips and pouted. "It's a working title."

Eddie shook his head. "Whatever. If Bartleby is here, we can't risk him possibly being transferred out of the region. If anyone else were to know about the machine…"

The archer stomped her foot down and raised her fists. "That cannot happen! We shall prevail and save our comrade we've never met!" Eddie slapped his hand over her mouth and pushed her down. They peered out of the bushes, then sighed when the guard looking their way resumed position.

Eddie shushed the enthusiastic Fusion. "We're already being on a list. I suggest staying off the military's radar, okay?" Vivi, whose mouth was still being covered, nodded with a tiny squee. "Good. Follow my lead."

Eddie peered out the bushes again and scanned his surroundings. Once he saw their opportunity to run, then sprinted quietly across the field and towards the side of the bunker. They pressed their backs against the wall, then peeked around to see if anyone spotted them.

Vivi held her fist up. "Alright!" she cheered quietly. "What's Step 2? Karate chopping them unconscious? Blindness? Dizziness? All three?"

Eddie glared at her. "Vivi, I understand you're excited, but this is a stealth mission. We can't risk being seen."

"No offense, Ed, but how do you expect us to escape with another Fusion in tow? Especially with one who's going to be _very_ confused when he wakes up? We're going to get found out anyway." She punched her fists together with a mischievous grin. "Let's used this rare opportunity to have some fun!"

Eddie shook his head. "Absolutely not. At any chance we get, we're not risking the military coming after us. We need to think rationally about how we proceed from now on. Don't attack unless absolutely necessary."

Vivi slouched her head forward and groaned. "Ugh…fine. So, how DO we get in? I only see one entrance and we're not getting through there unnoticed."

Eddie narrowed his eyes, then took a small step out of the way to reveal a ventilation grate right next to them. Vivi stared at it for a moment, then chuckled sheepishly. She tried to speak, but gave up halfway through and gestured for the Hitmonlee Fusion to do the honors.

Eddie pressed his fingers against the screws and superheated them until they melted off. He pried the grate off and slid it to the side. "You first," he said with a head nod. She nodded and crawled through. Eddie crawled through feet first, spying around for any guards, then closed the grate behind him.

He struggled to turn himself around, since the vents were only big enough to fit him in, then followed after Vivi. The archer waved her hand over her face. "It's really dusty in here…"

"Then I advise not to sneeze," Eddie warned. "I'm not getting caught in a…Vivi?" His eyes widened as the archer's head slowly twitched back.

"Uh…Uh…uh…aaaaahhhh-!" Eddie flinched in apprehension, then deadpanned when the Ledian Fusion started laughing quietly. "Just kidding~!"

"Take this seriously, kid! Do you want us to get caught?"

Vivi giggled. "Oh, lighten up. You sound like we're in danger."

"…do you have any sense of reality?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that!"

"We are in a military ventilation system!"

"And it is dussssss-ty~!" she exclaimed with all that swagger.

Eddie facepalmed and sighed. "…Vivi, if you want me to continue helping you, act mature."

Vivi awed sadly, then sighed. She narrowed her eyes seriously. "Right, right, sorry…"

For every grate they passed over, they looked down to take quick peeks of what they were dealing with. Sure enough, more soldiers stormed through the halls with weapons at the ready. The standard weapons won't prove to be a problem, but it was the Fusion equipment that they had to stand clear of.

Vivi narrowed her eyes. "Yeesh, I hate that stuff…" she mumbled.

"Can't blame you. Fusion Containment Equipment and weapons, specially made to take us down…" Eddie shook his head. "I'd say they're discriminatory, but the weapons from before were designed against Pokémon. Fair's fair."

Vivi pressed her back against the vent and held her chin. "Now, where would I be hiding a hibernating Fusion in a place like this?" she asked herself.

"If he's still in hibernation, they'll probably keep him like that," Eddie suggested. "We don't know how he'll react to waking up, neither will they." Eddie scratched his head. "We can't take random chances on finding him through the vents. We'll have to spy on the guards and see if they say anything."

Vivi nodded. "Right, good plan."

They continued crawling their way through the vents. There weren't many spots to drop down from. Everywhere they turned ended up being guarded. They held their breathes ever so often when the occasional upwards glance was thrown at the vents. They were fortunate not to be caught yet.

Eddie rested against the vent walls, slouched over due to the small space. "Looks like we're stuck in here."

"And no idea how to get to Bartleby," Vivi groaned. She held her face. "Ugh, where's that stupid lab?"

Eddie held his chin and closed his eyes. "Who would want a Fusion in their custody?"

The Fusion duo grew quiet when they heard two guards walking down the halls. They peeked through the grate and saw a Pyroar and Breloom wearing military attire. They stopped at two opposing doors and checked inside, likely for possible intruders. Was this an often inspection? Eddie has heard little about regular break-ins into Sinnoh military bases. Unless…it had something to do with the Fusion.

The Pyroar closed his door. "All clear."

Breloom closed his door as well. "All clear, too."

"Good." Pyroar took a deep breath and sighed tiredly. "The sooner we get through this, the quicker Cragtail will be gone."

Eddie and Vivi glanced at each other with equally confused faces. _Cragtail?_

Breloom shook his head and pinched between his eyes. "All these safety checks seem rather unnecessary. We've never had anyone stupid enough to break into one of our bases."

"You heard what the general said. There are fugitive Fusions on the run in Sinnoh." The two hidden Fusions froze up worriedly. "Cragtail made it clear he wants this Fusions brought back without any commotion getting in the way. Simpler than keeping him here. We're not equipped to keep a frozen Fusion in stasis forever. If it breaks out, we're in serious trouble."

Breloom rubbed his face. "Ugh…I suppose that's better than sending the Fusion Hunters after him if he got loose." He looked down the hall. "Still, have you _seen_ how big that Fusion is? Rehabilitated or not, I don't want to come within meters of that hulking beast!"

"We just need to keep up security until the exchange with Cragtail is a success. Come on, we have more halls to patrol." With firm nods to each other, they marched down through the halls, then turned around the corner.

Eddie and Vivi stared down at the vent, then looked at each other with wide eyes. "Who…the heck is Cragtail?" Vivi asked. "And why did they mention the Fusion Hunters?"

Eddie tapped his head and tried to recall the name. It sounded very familiar to him. "Cragtail, Cragtail, Cragtail…" He then snapped his fingers. "Right! He's the one who runs the Fusion Hunters division. He keeps track of all captured Fusions in all the regions and orders to have them transferred to his remote…untraceable and hidden facility..."

Vivi gasped, throwing her hands up to her mouth. "Oh no! If they take Bartleby, you mean we'll never find him? Our only lead?!"

"Seems like it." Eddie groaned and rubbed his temples. "Damn, things just got more complicated. We need to get Bartleby out of here before Cragtail comes to pick him up. He's likely coming with Fusion Hunters as backup."

Vivi glared. "Then we can't give up now!" She pulled a quill out from her cloak and jabbed it into the grate. She undid the screws, then caught the grate before it fell off. She jumped down along with Eddie, who pressed the grate back on the ceiling and fused two opposite corners down with his heat.

Once done, the duo looked around the hallway, making sure no other guards show up. "Okay, remember the plan. Find wherever they're keeping Bartleby, spring him out, then we get the hell out of here." He shivered. "Last thing I want is to take on the whole military…"

Vivi crossed her arms. "Righto! Let's split up! I'll take the west side of the base! You take the rest!"

"Yeah, I guess that's a…" His eyes widened. "Wait, what?! No! That's a terrible-!" He turned around to face her, but she was already gone. "…plan." He facepalmed and groaned. "What is wrong with that kid?"

He wasn't sure what he should be more scared of: the military and all their fancy, dangerous equipment or Vivi blowing their cover because she can barely understand simple directions. He should chase after Vivi before she got herself into trouble, but top priorities are to find Bartleby.

With a defeated sigh, he turned around and walked down the opposite way. He peeked around the corner and narrowed his eyes when he saw the camera hanging from the ceiling. It had the entire hall it faced practically covered. Eddie darted his eyes around carefully to see if he could sneak around it. There weren't any blind spots to work with, so he took a small risk and wrapped around the corner, quickly shuffling against the wall. With the slightest bit of hope, whoever was manning the cameras missed him by a second.

Once he was out of the camera's field of vision, he continued making his way through the base. He peeked around another corner and saw a guard coming his way. Quick to act, Eddie ducked into a broom closet.

The guard walked around the corner, holding his rifle at the ready. Eddie peered through the door a bit, then sighed internally. The following action he was going to perform will haunt him for the rest of his days.

The guard was more than ready to continue on his patrol when he heard a gentle knock against the broom closet door. He whipped around and held his rifle up at it, finger wrapped around the trigger. He shuffled over to the door and eyed it suspiciously. He holstered the rifle on his back and pulled out a stun baton. He carefully grabbed hold of the doorknob and twisted it.

Immediate, after throwing the door open, he was grabbed and dragged into the closet with the door closing behind him. Muffled beatings and static shocks were heard inside, blows being traded ruthlessly. Supplies were heard falling over and being used as makeshift weapons. It sounded like absolute chaos for a minute before everything went silent.

No one came out of the closet for about five minutes. The broom closet opened and the soldier stepped out, adjusting his helmet. However, it wasn't the actual soldier, as a Tyranitar was seen lying unconscious and tied up on the closet floor.

Eddie closed the door, then pressed his back against the wall with an exhausted expression. That Tyranitar got him good a couple of times with the stun baton. He wasn't able to move his arm all too well. Any longer in there and he would have been caught. Now…Now he was impersonating a soldier he JUST beaten up.

 _Oh sweet Mew, I'm going to jail for a long time._ Eddie shook off his anxiety and focused on the task at hand. He picked up the rifle and slung the strap over his shoulder. _Just find Vivi and wherever they're keeping the Fusion._ He marched down the hall, pulling his shirt over his face to cover himself as much as possible.

* * *

Vivi poked her head around the corner and eyed around the hallway, spotting a camera. She quickly dashed across the hallway to avoid its view. The advantages of a being half Decidueye: she was naturally stealthy and untraceable to conventional means.

She ran over to a door and opened it. Her expression dropped when she saw she found a bathroom. She groaned and slammed the door shut. "Why is this place so freakin' big?!" She pressed her forehead against the wall and groaned quietly. "I can't give up now…" She huffed determinedly and held her hips. "Doesn't matter! I'll find my way around this dump or my name isn't Vivi Rollins!"

She marched ahead with a passionate pride in her step. It couldn't be that hard to find a secret lab containing a supposedly large Fusion. She had her wits. She can work through any trouble that comes her way.

Five minutes of searching later, though, and she was getting frustrated again. Turns out, she went in a complete circle and came across the same bathroom from before…twice. She might as well be walking around blindfolded, because she couldn't find any other rooms.

She dashed around the base, careful to avoid cameras. She pounded against her head in frustration and growled internally. _ARGH! Where is he?!_ She looked up at the ceiling and pressed her hands together in a praying manner. _Oh mystical gods, fortune bringers of luck! Give me a sign! Show me to Bartleby so that I may complete my que-EEEEP!_

While she was busy praying to the ceiling, she missed the wet floor sign on the ground and slid across the floor on one foot. She flailed her arms around to get her balance together, but she failed and crashed into a large metal door. The sound echoed across the halls, loud enough for the sound sensitive Pokémon soldiers to detect it.

"I heard a crash. Come on!" Vivi barely heard as she slid off the door and gently landed on her chin.

Her pupils spun around her bulbous eyes in a daze. "The universe has a sick sense of humor…" She shook her head and glanced up at the door she crashed into. The doors appeared to be electronic. Curious, she hopped up and checked for any windows, only to discover none. She did, however, notice a scanner on the left side of the door. She walked over to it and pressed an 'Enter' button.

"Please scan badge for access," the internal speaker requested.

Vivi blinked at it curiously, then gasped examined the words printed on the screen: 'Deep Storage Unit.' Deep Storage? A place where they keep large equipment? Or…perhaps a large Fusion being kept in stasis? The archer held her chin and examined the doors curiously.

 _Could they be keeping him in here?_

Her antennas twitched when she heard feet stomping coming towards her. She shrieked and dashed off. Not wanting to forget how she got here, she pulled out a quill and scratched the wall with a tally mark. She ran down a second hallway and scratched two tally marks. Should she lose her way, she'll just count off the tally marks to tell herself which hallway she was in.

For now, she had to focus getting into that storage unit. The computer said she needed a badge. She wasn't sure what kind she needed, so…guess she'll have to steal as many as she can!

* * *

Eddie kept his face hidden behind the extra-large shirt under his stolen uniform as he passed the guards. He knew the moment anyone casted a suspicious glance at him, he'll be found out. He just needed to keep moving and avoid direct eye contact with EVERYONE.

He snuck around the base in search of the secret lab or whatever that was holding Bartleby. Unfortunately, he still couldn't find his way around this labyrinth of a base. Not like asking for directions will do him any good. He was still tense about stealing the damn disguise. Talking to anyone? He might as well surrender himself.

Though, with the time he took to search around, his thoughts did trail off to think about Cragtail. He's the guy who ran the Fusion Hunters' center of operation. He founded them and helps with maintaining weapons needed to contain unruly Fusions. From what he could remember, Cragtail served time in the Hoenn military before taking up an active role in Fusion crime control. With support from the military and the public, he was able to create a branch of agents specifically trained to handle any and all Fusions with varying degree of success. Only the strongest of agents were able to rise in status.

A lot of Fusions REALLY hate the Fusion Hunters for their discriminatory behavior towards Fusions. Eddie would be lying to himself if he said he didn't feel the same way. Though, that was the blind and ignorant way of evaluating the Fusion Hunters.

Rather than treating Fusions like lowlifes under the worst possible conditions, they go out of their way to rehabilitate them for their cruel behavior. As far as he's aware, most Fusions that are captured are released if they show signs of change. He's never heard any complaints about Fusions being mistreated or kicked around like scum. The hidden facility used to correct their behavior is just that: meant to correct their behavior.

Though, Fusions and Pokémon still hold adamant complaint towards them, no matter how you look at it. For Fusions, it's the specific targeting against their kind. For Pokémon, it's for releasing the Fusions back into civilization. Eddie's heard many, many stories about Fusions going rogue after reentering society, though only a tenth of them turn out to be true. The rest all spawned from bigotry and mistrust. Eddie doesn't trust the Fusion Hunters, but their services at least narrow down the crime rates.

Still, something in the back of the Hitmonlee Fusion's head told him they couldn't be trusted at all. Wonder why? Might have something to do with all those conspiracy theories he came across from wandering Fusions.

Vivi wasn't the first Fusion to stop by in his old bar, but she is the first to enter without a disguise. Eddie would serve them drinks and act all friendly as per usual, then his Fusion customers would eventually tell him stories about the facility. From what he's been told, not even the Fusions who went to the place know where it is. They're transported in a windowless vehicle so they wouldn't' expose the location.

Now, from what Eddie has been told, the place treats the Fusions with some respect, so long as you stay in line and not act up. He's heard the stories about Fusions being sent into isolation for cruel behavior. For all he cared, you got around just fine if you respected the guards.

However, he came across the occasional oddball who would ramble on about the…Cragtail Conspiracy? Yeah, that's what it's called in the facility between the Fusions. Seems odd, but Eddie didn't question the name. What he did question, though, was the claims of conspiring within the prison.

There's no direct evidence of this, but Fusions who were once held at the facility stated other Fusions would be transported out of the building…ones who _haven't_ been rehabilitated. That did come off as odd for him, but he eventually shrugged it off as overthinking. Though, with the few Fusions he came across, they stated the same thing. It was an odd thought that sat in the back of his mind.

He wants to believe the Fusions were simply overthinking a situation, nothing more than an elaborate misunderstanding. Then again…was it possible?

Eddie held his head and groaned quietly. As he tried to keep to his thoughts, an alarm blared loudly over his head. He jumped in shock and nearly dropped his stolen rifle.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! All soldiers to Section 4-Area 7!" the intercom ordered.

Eddie flinched as multiple soldiers raced down the hall towards the location. He stared at them for a moment, still rattled by the alarm. He didn't know what could have set it off…until he remembered what he was looking for. He glared in irritation, then raced after the soldiers.

 _VIVIIIIIIIIIIII!_

The soldiers marched quickly through the halls before coming towards the location the intruder was found. They aimed their weapons and kicked a door down. They spread out through the room and searched vigilantly for the intruder.

They immediately spotted one of the guards collapsed on the floor. One bent down and checked his pulse. He was still alive. He stood up and aimed his gun around. "Keep your eyes open, team! The trespasser could still be in here!"

"Not how I wanted to go about this, but…!" They aimed their guns up upon hearing the voice and were met with Vivi hanging upside-down from a vent with an arrow loaded. "Guess I have no choice! Stardust Arrow!"

She fired the arrow in the center of the soldiers, releasing a blinding flash that knocked them back into the walls. She dropped down and raced out the door, then sprinted down the hall.

That plan didn't go as well as she expected. Turns out, stealing badges wasn't as easy as she made it out in her head. Also, stealing badges from trained military Pokémon…yeah, she could have thought this out more. On the plus side, she managed to secure five badges. She needed as many as she can grab to break into the storage unit.

Now, as for her escape plan…RUN!

The soldiers ran out of the room and fired down the hallway before she could turn the corner. Eddie ran up from behind, panting slight from panic, then carefully made his way through the soldiers. He watched as Vivi dodged and weaved her way through the onslaught of laser blasts.

She laughed giddily, feeling at ease with her dodging. "Hehe! You guys aren't very good shots! I can keep this up all-YOW!" Her boasting led her to getting shot in the arm. She stumbled around, then got shot five more times by laser bullets. They didn't pierce her skin like regular bullets, but they stung like hell. She hid herself behind her cloak as more shots nailed her.

One soldier held his hand up, ordering the others to cease fire. "She's a Fusion," he identified. "Restrain her at once." Two soldiers stepped up with handcuffs and a collar, then made their way towards Vivi.

She looked over her shoulder with worry in her face, then stumbled forward to get away. _I need to…rescue Bartleby!_

The soldiers glared and started to run after her, until someone shot them in the back and knocked them over, allowing Vivi to escape around the corner. The soldiers turned to face the traitor, but were immediately shot and kicked unconscious by Eddie.

He clonked one guy in the head with the butt of the rifle, then spun kick the other in the gut before knocking down the rest with his rifle. He jumped back, then panted slightly as he stared at the pile of unconscious soldiers. The panic in his eyes was more evident.

 _Oh Arceus, forgive my sins!_

Eddie spun around and attempted race after Vivi when a laser bullet nicked him in the shoulder. He stumbled forward and gripped his shoulder tightly, then glared at the new troop of soldiers aiming at him.

A Leavanny stepped forward with his eyes narrowed. "Identify yourself, traitor."

Eddie aimed his gun and pulled the trigger, only to get a sad sound out of it. He was out of juice. He threw the gun away and held his hands up with a nervous expression. "Uh…look, perhaps we can be reasonable about this."

"You shot down my comrades," Leavanny reminded with a glare. "We're pass reasoning. So, I suggest surrender and come with us. You have a lot to explain for yourself."

Eddie looked over his shoulder again to see if Vivi had returned for whatever reason. Unfortunately, there wasn't much he could do to help her right now. However, she seemed like she knew what she was doing. He only hoped he could buy her enough time to get what she needed done.

He sighed quietly, then glared at the Pokémon. "I just want to make one thing clear: I'm not doing this out of malintent." The floor beneath his feet began to melt. "I respect everything you guys are doing, but right now…" He raised his leg as flames surrounded him. "I'm gonna have to escort myself out!"

The Leavanny glared. "What the hell?!" He held up his gun. "He's a Fusion! Fire, now!"

They fired at Eddie, but he proved to be just as fast and slippery as Vivi. He ran through the laser bullet, then spun on his leg. "Scorch Release: Mega Kick!" His pants leg exploded off and revealed his heated leg. He slid under the lasers and spun on his hands, then kicked three soldiers across the chest.

The searing heat of his kick melted through their thick armor, leading them to scream, "IT BURRRRRN!" Eddie threw them into the walls, with their chests smoking from the kick.

Eddie flipped over the squad and landed on his normal foot, then raised his heated leg with a determined stare. "Tell Cragtail that he's not getting his Fusion delivery."

The soldiers narrowed their eyes, then readied themselves in fighting stances as well, with some pulling out the stun batons. Eddie and the soliders glared at each other before running into battle. Leavanny thrusted his stun baton while Eddie threw his Scorch Release powered Mega Kick at it, resulting in a blinding flash.

* * *

Vivi's body hurt all over from the stinging pain inflicted onto her. It made running through the halls a lot more difficult, especially since she was being chased down by another squadron of guards that tracked her down.

The archer looked over her shoulder as they fired at her. She kept herself well hidden behind her cloak, but she wasn't sure how long it'll hold up to the lasers. She could smell the burning feathers easily. She inhaled sharply, taking her mind off the pain, and glared forward.

 _Focus! I've gone too far to back out now! Let's get…dangerous!_

She hopped off her right foot, which didn't hurt like her right, and loaded up three arrows at the guards. She stuck her tongue out and fired them, infusing the energy of Spirit Shackle. She accurately struck three shadows of three guards, tripping them over their feet through an invisible force.

Two guards, both Skarmory, flew over their allies and pulled out a hi-tech grenade. They pressed the button on the top and flung them down the hall. Vivi's eyes widened, then she shielded herself again as they went off. The energy wave that slammed into her threw her across the hall and smack her into the intersection wall.

She stood up and twitched uncomfortably. The grenades seemed to use the same technology to limit a Fusion's movements. Regardless, she pushed herself up and kept her ground.

She looked through her wide range of sight and saw something etched in the wall: seven tally marks. Her eyes shimmered with glee. She was on the right course to find her way back to the storage area. She quickly limped her way down the hall as the guards continued to advance.

Vivi plucked several arrows from inside her cloak and threw them down. They exploded into a thick Haze. The guards, however, were prepared with masks built into the helmets. They came down and blocked the Haze as they ran through. However…they ended up slamming into a thick ice wall.

Vivi had her back pressed against the wall of another hallway and peered around, panting heavily. She pulled out another arrow and aimed at the ice wall. Before the guards could break through, Vivi fired her Stardust Arrow, then limped away. The arrow pierced into the ice wall and exploded into a powerful flash that shattered the wall and sent the guards flying off their feet.

Vivi followed her tally marks to find the correct hallways. If she didn't see another tally mark, she would have to turn back and check another hallway. Considering her luck with directions, this was sadly the most efficient way of her getting back to the storage area. Maybe if she could walk properly, she would be making her way through faster. Her only hope was that the Stardust Arrow stunned the guards long enough.

Vivi continued to pant tiredly as she was literally on her hands and knees, dragging herself down the next few halls. Her legs were weak, her head felt light, and her vision was blurring…okay, she was being overdramatic, but it still REALLY hurt.

She collapsed on the ground and spread her limbs out, groaning. "I'm never going to find the Deep Storage unit…I'll never make it!" She whimpered sadly and looked up at the sky, hoping to get another batch of wisdom from the gods. _Oh mystical gods of all, help me return to the Deep Storage room so that I may find…Bartleby…_

When she looked up, however, she finally registered she was laying _right in front of the storage room._ She blinked, then grinned happily. "Thank you, Arceus!" She jumped to her feet with excitement, then stumbled over upon remembering her legs were still hurt. She caught herself on the wall, then pulled out the ID badges.

With the guards hurrying their approach, the Ledian-Decidueye rushed to scan the individual badges. She was met repeatedly with an annoying buzzer sound and a red flash of light on the screen. She threw the dud badges over her shoulder and continuously swiped across the machine without stop, focused intensely on getting inside.

"I think she's this way! Come on!" one of the guards shouted, followed by the mad stomping in the halls.

Vivi panicked and swiped faster with sweat dripping down her head. "Come on, give me something good, you stupid badges!"

She went through all but one badge. She clutched it tightly in her hands and checked again for the approaching guards. She could see their shadows coming around the corner. She gulped, then quickly swiped the badge through the machine, clenching her eyes shut.

"…Access Granted!"

Vivi's eyes opened in disbelief, then she jumped up happily with a click of her heel. "Hoora-OW!" she yelped when she landed. She held her arm and groaned as the doors slid open. Vivi ran inside and waited for the doors to close.

The guards slid in front of the door and saw that it just closed. However, once they saw it was Deep Storage, they panicked. "Oh no, we can't let her escape with the cargo!" A guard ran to the machine and swiped his card in.

"Access Granted!"

The doors began to slide open, but they were halted by a barrage of arrows hitting the door and releasing a thick sheet of ice over the surface. Vivi fired arrow after arrow, loading three to five at a time. More arrows flew and soared, increasing the size of the ice wall. With all the ice stacking over each other, the wall reached as high as the ceiling and even came close to touching Vivi, leading her to back away.

Vivi fired one last arrow, then collapsed on her rear, exhausted. "Now my arms…are REALLY sore…" She glanced up at her ice wall, rather impressed with what she accomplished. However, there was no telling how long it'll stay standing before the Fire-Type Pokémon melt through it.

Vivi pushed herself up, arms hanging loosely, then she limped through the storage area. She looked around at the numerous crates stacked around her. She walked past a couple jeeps and weapon cases. The archer tilted her head at the boxes. As she looked at them, she realized how nicely they could make box forts. Yeah, steal a couple of them (leave the contents behind, of course) and use the boxes to make herself a portable home.

Ooh, she could even steal the wheels off the jeeps and really make it a mobile box fort. A little refurbishing and building and it'll make an adequate…wait, what was she doing again?

Vivi shook her head and lightly bonked herself on the forehead. "Focus! I must FOCUS!" She repeatedly hit herself until she bumped into something. She stumbled back and shivered all over. Whatever she ran into felt frigid, like a freezer turned up to eleven.

She looked up at it as she rubbed her arms, then her eyes widened in awe. She bumped into a large capsule with frost building up on the inside of the glass lid. Some sort of…cryochamber. And inside that cryochamber was a large, bulky, silhouetted figure standing petrified on the inside.

The machine was so big that Vivi ended up falling backwards looking up. She lay on her back with an open-mouthed expression, expressing an excited squeal slowly rising in pitch as her eyes shimmered adorably.

"I found…BARTLEBY!" She waved her arms and legs happily. "WOOHOO! YAY!"

* * *

Eddie matched his kick with the punch of a Medicham wearing thick armor to soften the impact. The collision pushed each other away, but Eddie was soon under fire by the other soldiers. Eddie flipped over the unconscious guards scattered around him, so with severe burns across their armor.

Two soldiers jumped over him and thrusted their stun batons at his back. Eddie dropped down, catching himself on his hands, then spun on his hands. His feet spun vigorously and kicked down the surrounding soldiers. He jumped off his hands and slammed both feet against an Emboar's face, cracking his helmet in half.

"Rolling Kick!" He spun on his heel and delivered a sharp, quick kick to the Emboar's chest, blasting him across the hall and through the wall. Eddie backflipped over two soldiers swinging their stun batons and swiped his leg against them.

Eddie landed, but got punched hard by a Nidoqueen and Ampharos. The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion slid across the floor and slammed the back of his head into the wall. He groaned and sat up, briefly rubbing the sore spot when his attackers threw the Fusion grenades at him. He spun on his hands again and kicked them to his left, then jumped away from the blast.

Eddie slammed his foot down and coated himself in flames. "Flame Charge!" He sprinted back into action, then flipped across the hall acrobatically. He speedily jumped over the Ampharos, faster than he could perceive, and kicked him across the side, right into the wall.

He was grabbed from behind by the Nidoqueen and brought into a tight hold. Eddie gasped as he felt his sides being crushed. Nidoqueen hissed loudly. "You've been a bad Fusion, old man! I think you need to be put down for a nap!"

Eddie clenched his eyes shut and growled. "Lady, let me give you a piece of advice…Flame Charge!" He erupted in flames, wrapping them around Nidoqueen as well. She clenched her teeth in an attempt to endure the heat. However, she noticed the flames wrapping around the Hitmonlee Fusion's leg. "Scorch Release: Close Combat!"

He threw his foot back and slammed it against her face. Her hold broke apart, allowing Eddie to catch himself on his hands and relentlessly kick the soldier, along with the surrounding soldiers, with his furious footwork. He finished it off with a spin, knocking them away with a wave of flames.

Eddie sat on his knee and panted lightly. Fighting off so many soldiers all at once was stressing him out. Maybe if they were regular citizens, this wouldn't be a big deal, but the military was anything but regular. As if the Fusion Hunters were enough of a problem…

He shook his head and turned around. "Now to find Viv-AAAHHH!" A stinging pain jabbed him in the back, knocking him onto his hands and knees. He glared over his shoulder before being pushed down by a Pinsir.

He waved the stun baton around and aimed it downward at the Fusion's back. "Stay down. I wish not to harm you any further."

Eddie glared, then twitched his fingers before feeling the movement in his body slowly returning. "Look, I don't have a lot of time to explain, but we need the Fusion being held here." He clenched his fist and heated it up. "This is going to sound really strange and redundant, but it's a matter of life and death."

"What are you talking about?" the Pinsir questioned.

"I honestly don't know anymore." With that, Eddie threw his leg against the Pinsir's back and sent him flying off. Eddie flipped to his feet and panted slightly. "Ugh…" He glared as the other soldiers slowly got up and aimed their rifles.

The Medicham soldier spun his batons around and glared. "Why do you want the ancient Fusion?"

Eddie activated Scorch Release and raised his leg. "I really can't trust anyone else. I don't what's going on or who's involved, but…" He sighed. "I know I can't lose here." He glared and pulled his foot back. "So, take your best shot! Mega Kick!" He kicked the ground and sent up a wave of tile and floor, coated in a trail of flames.

The soldiers jumped out of the way. The shock of the kick tore down the ceiling and rained debris over them. They rushed through the flames to avoid being crushed. Eddie quickly turned around and sprinted away from his pursuers.

* * *

Vivi inspected the glass of the capsule, then tapped it. "Hello~!" she exclaimed to the frozen figure standing inside. "Hi! My name is Vivi! You must be Bartleby!" The capsule didn't respond back. "You must be really cold in there!" She held her hips and smiled proudly. "Don't you worry! Your new pal Vivi is here to save the day! I happen to be the descendant of your old friend, Mason!" She tilted her head. "…you can hear me, right?"

Again, the capsule didn't speak back. Vivi slumped her head forward and sighed tiredly. "Talking to myself…whatever!" she shouted with a beaming grin. She looked over at the control console. "Now, which one of these is an unfreeze button?" Seeing as how she didn't have time to study the machine, she went with her gut and slammed her fists down on multiple buttons in random order. "Open, open, open!" she shouted.

Beeps and boops sounded from the machine, random lights flickering on and off on the capsule. Thankfully, her mad pounding ended with her slamming her fist down on a blue button that rang, "Cryochamber Deactivated! Defrost Mode Active!" Vivi heard a hissing sound of air going off inside.

She blinked, then held her hips with a large smile. "Hehe! Score one for Vivi!"

A loud boom sounded behind her, making her shriek. She whipped her head around and saw the vague figures of the soldiers pounding against the wall of ice she set up. She could also see a bubble of heat searing through the middle. Vivi panicked and looked back at the machine. She could see ice defrosting off the glass, but she wasn't sure how long it'll take for Bartleby to wake up.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" she shouted, holding her head worriedly. "I need more time!" She held up her bowstring vine and loaded an arrow in. "Ice Punch!" She fired the arrow and added more ice to the wall.

The soldiers on the other end smashed against the ice with either a battering ram or their own fists, while the Fire-Types shot Flamethrower at the center of the ice. "Keep hammering, everyone!" one of the soldiers shouted. "We can't let her escape!"

"Right!" they shouted, putting more heft into their attacks.

Vivi continuously fired Ice Punch arrows into the already massive ice wall. She panted in exhaustion from the pain over her and the overuse of Ice Punch. She loaded up another arrow, but the tip didn't glow as brightly with the icy energy. It flickered weakly. "So…tired…"

She tried to steady her arrow, but it flickered out and dropped to the floor, along with herself onto her knees. She grunted and held her wounds, seething in pain. "I need…to get out of here…"

The frost in the chamber rapidly disappeared. The inside began to slowly and safely warm up Bartleby. As the ice disappeared, a slight twitch of a finger could be seen.

The soldiers continued to bash their way through the ice before blasting it down. Vivi flinched as ice chunks rained over her. She then looked forward wearily as soldiers stormed into the storage room, aiming their rifles at the weakened Fusion. Vivi rolled onto her rear, then hesitantly raised her hands.

"You're going away for a long time, Fusion," one of the soldiers said as he walked over with cuffs ready.

Vivi clenched her teeth. "You can't…I'm not done yet…"

"You are now." Vivi slumped her head forward, too tired to retort. All she could do was wait for the cuffs to be slapped on.

All of her hard work and this was as far as she could get? All she wanted to do was make something of her poor, miserable life, even if it meant taking on some big, super important mission at ridiculous lengths. What was she expecting, taking on the military? Eddie was right, she was way in over her head. She looked down at the floor in defeat, ready to accept her punishment.

However, hope rekindled in her heart when she heard a low groan behind her. Her eyes widened while the soldiers backed away. She observed their horrified faces, then looked over her shoulder. She gasped and saw the glowing, yellow eyes peering through the foggy capsule glass.

"B…Bartleby?" she mumbled. She turned herself around and waved her arms weakly. "B-Bartleby! Down here!" The eyes stared down at her. "Hi! I'm Vivi Rollins! I-I'm not sure if you heard me, but I'm the descendant of your friend, Mason! I really, really need your help! I journeyed far and wide to find you!"

Through the sluggish Fusion's eyes, he saw a mass of life energy in the shape of Vivi, waving her arms at him. His eyes wandered over to the soldiers' life energy. He could sense their apprehensiveness. He looked back at Vivi and could feel her pleas.

It was vague, but he could hear her in his frozen state. Mason…how long has it been since the big Fusion has been asleep? It felt like hours, but…that didn't appear to be the case. He couldn't tell what the little Fusion before him wants, but she seemed desperate. She knows his old friend. The ancestor of his old friend.

Yes…Yes, he can sense the life energy around Vivi. It has a nuanced familiarity to Mason's. She is truly his descendant. Whether or not he could trust this little Fusion, one thing is for certain…

…this capsule was too cramped.

The massive Fusion let out a loud and powerful groan, rattling the chamber with intense vibrations. The soldiers held their weapons up, but were absolutely stunned by the battle cry. Vivi, however, stared with shimmering eyes, clasping her hands together. The giant pressed his palm against the glass and pushed through it with ease, sending shards in the air.

One of the guards clenched his teeth, then aimed his weapon. "Neutralize it!" The soldiers fired at the capsule, piercing through the glass. Bartleby roared and swung his fist through the capsule, further pushing his way out.

The soldiers backed away in horror while Vivi continued to stare up at Bartleby happily. _Yay!_

* * *

The battle between Eddie and the other soldiers worked its way above ground. Eddie figured he'd have more breathing through outdoors. He'll have to recuperate before heading back in for Vivi. He just hoped the scatterbrained archer was faring better than him.

The soldiers chased after him, firing off laser bolts. Eddie used the heat of Scorch Release to kick down the bolts. He then kicked into the air and came down with a spin kick. The impact sent up a wall of flame that pushed the soldiers away from the center.

Eddie stumbled back and breathed lightly, then spun around and caught the stun baton that was thrusted at him. He pushed against the Medicham soldier as they pushed against each other.

"Escape is futile!" the Medicham shouted.

Eddie slowly pushed the baton out of his face. "Believe me, I know!" He kneed him in the chin, then kicked him away. Eddie collapsed onto his knee and panted tiredly. He was reaching his limit, but he had to push on longer. He's escaped the law before, one more time wouldn't hurt.

He glared back at the soldiers as they surrounded him. They glared as they aimed their rifles. "Nowhere left to run, old man."

Eddie wiped his knuckle across his cheek, cleaning off some smudge, then stood up. He clenched his fists tightly and emitted thick jets of steam off his body. He narrowed his eyes in amusement. He had to admit…he hasn't had this much excitement in ages. His blood was pumping and his heart was burning with a raging fire.

If he was going out, might as well give it his all.

The soldiers' eyes widened as red and blue energy surrounded the Hitmonlee Fusion. Eddie waved his hands around in gentle motions, manipulating the energy around him. "If you thought my kicks were hot then, let me show you how hot-blooded I can get."

The energy swirled around the Fusion, forcing the soldiers to put their guard up. They've seen enough Fusions in the world to know what that cloak of energy entailed. They steadied their weapons and prepared to fire. Eddie narrowed his eyes at them, then raised his hands to clap them together.

However, before either side could initiate the first shot, a loud boom interrupted them below them. The explosion caused Eddie to lose focus and fall over on his back. He rubbed his head and groaned, then looked at the base, along with the soldiers. The ground was shaking uncontrollably.

The soldiers took their attention off Eddie and ran to the entrance as their allies fled the base. The Medicham grabbed a Scizor by the arm and stopped him. "What's going on?!"

Scizor pointed into the underground base. "The petrified Fusion! The one we dug up! It's loose!"

"WHAT?!"

Eddie's eyes widened in disbelief. _What?!_ He flinched as the ground shook once more. He yelped when an explosion went off at his feet. He flipped back to avoid it. He stood on his hands and feet in a squatting stance and looked at the entrance as more soldiers fled. _She actually got him loose?_

Loud, booming stomps echoed from inside. Shadow Balls flew out, blasting down the trees in fiery explosions. Soldiers fired at the beast with the hopes of immobilizing him, but their horrified expressions told Eddie that it wasn't stopping. The Fusion narrowed his eyes, then ran towards the entrance.

However, once he got close, he skidded to a stop and looked up in shock as the unknown Fusion came into view. Eddie only had one thing to say upon seeing him. "That…is a really, really, big Fusion…"

Towering over him was a Golurk-Torterra. The composition of his body appeared to be wood, aged but strong nonetheless, with the same details one would see on a Golurk. Around his right shoulder, wrists, ankles, and chest were bushes of leaves. Protruding from his right shoulder was a spiked stone. Growing out of his left shoulder was a small tree reminiscent of a Torterra's.

And riding atop of said tree was Vivi.

She waved down to Eddie. "Hey Eddie! Look who I found!"

Eddie fell on his back and shook in horror. "T-T-That's Bartleby?!" His eyes widened as Bartleby aimed his palm at him, powering up a Shadow Ball.

Vivi intervened immediately. "No, no, Bartleby! This is Eddie! Eddie is friend! Friend good, right?" Bartleby tilted his head, then threw the Shadow Ball at the base, exploding the roof off. Vivi clapped happily. "There you go!"

The soldiers stared at the hulking Fusion in shock, then recovered quickly to fire at him. The laser bolts didn't seem to hurt Bartleby too much. It did, however, aggravate him immensely. He turned around, roared, and fired off a barrage of Shadow Balls, exploding the ground and creating a thick wall of smoke.

Eddie stood up weakly, limping forward. "Ugh, whatever! Vivi, we need to get out of here! I don't want to deal with Cragtail and the Fusion Hunters!"

Vivi saluted with a snicker. "Aye aye, captain! Bartleby, if you'll please!"

"Wait, what do you mea-AAAHHH!" Bartleby reached down, picked Eddie up by the back of his fur with two fingers, and dropped him into his tree with Vivi.

Bartleby turned his back to the soldiers and spread his arms out. His legs retracted into his body before expelling a jet propulsion blast from underneath. The jet fire burned away at the grass as he took off into the sky. Vivi gripped her cowl and laughed with excitement while Eddie gripped the branches in terror.

The soldiers marched through the smoke, coughing, then looked up in disbelief as the large Fusion and the intruders disappeared into the sky. They blinked, then looked back at their underground base, staring at the burning wreckage left behind.

Medicham slumped his shoulders and deadpanned. "Cragtail's not going to be happy…"

* * *

Bartleby cruised across the sky gently, allowing Vivi to safely walk across his back. She giggled and spun on her heel. "Isn't this awesome, Eddie? Woohoo! WHOA!" She tripped over her feet and rolled down Bartleby's side. The Golurk Fusion caught her and set her back down on his back. She giggled again. "Thank you, Bartleby!"

Eddie sat by, sitting on a tree branch and shaking with panicked filled eyes. "Y-Yeah…awesome…"

Vivi tilted her head. "What's wrong? Afraid of heights?"

"S-S-Sort of…" He looked down hesitantly, then instantly resumed staring forward. They were really high up. "I…can't believe that all happened…"

Vivi grinned. "I know! Wasn't it awesome?"

"You and I have completely different meanings to defining 'awesome.'" Eddie sighed shakily and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. "Just…Just tell Bartleby to take us to this doomsday device already…"

Vivi chuckled. "Can do!" She stamped her foot down and pointed ahead. "You heard the man, Bartleby! Set sail for the doomsday device!"

Bartleby stared ahead soundless, then tilted his head slightly.

Vivi continued to stare ahead with a beaming expression, though it softened slightly with an awkward quiver. "Um…you know, the big, scary, DNA scrambling machine?" Bartleby continued to stare, then tilted his head again. Vivi's face dropped with a wide frown. She wrapped her cloak around herself and blinked slowly. "Uh oh…"

Eddie glared at her. "Vivi…please tell me he knows where we're going…"

Vivi looked up and scratched her head with a nervous grin. "Riiiight, so…I forgot to mention this when I broke him out. I…don't think he can speak…or remember where the machine is…"

"…what?"

Vivi tapped her hands together, sweating nervously. She could hear the restrained anger under his tone. "C-Call it a hunch, but…he seemed pretty confused when he woke up, like we thought. I think sleeping for three hundred years left him a little absentminded."

Eddie, with his eyes still closed, took a deep breath. His head cooked with heat, but simmered down after a moment. "Okay…small setback there…"

Vivi waved her hands worriedly. "D-Don't worry! If it's memory loss, we can help him recover!" She clapped her hands together with a wide grin. "J-Just you wait, this'll all be back to normal before you know it!"

Eddie sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Okay…okay, I trust you. Just tell Bartleby to keep flying until we find some cover." Vivi nodded, then faced forward to tell Bartleby.

Eddie rested back into the leaves, a little fidgety about falling. He got somewhat comfortable and rested his arms on his stomach. He sighed quietly. Despite the minor setback, the worst is behind them…for now. All they needed to do now was find the machine.

* * *

Hours later, the soldiers were continuing to clean up the debris and tending to their wounded allies. They rested outside the destroyed base, with the flames put out a while ago.

While everyone was preoccupied, a few figures stepped out of the bushes. Two guards grabbed their weapons and took aim, but lowered them when the lead figure spoke, "This is the greeting I get? Yeesh, talk about respect."

The soldiers stepped down as the four stepped into the light. Behind the lead figure were well recognized Fusion Hunters, Dario, Archie, and Maddock. Leading them was a Golem, also known as Cragtail. He wore vest over his boulder body and smoked on a cigar.

He blew a puff of smoke and glared at the wreckage. "What happened here?"

The Medicham ran forward and stood at attention. "General Cragtail, sir! We apologize for the unsightly display before you! We…We…" He sighed and bowed his head shamefully. "The Fusion we retrieved escaped…"

Cragtail pulled his cigar out and blew some smoke. "Is that so?"

"Yes. BUT, it wasn't of his own doing! Two other Fusions broke in and set him free! A…Ledian-Decidueye and Hitmonlee-Typhlosion, if I'm correct!"

Dario held his chin. "Hmm…"

Cragtail closed his eyes and scoffed. "Pathetic…regardless, we have three Fusions on the run. Looks like they'll need to be apprehended immediately." He pulled a phone out of his vest sleeve. "Fusion Hunters, investigate the damage and see what we're dealing with."

"Yes sir." They sprinted to the wreckage.

Cragtail put his cigar back in his mouth, then puffed some smoke out. He smirked at the wreckage with a sinister smirk. "We'll find those Fusions and give them the justice they deserve."


	24. Location Discovered

In the darkness of his office, Julian sat back in his chair with her upper hands clasped under his chin, tapping his fingers together, and his lower arms crossed over his stomach. He stared at the computer screen, speaking with a Gumshoos in a trench coat. The Gumshoos presented information on the screen, which lit Julian's eyes up with intrigue.

"…this it?" he asked.

The investigator nodded. "Took lots of searching and highly skilled cryptographers to figure it out, but we got enough of the code to isolate a location of interest."

Julian rested his cheek against his knuckle, eyes narrowed seriously. "Such a far way out. What could be hidden out there?"

"Beats me." Gumshoos looked around at the papers on his desk. "We're still investigating your employees to find the mystery man, but I can send a team down there with you. I've been in this business long enough to detect shifty work at hand."

Julian held his hand up to decline. "The offer is well appreciated, but I have my own team of bodyguards in mind, ones that should prove a little more effective. No offense, of course."

Gumshoos smirked and shrugged it off. "No skin off my nose. You sure you can handle the operation on your own?"

Julian stood up and leaned against the desk. "This is personal matters tied towards Profectus Inc., specifically _me_. Whoever is organizing this web of mystery, I intend to untangle it and expose them." He crossed his arms. "We still aren't aware of their motives or this mystery spot, but we'll scrounge up something."

"Heh…if you say so. Take care, Roteman." Gumshoos ended the call.

The information printed off of Julian's nearby printer. As the maps and data came out, Julian picked up his phone and pressed one. The familiar tone of his loyal secretary answer immediately. "Yes, Mr. Roteman?"

"Brea, I need you to schedule a meetup with Liam and the Fusion Council. We have that data."

"I see. I'll inform them immediately."

"Tell them I'll be there in half an hour."

"Yes sir. Anything else?"

"That'll be all, Brea. Thank you." Julian hung up, then snatched the papers out of the printer. He shuffled through them, making sure they were all in order, before placing them in a folder and slipping it into his suit.

Julian exited his office, doors swinging shut with a quiet thump. With his office quiet, a figure appeared on the window: an Aipom-Kecleon. She had green fur with yellow stripes and a purple zigzag going around her waist. Her tail was coiled up like a Kecleon's, wrapped around her third hand. The tail uncoiled periodically like a yo-yo.

The Fusion tilted her head and snickered childishly. "Ooh, ooh, ooh! Mr. Eli's going to like this! Yep, yep, yep!" She jumped off the window and landed on the adjacent building perfectly, then sprinted across the rooftops on all fours.

* * *

Hawkins stood by the sidelines of the battlefield, closely observing the mock battle between Poppy and Matthew. The shifty raccoon fox darted around with Quick Attack before tackling Poppy. The Ralts-Araquanid shrieked as the tackle knocked her into the air.

Hawkins glared. "Your spider legs are an extension of yourself. Use them to aid you!"

"Okay!" Poppy spread the spider leg appendages out and used them to catch herself. She set herself down on her feet and clapped. "Yay! I did it!"

"Don't get distracted!" Hawkins shouted.

Poppy shrieked and dodged another Quick Attack from Matthew. He pulled his head back, then fired Ember. Poppy crossed her spider legs and blocked the tiny embers before firing Bubble Beam from her little water bubble. Matthew flinched as the bubbles exploded against him.

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then clapped his hands. "Enough!" Poppy stopped firing, then they both turned to face their teacher. Hawkins held his hips. "Okay…better than yesterday. Matthew, you showed impressive speed when getting close to your opponent. And Poppy, you've demonstrated decent resilience. We'll rough out the edges next week."

They smiled. "Okay, Mr. Hawkins!" They ran over to the benches where their friends were.

Hawkins closed his eyes and drummed his fingers against his arm, giving himself a mental break. "Hey Hawkins!" He flinched and opened his eyes, then turned around to see Asadi walking over, accompanied by Wash. The Raichu-Sneasel carried a glass of lemonade. "How's the training going?"

Hawkins held one hip and closed his eyes. "Better, I supposed. Though, Willy's lacking behind from the rest of the kids and Winona…honestly, she keeps getting distracted and daydreams a lot."

Wash smiled with a light shrug. "Eh, what kid doesn't?" He tilted his head. "Kind of strange seeing you more mellowed out."

Hawkins raised his brow. "Would you prefer the incessant remarks I usually made?"

Wash held his hands up and laughed. "No, I'm good."

Hawkins sighed, then looked over at the children. "A simple change in routine, yet things have gone much smoother."

Asadi snickered and jabbed the affluent Fusion's side. "D'aww! Just admit it! You have a soft spot for those precious, little cinnamon rolls!"

Hawkins scoffed and looked away from her. "I'd hardly put it like that. I've simply garnered a new appreciation for the little ones…"

Asadi smirked and jingled the ice in her glass. "I can tell. I've hardly, if at all, seen you scowl at Dakota, either. Seems to me you two are on better terms with each other. Maybe even started to develop a nice little friendship, too."

Hawkins continued to face away from her. "You are impossible…"

Wash crossed his arms and smirked. "Which reminds me, how's the whole training thing with Dakota going?"

"She's a slow learner. She asked for self-defense training, but I didn't expect her to be so lousy at it." He face-palmed. "It's like teaching a Slowpoke to speed read."

"Well, that's a bit much." They turned around and were greeted by Dakota, who was carrying a tray of brownies. She smirked at the Roserade-Meowstic. "I say I'm doing fine."

"I tried to teach you a basic throw and you somehow flipped _yourself_ onto your back. Please explain how that was possible."

She pouted, then turned away with a scoff. "Oh, hush up!"

Asadi and Wash snickered to themselves, then the Frogadier asked, "What's with the brownies, Dakota?"

She turned back and smiled. "Oh, these are for the kids. I was talking with Sheila and she said the kids deserved a little treat for all their hard work. Hawkins has been a great teacher and coach, so it's only fair." She turned to the kids and beamed at them. "Oh kids~!" They looked her way curiously as she presented the tray. "I have snacks for you!"

Their eyes lit up with delightful innocence. "Brownies?! YAY!" They jumped off the bench and bolted towards Dakota. The Sandshrew-Glaceon stumbled back in surprise as the kids pounced on her one by one before knocking her on her back.

They squirmed and wrestled around for the brownies while Dakota laughed. "H-Hey! There's plenty for everyone one!"

Asadi fell on her back and held her gut as she bellowed with laughter. Wash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "They sure do love sweets."

Hawkins pinched between his eyes and groaned. "They're going to be jittery all day."

Asadi ceased her laughter, ending with a few chuckles, and rolled up into a sitting position. She grinned. "Aww, give them a break, you big prude!"

Hawkins face-palmed once more and shook his head lightly. He glanced off to the side for a moment, then raised his brow in a puzzled manner. He turned himself forward to clarify his thoughts. "Hey…isn't that Roteman over there?"

Everyone, including the kids and Dakota, faced where Hawkins was looking and, indeed, saw the Machamp in the village, being greeted by Gracelyn. The two shook hands for a moment…then Julian gripped his hand in pain while the colossal bear waved her arms apologetically. Gracelyn probably shook his hand too hard. After apologies were made, she guided him in the direction of the council hut.

Wash tilted his head. "Huh…odd, what's he doing here?"

Asadi scratched her head. "Last time he was here, we were almost evicted off the land. What's he want this time?"

Hawkins glared. "Better not be _another_ eviction notice."

* * *

"…the desert in Unova?" Liam questioned.

Julian sat at the end of the large table, with all councilmen eyes on him. He had both sets of arms crossed as he leaned back in the chair, eyes closed. He nodded slowly. "Yes, that's what my team garnered. An untouched piece of land in the desert, the sole location to this mystery of ours."

Gracelyn folded her hands together and set her chin on them. "Untouched land that no one considered digging through?"

"That specific area, from what I've been informed of, is made up of dense rock. From what they told me, it's rather unusual to see rock that solid out in the harsh desert. Not even a team of Excadrill had luck penetrating the surface." He rubbed his head, sighing. "Plus, apparently they've detected nothing underground with gen scans."

Lewis raised his brow. "So, there's nothing under there?"

"Apparently so, but…" Julian held his chin and grunted. "Ugh, it seems too coincidental for that _one_ area to be impenetrable AND with a specific spot on the files, too. I'm not a man who calls it quits when reaching a dead end." He leaned forward, resting his upper arms on the table. "I know there's something down there. All of this is too weird to give up now."

Cade held his chin. "Fair point."

"But how do you intend to get around the rock problem?" Abraham asked.

Julian smirked and rubbed his chin with a prideful gleam in his eye. "Profectus Inc. is the pinnacle of cutting edge technology. Thankfully, for just such an event, I've been developing new laser technology to carve through even the most stubborn of ground."

Liam deadpanned. "You just happen to have a ground drilling laser in development…and you never bothered telling us when the Rogues were stealing from you?"

Julian's expression faltered slightly as sweat ran down his head. He rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "Yes, well…these things tend to slip my mind when dealing with stressful instances." Liam slouched his head over and groaned quietly. Julian coughed into his fist and continued, expression becoming serious. "Anyway, the laser should burn through the rock and, hopefully, give us an opening to this secret spot."

"And you're going there yourself?" Peregrine asked with an unsure brow raise. "Is that really the smartest plan?"

Julian nodded. "I'll be fine. My casual demeanor may seem contradictory, but I am still a Machamp. I'm more than capable of fending for myself."

Liam glanced to the side with a quiet glare. _I can vouch for that…_

"Besides, I don't intend to go alone," Julian added. He smiled lightly. "You know I wouldn't come here just to explain my plans."

Cade nodded. "Of course. You're here to ask for a team of Fusions to come along with you, correct?"

"Precisely. The extra protection and assistance would prove beneficial."

Gracelyn crossed her arms and looked around the table nervously. "Oh dear, I don't know. This would be the first time the kids left the region on a mission."

Peregrine scoffed and crossed his wings. "Plus, Unova isn't the nicest to Fusions. I've heard the stories. It gets pretty ugly out there." He glared at Julian. "They're not as 'accepting' of us as Grandis City."

Julian held his hands up and nodded. "I'm fully aware, but you have nothing to worry about. We will be far out in the desert, away from the cities and bigoted communities. No one but me, my crew, and your Fusions will be out there. You have my word."

The council looked at each other, then discussed the proposition quietly. Julian drummed his fingers against the table as he waited for an answer. A few nods and apprehensive looks were shared before Liam directed his attention to Julian. "Alright Julian. So long as the kids don't get into too much trouble, we'll allow it."

Julian smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you, Liam."

"Yeah, yeah!" Peregrine sneered, then aimed his leek at him. "Just make sure they stay safe or I'm coming after you!"

Gracelyn sighed exasperatedly with a sweatdrop. "Perry…"

Julian held his hands up awkwardly, but with reassurance. "You have my word."

"Good!" Peregrine leaned back and crossed his wings with a huff.

Abraham chuckled to himself, then waved his hand around. "Well, with that notion out of the way, I suppose we should discuss the next item on our agenda: the team we're sending."

Cade closed his eyes and held his chin. "A lot of the teams have been on minor missions as of now. And some, like Tamara, I fear wouldn't fare well in a hot desert."

Lewis tapped the table twice with his eyes closed, then opened them with a suggestion. "Then perhaps Hawkins' hut?" Everyone looked to him. "They haven't gone on as many missions as the others, with Hawkins refusing and Asadi not taking the minor ones as seriously. Perhaps work in the desert will motivate them."

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes worriedly. "Oh, I don't know. I'm not against those two going, but Wantanabe is technically their third hut mate. He's far too young to go out on missions."

Abraham held his chin and pondered it. "True, but we do encourage a maximum of three Fusions per team. Who should be their third teammate?"

Almost immediately, Peregrine jumped at the suggestion with a loud 'AHA,' briefly spooking the council and Julian. "I know just the Fusion!" He slammed his wings down and huffed angrily. "Oh, he's been weaseling his way out of missions for TOO long! Always trying to find some miserable excuse to avoid missions, like a stomach flu or some crap like that! Well today, he's not getting out of this!"

Gracelyn blinked, then caught on to who he was referring to. She shouldn't be surprised since she had to 'treat' those 'illness.' She sighed and rubbed her face. "Oh honestly, Perry, why must you be so hard on him? The poor boy doesn't like getting into fights."

"Well, unlike someone like Dakota, he can actually FIGHT! I've tested his physicality! If he'd just applied himself more in training, I wouldn't be so hard on him!" He grumbled through his beak. "What he really needs is an Arceus damn confidence boost! I swear, everywhere I turn, he's apologizing for the most mundane of reasons!"

Julian raised his brow and glanced up in thought, quickly piecing the vague context together. With his decent knowledge on all who reside in Gappei Village, only one Fusion seemed to match that description. "Pardon me, but…are you two referring to Ulysses?"

"YES!" Peregrine shouted, which startled Julian as the steel duck flapped his wings angrily. "That kid could crush a car with those jelly talons of his, and yet he would rather stay by the sidelines like some wimp!" Steam blew from his nostrils.

Gracelyn sighed and shook her head. "You know how sensitive Uly is. He just doesn't have the right motivation for that kind of activity."

"If Hawkins can convince _Dakota_ of all people to take up self-defense training, I can _force_ that cowardly avian to grow a backbone!"

Abraham sighed and kicked his feet over the table, leaning back. He smiled in a relaxed manner. "Before this bickering escalates, I encourage young Ulysses to go on the mission." He glanced at the others. "An assertive figure like Hawkins and a relaxed individual such as Asadi might be a welcomed changed to the boy's life style."

Lewis deadpanned. "You…basically described his hut mates. I'm pretty sure he's used to that kind of behavior with Tamara and Juniper."

Abraham shrugged. "A similar personality does not equal similar behavior. It might be good for Ulysses to spend time with them. Plus, there's no guarantee of violent activity, so he shouldn't have anything to worry over."

Everyone turned to Liam, who mulled it over before nodding. "Experience for Ulysses would be for the best." He looked around the council. "Alright, it seems we have our team figured out."

Julian smiled. "Thank you. And, like I said, they'll be under my care and protection. I promise."

"And like _I_ said, you better keep your word." Liam looked over at Lewis. "Gather Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses and tell them to meet here for the briefing." Lewis nodded, then stepped out of the hut.

* * *

Deep in the underground hideout of the Rogues, Mikayla and Sullivan were handing out food to a line of Fusions. Some were shoving through the line to get rations quicker, but Zoey kept them in line with a few well-deserved smacks and a scolding attitude.

"Settle down, you whiney babies," she ordered sharply. "Everyone's waiting for their turn, so be patient."

Mikayla sighed in relief. "Thank you, Zoey." She handed out some berries to a small Fusion who took his turn: a Minccino-Cofagrigus. He resembled a Minccino with a golden armor of sorts around his torso and a coffin shaped box on his back. Around his head was a blue and yellow helmet, much like the shape of a Cofagrigus' head, with his ears sticking out. "There you go, Augustus. Any nightmares last night?"

His ears drooped as he turned away frightfully. "N…No…" A closer look at the coffin chinchilla showed he had dark circles under his eyes, an indication he's had rough nights sleeping.

Mikayla scratched behind his ear. "Try to eat with the others, okay?" He nodded quietly, then walked away. Mikayla sighed sadly when she saw Augustus turn away from the Rogues and sat in the corner by himself.

Zoey narrowed her eyes sympathetically. "Poor kid. I never seen someone that…distant before."

Sunny twirled around the Audino Fusion's head. "Maybe I can cheer him up!" she suggested with a cute 'squee.'

Sullivan shook his head as he handed out another plate of food. "Don't. Augustus…he's a fragile case you don't want to provoke. It's best to give him his space."

Zoey glared. "Uh, no offense, but letting him stay like that isn't good for his health."

"You think we don't know that?" Mikayla asked sharply. She huffed and looked away. "Sorry, it's just…Norris was the first one to find him and ordered us NEVER to provoke Augustus."

"How come?" Sunny asked.

Sullivan sighed. "You two haven't been here long, so let's just say this: Augustus is sick. Sick in the head. Norris told us he found the poor guy traumatized and distressed, living on his own and bullied by the cruelest of Pokémon."

Zoey held her hands up in defeat. "Okay, I'll drop it at that." She knew Norris is a hothead, but she and Sunny were aware the lengths he went to provide and protect the Rogues. She didn't even WANT to know how that confrontation ended for the Pokémon. Deciding it was best to change the subject, she asked, "So, how are we doing on food supply?"

Sullivan held a chart up. "We got two weeks of food left."

Sunny frowned. "Are we going to starve?"

"Not unless Eli thinks of something," Mikayla grunted. "Norris is too frazzled to be leading."

Speaking of whom, the dark poisoner himself leapt from the ceiling and landed in front of them. He tipped his hat shaped crest with a confident smirk. "Do you doubt my abilities, my dear?"

"You haven't done much to warrant any praise, buster," Mikayla criticized. "You've just been stalking Roteman like Norris ordered."

Eli held his finger up and laughed. "Oh, I had one of the new recruits take care of that. I'm just as invested in solving our food shortage as you are."

"Well, you better!" The aggressive stomping of their leader was heard before he marched into the large room with grit teeth. "We have starving Fusions here! We need progress, Eli!"

Eli leaned against a crate. "I've narrowed the possible options, but both present unfavorable outcomes. Either we start robbing banks like real criminals or try hitting the police harder for the food trucks. With our current status and recourses…well, pick your poison."

Norris growled angrily. "Dammit, dammit! Stupid Pokémon getting in the freakin' way!" His wrist orbs sparked aggressively.

"Settle down, Norris. It's not the end of the world. I'm sure I can call in a few favors and see if they can help."

Norris paused his rant and raised his brow skeptically. "Are you saying you have outside connections?"

Eli smirked confidently. "I've done a lot before siding with you, Norris. When it comes to the criminal underground, I know my way around. The black market, in particular. Good times."

"You worked in the black market?!" the Rogues yelled in disbelief.

"Are you really that surprised?" Eli asked with a deadpan expression. "I'm not exactly the saintliest among us." He rubbed his chin. "The right connections, however, will be tough to acquire."

"Yo, yo, yo! Mr. Eli!" The Rogues veered their attention to the ceiling. Popping out from the vents of their hidden base was the Aipom-Kecleon from earlier. She jumped down, performed some flips mid freefall, and landed seamlessly on her hand tail. She crossed her arms and grinned excitedly. "I'm back!"

Eli grinned and held his hips. "Ah, Braith! So glad to see you! Back from spying on Roteman?"

She snickered. "Yep, yep, yep! I got all the juicy information you wanted! Well, at least enough to make you happy!"

Norris crossed his arms and glared. "Spill it, brat."

"Right, right, right! Roteman was talking with some secret police guys about that top secret 'thing-a-madoo' we have! Some secret location in the middle of the Unova desert!"

Eli raised his brow. "Unova? Quite a far ways out."

Braith held her hips. "Roteman did say secrets could be hidden out there." She rubbed her hands together greedily. "Maybe gold! Or jewels! Or gold AND jewels!" She snickered to herself.

Eli glanced at Norris, who glared suspiciously. "Seems like a bunch of nonsense to me. All of this for some far off location with who knows what buried out there? Is this something to waste our time with?"

Eli chuckled and held his finger up. "Ah, Braith might be on to something. We don't know what's buried there. It could very well be valuables. If they're ancient enough, we could very well use that to our advantage and acquire our food legally." He rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Take it from me, Norris, I know my way around the black market when it comes to valuables. If something that's causing this much fuss has been lying dormant for three hundred years and has profitable value, it's in my best interests to take it in the name of the Rogues."

Norris glared firmly, then looked at the others. "All in favor?"

Zoey exchanged a look with Sunny, who smiled and nodded. Zoey smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Why not? We need to take any chance we get, right?"

Sullivan nodded. "It's for the best. We have a community to feed, after all."

Mikayla crossed her arms and sighed. "We should trust Eli on this. He knows what he is doing."

Seeing they were in agreement, Norris glared at the dark poisoner and poked his chest. "Okay Eli, you got a deal. I hereby grant you permission to lead the mission to Unova to uncover this mystery place and bring back all that is valuable."

Eli saluted with an evil grin. "You can count on me. Shouldn't be too much for me to handle. A few Pokémon won't be an issue."

Braith tapped her chin, feeling like she forgot something. She stuck her tongue out in deep thought, then slammed her fist down in her palm in realization. "Oh, right! I forgot!" Eli glanced at her. "Roteman mentioned something about going to Gappei Village when he left."

Norris sneered. "Why would he…?" His eyes widened, then he snarled. "Those Gappei wimps…"

Eli rubbed his chin, smirking to himself. "Ah yes, it would make sense to bring them out on an important mission like this. Not sure how effective my Fusion Move will be, especially if they happen to bring a Steel-Type." He held his hips and laughed. "Looks like I'm not going solo."

"Who will you bring?" Sullivan asked. "I'd be more than welcomed to accompany you, if needed."

Eli held his hand up. "Appreciate the offer, but I think I'll take Braith and Gordon. Since they're new recruits more focused on combat, this will be perfect for their first assignment."

Braith clapped her hands in excitement. "Really? Oh gosh, I can't wait!" She snickered. "Hope they're in for a _**bad time,**_ " she said menacingly with a malevolent stare in her eyes, lasting only for a moment before shifting back to her usual, chipper attitude. "Yep, yep, yep!"

Eli pointed over his shoulder at her and stated, "I like her spunk." Sullivan and Zoey, however, were legitimately creeped out by the irregular behavior the chameleon monkey seemed to have. Best not to question it.

* * *

After being brought in, Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses sat in front of the council and Julian, with the Machamp seated in the seventh councilmen seat. Julian went on to explain the conditions and expectations for the trip, hoping the team was mentally prepared.

"…and so, I require some assistance should the worst happen," Julian finished explaining. "If all goes well, I'll be putting in the best of words for Gappei Village. What do you say?"

Asadi took a moment to shiver in discomfort. "The desert? Ugh, all that sand in my fur's going to be murder." She whipped her sunglasses out and placed them on. "The beach, however-"

"Focus, kid!" Peregrine shouted.

Asadi threw the sunglasses away and smiled innocently. "All ears, sir."

Hawkins closed his eyes. "I see no problem taking up this responsibility. I've never trained in the desert before."

Julian nodded. "Feel free to train 'til your heart's content. Your presence is merely for precautionary reasons. Once we break through the surface, you three will make sure I'm safe. I would have my regular bodyguards handle that, but I can't take the chances with this. I can't take chances with my regular employees."

Ulysses looked at the floor meekly, which Liam soon acknowledged. "Ulysses, you don't look quite as thrilled as the rest of your team."

"Um…I-I'm sorry for sounding rude, but…w-w-why a-am I g-g-going? N-Not to say I don't trust your reasoning, it's just…I don't feel like I'm up to the task," the cellular avian admitted.

Peregrine sneered. "Which is exactly why you're going!" He slammed his wing down. "I'm getting tired of your shit! Skipping out on missions!"

"I-I…I-I-I don't know what you're…"

Peregrine glared. "Talking about?" he finished. "How are those seven stomach aches and nine head colds? Sick today, too?!"

Ulysses whimpered and tapped his gel wings together. "I-I'm sorry…"

Peregrine facepalmed. "Kid, Tamara and Juniper have been covering for you, but this is the last straw! You're going on this mission!"

"B-But-!"

"Sweetie," Gracelyn started calmly as she stood up, "while Peregrine is being a tad harsh, you know he's only looking out for you." She walked around the table and placed her hands on his shoulders. "It won't be so bad. Hawkins and Asadi will be there, too. Best case scenario, you won't have to fight anyone."

Asadi grinned. "Exactly!"

Hawkins scoffed lightly and turned away. "I…suppose."

Ulysses looked down at his talons and tapped his hands and wings together meekly. "I mean…I-I don't want to be a bother to anyone…"

"You're going and that's final!" Peregrine growled.

Ulysses flinched, then looked away. "S-Sorry…"

"And, for goodness sake, stop apologizing all the damn time!"

"Oh…I-I'm sorry…" Peregrine groaned in defeat and slammed his head down on the table. Lewis patted his back while Cade bellowed with laughter.

Abraham chuckled quietly before stating, "Ulysses, we see great potential in your abilities. You have proven to be a valuable team player, greatly reflected in your Fusion Move. Use your skills wisely."

Ulysses gulped, then nodded. "Y-Yes, sir…"

Julian sighed, then stood up. He folded his arms behind his back and narrowed his eyes. "I expect full cooperation in this expedition. Is that clear?"

The three Fusions stood up and saluted. "Yes sir!"

"Very good." He held three fingers up. "We shall depart in three days. Take that time to prepare for the trip. We will meet at the airfield where my personal jet will take us to Unova. Be there, eight o'clock in the morning. On the dot."

"Yes sir!" they repeated.

Julian nodded, then waved to the council. "Thank you all for your time. Take care." He exited the hut.

Liam stood up and nodded to the Fusions. "You're free to return to your duties. Remember to pack before the trip." They nodded, then exited the hut as well. Liam looked at the councilmen. "Meeting adjourned."

Everyone stood up and walked out, except Cade, who was scratching his chin. Lewis stopped for a moment and turned to him. "Something wrong, pal?"

Cade narrowed his eyes. "Three days from now…three days also means…" His eyes widened, then he broke out into a large grin. "Oh man! This is perfect!"

Lewis raised his brow as he saw the phantom panda's left eye light up and sparkle. Something's got the panda excited. "You're suddenly in a good mood."

Cade shot up and raised his fists, bouncing on his feet like an excited child. "Do think Chief Liam wouldn't mind if I escorted the Fusions to the airport myself?"

Lewis scratched his head. "I…suppose he wouldn't." Cade squealed happily and raced after Liam to ask. The Lucario-Samurott crossed his arms suspiciously. "Yeesh, what's gotten into him? I don't normally seem him this lively unless he's talking about his…" His eyes widened. "Wait, the airport…does that mean his…?" He tapped his cheek, then smirked. "Heh…yeah, that's probably it."

* * *

It has been a rough night for the recent fugitives of Sinnoh. Flying for so long on a massive Fusion without getting caught was a tiring experience. Thankfully, they found a thick forest to hide out in. They probably can't stay here for long, since the military and all of Sinnoh are probably keeping an eye out for their faces. Travel was going to be extremely difficult in the future.

In the meantime, as they recuperated from their miraculous escape, Vivi and Eddie found themselves sitting and staring up at the newest member of their party, who stared back with equal curiosity. Bartleby tilted his head occasionally, whether to examine the two or to blissfully admire the surrounding nature. He occasionally poked at a tree to mind his time.

Vivi and Eddie shared silent glances with each other, hoping the massive Fusion would say or do something. Though, with the long hours spent with him, their problem became abundantly clear.

Eddie sighed and gripped his knees. "He definitely can't speak…"

Vivi rubbed her head. "Yeeeah, minor setback, right there."

"He hasn't done much since we escaped," Eddie pointed out. "He's like a child developing their sense of adventure and curiosity."

Vivi held her chin and hummed quietly. "Hmm, now that you mentioned it…"

Eddie groaned, regretting bringing the idea up immediately. _I'm stuck with a hyperactive, scatterbrained teenager and a three hundred-year-old child…this can't get any worse._

Vivi crossed her arms and expressed a fiery drive in her eyes. "Ha! It doesn't matter! We've gotten this far and have our first major lead! As the hero of the world, I cannot let this small obstacle stand in my way!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "And how do you plan on cracking our little language barrier?"

Vivi grinned. "Duh! Not like he can write or draw!"

Eddie raised his finger to object, then paused. He ran her idea over in his head, then slouched forward with a tired groan. _Why didn't I think of that?_

Vivi giggled and jumped to her feet. "Time to get cracking!" She marched over to Bartleby and knocked on his sole. "Yoohoo! Bartleby!" The forest golem bent forward and gazed down on her intensely. "I know you're still getting over your little trip to the freezer, but we need your help regarding a certain, destructive object."

Bartleby groaned curiously, still seeming confused by her statement.

Vivi made her eyes shimmer in a pleading manner, with her hands clasped together. "Please~! You have to remember something! You helped Data and Mason as a lab assistant! You do remember your old pals, Data and Mason, right?"

Bartleby looked off to the side, scratching his chin contemplatively. He groaned quietly, then nodded in confirmation.

Vivi grinned. "That's great! Then you have to know something about the machine! It was some big project Data was working on! Why was he? And where's the machine? Do you know if anyone might want to set it off in current day present?"

Now that stumped the forest golem. Thinking back, his memories of the passionate scientist were a bit hazy. Yet, he remembered how he worked hard on constructing his masterpiece. A device that'll end the warring conflict between Fusion and Pokémon. He remembered Data being angrier when they neared completion of the machine. Bartleby knew he would set that device off without a second thought, but something stopped him.

Bartleby consulted with the facts he knew, trying to remember key parts in Data's plan. Motivation…device…a weapon…a power source…

Vivi and Eddie stared at the giant. He hasn't moved for over five minutes. Vivi looked at Eddie with a concerned look. "Is he okay?"

"Um…" The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion rubbed his head. "I think so. He must be thinking real hard about it-WAH!"

They both jumped when Bartleby slammed his finger into the dirt before dragging around intensely. The ground shook forcibly as it dug through the ground. The two Fusions stepped out of his way and observed his actions. From the way he moved his large finger, it didn't seem to indicate random dragging. There was a certain movement to it, almost like he's…

"Is he…drawing something?" Eddie questioned.

Vivi squealed and clasped her hands together. "Ooh! Maybe it's a map to the doomsday device!"

Bartleby used as much space provided to draw out his thoughts. Everything he vaguely remembered about the passionate scientist and what his intentions meant. Key words, details, and plans being scrapped for reasons, but he remembered they all played key parts in his plan. A plan the forest golem forgot in greater elaboration.

He spent ten minutes digging through the dirt before finishing. He stood to full height and marveled over his work. Satisfied that he got his point across, he lowered his hand, signaling the two Fusions to step on.

They stepped onto his palm and were raised up, with Eddie gripping to the giant's thumb in panic. Vivi bounced excitedly on Bartleby's index finger while clapping. "Yay! This is awesome!" Once they were at the right height, she looked down at the message. "It's…It's…" Her excitement took a complete one-eighty as she frowned in confusion. "It's…something?"

Rather than a map like she hoped, Bartleby drew four separate drawings. One: a massive tower object surrounded by a cone shape, possibly a mountain. Two: an orb shaped item hidden in the ground. Three: oddly shaped creatures. Four: Well, it wasn't so much a picture as it was four words bunch together. They were 'Data, Evolve, Future, and Revenge.'

Vivi and Eddie observed the odd message, then glanced at Bartleby for answers. "The hell is this?!" Eddie asked. He only got a small groan out of the golem. "Ugh…right…"

Vivi crouched down and tapped her chin. "Huh…look at that tower image." She pointed at it. "Could it be the doomsday device?"

Eddie raised his brow, then crossed his arms quizzically. "Possibly. But that raises another question: why is it in a mountain?"

"How do you even hide something that big in a mountain? Without getting caught?" The archer tilted her head and sighed. "Yeesh, Data went out of his way to hide this thing, that's a fact." She squinted at the rest. "I'm not sure what that orb is about, but those creatures might be depicting Fusions."

"That's an odd thing to bring up," Eddie mumbled quietly. He looked at Bartleby. "Is that supposed to be the Pokémon after they've been turned?" Surprisingly, the golem shook his head. "Huh…" Eddie scratched his cheek. "Then…why bother drawing it?"

Vivi pointed at the words. "What do you suppose that's about?"

"Data…Evolve…Future…Revenge…" The flame kicker sat down, legs crossed. "Data and Evolve might be obvious. Future…I'm not entirely sure. But why Revenge?"

Vivi tilted her head. "Data was said to be very angry when he constructed the machine."

Eddie glared. "True…but revenge for what?"

"I mean, if it was for the Fusions being oppressed, that's nothing new," Vivi commented on. "Did the oppression really make him that angry? I wouldn't imagine someone going this far over something that hasn't changed in a few centuries."

"The world can be a place of madness," Eddie commented. He stood up and leaned against Bartleby's thumb. "Still, we at least know the doomsday device is being kept in a mountain. That sort of narrows our search." He glared at the orb curiously. "Still not sure what that's about."

Vivi pumped her fists and cheered passionately. "YEAH! Then let's go! New mission! Search every mountain and landscape in the world!"

"…do you…know how long that'll take?"

"I'm not sure!" she yelled passionately.

Eddie glanced at Bartleby. "I doubt he knows where to start searching. This might be all he can provide."

Vivi crossed her arms. "Okay, so how do we narrow our search?"

"Well, the mountains might be easier to search for. Don't know what the orb is for, but the physical machine should be our priority. It was never mentioned in the journal, so the orb's probably not that important." He paced around the golem's palm. "Anyway, we just need to search the mountains that can hide something…how big is it?" he asked Bartleby, to which the giant raised his hand as high as he could. "…something as tall or taller than our friend here."

"Doesn't seem like a practical strategy," Vivi commented.

"Maybe, but the mountain would have to be dug out in order to hide it. If we just find a mountain that seems irregularly formed, it might have been carved through to put the machine in."

Vivi held her chin. "Hmm…yeah, you're right. Three hundred years of erosion and weathering can hide the digging, but there might be something left behind." She grinned. "Good thinking, Eddie!"

He waved it off halfheartedly. "Whatever, it's just common sense." Bartleby lowered them down, allowing them to step off. "We'll leave the next day to begin our search. We still need to recover from the other day."

Vivi stuck her tongue out and saluted. "Righto!"

* * *

 _Three days later_

It was nearly eight in the morning as Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses arrived at the airport, accompanied by Cade after getting permission to escort them. They walked onto the airfield, where they searched around for Julian and his jet. The three Fusions carried bags with them, containing the necessities for their trip.

"Ah, there you three are!" They turned and spotted Julian waving them over. Brea was by his side as usual, with her trusty clipboard. Sitting behind them was his personal jet, with some final inspections being made before takeoff. "You all ready to fly to Unova?"

They walked over, with Hawkins stating, "More than ready, Mr. Roteman. We intend to do our jobs swiftly and professionally."

Asadi snickered and placed her sunglasses on. "Oh, speak for yourself. I'm gonna be snoozing the whole trip."

Ulysses tapped his wings together. "I…s-suppose I'm ready."

Julian nodded, then turned to Brea. "As for the plane that'll be carrying the equipment and crew, is everything together?"

Brea flipped through her notes, then nodded. "All equipment and crew members accounted for, Mr. Roteman."

"Excellent!" Julian clapped his hands together. "Well, hope you all are ready for a long flight. Should take us eight to nine hours to reach Unova."

Asadi laughed. "Now I'm definitely getting some shut eye."

Julian pulled a remote out and opened the door to the jet, with stairs extending out. "You'll find that my personal jet is comparable to first class service. Make yourselves at home."

Hawkins smirked. "Heh…my kind of way to travel." He stepped on first, followed by Asadi, then Ulysses.

Cade waved to them as they boarded. "Stay safe, you three. Behave yourselves."

Ulysses looked out and waved to him. "W-We will, Mr. Cade! T-Thank you!" He stepped back in as Julian and Brea made their way in.

Cade nodded in satisfaction, then turned away to head back to the main lobby of the airport. He wasn't going to head back to the village just yet. He actually was waiting for another plane to land soon. Just thinking about it made him giddy. He could barely contain himself.

* * *

Aside from Julian's jet, another plane will carry the cargo needed for the digging. The crew made sure everything was fastened down before heading to the seating area of the plane. Everything was quiet in the cargo hold, at least until the coast was clear.

Eli poked his head out from behind a crate, inspecting the dark room. Sneaking past security was nothing new to him. He has years of experience evading the authorities. A couple archeologists and diggers were nothing. After confirming they were alone, he hopped onto the crate and sat down. "You two can come out now."

Braith leapt out from behind and laughed. "Oh yeah! Going on a road trip! Woo, woo, woo!"

Eli held his finger against his lips and shushed her. "Braith, you need to be quiet. We can't afford to be caught like this. We still need to sneak back when we return." He glanced around, then glared. "Gordon, get up."

Stepping into view was a Zebstrika-Vikavolt. He had blue fur with the usual white stripes. He had a blue carapace on his back that covered his wings and helmet like armor around his head with the mandibles retracted to the sides.

Gordon cracked his neck and stretched his legs tiredly. He had a look of dullness to his expression. "How long is this trip?"

"If I remember correctly, it should take eight to nine hours."

Gordon sighed. "What a drag. What am I supposed to do in a cargo hold for nine hours?"

Eli shrugged with a smirk. "I don't know. You could play with Braith."

Gordon glanced at the chipper monkey, who flashed an evil smirk his way. Unfazed, he looked away and headed towards the far end of the hold. "Yeeeah, I'm just going to take a nap over here. Wake me up or…whatever."

Eli waved to him. "Sounds good, buddy."

Braith laughed and jumped between the crates energetically. "Fun, fun, fun! Hahaha!"

Eli leaned back and rested on his back with his arms folded behind his head. He smirked at the ceiling, excited to see what all this conspiring between Gappei Village and Profectus Inc. entailed. His natural born curiosity for secrets drove him to find out. _Prepare for trouble, Roteman. The Rogues will get to your little secret first._


	25. Past Grief

It has been three hours since Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses went to the airport. By now, they were likely hanging out in the jet as it flies over the ocean towards their destination in Unova. Cade still hasn't returned from the airport yet, though Lewis was well aware why this was the case.

Lewis and Gracelyn walked around the village, with the Lucario-Samurott explaining Cade's excitement to the Bewear-Regigigas. She held her chin and nodded in understanding. "…I see. So, that's why Cade was so excited about taking them to the airport."

Lewis nodded. "Saves us the trouble of heading over there ourselves."

"When do you suppose he'll be back?"

The samurai jackal scratched his head and sighed. "If I remember correctly, the plane should have arrived by this time. They'll be back pretty soon."

Gracelyn clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, I'm positively overjoyed for Cade! He must be really happy to see them again!" She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Speaking of which, I wonder how Dez and his group are handling their morning assignment."

Lewis shrugged. "They're just helping clean a store. Nothing drastic."

"Yes, but a store where the usual customers are Pokémon." She frowned. "You know I'm talking about Emily…"

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "She had to take up a personal assignment like this eventually."

"Yes, but you know how hostile she gets around other Pokémon." She held her wrist worriedly. "Oh dear, and with Cade returning from the airport soon…"

"Emily's case isn't one we can rush. The exposure to Pokémon might be good for her." Lewis glared with a grunt. "Well…I hope it is. Being surrounded by mostly Fusions for most her life, she hasn't had that much interaction with regular Pokémon. And considering her actions that led her here…"

"Don't say that, Lewis. Emily has matured ever since that day. Dez and Charlie have been a good influence on her."

Lewis shook his head. "People don't forget experiences like that. What she did has been ingrained into her mind and it'll stay with her for the rest of her days until she learns to cope with it."

"Has she tried counseling?"

"You know she won't go to those." The samurai jackal shrugged. "At least she has a coping mechanism through mediation." He glared. "Still, we need to find a more effective way of helping her other than scolding her like a child. She's too old for that sort of nonsense."

Gracelyn clapped her hands together and laughed lightly. "Perhaps we're not giving her enough credit. Emily has proven to be a bright Fusion who gets along well with her fellow community. I'm sure she's mature enough to…move…past her…" She stared past Lewis with a blank look.

Lewis held his hips. "What?" The colossal bear continued to stare ahead. A second later, Lewis sighed and caught on to her silence. "They're…They're back early, aren't they?"

He turned around and faced the main gate with Gracelyn, spotting Dez and Charlie dragging a vexed Emily. The nervous looks the two councilmen picked up from Dez and Charlie indicated things didn't go as planned.

The Munchlax-Lilligant tried to quell the tension between them with a small laugh. "W-Well, it could've been worse, right? We have that much to take from this whole experience!"

Dez scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Um, yeah! I mean, sure, the store owner was a little peeved with us, but it could have been worse. Right, Em?"

The Mawile-Froslass didn't acknowledge him and, instead, grumbled to herself. "…just minding my own business, cleaning the floor, and he had the gall to shove me out of the way for his lousy drink…"

Dez and Charlie sighed with a small sweatdrop. What had happened was they were assigned to help clean a local store for the manager. For the most part, the manager was nice, if a little hesitant about them being around. Emily was minding her business, like she said, when a Combusken walks in and intentionally shoves her away from the fridge unit. Next thing her hut mates knew, they were told to leave after a customer got socked in the jaw.

Charlie scratched his head and tried to smile. "I mean, it was rude of that guy to shove you, but was it necessary to retaliate so brutally?"

"He deserved it!" Emily growled. "That rotten jerk had what was coming to him!"

Dez held his paws up. "Em, I get you're ticked off about it, but you shouldn't go around swinging your fist at people. What if that guy bumped into you or something? We'd be in more trouble than we already are."

"Hell if I care…" Emily grumbled, glaring to the side. "The Pokémon don't deserve my respect."

"You can't possibly mean that," Charlie said with a pleading look. "Besides, they're not going to respect _us_ if you keep throwing your fists around. We're not doing this to cause more hate, you know. I want to be able to go in and out of the village without being glared at."

Emily narrowed her eyes. Charlie is persistent in trying to make her more openminded about Pokémon, a thought she admired to an extent, but ultimately ignored. She held her hips and scoffed. "Do you seriously think the whole world's going to stop being who they are? There's no such thing as world peace and there never will be. There will always be Pokémon out there who hate us, stuck on their bigoted ways of thinking."

Dez narrowed his eyes. "Kind of like how _you_ are acting."

Emily faced him with a cold stare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Em, no offense, but you're not acting any different than how the Pokémon act. You openly express you hate Pokémon simply because of one horrible occurrence in your past. That's how many Pokémon view us: simply going off what has happened and projecting _that_ behavior onto all."

Emily pointed at herself. "My past is different. I've never heard of a whole neighborhood of Fusions torturing a small Pokémon child for how it looks!" She threw her arms up. "But hey, I can certainly relate if you switch the two species!" she exclaimed bitterly.

Dez narrowed his eyes caringly. "Emily…I know it's been a hard life for you. I can still remember when we first met. You…were a wreck. You were shaken up from… _that._ " He sat on his haunches. "But is it really worth holding a grudge against everyone? I mean, despite that big upset a while back, Roteman was the first Pokémon in history to make a big change in our lives." He gestured at the huts. "Misfits like us were given a home. A second chance. You can't tell me you don't appreciate Roteman's contributions just a little."

Emily exhaled a breath of cold air. She glared in silence before saying, "I don't trust Pokémon. Even if they seem nice, I can't trust them. Not now, not ever. And the only Pokémon in my life that I could ever trust had her life taken away from me, right before my eyes." She clenched her teeth tightly. "Tortured…Tortured…I was in pain. A six-year-old girl writhing in pain…at the hands of those bastards."

Dez and Charlie took a step back as the ground formed ice crystals beneath her feet. They stared at Emily empathetically. They were both aware that Emily had a terrible, agonizing childhood. It made them wonder how the council could bear listening to so many tragic backgrounds without breaking.

She clutched her arms angrily. "Seeing the hate everyday…how can I possibly forgive any Pokémon when they're all practically the same?"

Charlie reached out and held her shoulder. "Emily…you're smart enough to know life doesn't work in absolutes."

"Tck, yet everyone else seems to think that…" she grumbled.

As Dez and Charlie tried to talk things out with Emily, Lewis and Gracelyn watched on with observant eyes. The colossal bear sighed and rubbed her head. "I feel bad for the poor dear." She looked at Lewis. "How can we help her? Sending her out on more missions could escalate matters?"

Lewis rubbed his chin and closed his eyes. "What she needs is a healthy dose of realism, at least to show her not to believe in absolutes."

"What are you proposing?"

"I'm not entirely…" He paused when he felt a vibration by his side. He pulled his cellphone out of his shell sheath and quickly checked the caller ID. It was from Cade. "One moment." He answered the call and tapped his foot. "What's up?" Gracelyn heard the panda mutter on the other end. "Uh huh…uh huh…yeah, if we moved some stuff around, our hut would work…five minutes? Okay, we'll meet you up front." He hung up and put the phone away.

Gracelyn crossed her arms and smiled. "Ah, so their plane finally arrived."

"Appears so. Let's head to the front gate and wait for…" He looked over at Emily and her hut mates for a moment, then rubbed his chin. "Hmm…actually, I think I have an idea."

The bear raised her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Follow me." They walked over to the three Fusions, who didn't immediately notice them coming.

Dez rubbed the back of his head and groaned. "You're just lucky that guy's not pressing charges. Do you know how mad the council will be when they find out you punched a complete stranger?"

"Certainly not the strangest report we've gotten," Lewis spoke up with a firm stare.

The Fusions gasped in shock and stood at attention in the samurai jackal's presence. "L-L-Lewis! Sir!" Charlie explained with a frightened expression. "Uh, it's not what you think!"

Lewis raised his brow, not fooled in the slightest. "Uh huh…I see your assignment was cut short. Should I be expecting a call from the manager, too?"

The Fusions gulped, then bowed their heads to the councilman. "We're sorry!"

Lewis grunted quietly, then scratched the side of his head. "I expect a full report on the matter later. Now, I'd normally deal out punishments for these actions, but I believe there's a way for you to make up for it."

Dez looked up at him quizzically. "There is?"

Gracelyn nodded at them before clasping her hands together. "We're actually having guests coming over!"

"Guests?!" the Fusions staggered.

Lewis nodded. "As you all know, Cade took Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses to the airport for their mission with Roteman. What he left out was his other reason for being there. He went to pick up his wife and daughter."

Charlie gasped. "No way! Really?! His family's coming here?!"

Dez scratched his cheek. "Right, Cade said his wife and daughter live out in Sinnoh." He chuckled awkwardly. "Not something you can forget when he talks about them endlessly."

Lewis sighed and held his hips. "He's a doting family man, that's for sure…" The pains of living with Cade. Whenever the topic is briefly brought up, Cade will go on hour long tangents about how much he loves his family. Once he brought out the scrapbook and tissues, you were pretty much stuck there until you found a chance to sneak away. Lewis practically knows everything about them and he's only met his wife twice. "Anyway, they're coming here on vacation to spend time with Cade. Normally he visits them on one of his usual outings, but they decided to come down here for a change in scenery."

Emily crossed her arms and glared. "Why should we care if they're coming?"

"Because this is Cade's family, not Pokémon we happen to know, like Roteman. Since you clearly couldn't handle dealing with civilians, you'll have to make up for your blunder by spending time with Cade and his family. All three of you." He raised his brow, specifically at Emily. "That shouldn't be too hard, right?"

Emily grumbled in annoyance. "Why do I get the impression you're pushing them onto us because of me?"

"If we are to make this arrangement with Roteman work, you need to cooperate better with Pokémon. If you can't, I'm not sending you out on crime patrol. So, I'll ask again. That shouldn't be too hard, _right_?"

Emily glared at the samurai jackal, then looked away with her teeth clenched. "As long as they don't annoy me…"

She heard Lewis grip his seamitar. "One more time, missy."

Emily groaned and faced him with a serious look. "I…look _forward_ to it, sir…"

Lewis released the hilt and folded his arms behind his back. "Better. Now come on, they'll be meeting us at the front gate." He led the group to the gate, with Gracelyn following along.

They stood firmly in front of the gate, waiting patiently for them to open. While Dez and Charlie looked excited to meet Cade's family, Emily was skeptical. _Oh yeah, REALLY looking forward to meeting another batch of jerks._ She raised her brow. _Still, if Cade met someone who willingly married him…alright Charlie, I'll try and keep an open mind about this, but no promises._

The gates eventually opened, revealing a cheerful Cade walking in with his arms out. "Hi Lewis!" the phantom panda exclaimed. Lewis kept a dry look to his face as the panda picked him up and hugged him.

"I see you're in a good mood…" Lewis responded.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I?!" He dropped Lewis, who dusted himself off. Cade grinned at Gracelyn, who nodded at him, then his eyes wandered down to Dez, Emily, and Charlie. "Oh? I wasn't expecting you three. Didn't you have a missi-?"

Charlie held his hands up and laughed awkwardly. "Uh, let's not talk about that! We just wanted to meet your family!"

After Lewis matted his fur down, he said, "I hope you don't mind, but I'm assigning these three to hang around with your family. That won't be a problem, right?"

Cade threw his arms up and laughed. "Are you kidding? The more the merrier!" He clasped his hands together. "Oh, I'm so happy you all get to meet my pride and joys! They've been looking forward to meeting all of you!"

Dez smiled. "We're happy to meet them, too." He tried looking around the panda. "So, where are they?"

"Right behind me! Everyone, I like for you to meet my wife, Annabeth, and my daughter, Marion!" He jumped out of the way and gestured to them.

Understandably, their first reaction was to look up and greet the two, expecting Pokémon around Cade's height. However, their eyes gradually moved down, attempting to spot the two. Their eyes reached towards the ground, locating…two Emolga, one taller than the other.

The taller Emolga, presumably Annabeth, stepped forward. She wore a bright orange sunhat. She waved at the three with a bright grin. "Hello! Nice to meet you all!" Marion looked around curiously. She had a pair of blue headphones around her neck.

While Gracelyn and Lewis waved back, Dez, Emily, and Charlie stared at the two with wide, blank eyes. _His wife and daughter are Emolga?_

"So, this is the Fusion village?" Marion asked, wagging her tail. She smiled with bright, shimmering eyes. "Wooow! This place looks cool! Not as spacious as the farm, but so awesome!"

Cade laughed aloud. "I wouldn't expect you to remember much! You were a little baby last time you were here!" He sniffled a bit, then scooped her up into his arms for a tearful hug. "MY LITTLE BABY GIRL! I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

Marion flailed her arms and tried to pull herself out of his hug. "DAAAAD! You're embarrassing me again!"

Annabeth giggled behind her hand, then directed her gaze over to Lewis. She walked over to him and held her hand up. "Lewis, it's been a long time."

Lewis crouched down and shook her hand gently. "Likewise. I take it you both have been doing well."

She nodded. "As always." She nodded towards Gracelyn. "And you're…Gracelyn, correct?"

She nodded with a cheerful smile. "A pleasure to meet you, dear." She bent down and shook her hand, though with Annabeth just shaking her digit. "We hope to make your stay here comfortable. I'm sure the rest of the council looks forward to seeing you and Marion."

"I can't wait to see them, too." Annabeth turned to the three Fusions accompanying them. "Oh, and who might you three be?"

Dez nodded with a smile. "Hello, ma'am. I'm Dez Skull. This is my adopted sister, Emily Skull, and our friend, Charlie Calder."

Charlie grinned. "It's very nice to meet you, Ms. Annabeth!" He looked at Emily, who was staying silent. He nudged her in the side and gestured to Annabeth. "Say something," he whispered through his teeth.

Emily sighed tiredly and looked away. "…hi…"

Dez and Charlie sweatdropped at her response. Thankfully, Annabeth didn't seem to take offense to it. Dez rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…sorry, she's not used to strangers…"

Annabeth waved it off with a carefree grin. "Oh, it's quite alright."

Charlie folded his arms behind his back. "So, how long will you and Marion be staying?"

"Most likely a month," Annabeth admitted, which surprised the three. "Hehe, yes, seems like much, but I feel this will be good for us." She smiled at Cade while Marion tried to escape his death hug. "Work's been exhausting as of late. I run a berry farm out in Sinnoh and was a little worried about leaving it behind, but…" She casted a joking glare and smirk at her husband. "Cade wouldn't stop pestering us to come over to Kanto for a stay."

Cade grinned at her. "And aren't you happy I did?"

Annabeth held her chin and giggled. "Of course."

Marion finally got out of Cade's hug and landed on the ground. "Ow…" She sat up and looked around quickly. "So, where are we staying?"

Lewis crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "You'll be staying with Cade and me. We share a hut together. I can set up the couch for you to sleep on, Marion."

Marion smiled. "Cool!"

Gracelyn looked at the three Fusions and nudged them forward with a smile. "And you three can help our guests settle in by carrying their luggage."

Emily glared. "We're doing what now?"

Dez sighed and rubbed his head. He preferred not doing work, but they had to be nice to their guests. He smiled and said, "Sure thing. Come on, guys."

The adults and Marion walked ahead, conversing with each other while Dez, Emily, and Charlie grabbed the luggage. Emily slung a backpack over her shoulder. Charlie wheeled two suitcases behind him. Dez carried a metal case on his back.

Emily groaned. "We're going to be around them for a whole month?"

Dez glared at her. "Em, you heard what Lewis said. Put the grudge away and try to be nice. They clearly don't hate Fusions like you do, so knock it off."

Emily sighed. "Sorry…old habits and practices…"

Charlie patted her back. "You'll see. I bet you'll have a wonderful time with them around."

Emily grunted and steered her gaze ahead. "If you say so…"

* * *

Once Annabeth and Marion got settled in to their new accommodations, Cade and the three Fusions led the two towards the dining hall. Lewis and Gracelyn bid them ado since they had work to take care of.

The phantom panda looked down at his wife and smiled. "So, how's the farm doing, dear?"

Annabeth smiled, tipping her sunhat up a bit. "It's going great! We had a great harvest last month! Hopefully the berries are fully grown by the time we get back."

Dez glanced at her. "Yeah, that reminds me. Who's watching your farm while you're gone? I'd imagine a plantation of berry trees would attract some greedy individuals with it empty."

Marion chuckled. "Nothing to worry about! We asked some friends to watch it over for us! They were more than happy to!"

Charlie smiled. "Aww, really? That's so nice."

Emily grunted off to the side. "Yeeeah, if they're not picking the berries for themselves like rotten, self-entitled bas-" Charlie immediately covered her mouth, sweating nervously.

He smiled apologetically to Annabeth and Marion. "Hehehe…sorry. Like we said, Emily's…not fond of strangers…or Pokémon in general."

Annabeth held her hand up and nodded. "I don't need to know the details. I completely understand." She looked around the village and frowned a bit. "To imagine the hardships everyone must have gone through. I don't know how you can cope with so many lost souls, Cade."

Cade closed his eyes and crossed his arms with a sigh. "I try to hide my worry, but I show great sympathy for each of these wonderful Fusions." He clenched his fist and raised it up. "I will not condone sadness among my people!"

She smiled at him and laughed into her hand. "You're such a card." She observed the village once more, this time with a bright smile. "You and the council do a lot of work around here. A big, happy community where the Fusions are allowed to be who they are without fear of prejudice." She chuckled. "I can't imagine what it's like living in such a close community."

Dez scratched his head with a light smile. "It's an alright life. We can get on each other's nerves though."

Charlie sighed and crossed his arms. "Though, we still have problems regarding protesters. They've died down a lot since we started helping the city out, but…some remain strong to their beliefs."

This made Annabeth glare. "I'm all too familiar with that kind of treatment. I saw the stares from the Pokémon in the airport when we ran up to Cade. There were a few hostile ones in the crowd."

Charlie chuckled a bit. "Don't feel bad for us. We're kind of used to it. Plus, like we said, things are slowly getting better."

Marion pouted and held her hips. "I don't see what the big deal is!"

Cade reached down and patted her head. "That's a discussion for when you're older, sweetie."

"Hmph! Well, anyone who says Fusions are monsters are idiots! I think Fusions are awesome!" She pouted again and looked to the side. "Why couldn't I be born a Fusion?" she mumbled, though everyone could hear her, including Emily. She glanced at the Emolga with a surprised look.

Cade held his chin and grinned. "Well, in all fairness, you could pull off the Spiritomb look. Just like your old man!"

"Exactly!" Marion shouted. "I want to have creepy ghost energy around my head! I'd be awesome!"

Emily glared at her. "I'm sorry, but…why would you want to be a Fusion? Aren't you aware of the repercussions we all go through because of _your kind_?" she asked sharply.

Marion held her hands up, alarmed by the cold tone of voice. "W-Whoa! I didn't mean anything malicious! I just think you guys look super cool! I mean, I know not all Fusions are bad mons. Just…hurt, that's all."

Emily calmed down, then continued to face ahead. "…let's just eat already." She marched ahead of the group with her head low.

Marion blinked, then tilted her head. "Was it…something I said?"

Annabeth patted her back soothingly. "She didn't mean anything against you, sweetie. Everyone here has been through a lot. Just be patient with them and don't take offense if you accidentally strike a nerve."

Marion nodded with a bold face. "Right!"

Dez and Charlie watched Emily as she marched forward. They could see her fist tightening. They looked at each other, concerned for their friend. Guess she's used to Pokémon always being jerks to her…

* * *

Once everyone got their food, they sat down at a table to themselves. Marion set her tray down and licked her lips excitedly. "I can't believe you guys eat like this! It's like heaven!" She grabbed a slice of pizza and took a bite off.

Dez chuckled. "We do have some handy cooks manning the station. Plus, Mr. Roteman supplies all the ingredients we need to make our food."

Annabeth bit into a berry and chewed quietly. "He and Liam really thought of everything when designing this village." She looked around to see the Fusions happily conversing with each other. She smiled warmly at the sight.

Cade sat between Annabeth and Marion, then threw a berry into his mouth. "Mmm…" He looked at the Fusions across from him. "So, you three, I wanted to know how training is coming along on Fusion Mode. How close have you gotten?"

Dez rubbed his head. "To tell you the truth, not that far. Gave myself a headache the other day."

Charlie shrugged. "No such luck for me, either. It's not really coming to me."

Emily held her cheek in her hand as she picked around her food. "I've tried meditating to clear my thoughts, but I'm not getting anywhere." She dropped her fork and looked up at Cade. "Are you _sure_ there isn't a short cut we can take to make it easier?"

Cade wagged his finger and shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. No students of mine are taking short cuts. There isn't an easy way out of this. Fusion Mode requires the complete balance of emotions." He crossed his arms. "It comes easier to some who didn't go through hardship, but that's the basis of our power. If we can't reach a synchronized understanding of our emotions, then we can't achieve a higher status."

Marion raised her hand. "Dad, what's Fusion Mode?"

"Ah right, I've never told you. You know what Mega Evolution is, right?" She nodded. "Think of it like that, only a lot more complicated to activate than using a Mega Stone and Key Stone." He looked back at the Fusions. "I told you kids that Fusion Mode would be difficult training, and that's just for activating it. The power you'd have to contain and control is a completely new experience."

Emily sighed. "If it's simply coping with our regrets, why isn't it coming to us sooner?"

"Because simply saying 'I'm okay' doesn't mean you're okay." They turned around and saw Juniper, Wash, and Chris walking over. Chris had one of Wash's arms around his neck as the Frogadier Fusion held an icepack to his head. Juniper walked along with a soda and smirked at Emily. "Though, what do I know?"

Cade smiled. "Ah, I see you and Washington are back from your patrol. Uh…what happened?"

Chris helped Wash into the table. "Well, from what they told me, another batch of protesters came by. Something about 'the violence never ends with you cretins.'" Emily blushed and lowered her head, having a pretty good idea what brought that outburst along. "They got a little violent themselves and Wash took a Rock Throw to the head."

"I said I'm fine," Wash mumbled.

Juniper giggled and nudged his side. "You were acting pretty dopey after the hit."

"I was dazed," he insisted before putting the icepack down for a moment.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "They seriously attacked you?"

"They call in self-defense," Juniper said. She jiggled her soda around. "Though, they were well within their legal rights to call it that _after_ I forced them off the property." She patted Wash's head. "So, mean for giving you a boo-boo."

Wash narrowed one eye at her. "Are you just going to treat me like a child?"

Juniper giggled. "Oh, most definitely." She looked across the table, then pointed at the two Emolga. "Anyway, who are these two?"

Cade smiled. "Juniper, Wash, Chris, I like for you to meet my wife and daughter, Annabeth and Marion."

Annabeth nodded. "Hello there."

Marion threw her hands up. "Your village is so cool!"

"Aww, thanks!" Juniper exclaimed. "It's nice to meet you two."

"Same here," Wash mumbled, putting the icepack against his head again.

Chris chuckled. "About time we get to meet the two people in Cade's life that he won't stop talking about." He shrugged his shoulders with a cool smile. "Seriously, you can't stop him when he starts going."

Cade held his hips and glared. "I do not talk about my family that much!"

Juniper sipped her soda and laughed. "Riiight, because that hour long tangent you went on about finding your kid the perfect birthday present meant nothing."

Cade blushed in embarrassment as his wife laughed her head off. He flailed his arms in annoyance. "I'M A VERY EMOTIONAL MAN!" The table, aside from Emily, burst out into laughter.

Marion chuckled. "You're so funny, Dad." She looked at Wash and frowned. "So, are those mean ol' city folk giving you guys a hard time?"

Wash set the icepack down and smiled gently. "Eh, it's not so bad. We're doing our best out here. Plus, we've gotten things to calm down ever since we started community service. We weren't given a choice, but…I say it turned out for the best." He groaned and leaned back a bit. "Now, if only the protesters would leave us alone. Last thing I want to get hit with is a Frenzy Plant."

Annabeth smiled at them. "I'm glad to hear that. It's nice to know the city's doing better since I was last here."

Chris raised his brow curiously. "Oh, you've been here before?"

"Last time I was here, Marion was still a baby. The village was a few days into its grand opening. A lot of the Fusions here looked so nervous. A couple families, kids living on their own, orphans…it was a lot to take in." She looked around the dining hall and smiled. "I can recognize a few Fusions. A lot of them have grown up from what I last saw." She chuckled. "It was nice to see Lewis again. And Gracelyn."

"I'm sure Liam, Abe, and Peregrine would love to see you, dear," Cade said.

Annabeth's smile shrank a bit. "Kind of a shame Gero left. He seemed so nice."

Cade sighed. "I miss him, too. But, we respect his wishes."

Annabeth shook her head. She didn't want to put things on a sour note. She clasped her hands together and looked towards the six Fusions. "I never got to ask. What do you all do around here?"

Juniper wiped her lips clean and set her can down. "I'm on watchtower duty. I keep an eye out for suspicious looking characters."

Wash set his icepack down. "I guard the perimeter. We have some Fusions assigned to patrolling the forest in case anyone decided to attack us, whether threw battle or homemade explosives."

Dez nodded. "Emily and I take watchtower duty, too. Juniper mostly takes the nightshifts while we handle the dayshifts." He smirked at the sleepy panda. "I still don't understand why you insist on the nightshifts if you can barely keep your eyes open during the day."

She giggled. "Well, I have Tamara to keep me company sometimes." She wrapped her arm around Wash and laughed. "And this lovable dork, too!"

Wash rolled his eyes and smiled. "Cut it out, Jun."

Charlie smiled. "I'm one of the main gardeners. I just love flowers and taking care of plants!"

Chris pointed to himself. "And I help with construction. Necessary when you get new batches of Fusions coming in who need huts. I almost always have work to get done."

Marion grinned. "That's so cool! Your own little paradise to run as you please!"

Juniper shrugged. "Eh, it's alright. Still wish I can go into the city without getting the occasional glare thrown at me."

Annabeth sighed. "It really is a shame Fusions are mistreated."

"Why do you care?"

Everyone turned toward Emily, who had her eyes on her food as she picked around it. The tone sounded bitter, but also empty. Nevertheless, Cade glared. "Emily, that was very rude."

"It's a legitimate question," Emily said, looking up from her food and glaring at Annabeth and Marion. "Why are you two being so nice to us? What makes you stand out from the rest? Why do you feel the need to feel empathy for us when the rest of the world sees us as freaks of mass destruction?"

"Emily-" Charlie started, but she shrugged him off.

"I had to go through the worst parts of my childhood dealing with Pokémon who think they're better than us. Thinking they can step over us and grind us into the dirt because they want to believe they're superior. I never got an ounce of empathy from Pokémon before. That's because Pokémon are horrible creatures!" she growled.

"Emily, that's enough!" Cade shouted, but she continued.

"We're treated like the minority! Like our presence doesn't matter! We're different, so obviously we're bad! All because one Pokémon hundreds of years back was born with the features of another Pokémon! The first Fusion! All because the world feared us for our power! That fear evolved into hatred because things got out of hand!" She gripped the table tightly. "When you hear all the horrible bigotry going on in the world, it makes the Rogues look like saints! So, tell me, why do you CARE?!"

A long stretch of silence came between the group, stunned by her outburst. Emily panted lightly, then sat herself down with her head lowered. She clenched her teeth, immediately regretting what she said. This wasn't the way to treat guests, but…her entire life has been nothing but hate from the Pokémon.

She felt a hand lay upon her. She looked up and saw Marion staring at her with empathic eyes. "Do you…feel better?"

It was an odd question to ask, but…Emily did feel she removed a lot of stress built up inside her. She sighed and bowed her head. "Y-Yeah…"

Annabeth leaned forward with a similar expression to her daughter's. "Sweetie…isn't it enough to know I'm willing to look past bigotry for the core of someone's character?" Emily glanced at her. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be sitting here. When I found out Cade was a Fusion, when he hid the secret for so long, I did feel…hurt. Not because he is a Fusion, but because he didn't tell me sooner.

"I understand if you have issues with Pokémon. I understand if you felt betrayed and hurt by my kind. I don't condone actions like that for any species. If our presence is making you uncomfortable, you don't have to sit here with us. Just understand we aren't like the Pokémon who hate Fusions. I always try to lend a hand out to Fusions in need."

Marion added, "Yeah! It sucks you guys get mistreated! That's why I try my best to be nice to everyone! We're sorry if we made you upset."

Emily looked off with a downcast stare. She rubbed her eyes and tried to look at them. "Sorry…it's just…hard to forget. It's not your fault…I just can't forget that horrible life I was subjected through. I had to take my rage out on something…I blame the entire Pokémon race for what has become of us Fusions…"

Annabeth smile caringly. "Made you need some time to get your mind off things. Perhaps later, you all can show us around the city."

Emily looked hesitant to agree, but she got encouraging stares from Dez and Charlie. The corners of her lips twitched up a bit before looking back at Annabeth and Marion. "Maybe…"

Cade smiled at the answer. "Perhaps a fun walk around the city will do us some good. How about in an hour?"

Annabeth nodded. "Sounds good to me, dear."

The group nodded, then went back to their lunch. Dez and Charlie glanced at Emily as she began to eat. Her eyes seemed unfocused and confused, mixed with a little guilt, too. They looked at each other, then silently agreed to counsel her.

* * *

After lunch was finished, the group headed back to Cade's hut. The family went inside to get ready while Dez, Emily, and Charlie waited outside on the porch. Emily hugged herself as she stared silently at the ground, still wrapped in her own thoughts.

Dez, deciding to break the tense silence, coughed into his paw and said, "Well, they're pretty nice. Don't you think, Charlie?"

He nodded. "Oh yeah! Must be fun running a whole berry farm. Bet they never worry about going hungry…well, so long as the weather isn't bad," he added with a chuckle.

Dez raised his paws. "Let's make sure to give them a dose of good ol' fashion Gappei Village culture they surely won't forget!" He nudged Emily with a large grin. "You with me, Em?"

Emily startled out of her thoughts and looked at him. "Huh, what? Oh, yeah…sure." She looked back at the ground.

Not exactly the answer he was looking for. Dez sighed and placed his paw on her shoulder. "You're still thinking about what happened at lunch, aren't you?"

She pressed her hands against her eyes and groaned. "I sounded like a jerk…I ignored their own feelings and projected my hate onto them…they didn't deserve to hear that…"

"So…why did you?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not use to Pokémon being…legitimately nice to me." She took her hands off her eyes and lay them in her lap. She looked down glumly. "I'm only use to Pokémon being jerks who want us dead. I've never had anyone be kind to me…who were respectful. I just assumed…"

"…that they'd be the rest, even though she's married to Cade?" Charlie finished.

Emily sighed. "I'm a real idiot…"

"It must be hard to separate your own feelings from truth. I…can't blame you," Dez admitted. "All this discrimination against us because of our power, slowly devolving into a war among hate. It doesn't surprise me since everything started based off fear. A truth many of us still live by to this day."

Emily narrowed her eyes sadly. "…in the back of my mind, I knew they were nice people. Yet…I just can't forget the torturous evils I had to endure. All done by Pokémon. I've never met a Pokémon who tried to be nice to me…"

"What makes Roteman different?" Charlie asked.

Emily scoffed quietly. "He just rubbed me the wrong way…not that I don't appreciate what he's done, but…you know." She closed her eyes. "Why does life need to be so complicated? What did we do to deserve being treated like trash?"

Charlie patted her arm. "Maybe this is why Lewis wants us to spend time around Annabeth and Marion. To help you one Pokémon at a time."

Emily looked over her shoulder, glancing at the hut. "…you think so?"

Dez nodded. "Emily, much like how the Pokémon can't judge a bad and good Fusion as the same, you shouldn't categorize all Pokémon as insensitive jerks. There will be Pokémon out there who are cruel and heartless, but there's a balance to every one of them. A goodhearted individual who only wants to see you smile."

Charlie nodded with a bright grin. "Exactly! Annabeth and Marion are really cool! Spend enough time with them and you'll forget they're even Pokémon. Actions and character define who we are, not our species. If we want to improve the bonds between our species…"

"…we need to prove we're better than the jerks who push us down," Dez finished. He smiled gently at Emily. "You get what we're saying?"

Emily looked down at her feet for a moment, then closed her eyes. "…yeah, I do." She wrapped her arms around them and pulled them into a hug. "Thanks, you two…"

"No problem!" they exclaimed, hugging her back.

They pulled away, allowing the Mawile-Froslass to rub her eyes. "I'll…I'll try and look pass _what_ they are and start looking at _who_ they are." She narrowed her eyes worriedly. "If I don't make myself look worse, that is."

Charlie grinned. "Heh, that's why you got us!" Emily smiled a bit with a faint twinge of red in her cheeks.

The hut door opened, leading them to turn around and face the family. Marion carried bag on her back and hopped down the stairs. "Oh boy, this is going to be exciting! Is there an arcade here?!" she asked cheerfully.

Dez scratched his cheek. "Erm…maybe?"

"Sweet!" She clicked her heels and raced to the front gate.

"AAH! Marion, don't run! You might trip and scratch your knee!" Cade cried out as he ran after her.

The others laughed awkwardly at him, then turned to Annabeth. "Best we chase after them." Dez and Charlie raced ahead, but Emily was stopped by the older Emolga, who wore a concern look. "Sweetie, how are you feeling?"

Emily gripped her wrist a bit to ease her nerves, gulped, then gave an awkward smile. "I'm…fine."

Annabeth smiled sadly. "You don't have to come with us. If you're uncomfortable, I understand."

Emily clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. "N-No, I'm fine." She opened them again with an apologetic stare. "I'm really sorry for snapping at you. It was stupid and uncalled for. I'm just…all my life, I've…been pushed down by Pokémon. I wasn't sure how to respond when you two acted so nice. It…" Annabeth hushed her.

"We all need to learn not to judge, even a Fusion." Annabeth smiled caringly. "If there's ever something you want to get off your chest, feel free to come to me."

Emily, for once, gave a legitimate smile towards the Emolga. "This'll take some getting used to, but…thanks."

"My pleasure." She pushed her forward. "Now hustle, missy! We don't want to be left behind!"

Emily chuckled. "Hehe…r-right." They ran after Cade and the others before they decided to leave without them.

* * *

After nearly eight and a half hours of flying, the Profectus Inc. jet reached over the Unova desert. The jet slowly made its descent down. The first to acknowledge this was Ulysses, who looked out the window. He waved his gelatinous wing at Hawkins and Asadi, saying, "H-Hey guys, we're here."

Asadi, who was laying down on a wall couch, sat herself up and yawned. "What, already?" She rubbed her eyes. "That didn't take as long as I thought."

Hawkins crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat. "What do you two suppose is buried here?"

"H-Hopefully nothing spooky," Ulysses quivered.

Asadi laughed. "Oh, don't you worry, Uly! No ghosts are gonna get you!" At the mention of ghosts, Ulysses whimpered fearfully. She walked over to him and patted his back. "Hey, hey, you'll be fine. Put on a brave face, big guy."

The jet reached the ground and aimed for a cleared path, which was made by a group of Pokémon standing by below. The jet landed on the cleared path and rolled to a stop. Once everything settled down, Julian came out from the front with his hands behind his back.

"Look alive, people," he told the Fusions as he opened the door and stepped out. The Fusions followed him out. Julian placed on safety goggles for the sand, handing out two for Hawkins and Asadi. Ulysses didn't need them thanks to his Magic Guard.

After placing her goggles on, Asadi coughed as sand got in her mouth. "Yuck…definitely not the tropical paradise I wanted."

Hawkins looked around with intrigue. "Frankly, the sandy winds coupled with the different rock formations make for perfect training grounds. I might take advantage of them." He looked at the other two. "I would need a sparring partner, of course."

Asadi blinked, then patted Ulysses' back. "He's all yours, Uly!"

The cellular avian tensed up. "W-Why do I have to b-be his s-sparring partner?!"

Julian pulled out his phone and checked for a signal. "Just to make sure we don't get unwanted guests, for more than one reason, I called in some deals with the local police to keep this place blocked off. Shouldn't have to worry about any crude Pokémon disturbing us." He looked over his shoulder and spotted the cargo plane, which landed a moment after they did. He shouted, "Start unloading the equipment, boys!"

The workers saluted to him. "Yes sir!" They headed for the back and brought the loading door down.

Ulysses looked through the dusty winds. "H-How are we going to find an underground location in all of this?"

"Fortunately, my operatives narrowed the search to a large patch of ground." He raised his phone, finally finding a signal. "You three can set up the perimeter tape. One of my works will provide you with the layout plans."

The Fusions nodded. "Okay!"

* * *

The workers stepped in and out of the cargo plane, unloading crates and carrying them over to the drill site. Far off in the back corner of the plane was Eli, Gordon, and Braith. Eli and Gordon's natural dark colors let them blend in while Braith used Camouflage.

Braith giggled deviously. "Fun, fun, fun! When do we strike, Mr. Eli?"

"I told you to stay quiet," Eli reminded. He squinted at the outside of the plane, viewing the sandy winds. "Hmm…once they get through digging, we can swoop in and take over."

Gordon sighed, looking bored out of his mind. "Great, more waiting…"

Braith landed on his head and knocked the side of it three times. "Oh, quit being a whiner! No, no, no!"

Eli smirked mischievously. "If you're anything like when I found you, you'll get your blood pumping once we greet our 'friends.' I'm sure they'd love to deal with your passionate power."

Gordon sighed. "If you say so…"

"In the meantime, we sit here and wait for things to happen." Eli sat down and held his knees, snickering quietly. "We're entering my game, now. Once the pieces are set, it's show time."


	26. The Secret Bunker

With the winds of the desert blowing their way, Julian's crew finished setting up the laser drill and made final preparation checks before activation. Julian stood on standby, with his protective goggles on, with Brea floating by his side. He waited patiently for the head worker, a Beedrill, to buzz over with a clipboard in his stingers.

The Beedrill did so, flipping through information. "Sir, we've completed final checks over the drill. It's ready to go."

"Excellent." Julian waved his fingers, flashing the signal to a Snorunt at the controls. She nodded back, then switched on the panel controls.

The nozzle to the massive device heated up as power surged into the base, charging through the opening, then firing into the dirt. Julian, Brea, and Beedrill endured the scattered of debris thrown at them. They coughed for a moment, then watched as the laser melted through the thick rock. The drilling procedure was slow, but they weren't expecting to get through in the next ten minutes.

Brea whistled in astonishment. "You've designed quite the beauty, sir."

Julian rubbed his knuckles against his chest. "Well, no reason to brag, of course, but my expertise did bring this baby to life." He coughed into his fist and reestablished his formal demeanor. "Anyway, what is our approximate time until we've reached new ground?"

Beedrill skimmed through the notes. "If the data and math adds up correctly, could take forty-five minutes to reach the coordinates."

Brea raised her brow. "Do we have enough power for that?"

"The fuel cells we've installed should provide just enough energy for continuous use. We're kind of pushing it on its limit before overheating, so we're hoping the Ice-Types provide enough of a buffer to keep it going."

Julian nodded. "Carry on, then." Beedrill nodded and went back to his duties. Brea tapped his shoulder. "Yes, Brea?"

She crossed her arms. "Anything strange about an underground secret this far out in Unova? Something that scanners weren't able to identify or even penetrate?"

Julian closed his eyes. "Admittedly, I'm concerned about the secret activity going on under my nose." He glared as the drill melted through the ground. "But fret not, because I have everything under control."

Brea stared at the drill as well, then sighed. "If you say so, sir."

While the workers and Julian were preoccupied with the digging, Hawkins took it upon himself to commit to some training. He couldn't convince Asadi to train with him, so he got Ulysses to join in. However, the Reuniclus-Braviary was clearly reluctant to take part in the fighting due to his passive nature. He tried to opt out, but Hawkins thrusted him into unforeseen combat.

Clear cut solution was to flee for his life.

Ulysses panicked as he tried to avoid the Roserade-Meowstic's Leaf Blade attacks. Hawkins chased after him with an annoyed expression. "Ulysses! This is supposed to be training! Stay still and fight!"

"B-But I don't want to fight!" he cried out before hiding behind a rock. The larger Fusion wrapped his gelatinous wings around his body, shivering, then screeched as Hawkins cut through his hiding spot. "AAAHHH!" Ulysses bolted into the air, the one place Hawkins couldn't reach him.

Asadi watched with her hand over her eyes. She had to admit, watching Hawkins chase the cowardly Fusion around was pretty funny, even though she felt bad for him. "Aww, Uly, there's nothing to be scared of. Hawkins isn't going to hurt you."

Ulysses wrapped his arms around himself while flapping his wings. "Y-Y-You don't k-know that."

Hawkins rolled his eyes and deactivated Leaf Blade. "I'm not, but I want to keep my body in top condition. Peregrine said you could hold your own in a fight, so I want to see for myself."

"J-J-Just train with A-Asadi!" Ulysses pleaded.

Hawkins shot a glare at Asadi, who waved impishly. "I'd get better compliance from a brick wall."

"I-I-I said NO!" Ulysses refused timidly.

"Aww, it's okay, Uly," Asadi comforted gently. She waved him down. "Come on, big guy, no reason to be afraid." Ulysses shivered, then slowly floated to the ground. Asadi patted his wing. "It's okay, Ulysses. I know grouchy ol' Peregrine gave you a hard time, but he thinks you're one of the toughest Fusions in the village."

Ulysses tapped his wings timidly. "B-But I was raised to be respectful and kind. Plus…violence is scary…"

Hawkins glanced to the side dryly. "At least Dakota's not a complete pansy-OW!" Asadi chastised him with a sharp elbow blow to the side. He rubbed his side with an annoyed glare. "What I meant was…come on, you live with two of the toughest girls in the village. How have they not given you a confidence boost?"

Ulysses looked down shamefully. "I'm sorry…Tamara and Juniper are always telling me to go at my own pace. But…I just don't like fighting. It's not in my nature. I…like to do other things instead of fighting…"

Asadi tilted her head curiously. "Like what?"

Ulysses mumbled under his breath before saying, "I…really like…puzzles…"

"Puzzles?" Hawkins questioned.

Ulysses nodded. "Y-Yeah. I-I really like sitting down and assembling puzzles. I-I-I also like to knit sometimes. My granny taught me how to. I-I-I also…really like sweets…" He rubbed his hands together nervously. "I…I'm not really a tough guy…"

"But Peregrine said you could fight well," Hawkins brought up.

"Y-Yeah, well…with my Braviary side, I'm naturally tougher than I look. All I did was accidentally break the dummies when I wasn't looking. I-I-I just know how to defend myself…"

Asadi held her hips. "Oh buddy…no one's asking you to fight, but…you kind of need to when time's call for it."

"I know, I know! I just don't want trouble coming to me!" He covered himself. "I don't like it when the Pokémon throw stuff at me…it makes me insecure…"

"Aww…" Asadi held her arms out. "Does someone need a hug from their buddy?"

Ulysses sniffled, then scooped Asadi up in his wings and hugged her. "I'm sorry…" he whispered.

Asadi's body partially sank into his gelatinous layer as she tried to hug him back. She couldn't exactly reach his main body, but close enough. She chuckled. "It's fine!"

Hawkins rolled his eyes and looked away. Normally, he would have given Ulysses a hard time for acting so weak. However, with his newfound 'friendship' with Dakota, he's been trying to keep that side of himself under wraps. In a way, he just wants Ulysses to…be more confident about himself, even though Hawkins doesn't want to admit that. He had an image to uphold.

He glanced off to the barricades where the police were standing, then raised his brow when he saw a large group of Pokémon walking towards said barricades. Two things immediately stuck out: the loud chanting with obvious tones of anger strung in and the picket signs with unflattering, hateful messages directed at them.

The Roserade Fusion crossed his arms and glared. "Guys…it seems we have company."

Ulysses and Asadi, who pulled away from the cellular avian, looked towards the barricades and saw the rioting Pokémon. Ulysses quickly shivered and hid behind Asadi as best as he could. "W-Who are those people?"

Asadi held her hips and pouted. "Apparently our 'adoring fans.'"

"Seems our arrival got leaked from the police station around here," Hawkins guessed. "Social media spreads like a plague."

Ulysses gulped. "C-C-Can we go hide in the j-j-jet?" he asked timidly.

Hawkins pulled out Leaf Blade and prepared to walk over. "No, I think we should get rid of these guys."

Asadi immediately wrapped her tail around his waist and halted him. "Oh no, you don't! We're not heading back to Kanto with our faces plastered over the web beating the crap out of protesters!"

"I'm not going to 'beat the crap out of them,' as you so tactlessly put it." He rested the Leaf Blade over his shoulder. "I'm just going to give them a warning and be done with it."

"I-I-I don't think t-t-that'll work," Ulysses admitted. "They look a-angry."

The police remained adamant as the rioting Pokémon tried to climb the barricades. A Ferrothorn officer firmly pushed a Tyranitar back. "You are prohibited from crossing over these barricades!"

Tyranitar pointed towards the Fusions with an irritated expression. "Why don't you tell that to the real criminals?! Those Fusions should be locked away before they hurt someone! Good for nothing freaks!"

"A plague on our land! A deformity in the name of Arceus!" a Raticate shouted. "Down with the Fusions! Down with the Fusions!"

The Ferrothorn continued to push them away from the barricades. "We are under direct orders to keep all trespassers off the site. Failure to comply will result in your immediate detainment."

"You call yourselves officers?!" a Granbull cried out. "Giving us shit, but letting those monsters roam free after the horrors their kind have caused?! You should be doing your jobs and eliminating the problem at the source!"

"Down with the Fusions! Down with the Fusions!" the crowd chanted angrily.

It wasn't easy for said Fusions to block out their incessant chanting. Ulysses whimpered shamefully and curled up into a ball on the ground. "T-They're so mean…"

Asadi patted his head. "Aww, don't let them get to you, buddy. They're just words. They can't hurt-WAH!" Someone apparently fired Rock Throw in their direction, nearly nailing her in the head. Thankfully, Hawkins stopped it with a perfectly timed Psychic. Asadi, someone who wasn't quick to anger, stood up and glared softly in the crowd's direction. "Okay, who's the dunderhead who threw that?"

The head officer, the Ferrothorn, called out the attacker, who is a Nosepass. "Violence will not be tolerated on this site!"

He flailed his arms around angrily. "I'm expressing my rights!"

"Attacking bystanders?!"

"No! Defending my people from monsters! Down with the Fusions! Down with the Fusions!"

Soon, the entire crowd was getting riled up, making it harder for the police to keep them behind the line. However, these shenanigans didn't fall on deaf ears by Julian. Despite keeping his attention on the drilling procedure, he didn't like what he was hearing. He took the occasional glance over his shoulder, mildly glaring at the indecency of the Pokémon. He should have figured some jerk would find some way to get this information out to the public. Thankfully, the crowd didn't appear that large. Guess only the more vocal and nutty of the 'Anti-Fusion Society' decided to give their two cents.

Julian continued to observe their rude behavior before adjusting his tie and turning to Brea. "Brea, keep an eye on operations. I have a pressing matter to resolve."

She shrugged indifferently. "Yes, sir." Julian spun on his heel and calmly walked towards the wild crowd.

The police desperately tried to keep the rowdy crowd back, but they pushed against the barricades. A Camerupt ejected smoke from her two volcanoes and bared her teeth. "Those Fusions will be ran out of town!"

"Out of our way!" a Sceptile demanded.

"Sir, we…cannot…let you…!" the Ferrothorn tried to reason.

"Now, what seems to be the problem, everyone?" There was a momentary pause of action as everyone directed their attention to the business Machamp himself. He adjusted his tie once more, then carried on with his charismatic demeanor. "If you don't mind, I prefer if you all cease your unruly behavior. You're disturbing my workers and bodyguards."

This shocked and angered the crowd. "Those Fusions are your bodyguards?!" the Camerupt shouted.

Julian was unfazed and answered with a jovial smile. "Why yes, yes they are. Very hard workers from what I've been told."

The Sceptile snorted angrily. "Huh, so you're the Fusion loving crackpot in Kanto! Julius Coatman!"

Julian rightfully deadpanned at the butchering of his name. "It's…It's Julian Roteman."

"You're that idiot who has been letting Fusions get away with murder and live it up in some fancy village at their own leisure!" This got the crowd riled up once again. "You got something to say about that, you moronic shithead?!"

Julian narrowed his eyes, but didn't falter from his calm attitude. "You're quite the crass individual. I'll have you know the supposed 'murders' you speak of were accidents due to circumstance, otherwise referring to self-defense." He gesticulated further on, "And it is worth mentioning these violent attacks done against our kind were the result of torture/attempted murder by our hands. Mostly against small Fusion children." He rubbed his fingers together. "You aren't, by chance, condoning the act of murder on a child, are you?"

The Sceptile jabbed the Machamp's chest firmly. Gritting his teeth, he stated, "Those _children_ are vicious monsters who act like they are the superior species. They think they can get away with what they want whenever they want."

Julian gently batted his hand away. "And I completely agree. Actions like that shouldn't be tolerated…" He folded his arms behind his back and glared. "For _both_ species."

Sceptile growled. "You're too forgiving to let them run free…"

The police reached for their weapons, but the Machamp raised his hand, ordering them to stand down. Julian placed his hand against his chest. "My company ensures the safety of Pokémon and Fusions. We keep their destructive habits under control while also giving them the opportunity to integrate into society." He glared. "I want Fusions to live safely in the world and start new lives. I don't care how many of you call me a treacherous idiot for helping Fusions. I will see to it Fusions can live alongside Pokémon without fear of prejudice."

Sceptile lifted his Leaf Blade to Julian to intimidate him. "You're chasing a false dream! Fusions will always be the freaks that terrorized us for centuries!"

Julian raised his brow, giving his best poker face in the face of threats. "Speaking of terrorizing…"

"Oh, trying to pin the blame on me now?!"

Julian lifted his hand and firmly grabbed the Leaf Blade, pushing it away from his face. "If this is how you act when you don't get your way, I can only imagine the little nightmare your parents had to endure."

"Trying to be funny, old man?!"

Julian closed his eyes, then took a step forward. "Let me tell you something, sonny. I hired those Fusions to protect me from any rogue Fusions running around. Plain and simple. But, here's the thing about me…I don't need protecting from punks like you."

Sceptile shoved Leaf Blade against the Machamp's throat. "You trying to threaten me?! I know my rig-OOMPH!" His ranting came to a sudden stop when Julian slammed his fist into the gecko's gut, knocking the wind out of him. The crowd, police, and Fusions gasped at his bold action.

Sceptile doubled over, but Julian kept him from falling. He patted the wheezing gecko's back, keeping him composed as he regained his air. "For the record, that protection is to make sure rowdy individuals like _you_ don't get hurt. They're not here to protect me from you. It's the other way around." He suddenly gripped the Sceptile by the throat and lifted him up, giving him a stone-cold glare. "Looks like I still have some fight in the old bones."

His unexpected actions left the Fusions stunned, even to make Ulysses stop cowering for a moment. Asadi smirked. "Damn…Roteman's got guts."

Hawkins held his chin with narrowed eyes. "I would never have suspected a compose man of his status to take such direct measures. I underestimated his effectiveness for negotiation."

Ulysses stared in awe, rather touched by the lengths Julian went to defend them. "Wow…"

Julian glared at Sceptile for about a minute before throwing him back over the barricade. He cracked his knuckles and pointed at the crowd. "Listen well, you miscreants! As president of Profectus Inc., I hold a lot of power in the protection for and against Fusions! Don't think for a second I won't turn my sights on you! Any further unruliness and…" He pointed at the officers, who held up their stun batons and handcuffs. "Well, you get the picture.

"Let it be known that I have no intention of tolerating your crap. No matter what, I'll seek to correct the dark past caused by the Fusions as well as mend the rift that has torn us apart. If anyone has any further complaints…" He cracked his knuckles and glowered. "Please, step over the barricade."

The crowd went stunned with silence, hesitant to challenge the might of the affluential businessman. With the pressure of his cold eyes and the police on guard, the Pokémon had no choice but to back off, if only reluctantly.

Julian stared at them harshly, then resumed his normal demeanor and nodded in satisfaction. "There. That wasn't too hard, was it?" He turned around and waved the crowd off. "Continue on with your day. Tell any friends that plan on stopping by to check themselves before throwing ad hominem attacks my way."

The Machamp resumed looking over the drilling site, while the Fusions continued to stare in amazement. Hawkins held his hips. "I have to admit, despite his actions against us, he is adamant about his beliefs."

Asadi nodded slowly. "Yeah…no kidding."

* * *

Some time passed after Julian defused the tension with the protesters. He watched as the laser burned through the rock. After forty minutes of time passing, they were able to dig out a large hole. They will soon reach their prize.

As Julian tapped his foot, he felt a few presences come up behind him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the Fusions. "Oh. Do you need anything, you three?"

Asadi shook her head. "Nah! We just wanted to say what you did earlier was awesome!" she exclaimed. "You gave those jerks a real fright when you stepped in!"

Julian's eyes widened, briefly shocked, then he laughed it off. "Oh! Well, I wouldn't want any more discourse occurring down the line. I try to be a man of peace, after all."

Hawkins held his hips. "While I don't disapprove of the actions, I'm surprise you took such a direct method to cease their hostility."

Julian turned away and sighed. "Believe me, I'm not particularly proud about resorting to violence, but it had to be done to teach them a lesson." He winked with cocky smirk. "Plus, that one fellow was threatening me, so I had to exercise my own rights."

Asadi covered her mouth and laughed. "Nice!"

Ulysses tapped his wings and hands together nervously. "Y-You're really strong, Mr. Roteman. And brave."

Julian laughed and pounded his chest proudly. "I'd be a disappointment to the Machamp if I couldn't put up a fight!" He rubbed his head sheepishly. "Still have it in me, I suppose."

"Were you a fighter in your younger years?" Hawkins asked with his arms crossed.

"Eh, sort of." He held his hips and laughed. "I've taken on bigger and fiercer opponents in my day! Once subdued a Tauros who tried to ram me! Grabbed him by the horns and threw him into my neighborhood's trash cans!"

"Sweet!" Asadi exclaimed.

"Yes, well…I had to learn to fend for myself. It was…pretty necessary given where I lived in my childhood…" Practically by instinct, his hand went up to his chest and pressed against it. He sighed quietly to himself, then switched his mood back to his usual chipper attitude. "Anyway, we should be breaking ground soon. We're not sure what we're getting ourselves into, but the schematics indicated something big. Possibly an underground cave."

Hawkins held his chin. "An underground cave that no one's ever discovered?"

"Like we said, it's a possibility. The structure we're looking for is likely manmade, so it could be an unnaturally formed cave. One made to keep curious businessmen like me off the scent." He rubbed his hands together and grinned. "Even so, I'm looking forward to unveiling this mystery."

"And our jobs are to follow you in case danger arises?" Asadi guessed.

"Exactly." He held his chin and glared. "Crafty forces are afoot. With no idea what we're walking ourselves into, chance of peril is higher." He snapped his fingers, signaling Brea to fly over and hand him four hardhats with built in flashlights. "Each of you take one."

Ulysses took one of the hardhats in his wings, then whimpered quietly. "Q-Question? D-D-Do I have to come down there, too?"

Julian placed his on. "Well, of course. That's why you were assigned to come with me."

Ulysses shivered nervously. "B-B-But what if something b-b-bad happens? W-W-What if we're a-ambushed by cave lurkers or…or evil robots?!"

Hawkins gave him a deadpan glare. "I find it very unlikely for robots to be dwelling that far underground, especially somewhere that's been buried for _three hundred years._ "

Ulysses whimpered quietly. "I-I still don't like it…"

Julian sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Well, regardless, you're coming with us. Young man, you have nothing to be afraid of. This will be a quick expedition inside, then we'll be out. Simple as that."

Ulysses looked at Asadi and Hawkins for support. Hawkins just shrugged, but Asadi gave the cellular avian an encouraging smile. Ulysses smiled back, then exhaled his worries and placed his hardhat on. "O-Okay…I'll do it."

Julian smiled and patted his wing. "Atta boy, Ulysses."

"Yo, boss!" They turned and saw the Beedrill waving them over. "You need to see this! We struck something!"

Julian narrowed one eye. "What is it?"

"Something big. You have to see for yourself, you won't believe it."

As ordered, Julian and the Fusions hustled over to check the hole. Their eyes widened in disbelief as they gazed down on the metal bunker at the bottom. It was covered, practically coated, with sandy material. The bunker appeared to be weathered from the ground, like due to ground shifting over the years, yet still managed to remain in stable condition. Green paint was flaked off from the side, revealing the dusty metal plating. They could see the worn-out door as well.

Julian gaped with amazement. "In…Incredible…" He stood to full height, holding his head as he registered this amazing discovery. "I…I can't believe it! A secret underground bunker!"

Beedrill nodded. "Yes. And, from the looks of it, the exterior seemed to be lined with material to cancel out any detection equipment that got close. It went practically invisible from all conventional means of scanning."

Julian rubbed his chin and studied the bunker meticulously. "But in order to construct this building without being detected must have costed a fortune. Our mystery man was a wealthy Pokémon, from the looks of it." He scratched his chin. "All the more reason to investigate immediately." He signaled the Fusions before sliding down the pit.

Brea floated up to the edge. "Sir, are you sure this is a good idea? If it's as protected as you say, it could be rigged to explode for intruders."

Julian landed at the bottom of the pit, then waved her concerns off. "My dear, I have full confidence that everything will go without a hitch."

Brea rolled her eyes, then psychically lifted a two-way radio. "In any case, here." She flung it down to him, which he caught. "At least keep in constant contact just so we don't lose you in a landslide or…whatever."

He pocketed the radio and nodded. "Fair enough." He waved the Fusions down again. "Come along, you three. We're burning daylight."

Hawkins and Asadi surfed down the side of the pit while Ulysses gently floated to the bottom. When they reached Julian, he led them to the bunker door. He reached for the handle and pulled, but was met with a strained groan. He glared and pulled on the handle once more. Again, it didn't budge.

"Dammit," he muttered irritably. "It must be locked from the inside."

Asadi raised her brow. "How do you lock a door like this on the outside? I don't see a key hole or anything." She held her cheek. "Maybe someone died in here."

Ulysses' fears resurfaced. "P-P-Please don't say that…"

Hawkins cracked his neck and pushed them aside. "Stand back. I'll cut it open." He summoned a Leaf Blade.

Ulysses stared at Hawkins for a moment, then hesitantly raised his wing. "A-Actually…c-can I take a crack at it?" They were surprised by his request, which made him second guess himself. "U-U-Unless that's a problem! I-I don't want to be a bother!"

Julian held his hands up and shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that, young man." He stepped aside and gestured to the door. "Please, help yourself."

"O-Okay…" He walked forward, then took a deep breath. He gently lifted his talons and slipped their gelatinous claws around the door. All he wanted to do was see if it was really locked and not rusted shut. If so, then he'll gladly let Hawkins continue with his plan. Just a gentle tug and…

…Ulysses ripped the door off its hinges.

Julian, Asadi, and Hawkins' eyes widened at the effortlessness it took for him to take the door off. Apparently this shocked him, too, because he immediately dropped the door and flailed his arms. "Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!" he apologized. "I-I-I didn't mean to rip it off, I swear! I'm really, really sorry!"

Julian scratched his head, slightly bewildered, but shook it off. "No Ulysses…that was great!" he praised. "Alright, let's head in." He took the lead.

Asadi patted Ulysses' back before following. "Nice work, Uly!" Hawkins gave a slight nod, following behind. Ulysses tapped his wingtips together nervously, then followed after them before he lagged behind.

* * *

Once Julian and the Fusions entered the bunker, the workers and Brea stayed topside and continued to monitor over things. Beedrill couldn't help but bring up the bunker to the secretary. "Hard to believe something like that has been buried for three hundred years, am I right?"

Brea glanced at him with her usual stoicism, then looked away. "Uh huh…"

Beedrill awkwardly floated by her side. Small talk obviously wasn't happening. He sighed and resumed checking the papers. "But why build a bunker this far out in the desert? What's so important that needs to be hidden?"

"Why, what an excellent question!" Beedrill whipped his head around, then got sucker punched across the face. Brea, the workers, and the police turned themselves around and saw a Toxicroak-Honchkrow Fusion standing over the twitching Beedrill. Eli tipped his hat-shaped crest and smirked coolly. "Hehehe…"

Brea glared and floated back. "Who are you?!" She pulled out her radio, but it was blasted out of her hands by Venoshock.

Eli blew on his claw, then spun himself around the laser drill and flipping onto the mechanical beam. He spread his arms out and shouted, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" He snapped his fingers, ordering Braith and Gordon to walk out from behind the drill. "We are today's entertainment!"

Brea quickly pieced the situation together and growled. "Rogues…"

Eli sat down on the beam and held his chin with an amused smirk. "Very good, Ms. Lackner. Perceptive as foretold."

"What are you doing here?!" she shouted as the police surrounded the drill and took out their weapons.

Eli laughed and stood up. "I told you. We're the entertainment! All we want is for you to enjoy our stunning performance!" He snickered evilly and crossed his claws. Braith giggled manically while Gordon sparked with electricity. "Emphasis on 'stunning.' HAHAHAHAHA!"

The police didn't wait for him to make the first move and fired attacks their way. The three Rogues evaded them and lunged at the surrounding forces, readying their counterattack.

* * *

The team walked down a long hallway made out of weathered metal. The shifting of the ground had caused the hall to dent and wither over time. It was well built to withstand the elements of the desert for so long. The floor, however, was dusty. Thick sheets of dust that parted with their steps.

Hawkins looked around the hallway with narrowed eyes. "What a mess. I can't imagine anyone wanting to work down here."

"Even so, it's incredible," Julian stated. He gestured to the walls. "To withstand the pressure and shifting of the very earth for so long with minimal damage requires high grade material. Something that couldn't be easily acquired a few centuries back. We're looking at a skilled builder here."

Hawkins rolled his eyes, then glared ahead. "Someone with the right number of resources to get the job done? Who would have access to that kind of wealth?"

"It was hard to come by, that much is certain." Julian tapped his chin. "However, I'm not familiar with any wealthy individuals in history who took to working out in the desert."

Asadi snickered. "They certainly picked the worst location to do it. Seriously, the desert? I can think of more suitable locations to have this place made in."

Ulysses stayed close behind Hawkins, hugging himself. "B-But…why?"

Julian raised his finger. "Well, given the documents we have access to, it's a safe guess we're dealing with a scientist. It would explain the mass profits needs to build this." He held his chin. "Still, that doesn't narrow the list…and we don't have a clear motive or why these finals only now turned up."

Asadi narrowed her eyes as they reached the end of the hallway. "Well, I think we might have something to shed some light."

They came across another door. Ulysses, after asking politely, tore the door down with a loud clang against the floor. They poked their heads inside and shined the lights of their hardhats. Their eyes widened in shock upon discovering the new room.

They were inside a laboratory, a large one. Counters with equipment laying on top of them, all covered in dust from the years. Papers were scattered across the counters, too, looking like documents of some kind. Though, the papers were handwritten, likely due to lack of printing capability. Outdated electronics with unknown purposes sat in the corner. There were a couple of devices spread out around the lab, again with no known purpose.

The lab itself resembled the hallway's current state. It was weathered down from being underground and had large cracks stretched across the ceiling. Metal support beams were in the ceiling, though they looked worn, too. There was a second pathway on the opposite side of the lab.

While the Fusions stared in awe, Julian broke out in joy as he ran across the lab. "I can't believe it! It's a secret laboratory!" He laughed and spun on his heel. "Oh my Arceus, this is marvelous! I could have never expected this!"

Hawkins fully stepped into the lab, follow by the other two, still processing his new surroundings. "I…can't believe this."

"A secret underground lab in the desert…" Asadi muttered. She smirked to herself. "Ha, beat the conspiracy theorists to the punch!"

Ulysses carefully stepped around the lab, still fear of the partially ruined room. "T-This place looks like it hasn't been accessed in centuries…"

"That's the idea," Julian said as he checked through the papers on the counter. He glared. He couldn't make out the handwriting on most of the papers. Plus, some of them had that secret code he hasn't memorized. Though, from what he could make out from a normal looking sheet, these papers seem to involve acquiring parts from various locations. With the changed times, it'd be near impossible to track these places down.

Asadi walked over to a counter and searched through the papers as well. "I can't make heads or tails of these garbled mess."

Julian scratched his cheek. "There has to be some form of identification in here." His eyes searched around before stumbling upon a filing cabinet. He smiled. "Ah, there we go." He walked over to the cabinet and opened one of the drawers. He picked through the files and searched for anything with a name on it.

While he searched, Hawkins walked over to a work station. The surface was scorched and distorted. Fray wires hung from the side, as if they exploded against something they were attached to. "What do suppose our mystery guy was working on down here?"

"Hard to say," Julian admitted as he pulled files out and skimmed for names. "The eighteenth century was still getting through the cusps of technology. Small little inventions here and there. New discoveries of Pokémon that shaped the advancement of our society. A lot went down. I believe it was around the time electricity was being fully harnessed for citywide usage."

Hawkins slid his hand across the surface of the work station. He kneeled down and checked under the station. His brow raised at a strange machine with vials loaded into a carousel around the body. "What is this thing?"

Asadi walked over and took a peek. She tilted her head and drooped her ears. "Uh…I want to say a centrifuge, but…I've never seen one like this."

Hawkins pulled a vial out and looked it over. Despite the dust, he could make out the red stains at the bottom of the glass. He is willing to guess this wasn't once holding a chemical, but another red liquid. He grunted, then looked at the machine again. The wires hanging outside the station were connected to the strange machine.

"Were experiments being done down here?" he asked aloud.

That question frightened Ulysses. "W-W-What do you mean by e-e-experiments?"

Hawkins stood and dusted his legs off. "I'm not insinuating anything like that. This doesn't look like the kind of place to perform experiments of living creatures." He waved the vial around. "But if this is really blood, maybe they were working with it for something. Could be anything, though. Treatment for a blood related disease or something revolving around DNA."

Asadi scratched her head, having a hard time wrapping her head around his claims. "Uh…yes, I totally agree with you!" She smiled awkwardly.

Ulysses aimlessly swept his wing across the counter, then came across a device laying on top. Curious, he picked it up and taps it a couple times. He screeched in alarm when it exploded, causing him to stumble back into the counter behind him.

Julian immediately snapped his focus on him. "Ulysses, are you alright?!"

Ulysses shivered nervously. "Y-Yeah…s-sorry, I didn't mean to break it!"

Julian sighed and pinched between his eyes. "It's…It's fine. Just be careful." He looked back at the files, then grinned. "Ah, here's something in this drawer." He pulled the whole drawer out and set it on the counter.

Ulysses turned away and rubbed his forehead, embarrassed that he screwed up like that. He needed to stay still and not do anything else. However, he found himself drawn to another device laying on the table in front of him.

A disc shaped object with a red dot in the center. He picked it up and looked it over, while cautious about it exploding on him like the other device. He held it closer so he could get a better look.

"Everyone, I found something!" Julian's voice announced. Ulysses tossed the disc up in a panic, but caught it in his wings with a heavy sigh of relief. He placed the disc inside his gelatinous form, then held it with his own hands to avoid dropping it. He and the others walked over to Julian.

"Whatcha' got, Roteman?" Asadi asked, leaning on the counter with her elbows.

Julian held a document up. "I finally found some documents that have the scientists' names."

"Scientists? As in…plural?" Hawkins asked for clarification.

"Yes, that's right." He looked the form over. "The name that appears the most is…Data."

"Data?" the Fusions questioned in unison.

Asadi held her hips and raised her brow. "Who the heck names their kid 'Data?'"

"We have a villager named Codex," Hawkins reminded.

Asadi opened her mouth to retort, then closed it with an agreeing nod. "Fair point."

Julian shook his head. "Well, from the looks of it, it's a pseudonym. The other scientist is named Mason Rollins." He narrowed his eyes. "I might be familiar with Rollins, but Data's a new one for me." He paced around. "And, unfortunately, they're all coded, so I don't have a grasp on what they were doing down here."

Hawkins shrugged. "So, what do we do?"

Julian stuffed the file back in the drawer and picked it up. "According to the dates on this drawer, these were the last files they worked on. I'll take them back and have them deciphered, then we'll finally get to the bottom of this mystery."

Asadi pumped her fists and cheered. "Woohoo! Neat!"

Julian glanced down the other pathway. "Let's get these back topside, then we'll search through the rest after a quick bite." He heard a muffled buzzing coming from his pocket. "What the…?" He pulled out his radio and held it up to his head. "Hello? Brea?"

" _Zzt-_ Get out of _-Zzt-_ coming to get _-zzt!"_

Julian shook the radio and tapped the back a couple times. "Hello? Brea?! What's wrong?! I can't hear you!"

"Oh, I think she's trying to warm you about us."

Julian and the Fusions froze in shock, then turned around. Eli entered the lab with Braith and Gordon walking out from behind. The dark poisoner spread his arms out and laughed.

"My, oh my, a laboratory! How exquisite! Truly the best treasure for any madman to uncover! Certainly glorious!"

Braith, however, was bummed out. "Aww man! I wanted my treasure, not boring science stuff!" Her head drooped forward as she mumbled, "Sad, sad, sad…"

Julian immediately tucked the drawer under his arm and raised his fists. "Who are you three?! This is a restricted area!" Hawkins pulled out Leaf Blade and Asadi's cheeks sparked in anticipation. Ulysses worriedly tapped his wings together.

Eli held his hand against his chest, feigning a hurt expression. "Oh! I'm offended! I would've thought the great Gappei Village would have heard about me!" He held his forehead and sighed dramatically. "Oh, what a cruel world! To think York couldn't spare a moment to mention me to you…even after poisoning his two friends awhile back." He smirked deviously, seeing he got their attention.

Asadi gasped. "Wait! That was you?!"

Hawkins clutched Leaf Blade and growled. "They're Rogues…"

"Ding, ding, ding!" Braith exclaimed. "Give the man a cookie! We have a winner!"

Julian raised his fist to them. "How did you get here?!"

Eli scratched his cheek and snickered. "My own secret to keep to myself."

Julian glared. _They must have snuck on one of the planes. To elude my workers without revealing their presence…_

Eli stepped forward and held his hand out. "You need to invest in better security, Roteman. Do you know how long I've been spying on you? I'm just as curious about this secret lab as you are. Now that I'm here, I want my cut of the findings." He grinned evilly. "Like say…all of it."

Julian covered the drawer defensively. "I'd sooner rip one of my arm off than hand these documents to you!"

Eli scratched his chin and chuckled ominously. "Was that a request?"

Hawkins glared and dashed at him with dual Leaf Blades. "If you wish to fight, I'll be your opponent!"

"Hawkins, don't!" Asadi shouted.

"I can take them!"

Eli grinned and snapped his fingers. "Oh Gordon~!"

Suddenly, the zebra's eyes sharpened into a glared. His stripes lit up with electricity and his mandibles extended out across his muzzle. He reared up and let out a powerful neigh. "I've been waiting for a fight!" Electricity sparked around his body. "Discharge!" He slammed his hooves down and fired off electricity towards Hawkins.

His eyes widened, then he blocked with both Leaf Blades. The Discharge pushed against his blades and pushed him back. Eli and Braith weaved through the unstable electricity and lunged straight for Julian.

Braith pulled ahead of her boss and grabbed hold of Julian's head. "Please give me the pretty papers-" she ordered sweetly before crooking her head with a sinister smile. **"-before I break your skull!"**

Julian used his upper hands to try and pulled her off without exposing the drawer. "Get off me, you crazy child!"

Asadi flickered around the lab with Feint Attack before grabbing Braith with her tail and slamming her down. Braith's color turned black after taking the Feint Attack. "Ha! Got you!"

Braith flailed her arms angrily. "No fair! Cheat, cheat, cheat!"

Hawkins pressed forward against the Discharge, not letting up an inch. _This guy has serious power behind him!_

Gordon ceased using Discharge and neighed wildly. "I got plenty more where that came from!" He stomped his hooves, then aimed his muzzles. Electricity surged between his mandibles and built up at the end. "Charge Beam!" He fired a straight electrical beam.

Hawkins spun his Leaf Blade and slashed down the middle, clenched his teeth as the powerful attack rushed past him and nailed the wall. The lab shook for a moment.

Eli calmly walked towards Julian as he recovered from his shock, then stopped as Ulysses blocked his path. "Oh? Are you trying to stop me?"

Ulysses's gelatinous legs trembled in fear, but he swallowed his nerves and raised his wings. "I-I-In the name of Gappei V-Village, I'm here to s-s-stop you!"

Eli raised his brow, then laughed. "Right…sure you are." He raised his claw, which glowed purple and extended out. He pointed it at Ulysses. "I can see the cowardice in your eyes. By all means, do your worst."

Ulysses wanted to run and hide, but he couldn't abandon his friends. He clenched his teeth, then raised his balled-up talons. "Power-Up Punch!" His talons glowed in a golden aura, then he punched forward.

Eli dodged to the side, mildly impressed with the power behind it. "Heh…Night Slash." He slashed up Ulysses, causing the cellular avian to stumble back and tremble painfully. Eli raised a second Night Slash when he noticed Julian bolting for the exit. "One of you, catch him!"

Braith glared up at Asadi and smirked. "Bye, bye, bye!" She grabbed her by the nape, flipped back, and threw her off. Asadi slammed into the wall. Braith laughed and went after Julian.

Asadi picked herself up and formed crystal shards with her cold breath. "Ice Shard!" The shards quickly fired across the lab and struck Braith in the back. She faceplanted with the floor while her color turned icy blue.

Gordon turned away from Hawkins and stomped the ground passionately. He neighed and fired a Charge Beam right at Julian. Julian ducked as the beam flew over and struck the wall. Like last time, the lab shook, only much more unstably.

Hawkins stumbled around, then glared at Eli. "If we keep fighting down here, the whole place will topple over us!"

Eli gave a nonchalant shrug. "Oops."

Ulysses looked at the ceiling and gasped as the ceiling started to tear apart. "The bunker can't take any of the stress!"

The ceiling tore out and sand poured down into the lab. Without even thinking, Ulysses conjured up a strong Tailwind that blew everyone away from the impact zone. He covered himself as the sand buried half the lab.

Everyone groaned and pushed themselves up. Julian leaned against the wall and checked the files to make sure they were unharmed. He sighed, then looked at his comrades. "Are you all okay?"

Hawkins rubbed his head. "For the most part."

Asadi, however, looked at the sand worriedly. "Uly! Are you okay?!"

Ulysses was on the other side of the sand, trying to dig his way through. However, it kept piling up the more he dug. "Y-Yeah! I'm fine! But I can't get through!"

Julian clenched his teeth. _Shit. We need to get some equipment to clear the sand._ He glared at the Rogues, who composed themselves from the crash. _These three will surely be a nuisance._ "Ulysses, listen! Go further into the bunker and try to find a secondary exit! Or anything that can get you out!"

Ulysses gulped nervously. "B-But, what about-?"

Hawkins crossed his Leaf Blades. "Don't go crying for us! Get yourself somewhere safe! We can take these three!"

Asadi nodded. "We'll be fine, Uly! Just worry about finding a way out!"

Ulysses didn't like leaving them to fight alone, but there was nothing he could do. Using Psychic on this much sand would put a big strain on him since he hasn't practiced on masses this large. He shivered worriedly, then shouted, "Please be safe! I'll join up shortly, I promise!" He turned around and flew down the other hallway.

Hawkins and Asadi smiled, then glared at Eli as he clapped. "Hehe…such a kind friend you all have there. For your sake, he comes back soon." He took a stance with his claws aimed right at them. "It's three on two."

Hawkins glared, then glanced at Julian. "Get to topside and check on the workers. They might have ran into these three before us."

Julian wasn't about to argue. He nodded sharply and turned around. "Be careful, you two!" He ran out of the lab. "And don't do anything foolish!"

Eli grinned sinisterly. "I can't make that promise. Rogues, show them what you've got!" They dashed forward, readying their attacks.

Hawkins and Asadi nodded at each other and dashed forward as well. Leaf Blades and Electro Ball meeting with Night Slash, Double Hit, and Flame Charge. They slammed their attacks against each other, erupting in a bright flash.


	27. Raid and Fight

Alone and in the dark, Ulysses trekked through the new section of the hidden bunker. He carefully walked down the long, metal hallway with a sense of dread hanging over him. Despite the provided hardhat light illuminating his way, he was terrified about continuing any farther. He felt ashamed for how cowardly he was, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't used to this much excitement. He preferred the quiet, simple life over high stakes action.

It only added to his anxiousness and shame that he wasn't back there helping Hawkins and Asadi fight off the Rogues. Sure, he was too scared to do anything, but he could have done _something._ He didn't like fighting, but he didn't like being a coward either. He wasn't an overly anxious Fusion scared of his own shadow, but he lacked the confidence to really stand out on his own.

Guess that's why he liked hanging out with Tamara and Juniper so much. They made him feel good about himself. Tamara was always trying to get the Reuniclus-Braviary to open up and freely express himself without fear. Juniper was like a big sister to him, too. She was patient, caring, and easy going. He never felt afraid to express himself to her.

As much as he hated admitting it, he had to stop acting scared for one moment and be confident in himself, for the sake of his friends.

He stopped walking for a moment and got a grasp on his surroundings. So far, it seemed to be a long, intricate hallway that went down different paths. That was bad news for him. Multiple hallways meant decreasing chances of finding his way out, if there even is a secondary exit to use. Either that, or strain himself using Psychic to lift up the tons of sand that blocked him from his only known escape. Plus, given how long it took a specially made laser to carve this much ground, he didn't like his odds of digging his own path out.

Ulysses crossed his arms and thought for a moment. _Okay Ulysses, use some common sense for a moment. We're deep underground in a massive bunker likely made by scientists. By that logic, it's likely to assume they'd have an alternate exit to work with. And, since this place had to be hidden, it could be an emergency exit._

He narrowed his eyes. Even by that logic, he still had to search who knows how many rooms and hallways before coming across an emergency exit. He sighed sadly and plopped himself onto the ground. He waved the dust in the air away and crossed his wings.

"Maybe there's three-hundred-year-old food for me to snack on…" he mumbled to himself. He glanced down at the floor, aimlessly looking for anything significant, when his eyes landed on a peculiar marking in the wall. He crouched down and took a closer look.

Near the bottom of the floor appeared to be a glass sensor, used primarily for laser alarm grids.

Ulysses narrowed his eyes curiously and tapped on the glass sensor. "I didn't even know they had security systems back then…" He kept tapping on the sensor, not worried about it coming online since the bunkers inactive.

However, the intensity of the faraway battle caused a massive vibration to cross over the bunker. The hallway shook unstably, causing Ulysses to fall on his stomach. "Earthquake!" he screamed before covering his head.

In the midst of that explosion, something triggered the inner components of the sensor to flicker on for just a moment. Just briefly enough to detect the large Fusion sitting in front of it before sending a signal throughout the hallway.

Ulysses' eyes widened as the lights in the hallway flickered on faintly. "Wha…?" He scrambled to his feet. "Did the power come back on?" He narrowed his eyes. _That Zebstrika Fusion could have overloaded the power grid and created a jumpstart._ However, there was no time to think as the Reuniclus-Braviary heard the creaking sound of mechanical doors sliding open.

He fearfully looked over his shoulder and saw the walls splitting open into sections, like mini compartments. He heard an eerie squeaking and creaking sound exiting from inside each compartment. Ulysses took many steps back as his heart raced with uncertainty.

Stepping out from the walls were golden brown, thin robots. Their limbs and body creaked with every movements they made. Dust was coated around their exterior, along with patches of rust. The optic sensors were green and shaped like wide goggle lenses. They smoked slightly, as if they were incomplete. It almost looked like something out of a steampunk movie.

The way they moved was daunting for the Reuniclus Fusion, who shivered inside his gelatinous layer. He completely froze when the robots turned their attention onto him, locking onto their target.

 _Oh my Arceus…I just walked into a horror movie._

The robots twitched unnaturally, getting their gears in order, before walking towards Ulysses with gradual increases in their strides. Very soon, Ulysses found himself being chased after by creepy, outdated robots. Ulysses nearly jumped out of his gelatinous layer before flying away, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"HELP MMMEEEEEEEEE!"

* * *

Hawkins crossed his Leaf Blades and pushed against Eli's Night Slash. The Roserade Fusion dug his foot into the ground and kept himself anchored. Eli smirked calmly while Hawkins glared back with total focus.

"My, my, you're handy with a blade," Eli complimented before pulling back and going on the offensive, bashing his Night Slashes against the grass weapons.

Hawkins kept his composure and stance in line, pressing back against the dark claws. "You'll find my skill to be far superior to your mundane approach," he taunted casually before ducking under a Night Slash and kicked Eli in the stomach.

Eli spread his wings out to slow his momentum. He moved his shoulders around and relaxed them, then resumed smirking casually. "I assume there's more to your arsenal than just a handful of useless blades?"

Hawkins glared and crossed his blades. "Psychic!" He slashed forward and sent out a wave of psychic energy crashing into Eli. However, Eli easily walked through the energy with an air of ease. Hawkins cursed under his breath. _That confirms he's a Dark-Type. He's not relying on proper form like a normal Fighting-Type would. That concludes he's a Dark/Flying/Poison-Type._ He clenched his teeth. _That makes all my offensive attacks ineffective and or useless. In that case…_

Hawkins crossed Leaf Blade and kicked off the ground. "I'll just have to outpace you!" He flickered out of sight.

Eli's eyes quickly analyzed the area, then he turned on his heel and blocked a Leaf Blade. The dark poisoner smirked. "Speedy and powerful." He pulled his Night Slash back. "But are you durable?" He thrusted the blade forward.

"Reflect!" Hawkins shouted. A bluish green forcefield wrapped around himself, halving the damage of the Night Slash. Hawkins jumped back, then sped off around Eli. He circled him speedily before going in front the side with Poison Jab.

Eli flicked his winged cloak up and surprise countered with his own Poison Jab. Purple sparks flew off both attacks before pushing each other back. Eli raised his purple glowing claw and smirked. "Hehehe…it's been some time since I have a proper challenge. Many of my old foes were never satisfying…"

Hawkins only glared in response, then dashed right at him. He spun his Leaf Blades like propellers and slammed them down on Eli's Night Slash. The attacks pressed against each other, allowing both foes to glare into each other's eyes.

However, Hawkins noticed the dark poisoner twitching his finger. The Roserade Fusion barely made out the yellow light reflecting from Eli's eye before spinning around and deflecting a Charge Beam into the ceiling. This minor distraction from Gordon allowed Eli to slash Hawkins across the back.

The Reflect sponged up the damage, allowing Hawkins to roll away. He looked over his shoulder and glared at the dark poisoner. "Have you no sense of honor?"

Eli held his hip and shrugged. "It's an old stereotype, but I _am_ a Dark-Type."

"Tsk…" Hawkins stood up and crossed his Leaf Blades. "Asadi, keep those other two off my back!"

"You're not the only one with problems!" Asadi shouted back as she dodged a furious chase of Double Hits from the chameleon monkey, Braith. Asadi bounced herself over the monkey with her tail, then fired Ice Shard against her back. It didn't harm Braith that much since she was now an Ice-Type.

Braith snickered childishly and stood on her tail. "Hahaha! This is fun! Now it's my turn!" She bounced off her own tail, surrounded in a coat of blue aura. "Acrobatics!" She leapt off the walls and aimed her feet towards the ice mouse's head.

Asadi ducked under it and used her tail to wrap the monkey up. She pinned her down and chuckled. "Well, aren't you a cheeky little monkey? WHOA!" she shouted, barely dodging a Charge Beam. Her eyes widened as Gordon came running at her with Flame Charge. However, Asadi smirked and slammed Braith against the railgun zebra.

"OW!" Braith shouted before her fur turned red. She gripped to the zebra's neck before pounding him on the head. "Hey! Watch where you're aiming, you idiot!"

Gordon scoffed aggressively. "Quit playing around!"

Braith swung herself on top of his head and laughed. "Gordon, baby, I'm all fun and games!" She sprung off and aimed a Double Hit for Asadi.

"Feint Attack!" Using the increased speed, Asadi flickered out of Braith range. She reappeared behind and sparked her cheeks. "Thunderbolt!" She fired the electric bolt straight for the monkey.

Braith, however, smirked confidently as the Thunderbolt inexplicably changed directions and nailed Gordon, who absorbed the electricity through his mandibles.

Asadi glared. _Drats! He has Lightning Rod for an ability!_ She glanced at Braith. _At least her ability is obviously Color Change. I'm more worried about what their Fusion Moves could be._ Asadi kicked off the ground and flicker vanished. "Feint Attack!" She got behind Braith and slapped her with her tail.

Braith, after her fur turned black, landed on her tail in front of a metal table. She laughed mischievously. "That all you got?"

Asadi smirked and formed Ice Shard. "Oh, you are asking for it!" She fired the Ice Shards directly for her.

Braith pressed herself against the table. "Camouflage!" Her entire body matched the table. The Ice Shards exploded against her, taking out the table. However, when the frost cleared, Braith remained standing without taking significant damage. Her fur turned from metallic gray back to icy blue. She smirked and laughed. "Plenty of material to take advantage of here!"

Asadi smirked. _Huh, with her speed and ability to change her type on the dot, she makes for a hard target to keep down._

"Acrobatics!" Braith bounced around the lab and flung herself directly above Asadi. "Double Hit!" Combining with her Acrobatics, she dived down with her rapidly punching tail. Asadi jumped back to avoid. Braith backflipped just as Gordon started charging at them. "Switch!"

Gordon neighed loudly. "Flame Charge!" His body wrapped in flames as he went straight for Asadi.

Asadi brought her hands together and fired off an Ice Beam. It did nothing to stop the Flame Charge, but it weakened the power enough for her to take a direct hit. She flew back and landed on her hands and feet. She shook off the impact, then jumped away from a second Flame Charge, this time faster than the last.

"Ice Shard!" Her cold breath froze part of the air into shards, which she then fired at the railgun zebra's hooves. The impact caused him to buckle under his own weight and crash to the floor. Asadi barely dodged a surprise Acrobatics from Braith. She wrapped her tail around the monkey and pressed her against a nearby counter. "That's enough out of you."

Braith simply laughed it off. "Nope, nope, nope! The fun's over when I say so!" She used Acrobatics again, kicking up into Asadi's chin, then flipped over her. "Double Hit!" She kicked off the floor once she landed and nailed two direct hits against Asadi.

Asadi kept herself up from the staggering blows. _She keeps using the same two moves. Those must be her only offensive attacks._ Asadi spun around and fired Ice Shard, but Asadi leapt over and clung to the metal walls, using Camouflage to turn into a Steel-Type.

Back with Hawkins, he was running around the dark poisoner to gain the element of surprise again. Eli kept track of his movements with a nonchalant stance. He hid behind his wings as Hawkins delivered swift, powerful Leaf Blade strikes from multiple directions.

"Your Leaf Blades are ineffective against an opponent like me!" Eli shouted mockingly. "So far, you haven't shown a single move that'll prove effective against me!" He smirked. "Why don't you cut your losses and just surrender? Or maybe fight an opponent more adequate for a novice like you?"

Hawkins appeared behind Eli and raised both Leaf Blades. "If you can't fight back, they'll put an end to this match soon." Hawkins swung down on Eli's back. Eli jumped away after taking the hit. Hawkins shouted over his shoulder. "Asadi, blast him!"

Eli squinted with curiosity, then saw the Roserade Fusion flip over an Ice Beam heading straight for him. Eli grunted in annoyance, then smirked. _So, you can play nice with others?_ Eli leapt over it, then fired off Venoshock. "Gordon, light them up!" He took cover behind a counter.

"Discharge!" After the railgun zebra stood up, he unleashed a powerful Discharge across the lab. Hawkins took the hit with his Leaf Blades while Asadi endured the attack.

Through the madness, Braith crossed her arms and endured the electrical attack to the best of her ability. She smirked mischievously as her fur turn bright yellow. _Time to have some fun._

Asadi shook off the Discharge, then fired Ice Beam at Gordon. The zebra leapt out of the way, then opened his carapace, revealing his hidden wings. "Bug Buzz!" The wings vibrated and unleashed a grating, damaging noise towards the two.

Hawkins and Asadi jumped out of the way, then Asadi went for another Ice Beam when she noticed Braith running straight for her. "Let's have some fun!" Asadi swung her tail at the monkey, but she jumped over and lightly smacked Asadi across the head. "Skill Swap."

A white aura appeared around the two, before swapping between users. Asadi stumbled forward, then held her head. "Ugh, what was that?"

"Acrobatics!" Two feet kicked her in the back and knocked her into the sandy wall. Braith landed and laughed aloud. "Now we're playing my game!"

Asadi picked herself up and glared at the cheeky monkey. "Oh, you are really asking for a butt…kicking…" Asadi looked at her fur and noticed it went from its usual dark brown color to sky blue. Her eyes widened in shock. "What the…how did this happen?!"

Braith danced around impishly. "Hahaha! You've just been played by my Color Change, sister! I have your Static now!" She winked. "And since you're a Flying-Type…" She took a bow, revealing Gordon right behind her before firing a Charge Beam.

Asadi was too stunned to dodged. She let out a painful scream once the beam struck her. She would have never imagined Electric-Type moves to be this painful. She collapsed to the ground as her fur turned yellow.

Braith landed, then laughed. "Now here's a move you don't see regularly! Synchronoise!" she shouted loudly, projecting a psychic noise blast over Asadi. Since Braith was locked into being an Electric-Type, the Synchronoise reacted against the now pure Electric-Type Asadi, who flinched under the staggering pain of the attack.

Gordon ducked behind some counters to avoid the attack. Once Braith stopped, he leapt over the counter and charged at Asadi, whose fur was now pink. "Flame Charge!" Flames coated around his body.

"Feint Attack!" She used the deceptive move to flicker out of sight.

Hawkins and Eli clashed Leaf Blade and Night Slash relentlessly. Hawkins pushed Eli back, then flipped over him to land a precise kick to the back of his neck. Eli tumbled forward, but rolled to his feet. He rubbed his sword neck in annoyance. "I'm gonna need extra help for this." He smirked and traced his finger down to a random pressure point.

Hawkins rushed at him, crossing both his blades. "What are you planning?"

"Acupressure." Eli pressed down on a point on his shoulder. A surge of energy coursed through his veins and muscles.

Hawkins performed an X-shaped slash across Eli, but the dark poisoner stopped the Leaf Blades in his hands. The attacks didn't do much before, but they REALLY didn't look like they fazed him now. Hawkins glowered. "Don't tell me…"

Eli snickered. "Lucky me. The only attacks you can muster against me and I get the defensive boost." He pulled his leg back and slammed the sole of his foot into Hawkins' gut. The Roserade Fusion slid back, mildly annoyed from the blow. Eli held his hand out and gestured his forward. "Come on, I'm wide open."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then threw his Leaf Blades at him before summoning two more. "Sweetest Nectar." An orange liquid secreted from his hands and coated the Leaf Blades in the color. He rushed for Eli.

Eli dodged the thrown Leaf Blades, then held his palm out. His eyes glowed red before shouting, "Swagger!" A red, pulsing wave fired from his palm, washing over Hawkins immediately.

Hawkins' eyes widened as he felt a new surge of powerful run through him, yet everything felt distorted in an instant. He stopped for a moment and held his head. _D-Damn it, I-I-I can't think straight…_

"What's wrong? Am I too cool to handle?" Eli mocked while holding his hips.

Hawkins glared at him, with his eyes faintly glowing red from the Swagger. "I'll clip your wings, you uncouth street performer!"

"Now that's just uncalled for." Eli stepped out of the way and dodged a thrusting jab from the Leaf Blade. He smirked and hooked his arm around Hawkins'. "Foul Play!" He swiped Hawkins' legs out from under him, then manipulated the Leaf Blade so Hawkins would land directly on top of it. The Roserade Fusion rolled across the floor, his Leaf Blades dispelled soon after. "That Confusion status your under must be making it hard to keep your cool."

Hawkins rose to one knee and rubbed his aching head. He glared over his shoulder, then mumbled Sweetest Nectar before standing up. "I'm…not out yet. Leaf Storm!" He summoned a barrage of leaves, all coated yellow from his Sweetest Nectar, then fired them uncoordinatedly at Eli.

Eli smirked, then leapt over the Leaf Storm. The leaves cut through one of the counters and reduced it to scrap. Eli spread his wings and suspended himself in midair.

Hawkins squinted his dizzied eyes, then glared. "You've got to be kidding me…you can fly?!"

"Part-Honchkrow, sucker!" Eli stuck to the wall and used Acupressure on himself again. This time, he felt a change in his speed. "Ha…and with this boost, I'm going to have fun toying with you." He kicked off the wall and bounced around the room, using his wings to fly around at absurd angles for the Roserade-Meowstic to keep up with.

Hawkins stood up and summoned two Leaf Blades again. He backed up with his guard up. Much to his surprise, he bumped his back into Asadi's. They looked at each other for a moment, then glared at their respective opponents.

"We're in trouble," they both mumbled as the Rogues got ready for their next attack.

* * *

After Julian went topside, he was shocked to discover nearly half his workers and the police were downed. Those who only sustained minor injuries were tending to the wounded Pokémon. Thankfully, the Rogues didn't seem to be out to kill, as no one was found dead. Just enough to knock them out.

Julian ran over to the Beedrill worker and crouched. "What happened?"

Beedrill coughed weakly, then rolled over onto his side. "Only three of them…yet they overpowered us in an instant. It was madness…"

Julian narrowed his eyes, then stood up. He pointed to all the active workers and shouted, "There's a crate of medical supplies in the cargo hold. Get that out, then lock everything down. We're not having the Rogues board us a second time."

"Yes sir!" The active workers ran to the cargo plane.

Julian set the drawer of files down, then spotted Brea laying on the ground. Concern rising, he ran over to her. "Brea! Are you okay?"

She flinched and turned on her side. "Ugh…keep your voice down…" Julian reached out to touch her, then recoiled as her body sparked with purple electricity. "Ugh…I don't feel so good…"

Julian felt her forehead, then checked her over. She didn't look like she was under Poison status, yet it was reminiscent of the status. The Machamp glanced to the side and recalled the council informing him about one of the Rogues having a special status condition that increases Poison effectiveness with an added side effect of pain. Something told him the Toxicroak-Honchkrow was their poisoner.

He sighed and picked her up. "We didn't account for this. We may need to head back soon if any of the others are affected with the same status." He carried her to his personal jet, after picking up the file drawer. "In the meantime, you need to rest and take it easy."

Brea sighed. "As you wish, sir…"

As he carried her, Julian felt a bit more worried about the safety of the Fusions. It didn't help they had one separated from the group, running around in an undiscovered bunker of who knows what. For his sake and theirs, they will be alright.

* * *

Ulysses zipped around through the halls of the underground bunker as the creaky robots chased him down. Despite being old and worn from age, they were surprisingly well preserved to be moving like this. Ulysses wanted to question how their power supply didn't die out from the years, but he was more focused on fleeing for his life.

Ulysses closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. _Calm down, Ulysses. There's nothing to be scared of. They're just old robots. They can't hurt you._ Something whizzed past him, causing his eyes to fly open. He barely made out the green laser that struck the ceiling. He looked over his shoulder and saw the ominous green glow of the robots' optics.

"…HOLY MEW, THEY HAVE LASERS!" Ulysses flapped his wings harder and bolted across the hallway in a panic. The robots stepped up their speed.

Ulysses kept flying until he turned a corner and found himself in some old storage room. He looked around quickly, seeing stacks of empty crates all around him. He shivered and flew behind a large pile just before the robots ran in.

They split up and began searching the inside of the storage room. Ulysses kept himself still, trying not to make a sound. _The scientist who worked down here was ahead of his time. I didn't think this kind of circuitry was possible._ Ulysses narrowed his eyes worriedly. _It's like everything that was down here had to be kept secret. But what was so important that it needed to be hidden?_

Ulysses peeked around the crates, then pulled back before a robot could spot him. Ulysses clenched his eyes tightly. _I need…to be strong. They aren't…actual Pokémon or Fusions. They're machines. Wires and bolts without a soul. I can't let my friends down. I need to prove to Mr. Peregrine and the others that I'm not useless._ He shook his head. _I don't like fighting…I never did…but I don't want to run away forever._

He curled his stubby hands into fists. _My Fusion Move is useless without Hawkins or Asadi around. I'd only put myself in danger with it. If I was back there with them, I'd make sure they definitely beat the Rogues._ He sighed shakily. _Breathe, Ulysses…think of this as training. They are the dummies. You just need…to complete the training. Complete the training. Complete…the training._

Three robots singled out a stack of crates that haven't been searched yet. They walked around them, vanishing from the view of the other robots. The other robots turned their attention to those crates, however, when the three bots were thrown into the ceiling and smashed into separate pieces. The heads crashed down, flickering with power before shutting down.

Suddenly, the crates were psychically lifted and thrown at the old robots. Due to their inefficient gears, some were taken out as they were unable to dodge. The standing robots set their optics on Ulysses as he rose into the air, flapping his large wings.

He quivered nervously, then gulped down his fears and shouted, "S-S-Surrender or else, y-y-you vile…meanies!" _That was so lame!_

The robots fired from their optics. Ulysses dodged the lasers and dived down to their level. He soared along the floor and extended out his talons, grabbing two by the body and pulling them into the air with him.

"Sky Drop!" Once he reached near the top of the ceiling, he released the robots and let them smash to bits against the floor. He flapped his wings and projected a strong gust of wind. "Tailwind!"

The winds blew against the robots, who barely kept their balance against the opposing force. Ulysses rode along the winds and balled up his gelatinous talons, engulfing them in a fiery aura. "Power-Up Punch!" He threw his talon out and slammed it through a robot's head.

The robots turned their heads and fired a collective beam against the cellular avian. He crossed his wings and absorbed most of the blast against his gelatinous layer. The forceful beam pushed him against the wall, nearly pinning him down. Five robots took large steps forward as they pumped massive outpours of energy into their beams, keeping Ulysses in place.

The cellular avian clenched his teeth. _T-These things are really strong! Whoever made them was a genius!_ He glared. _I can't let them attack me like this forever._ His eyes widened a bit when he saw the five robots sparking and glowing red. Ulysses thought long and hard about it before realizing something.

No matter how one looks at it, they're still outdated robots. Limited energy, limited output capacity.

Ulysses dug his talons into the floor and pushed through the collective beam. He clenched his teeth and shouted, "Future Sight!" Eight orbs of psychic power floated around him before vanishing into miniature portals. "Psychic!" Wrapping Psychic around himself, he created a forcefield in front of him to sponge up the laser damage.

The five robots tried to increase the power in their beams, but their battery life wouldn't allow it. They glitched and sparked as Ulysses figured and ceased blasting Ulysses as they powered down.

Ulysses flapped his wings outward, creating a psychically charge breeze that shredded his attackers to scrap. He panted lightly, then looked at his singed wings. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious. These robots didn't seem to have the destructive potential like the ones in movies.

However, there were still a large handful of robots setting their sights of the cellular avian. Ulysses' eyes erupted in blue light, then he slammed his wings together. With Psychic in effect, all the crates were thrown around the robots, trapping them in a thick mountain.

Ulysses took a moment to breathe, then looked down at the torso of one of the robots. He picked it up and took a look inside, noticed the sphere-shaped power core inside. It was completely drained of power. He raised his brow curiously. _What a peculiar looking power cell. What was powering it?_

Suddenly, a beam flew from inside the crate prison, blasting through the torso. Ulysses screeched and dropped it down immediately. Lasers were firing out of the crates, setting them on fire. Ulysses quivered worriedly. _Oh man, I was hoping that would crush them!_

He refused to stick around and flew out of the storage room. The robots blasted their way out and gave chase after the cellular avian once more. However, eight of them wouldn't be able to follow them out as the Future Sight took effect and fired the eight separate orbs into the machines, blowing them up immediately.

Ulysses looked back and saw the robots were chasing after him again. _I really need to take training more seriously! I shouldn't be panicking this much!_ He clenched his eyes shut. _I'm really sorry I can't help you and Hawkins right now, Asadi! I promise I'll be out as soon as possible!_

* * *

Back with Hawkins and Asadi, they had their backs pressed to each other as the Rogues surrounded them. Eli and Braith laughed maliciously while Gordon snorted fiercely.

Hawkins glanced over at his hut mate and said, "How's it looking on your end?"

"Well, I'm apparently changing color every other minute and they're sort of kicking my butt," Asadi sarcastically replied. "In all honesty, not looking too good for us."

Hawkins kept his guard up in front of Eli. "I can't do much against this one. None of my attacks can put a dent in him. Plus, he's matching my speed and dealing some heavy hits back."

Asadi smiled wearily. "Greeeat…this is how we go out…"

Hawkins growled. "I refuse to give up so disgracefully. I can still take him."

"Let me fight him. I have the better advantage."

"Trust me, against him, that won't matter. You're a long rang fighter."

"But I can't even get in an Electric move. Plus, they're both Electric-Types, with that cheeky monkey locked in as one without her Color Change."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "…in that case, we're going to have to slow down their advances."

"Mind filling me in on the details?"

Hawkins placed a hand on Asadi and used Reflect to boost both their defenses. He then crossed his blades. "Just follow my lead." Suddenly, he leapt over Asadi and stared down the two other Rogues with Psychic, pinning them in place.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Braith shouted. "What's the big idea?!"

Hawkins landed behind them. "Sweetest Nectar!" He slashed both of them with Leaf Blade. Braith took one coated in the orange nectar while Gordon took the other that was purple. _That should even things up for Asadi._

Eli scoffed curiously and ran towards Hawkins. "What's that fancy move of yours, buster?"

"Ice Shard!" Eli stopped and hid behind his winged cloak as the frozen shards pelted against him. Asadi got in close and slammed a close-range Ice Beam against him, freezing half his cloak in ice. "AGH!" He gripped the frozen wing and winced in pain.

Braith, after recovering from the hit, found herself becoming dizzy unexpectedly. "Hey, hey, hey…why's the room spinning, dudes?"

Gordon staggered a bit as poison suddenly coursed through him. "D-Dammit!"

Hawkins brandished his Leaf Blades, which resumed their normal color of green. _Sweetest Nectar. With it, I can apply a special poison of mine into my next Grass-Type move. I can use either Paralysis, Poison, Heal Prevention, or Confusion. With my power and speed, I can keep my opponent on their toes._

Eli rubbed his frozen wind, then gripped his crest. He smirked irritably. "You're getting on my nerves." He secreted a black and purple, viscid liquid from his hand. "Perhaps this will teach you some proper manners. Toxic Bane!" He threw the poison at Asadi.

It nearly hit her, but Hawkins threw one of his Leaf Blades to intercept it. Eli quickly faced Hawkins, then barely blocked a strong Leaf Blade that actually pushed up the ground beneath him. Eli pushed back with Night Slash, clenching his teeth.

"Didn't take you for a team player." Eli spun on his back and kicked Hawkins off. He sprung to his feet and fired off Venoshock. Hawkins jumped over two shots, then sprinted around the lab to avoid the rest. Eli smirked. "That's right, keep running!" He switched up tactics and tossed Toxic Bane at him.

Hawkins raised two fingers and channeled Psychic to direct the poisonous move away from him. He made three blobs orbit around him before firing them back at Eli. The dark poisoner jumped to the side, then fired off another Venoshock. Hawkins slashed through it, then launched at him. Eli pivoted around Hawkins after blocking Leaf Blade, then went for a Toxic Bane to his back.

However, Hawkins quickly flipped backwards, springing off Eli's wrist, and slamming his leg into the Rogue's neck. Eli stumbled away, briefly disoriented. He recovered fast enough to duck under Asadi's Ice Beam. He sneered. "Braith, Gordon! Quit fooling around and stop her!"

Braith powered through her confusion and leapt at Asadi. "Acrobatics!" She flipped through the air and thrusted a kick at her. However, Asadi only had to move her head to the side so the chameleon monkey could crash against the floor. "Ow, ow, ow…"

Gordon clenched his teeth, ignoring the poison sapping his health away, and charged straight at Asadi. The Raichu-Sneasel took a direct hit at her front. Her temporary Color Change turned her fur red. However, Asadi dug her heels in and grappled around the Zebstrika-Vikavolt's neck. "Time to chill out!" Using the momentum and her own weight, she leaned back and kicked at Gordon's underside, sending him flying over her. She rolled onto her feet and quickly blasted him with Ice Beam, freezing most of his body against the wall.

Braith stood up and stumbled, trying to keep her balance in order. "Ugh…" She squinted and glared at Asadi, who fire off Ice Beam. However, the cheeky monkey smirked. "Nope, nope, nope! Copy Counter!" She extended her hand tail out, which absorbed the impact of the Ice Beam. The fist glowed in an icy blue energy. Braith then immediately ran towards and swung her tail. "Take this!"

Asadi crossed her arms and took the impact of the attack. She flew back into the sandy wall and panted. Her colors turn beige, implying that was a Normal-Type move she was hit with. And a powerful one, at that.

Braith snickered in delight. "I didn't want to ruin the fun and use my Fusion Move right off the bat, but now I have to. Go ahead, try and attack me again." She raised her tail defensively. "The move halves the damage of your attack, as well as doubles the power if we're the same type. I may be stuck as an Electric-Type right now, but…" She glanced over her shoulder. "Gordon, I think she needs a dose of your Fusion Move, too."

Gordon used Flame Charge to blast the ice off himself. He shook his head, then stood his ground. "Charge." Electricity coursed through his body, powering himself up. Electricity charged through his mandibles.

Braith snickered. "Ever heard of a railgun? That's basically what you'll get hit with in a moment. And just to add to the fun…Acrobatics!" She lunged at Asadi. Asadi dodged the first strike, but the chameleon monkey chased after her to land a hit. "Haha! Once I get this hit off, I'll swap back to good ol' Color Change and let you have fun in your electric nightmares!"

Asadi kept moving away from her advancing strikes. "Gee, that sound incredibly uncomfortable! I think I'll pass! Feint Attack!" She flickered out of sight, then slapped Braith away with her tail. Asadi rubbed her hands together as a dark aura surround her. "Hehehe…Nasty Plot." She felt energy surging through her body, boosting her special attack power.

Braith picked herself up, then gasped as Asadi fired off Ice Beam. Braith held her tail out. "Copy Counter!" The tail absorbed the impact, though it put massive strain against her. Regardless, she held out and clenched her third fist. "Now smile big for the camera!" she shouted before lunging at Asadi.

The Raichu Fusion smirked, then got on all fours. "Got you." Much to Braith's shock, Asadi's tail sprung right for her. "Freezer Burn!" The tip of her tail glowed icy blue, then tapped Braith on the forehead. Not much damage occurred, but the monkey found herself almost instantly frozen on the spot. She hit the ground with a loud thud.

Gordon snorted, then charged up an orb of lightning in front of his face. "Charging complete, prepare to die." He threw his head back, then fired forward a destructive beam of concentrated lightning. "Electro Obliterator!"

Asadi wasn't crazy enough to match that beam head on. She knew electricity and the power held inside that beam wasn't something her Ice Beam or other ranged attacks could match. She dropped to her stomach and covered her ears as the beam soared over her and pierced through the lab walls, causing the lab to rumble and for more sand to pour in from above.

Gordon ceased firing and staggered from the recoil of his attack. "Ugh…"

Asadi clambered to her feet and rushed at him with Freezer Burn powered up. "One hit from this and I win!"

However, Gordon had another trick up his sleeve. "String Shot!" He spat a string of web from his mouth, which lassoed around Asadi and bounded her in a cocoon of web.

"WHOA!" She tripped and fell on the ground. She kicked and punched at the web, but her limbs were too tightened down to move. "Hawkins, help!"

Hawkins kicked Eli back, then his eyes glowed blue. "Agility!" He sped right for her, with everything nearly slowed to a crawl. He readied to cut her free with Leaf Blade. However, due to all the speed boosts he got from Flame Charge, Gordon was quick to intercept and headbutt Hawkins away.

Hawkins caught himself on his hands, then rushed for Asadi once more. Eli, however, sped in front of him and blocked him off with Night Slash. "We're not done quite yet."

Hawkins clenched his teeth, then crossed his Leaf Blades. "You're no match for me. You may have proven to be a capable fighter, but I shall end this now."

Eli smirked. "And don't think I don't believe you. You possess a wide mastery in your craft." He closed his eyes. "However, like I told you earlier, I embrace the stereotype of the elusive and cunning Dark-Type. Meaning, at the end of the day…"

With a swift motion, Eli lunged at Hawkins with Night Slash. Hawkins countered the blade immediately, but Eli made an extra move in slamming his Toxic Bane coated palm against the Roserade Fusion's stomach. Hawkins staggered back as a sudden pain overtook him. He stumbled back and held his stomach as purple electricity coursed around the outside of his body.

"…I always cheat my way to victory." Eli laughed and raised his Poison Jab. "Toxic Bane…a move suited for a bastard like me. What I hit you with is a special poison of my own that _can_ affect Poison-Types." He shrugged. "Sadly, Steel-Types are immune to its effects. Thankfully, I have none of that to worry about." He walked towards the staggering Fusion. "Oh, don't worry, it doesn't work like a regular Poison status. Your health is perfectly intact." He smirked. "Well, for the most part…"

Hawkins clenched his teeth and glared at the dark poisoner weakly. "You…bas-AGH!" Eli slammed Poison Jab against the Fusion's stomach.

Eli smirked wickedly. "What normally is resisted by Poison-Types like you suddenly becomes a new experience in the wonderful world of pain. Be thankful that, as a Poison-Type, you don't have to suffer from my move's other effect on that ever so pesky Poison status." He kicked Hawkins to the ground and stepped on his wrist. "Hehe…all too easy."

Hawkins growled. "I…won't…lose…"

Eli chuckled condescendingly. "I happily play the role of second in command to my explosively tempered pal, Norris. But there's a reason he trusts me to carry out operations for him personally." He aimed his claw at Hawkins' head. "The Rogues respect me. I'm not the strongest or the fastest. I'm a little bit of both. I'm respected because I always leave my mark, even in defeat." He closed his eyes and laughed. "Then again, if York gave you a bit more warning about me, he would have told you to never confront me in a fight."

Hawkins glared. "You…"

"This world has treated Fusions like me with absolute contempt. I never got a say in what I wanted to be. All I wanted was to make a big impression on the world. To be a star." He shook his head and shrugged. "Guess you can't rely on dreams in a society that beats at each other when change is upon them. The Pokémon had a thousand years to get their attitudes together. So did the Fusions. If the world's only going to see Fusions as the bad guys…" He smirked villainously. "Then there's no point in trying to be anything else."

Asadi listened to the exchange with worry in her eyes, though she also felt…pity for the Rogues. She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. _Focus, Asadi. We need to get out of here._ She looked up and noticed Gordon wasn't paying attention to her. She narrowed her eyes, then attempted to move her tail out.

* * *

Ulysses dropped three more robots with Sky Drop, then flapped his wings to send out a Psychic powered windstorm. The robots were blown off their feet and crashed into the wall. The cellular avian panted a bit, then yelped as he dodged a laser.

He quickly looked at the remaining robots. _Only ten. I can do this._ He took a deep breath and swooped down. He spun and slapped his wings across two robots, breaking off the upper halves of their bodies. Ulysses took off in the air again as the remaining eight fired back.

Ulysses gulped quietly. _Okay…if I line them up just right, I can take them all out in one more attack._ "Psychic!" He slapped his wings together, telekinetically pushing the robots into a large group. With them momentarily restrained, Ulysses tucked his wings in and took a nosedive straight for the ground. _I can do this. I can do this!_ "Brave Bird!"

The gelatinous layer that surrounded his main body suddenly erupted into a blazing blue aura. He turned at an angle and spread his wings, aiming for the robots.

The eight remaining robots, after adjusting themselves, maximized their lasers and fired a collective beam right at Ulysses. The combined beam crashed into the cellular avian, but Ulysses powered through the pain and pierced through the laser.

"Take…THIS!"

He slammed himself into the robots, taking the remainder out in one swift motion. Flaming pieces flew off and rained on the floor. Ulysses ended Brave Bird and tumbled across the ground before crashing into a wall. He flinched from the recoil passing over him before relaxing his body.

He panted quietly as he sprawled himself out. The adrenaline pumping through him calmed down gradually. He took a deep breath and exhaled in utter exhaustion. "That was…kind of fun…" he admitted to himself. He chuckled awkwardly. "Heh…y-yeah…"

He rested for a moment, then sat up. Curious as to where he ended up, he took a look around the room he flew into. Though, unlike every other part of the bunker he has been in, this one was…empty. A grid patterned room completely empty. Just him and the broken remains of the security robots.

Ulysses stood up and walked along the walls. "I don't get it. Was this room just incomplete or some…thing?" He stopped and glanced at the far end wall. There was a strange, circular impression in it. He traced his wing inside the impression with curiosity. "Huh…this is an odd-looking dent."

Though, the longer he investigated, it became clear this 'dent' was too perfectly made to be an accident. It was purposely built into the wall. But for what reason?

As Ulysses stared at it, he remembered he was carrying that weird disc he snatched from the lab. He reached behind his back and held it in his hands. He studied the shape of both the disc and the impression. They seemed identical, almost like the disc could be placed inside.

"No…it couldn't be that obvious…" Ulysses told himself. However, since he hasn't found a suitable escape route yet, might as well play to his curiosity's wishes.

He held the disc out, then pulled it out with his wings. He carefully placed it up against the impression, then pushed it in. Much to his surprise, it slid it easily. He waited a moment for something to happen, then jumped back as the disc lit up.

It spun in the impression, with locking mechanisms going off behind the wall. They happened so fast that Ulysses couldn't keep up with how many locks there were. Then, without warning, the wall split open, which spooked Ulysses onto his rear.

The grid patterned wall folded in on itself and revealed a small, sectioned off area with a pedestal sitting in the middle. On top of the pedestal was a large cube. The texture of the cube was stone like, with weird symbols Ulysses didn't recognize on all sides. Just underneath the stone layer was circuitry that looked more advanced than that of the robots.

Ulysses narrowed his eyes and walked over to the strange looking cube. "What is this thing?" He gently reached out and pressed his wings against the sides. He started having second thoughts, wondering if this, too, was rigged to a security system like earlier. He has seen treasure hunting movies before. A pedestal with an odd object sitting on it? Universal sign for 'If you wish to risk your life, simply lift object off death trap.'

Ulysses finally decided to test his luck. He preemptively closed his eyes before lifting the box off the pedestal. It was about as heavy as he suspected. Ulysses turned his back to the pedestal and shivered fearfully. He waited for something to go off, but nothing came after two minutes.

He looked back at the pedestal just to be sure, then turned his attention to the cube. He moved it around to get a better understanding of what he was holding. Unfortunately, he was no tech whiz. Maybe if someone like Codex were here, then maybe.

"Maybe…Maybe Mr. Roteman will want to look at it. It does look pretty ancient and…sci-fi looking…"

A loud, mechanized sound banged behind him, making him scream briefly. He wrapped his wings around the box tightly and turned to the source of the noise. On the wall adjacent to the one that open, it split open. However, instead of a small storage section, it looked to be a passage way.

Ulysses narrowed his eyes cautiously. _There's no way that's an exit…could it?_ Ulysses looked at the cube, then around the empty room, before sighing tiredly. "What choice do I have?" He swallowed his fears once more, then walked through the corridor. "Please be an exit, please be an exit…"

He kept his eyes focused and forward. He was so focused on leaving the bunker that he didn't notice the circuitry of the cube glow in red, green, and yellow light for a moment.

* * *

Eli bent down and grabbed Hawkins by the neck. He lifted him to eye level and smirked scornfully in the Roserade Fusion's face. "Now, don't worry about a thing, my friend. I'm no cold-blooded killer. I'll just leave you and your friend to wallow in your defeat after we've raided this place of its precious secrets. I _do_ have a mission to finish."

Hawkins tightened his jaw and glared seriously. "We're…not done yet…"

"On the contrary, we are." Eli pressed Night Slash against his neck. "Unless you want to suffer more in this song and dance of ours."

Hawkins relaxed himself. "I'm a Fusion with a taste for the classics. If it is a song and dance you want, I think it's my turn to take the lead." He pulled out Leaf Blade and slashed upwards, nicking Eli in the shoulder.

Eli leapt back, while dropping Hawkins, and checked his shoulder. A small scratch, something that can be healed off in a matter of moments. He laughed and held his hip. "Dual type resistance and defense boost…what were you hoping to accomplish?"

Hawkins picked himself up and held his Leaf Blade up. "Evening the playing field."

Eli was about to fire back a quip when he finally realized Hawkins' Leaf Blade turned from yellow to green. His eyes widened, then he looked at his wound. "Oh no…" His body suddenly tensed up and gave out on him. He dropped to his knees, unable to move his body.

Hawkins sighed in relief, then took on a fencing stance. "Half my attacks may not be effective, but you're still susceptible to paralysis."

Eli clenched his teeth in mild annoyance. "Heh…if you think this'll stop me, then you-" Just as he got up, Hawkins slashed him with Leaf Blade, faster than he could dodge. Eli hit the floor hard and coughed out forcibly. "Agh!" He glared. "Oh, now you're pushing my buttons. Gordon, teach him some respect."

Gordon nodded and opened his carapace to use Bug Buzz. However, Asadi wiggled the tip of her tail out just enough to use Freezer Burn on the webs. They froze solid and shattered with a quick flex of her limbs. She sprung up and immediately fired Ice Beam at his back, freezing the carapace and wings in solid ice.

"AAAGH!" Gordon stumbled around in pain.

Back over with Braith, she finally managed to thaw out of the ice. However, she felt a sudden burn feeling overcome her. She winced and tried to keep herself from moving too much. "A lingering Burn status afterwards…" She glared at Asadi. "I used all my known moves, so…" She rushed right at her. "Last Resort!" A yellow, blazing aura surrounded her.

Asadi jumped away as Braith punched into the ground with devastating force. "Feint Attack!" She flickered around Braith and kicked her into Gordon, knocking them both over.

Hawkins crossed his Leaf Blades and rushed at Eli. "This ends now!"

Eli spread his wings out and took off into the air. "Quit acting like a self-righteous bastard." He fired down Venoshock, which Hawkins weaved around to avoid. Eli couldn't keep himself airborne forever as the paralysis tensed his wings up. "Grr…I can't fight like this…"

"Good!" His eyes widened as Asadi fired off Ice Beam, landing a strong hit that knocked him out of the air. Half his body froze over immediately. "Ice Shard!" She fired off multiple shards that exploded into mist.

Eli lay sprawled out on the floor. Half frozen and paralyzed, he couldn't do much in his current state. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but Braith and Gordon weren't going to last much longer either. Besides, they weren't here for a fight. They just needed supplies.

Eli brought his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp, alerting whistle. "Gordon, Braith! Escape protocol!"

The two Rogues nodded at each other. Braith jumped into the sand. "Camouflage!" Her fur turned light brown.

"Discharge!" Gordon stomped the ground and released a massive explosion of electricity across the torn down lab. Hawkins and Asadi ducked behind some counters. Braith rode on Gordon's back as he charged to the exit.

Braith swooped her tail down and grabbed Eli, throwing him onto the railgun zebra's back. "You okay, boss?"

Eli gripped his shoulder. "I will be once we escape. Faster!" Gordon picked up the pace and flew down the hallways.

Hawkins, not allowing them to retreat, vaulted over the counter and attempted to chase after them. "We're not through yet! Get back…agh…" He collapsed onto one knee and held his stomach. "That…stupid poison…geez…"

Asadi walked up to him and hooked his arm around her shoulders. She took a look at her fur and smiled as it returned to its normal color. She even felt her normal ability returning to her. "Sweet. Skill Swap's effects wore off."

"Wish I could say the same about this poison…" Hawkins muttered.

Asadi chuckled lightly. "Sorry about that."

"Whatever…" He glared. "I can't believe they got away."

"To be fair, it might be for the best," Asadi stated. "They were kicking our butts like it was nothing, especially that Toxicroak Fusion. At least we're still standing."

Hawkins sighed. "I suppose you have a point…"

* * *

It took them some time to hobble out of the bunker given they weren't in the best condition for long distance walking. They leaned against each other to keep the other from falling.

The desert sun was fresh in their eyes after stepping out of the bunker, making them wince from its bright, burning glow. Asadi's ears twitched as she picked up Julian's voice from above. She waved her free hand up and shouted, "Yo, Roteman!"

Almost instantly, Julian ran to the edge of the pit. He held his chest and sighed in relief. "Oh, thank goodness. When I saw the Rogues escaping, I thought you two were in danger."

Asadi shook her head. "Nah! They weren't so tough…at first," she mumbled under her breath.

"You mean they escaped?" Hawkins shouted.

"Unfortunately, yes!" Julian replied. "However, I made sure the planes were locked up before they thought about sneaking aboard a second time. Regardless, they're not getting back to Kanto on my plane."

Hawkins sighed. "Guess they're Unova's problem now…anyway, throw us down a rope!"

Julian took a moment to retrieve a rope, then threw an end down for them to use. As he tightened the slack between the ends, he asked, "I suppose young Ulysses hasn't found his way out yet?"

Hawkins got the rope tied around his waist, as did Asadi, before replying, "No! We haven't seen him come out!"

 _Damn._ Julian clenched his teeth, but shrugged the matter off for a moment and focused pulling them up. "You two aren't hurt, are you?"

Asadi pointed at Hawkins. "For the most part, though Hawk got a dose of that weirdo's poison."

Julian sighed. "I wished I had foreseen this. If I knew they'd sneak on the plane, I would've brought the antidote." Julian grabbed their hands and pulled them back onto land.

Hawkins stumbled a bit, but held himself up. " _If_ you knew they snuck on, you would've kicked them off before we left," Hawkins corrected.

Julian sighed and scratched his head. "Fair enough. Still, with my workers and Brea down, we may have to cut the expedition short. I may come back to investigate further, but I'll have to let the police handle the rest. Getting an antidote administered is top priority for our return trip."

Asadi held her hips. "I agree, but NOT until we find Ulysses! Poor guy's still trapped down there, scared and alone…"

Julian closed his eyes and nodded. "I wasn't planning on leaving without him." He turned to his active workers, who were walking the dismantled laser drill back into the cargo plane. "We're going to need a team of diggers to help retrieve one of the Fusions!"

"Yes sir!"

Julian faced the Fusions again and held his face. "Liam'll give me hell if I come back without Ulysses. I won't be able to handle the guilt myself."

"Oh…I'm sorry, Mr. Roteman! I didn't mean to upset you!"

Julian waved it off. "It's not your fault, Ulyss…ULYSSES?!"

Julian and the Fusions, slack-jawed, whipped their heads around and saw the cellular avian running at them with a cube in his wings. He looked tired and worn out from the running. He stopped in front of them and took a breath. When he noticed their bewildered expressions, he flinched. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you guys! I-I-I was just so sorry for worrying you, I-I-I had to apologize! I-I'm sorry!"

Asadi smiled and tackled the cellular avian into a big hug, scaring him into dropping the cube. "HAHA! Ulysses, you big softie! I'm so glad you're alright!" She looked at his gelatinous layer and gasped when she saw how blackened it was. "Yeesh, what happened to you?!"

Ulysses tapped his wings together. "Um…w-w-would you believe me if I told you robots were involved?"

"Robots?" Hawkins repeated skeptically.

Ulysses frowned. "I-I-I'm not lying…"

Julian crossed his arms. "In light of what we witnessed today, I'm inclined to believe you." He smiled. "I'm also glad you're unharmed…for the most part."

Ulysses smiled bashfully. "T-Thank you…sir."

Hawkins sighed. "Well, at least you're back. That's all we can ask for." He looked down at the ground and raised a curious brow. "Ulysses, what is that?"

Ulysses looked at the cube and picked it back up. "Oh…I'm…not sure, to be honest. After I took out the robots, I found it in an empty room. I thought…you'd might want it, Mr. Roteman, since it looks all…science-y."

Julian took the cube and looked it over with a puzzled expression. "What bizarre craftmanship…I dare say I've never seen anything like this before."

While he looked it over, Hawkins had to ask something else to Ulysses. "So, how did you get out of the bunker?"

Ulysses pointed to a mountain in the distance. "When I found the cube, it triggered some activation system that opened a corridor. I think it was an emergency exit. Though, when I got to it, it seemed the years of weathering and formation of rocks kind of sealed it shut." He held his talons up, which seemed to be aching. He whimpered a bit. "I hurt my talons punching my way out…"

"Aww, you poor thing." Asadi patted his back. "Come on, let's get you and Hawkins rested up on the jet." She hooked Hawkins around her shoulder again and led him and Ulysses to the jet. "We'll be crashing in the jet, Roteman!"

Julian gave a halfhearted wave back. "Alright, I'll join up in a moment." He narrowed his eyes as he turned the box over to investigate every side. Nothing seemed out of place, but what was it? A battery? A weapon? Some weird miniature oven?

He held his chin before tucking it under his arm and heading back to the jet. "My equipment back home should be able to identify this strange contraption."

The cube let out another brief glow, a bit stronger than the last.

* * *

While the Fusions and Julian recovered from the fight, the Rogues did their own digging. The Fusions were unaware they were actually hiding behind the nearby rock formations and listening in on their conversations. Once they had the all clear, they raced to the mountain Ulysses pointed out.

When they got there, they found a crudely shaped hole in the side of the mountain, made by Ulysses as stated. Eli twitched a bit from his paralysis before taking the lead inside, followed by Gordon with Braith riding on top of him. The Zebstrika-Vikavolt was barely holding up to the poison, which Eli said he'll try to remove once they have the time.

They walked down a long corridor and stepped into the empty room Ulysses fought the last of the robots in. Eli walked in with a cool grin. "My, my, such a plain looking room, yet it has some class."

Gordon grunted and leaned against the wall exhaustedly. "Yeah, a real beauty," he grumbled sarcastically.

Eli stepped on some robotic parts and hummed in interest. "Huh…that cowardly bird did a number of these things."

Braith pulled on her ears and groaned. "Oh, who cares about the robots?! Our ticket home has been revoked! Kaput! Off limits! We're stuck in Unova!"

Eli rolled his eyes. "You're exaggerating. There's more than one way to return to Kanto. Trust me."

Braith pouted. "Okay, I guess…still, all that work and we got nothing! What a waste!" She kicked the floor, slipping onto her rear.

Gordon looked over at the section opened in the wall, then raised his brow curiously before hobbling over to it. He took a look around the pedestal and noticed a long tube container. "Maybe not." He reached in and picked it up in his teeth.

Eli looked over. "You found something?"

Gordon threw it at him. "I found it in this wall."

Eli caught it and undid the lid. Sliding out were a rolled-up collection of blueprints. "Hmm…this looks promising." He grabbed one and unraveled it.

Braith and Gordon watched him read over the blueprints. They noticed his eyes widening as he read through all of them. Each one he looked through, his eyes would get bigger and bigger, then his lips would curl up into an unsettling grin. They actually felt themselves getting anxious as the dark poisoner mumbled to himself.

"Hehe…those must be some interesting blueprints, boss," Braith said awkwardly.

"Hmm? Oh yes, they are. Very interesting." He rolled them up and chuckled through his teeth. "The ability, Super Luck, merely increases my chance for critical hit damage. However, I like to believe it gives me untold luck when it's most convenient for me."

Gordon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What are you saying, boss?"

"Gordon, Braith…" Eli stuck the blueprints back in their tube container and turned to them with a wicked grin. "I think…I just solved the Rogues' food problem."


	28. Risky Innovation

It was late in the morning upon the return arrival of Julian and the Fusions. Julian kept in constant update with the cargo plane to check on the status of the injured workers, including Brea. Despite their condition, the poison only caused mild discomfort and could be easily endured for the trip. It still made for a rough trip back. Hawkins wasn't feeling too well from the dark poisoner's toxin, either. It was shameful to think this is what nearly did him in. A Poison-Type brought to his knees by a poison. How disgraceful a defeat.

Julian and the Fusions stepped off the plane, with Ulysses carrying Hawkins in his back. Hawkins clearly wasn't thrilled about being carried around, but it couldn't be helped. As for Ulysses and Asadi's injuries, they were treated during the ride back. Though, they'll probably need to be checked out by Gracelyn.

Julian carried the file drawer under one arm and the cube in his upper hands. He faced the Fusions and said, "I'll have one of my workers drop you three off at the village."

Asadi smiled. "That'll be great, thank you."

"And, before I forget, please hand this to Gracelyn." He handed her a sheet of paper. It had a list of names and addresses. "That's everyone affected by that Rogue's poison. Make sure the antidote is delivered to them."

Asadi looked it over quickly and nodded. "Can do, sir!"

He scratched his head and sighed. "Feel bad for the Unovians, since we left those three Rogues behind. Well, if it's a problem, someone will just call the Fusion Hunters on them." He texted one of his workers before heading off. "You three take care."

Ulysses waved meekly. "B-Bye, Mr. Roteman."

"See you later!" Asadi exclaimed. The two heard Hawkins groaning out loud. "Alright, alright, we hear you. Come on, Uly, let's go find our ride." They headed out of the airfield.

Up front in the airport, Julian found his parked car and stuffed the supplies into the back. He got into his seat and started the car up. "It's going to take some time to get this stuff analyzed. I'll have to contact Albert about this." He backed out of the parking space and drove out of the airport.

In the backseat, bouncing from the bumps in the road, the cube lit up with a low hum. It seemed focused on Julian before resuming dormancy.

* * *

The worker Julian called dropped the Fusions off at Gappei Village, where their first stop back was the medical hut. Thankfully, Gracelyn was up when they got there, allowing her to get everything set up. Ulysses set Hawkins in a bed before sitting down with Asadi off to the side.

Gracelyn opened her cupboard of medicine and searched for the antidote specifically made for Eli's poison. "I swear, those Rogues are like a plague that persists on. They're determined, I'll give them that much." She glanced at Hawkins. "Still, you shouldn't have been so hasty to fight him, Hawkins."

The Roserade-Meowstic held his stomach and groaned uncomfortably. "How…was I supposed to know that stuff could poison me? I didn't know it worked on Poison-Types, too."

"Regardless, you'll have to take it easy for the next couple of days. No tough training for you or your students." Gracelyn pulled a rack of antidotes out. "Ah, here we go."

Asadi sighed out loud and pressed the back of her head against the wall. "Those guys were seriously tough, though. Are all the Rogues like this?"

Ulysses gulped. "G-G-Guess even they aren't s-slacking off on t-t-training…"

Asadi smirked tiredly and rolled her eyes. "Kind of liked it better when we thought they were just power-hungry nut jobs."

Gracelyn transferred the vials of antidote into a small bag. "Asadi, regardless of moral alignment, the Rogues aren't like the supervillains you see on television."

The Raichu-Sneasel waved it off. "I know, I know."

Gracelyn finished packing the bag and set it to the side. "I'll probably have Spaz or Tamara come by and ship these out. In the meantime…" She took one vial and popped the cork off before pouring the purple liquid into a small, plastic cup. She handed it to Hawkins, who sat up. "Drink this and get some sleep. Oh, and mind the taste." She stepped out to find the time mouse and ninja cat.

Hawkins raised his brow. "'Mind the taste?'" He carefully sipped the medicine and swallowed. His eyes widened, then he stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Ugh! What vile concoction has desecrated my taste buds?!"

Ulysses felt bad for laughing under his breath, instinctively muttering a quick 'sorry' afterwards. Asadi felt no shame in snickering. "Hehe…that's a standard of medicine for you. The worse it tastes, the better it works."

Hawkins shook his head and tossed the cup into a trash can before resting his head on the pillow. "I just need some sleep." He closed his eyes and breathed out calmly.

Asadi stood up. "Come on, Ulysses. Let's give Prince Charming his beauty sleep."

"Shut up…"

Asadi giggled, then reached for the door. The second she touched the handle, she and Ulysses recoiled in shock as a high-pitched squealing penetrated the walls of the hut. Hawkins' eyes snapped open, practically bloodshot in irritation. He sat up and shouted, "What is that infernal screaming?!"

Ulysses' face twisted in terror. "Is someone in trouble?!"

Asadi, however, tilted her head in puzzlement. "No, I think I've heard this type of screaming before. Sounds like a fangirling squeal…"

* * *

It was supposed to be a normal visit to the village. Sometime before Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses returned to the village, York's friend, Casey Lee, dropped in for a visit. Since she had some free time on her hands, she wanted to hang out with the Heliolisk-Haxorus and get to Gappei Village for the first time. She had to call in advance to get permission due to village policy. The council was kind enough to give her free access.

York and Casey were simply hanging out by the outdoor tables, catching up since last time, when Casey got a little surprise clinging to her arm. It was Marion, who not only stared at the music artist with starry eyes, but was also squealing at the top of her lungs in sheer joy.

York covered his ears and winced painfully. "I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THIS!"

Casey waved it off with a weary grin, only wincing slightly. "IT'S FINE! I'D BE LYING IF I SAID THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE!"

Thankfully, the madness halted for a short while as Emily walked over with her hutmates and Annabeth and pulled the awestruck Emolga off her arm. "Geez, kid! You have a control setting for that volume?"

Marion ignored her and flailed her arms excitedly. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

Annabeth giggled under her breath. "Now Marion, you know it's rude to tackle people without warning."

"But Mom! It's Casey Lee!" Marion squealed.

Dez rubbed his head tiredly. _Yeah…the celebrity appeal kind of wears off after a while._

Casey, not at all fazed by the Emolga's fangirling, held her hand out with a friendly grin. "Nice to meet you, Marion. I take it you're a fan of my work?"

Marion's eyes boggled in shock, then she smiled widely. "EEEE! She knows my name!" She went for another screech, but Emily covered her mouth with an irritated look.

"No more of that!" she scolded.

Charlie laughed awkwardly. "Heh…sorry about that, Casey. If we knew she'd bolt after you like that, we would have chained her down." Marion pouted at the Munchlax-Lilligant.

Casey waved it off with a chuckle. "No trouble."

Annabeth stepped forward and held her hand out. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lee. I'm Annabeth, Marion's mother."

Casey shook her hand. "Casey's just fine. It's nice to meet you too, Annabeth."

Dez tilted his head. "I'm surprised you could come. York keeps telling us how you're normally busy."

Casey sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "Yeah, I'm usually swamped with work thanks to my manager. Great at his job and all, but he can be a little clingy with his clients. I don't think he'd be very happy if he knew I was here." She shrugged with a smile. "But hey, that's not going to stop me."

Charlie smiled. "So, are you liking Gappei Village so far?"

Casey nodded. "It's lovely. I can see why York speaks so highly about it." She leaned back against the table. "Trust me, with how many cities I've been to, you always find people at each other's throats. Typical in most communities. But here? Everything feels so peaceful." York laughed sheepishly.

Asadi and Ulysses stepped out of the medical hut and walked over to the group. Asadi crossed her arms and smirked. "Hey, the owner of the squealing machine? Mind turning it down? Hawkins has enough of a headache already."

Annabeth smiled apologetically. "Very sorry, dear. Marion just got a little excited." Marion nodded with a muffled squeak.

The Heliolisk Fusion sat up straight and leaned against the table on his elbow. "Wasn't aware you three were back. How was digging?"

Ulysses had a horrid flash of outrunning those robots cross his mind. He shivered in his gelatinous layer and hugged himself. "Um…i-i-it was something…"

York blinked, then looked at Asadi. "Is he okay?"

"Um…maybe?" She then whispered, "Don't be surprised if he comes to you for therapy, though." She smiled carefreely. "But, everything went…alright, I guess. With Hawkins resting and Ulysses…kind of out of it, I'll have to write up our report." She groaned tiredly. "Ugh, work…" She smiled at Casey. "Nice to see you, Casey." The Charmeleon waved.

Emily set Marion down and held her hips. "Are you calm now?"

Marion jittered in place with a huge grin. "Y-Yep!" Emily rolled her eyes, unconvinced. Marion pinched herself, removing the last of her jitters. She smiled bashfully at Casey. "Sorry! I couldn't help myself! I really love your music!"

Casey smirked. "Would have never guessed," she joked.

"I listen to them all the time on loop when I'm working on our farm back home. It helps energize me!"

Annabeth giggled and rubbed her daughter's head. "Oh, my little sweet pea really loves music. She's been teaching herself to operate sound equipment for her school's theatre department."

Marion blushed bashfully and rubbed her arm with an awkward grin. "I…can't really sing, but I'm good with music."

Casey smiled. "That's pretty impressive for someone your age." Marion smiled widely and resumed jittering excitedly. "Eheh…she's going to squeal again, isn't she?"

Emily groaned and slapped her hand over the Emolga's mouth. "Don't even think about it, kid." She could feel the muffled squeals hitting against the hand. The Mawile-Froslass rubbed her temple in annoyance.

Marion calmed herself down and laughed it off. "Sorry. I still can't believe you're really here!"

The Charmeleon gestured to York. "Well, I did want to spend some time with this lovable idiot here." York chuckled aloud.

Marion tilted her head. "Oh…is he your boyfriend?"

Both teens froze up in surprise, blushes plastered across their faces. York waved his hands defensively. "N-N-No, not at all! We're just friends! Nothing more! No dating over here or anything!"

Marion deadpanned. "Dude, I was just asking. No need to act jumpy."

York felt sweat drip down his face as he awkwardly laughed it off. "R-R-Right, no reason at all…" He looked to the side and gasped out in embarrassment. Casey held her hand to her mouth and giggled with a small blush.

Dez smiled. "So Casey, what's it like being a music artist, anyway?"

After her face cooled down (as much as a Fire-Type could), Casey rubbed her chin, going through her memories. "Hmm…well, I do have some interesting stories to tell…"

She went on to talk about some of her experiences in the music world, as everyone paid attention with great interest. York listened in on the story as well, but his attention was pulled away towards Asadi and Ulysses, with the former tapping his shoulder with her tail. He flashed them a curious look, wondering what they wanted.

Asadi waved away from the group. "Can we…talk to you in private?" she asked quietly.

York raised his brow. That wasn't Asadi's usual cheery or snarky tone. Very rarely did he ever hear her speak with utmost seriousness. Well, maybe not utmost seriousness, but still a tone she rarely used. York looked at the others before standing up and excusing himself as he followed Ulysses and Asadi behind a hut to speak in private.

York crossed his arms and leaned against the hut. "Is everything okay?"

Asadi waved her hands. "Oh, we're fine. It's just that…things didn't go exactly as planned." She narrowed her eyes. "The Rogues tagged along without us knowing."

York's eyes widened. "What?"

Ulysses nodded timidly. "I-It's true. T-They even mentioned you, so…it was rather obvious…"

The armored lizard held his face and groaned in frustration. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Asadi shrugged. "Well, fortunately, we made sure they wouldn't get on our planes a second time. So, they're currently stuck in Unova. For how long? Beats me."

York sighed. "Do you know why they tracked you down?"

"W-We felt it had s-s-something to do with what Mr. Roteman found in the desert," Ulysses said. "T-They must have been spying on him and got c-curious."

York pinched between his eyes. He probably had an idea who pulled off a risky stunt like that, but he had to be sure. "Who was it that attacked you?"

"The weird poison guy," Asadi identified. "The same one who poisoned Wash and Sheila on your mission."

York grimaced. He hated that he was correct. "Eli…"

Ulysses gulped nervously. "Y-Y-You don't sound happy…"

York rubbed his temples, visibly annoyed with the mentioning of the dark poisoner. "Eli…is one of the craftiest, maybe even most dangerous, member of the Rogues. He's twisted, cunning, and even downright sadistic. You can't trust a thing he says or does if you're the enemy." York glanced off to the side. "I remember my days with the Rogues clearly. Eli was amazing at what he did, but you should never get on his bad side. That's when the worst is brought out."

Asadi scratched her head. "We noticed. He was also…pretty showy."

"Eli has a flair for the dramatics. Always trying to show off or make himself stand out. He's not one for subtly when he wants to be noticed." York glared. "And you're absolutely sure he didn't get back on the plane with you guys?"

Ulysses gave a fidgety nod. "D-Definitely."

York held his hips and paced around in a circle. He grunted quietly. "…well, knowing Eli, something as complex as crossing regions shouldn't be too hard for him. Who else was with him?"

"A cheeky little Aipom-Kecleon and a rather aggressive Zebrastrika-Vikavolt," Asadi named off.

"I'm not familiar with those two." York clenched his teeth. "They keep bringing in new recruits off the streets. Misguided Fusions probably seeking revenge for the hardship they've endured." York closed his eyes. "There's no telling how much the Rogues' numbers have increased since I've last been there. With all the inactivity for the last few weeks, we don't know what they're scheming."

Asadi raised her brow questionably. "Don't you think you're overanalyzing this? This was probably some last ditch effort to make quick bucks."

"If they're desperate enough, they'll try anything to stay active." York held his chin. "They haven't attempted big scale robberies in the last few weeks. They're playing it safe solely to keep away from the police."

Ulysses gulped. "W-What does that mean for us?"

"Currently? I don't know." York glared to the side. "Whenever Eli gets involved in stuff like this, it can never end well." He crossed his arms. "However, for now, we shouldn't be worrying about it." He nodded his head over at the group as they still talked. "We don't want to bring unnecessary drama to our guests, after all. If the Rogues continue to stay inactive, that's good for us."

Ulysses smiled in agreement. "Y-Yeah…as long as they aren't doing anything, w-we should be fine…"

Asadi closed her eyes for a moment, then shrugged with a carefree smile. "If you say so." She walked away from them. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?" she asked rhetorically with a casual shrug.

The cellular avian felt an unnerving chill run up his back. He whimpered quietly. "I-I've heard that line too many times in horror movies…"

* * *

The next day rolled along for Grandis City. The sun was high in the sky and shining brightly. It was remarkably slow out, no big rushes or accidents that needed to be attended to. Perfect day for Julian to get to work on his latest project: figuring out what the hell he was looking at.

Julian took the day off from work since he didn't have any important meetings or business to tend to. He sat in the comforts of his suite, wearing his white buttons shirt and black pants. He had a computer set up and a scanner pad for the weird cube to sit on. He used the scanner to examine any internal components of the strange contraption to conclude what its purpose was. So far, he has deduced it wasn't a bomb or experimental weapon.

As he worked on the computer, he was in a call with Dr. Gates. "You know, even for the advancements made in the eighteenth century, this is absurdly beyond anything I've seen _today_."

"Do you know what it is?" Albert asked.

"Well, it's anything but life-threatening, so we can thankfully cross that off the list of possibilities." He narrowed his eyes. "We're looking at the makings of a brilliant genius here. I haven't even gone over the other equipment we found in the lab."

"Yeah…you told me the Fusions found some sort centrifuge down there," Albert wondered.

"It was hooked up to something on the workstation, but it wasn't in the lab with us." Julian bit his thumb gently as he analyzed the digital reconstruction of the cube. Still nothing he could make heads or tails of. The components were foreign to his knowledge. "If we're looking at advanced technology, we should be looking into what type of Pokémon 'Data' is. Mason Rollins shouldn't be too hard to place a species to."

"Well, if you want species, we could be looking at something like an Alakazam, a Metagross, a Rotom, a Porygon…you know, Pokémon with high intelligence."

"You may be on to something."

"What do we know about Rollins?"

Julian changed tabs on his computer and pulled up what little he could find on Mason Rollins. "Well…says here Mason Rollins was a Flygon. Lived out in Sinnoh, but regularly traveled overseas to the other regions. Guess that explains the lab…" Julian scratched his cheek. "Other than being a genetic researcher and attending Fusion Rights Mobs, there isn't anything on his research other than some recorded term papers of his."

"Sssooo…we've got nothing on him?" Albert concluded.

"Guess so. At the very least, he doesn't fall in line with the list of super intelligent Pokémon on our list. That, however, still leaves us with nothing on Data. No mentions of Mason having a partner, either, or the secret lab."

"Hmm…this is beginning to sound like a cover up. What do you suppose this means for us?"

Julian closed his eyes and sighed. "Given we still don't know who are mystery guy is, we're running into some dead ends unless Arceus decides to throw a miracle at my face." He picked a file up and skimmed the coded message. "I'll have to call my investigation team for the code key. One of these files is bound to hold secrets."

"You're putting quite the workload on yourself," Albert commented.

Julian shrugged. "Maybe a little."

"Maybe you should let me look everything over. In fact, I can handle investigating the cube for you."

Julian smiled wearily. "Appreciate the thought, Gates, but I've got it covered. I'm already dedicated to getting this all cracked. I don't want to stop now."

Albert sighed. "If you say so. Just don't work yourself into a corner."

"I'll try not to. I should let you get back to work. I know you're likely busy."

"Heh, quite a lot these days. Take care, Mr. Roteman." Albert hung up.

Julian slid the cellphone into his pocket, then resumed looking over the digital reconstruction of the cube. From what the scans determined, the cube was lined with sophisticated technology, beyond his own understanding. The strangest part to make of it was the center. Completely hollowed out with an unknown energy flow spiraling around inside. He couldn't identify any specifics other than it wasn't radiation or toxic.

He picked the cube up and looked it over with a strong gaze. "What are your secrets, Data? What is your motivation for working in that lab? What were you aiming for?" He sighed and leaned back. "And more importantly, who's the rat running around my company?"

He set the cube down and resumed analyzing it on his computer. With his mind focused on too many important projects at once, he didn't have the time to think. Whether it be helping the Fusions, working on new equipment, or solving this mystery, he couldn't catch a break. He was only one man, after all. Something needed to be done.

He internally growled, recalling the Rogues and their pestering. "The Rogues…there's no telling how long it'll be before they blow up a gas line or start a full-scale war." He leaned back for a moment. "The Fusion Hunters can only do so much to stop these dangerous pests." He clenched his fist. "I'm only doing the best I can…"

He pinched between his eyes and groaned tiredly. He needed a five-minute break or something. Maybe he could head out to eat a fast food place or something. Something cheap and accessible.

Before he could get up and commit to the plan, a low hum interrupted his thoughts. He glanced down at his coffee table and landed his eyes on the cube. He leaned in closer and made out the quiet humming within the contraption. He narrowed his eyes before picking the device up.

"What the…?" He tapped it a couple times and pressed his ear against it. He then gave it a little shake to see if anything was loose. "Is this thing malfunctioning?"

"Highly illogical."

Julian gasped and dropped the cube near his feet. He sprung from his seat and raised his fists with a vicious glare. "Who's there?! How did you get in my suite?!" He growled. "I swear, if someone broke in, you're in for a world of suffering!"

"Don't act so surprised. I thought I was given consent to enter your abode, considering _you_ are the one who brought me in," the voice argued lightly. And it was coming directly under him.

Julian blinked, then slowly moved his eyes down until they landed on the cube once more. It was stationary and inactive. His eyes narrowed with perplexity and bafflement, then he crouched down and picked the device up. He tapped the front face a few times with uncertainty. Did this thing just…?

Julian shook his head and laughed nervously. "O-Okay Julian, I think you definitely need that break. You're acting like you're hearing-"

"Voices in your head?" the voice finished, this time with Julian hearing the sound coming directly from the cube. It glowed with a mix of red, yellow, and green through each syllable. Julian's face twisted in horror as the cube said, "Funny, with that rectangular, portable device you were using, I thought you'd be used to geometric shapes speaking back."

Like any rational man thinking he lost his mind, Julian dropped the box in panic and jumped onto his couch, keeping his distance from the strange device. "W-W-What the hell?!"

"Ow," the cube groaned, having landed upside down. "Quite a rude first impression, but I'll forgive it."

Julian held his head. "How?! What?! Why?!"

"You seem confused," the cube determined.

Julian jumped over his couch and paced around with panicked eyes. "Am I actually going insane?! There's no way artificial intelligence was invented that far back!"

"Ahem!" Julian stopped pacing and looked back at the cube. "I know I've just woken up from my hibernation, but perhaps you could show some tact to your guest? Brink of madness is no excuse for poor manners."

Julian's eyes then furrowed into a glare. He clenched his upper left fist, then formed a sparking, yellow Focus Blast. He picked the cube up and aimed the attack at it. "Who are you?!"

"Will you get a grip?! I've met superstitious folk who are less paranoid than you! And they were louts who partook in those horrid trials…"

That brought some semblance of sanity back into Julian's mind. His glare soften, then he deactivated the Focus Blast. "…what is this?"

"If you are referring to my current state, what you are observing is my greatest creation ever! Or…maybe second greatest. Haven't really decided yet. Might still be groggy, but can you blame me? Three hundred years of inactiveness and you get to have your first interaction with a crazy Machamp. Will say, though, got some good rest."

"I don't get it," Julian stated, completely lost on the matter. "How advance of an artificial intelligence is this? Can one even experience dreams?" Julian then blinked in realization. "You…said 'current state.'"

"Well, about time we've got that across. Now, may you kindly put me down?" the cube asked.

Julian still felt hesitant and still believed in the back of his mind this was all some self-induced hallucination. However, if he truly wasn't going mad, he was speaking to an intelligent invention that was made in the same lab of the two people he's researching. He'll have to see this through, even if by chance he actually lost his wit.

Julian sat back down and rested the cube on the coffee table. He folded his hands together and sighed tiredly. "Okay…you…have my attention."

"Thank you." The cube hummed for a moment. "I've been aware of everything that happened the moment that timid Fusion pulled me off my stand. Must say, I'm surprised by how much time has passed. Definitely didn't feel like three centuries have passed. Made quite for the restful sleep, though." The cube sighed. "I'm getting off topic. I suppose you're wondering what _this_ is all about."

Julian folded his arms into his lap and leaned forward. "Can you tell me who or _what_ you are?"

"I could, but I rather not. You see, my friend, I come from a time where trust in others…was hard to come by. Frankly, with everyone on edge about Fusions, some were naturally bitter towards each other. Though, seeing as how you're cooperating with Fusions, I take it things actually have changed. If only slightly."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "Well…we've banned Fusion Trials, if that's what you're referring to."

"Oh, how I hated those terrible ordeals. They made my blood boil." Julian raised his brow. "We'll get to explaining _that_ a little later. The point I'm trying to make is, I'm not sure who I can trust in this time. However, seeing as you're a man of innovation like me, I think we can work something out."

"Do you know Mason Rollins or this Data I've been reading up on?" Julian asked.

The cube hummed. "Let's not get too deep into personal life. Does this mean, though, that you're the owner of the bunker file?"

Julian blinked. He must have been referring to that file they found. "No, I'm not exactly. It was found in my building, but I've never seen it before."

"Hmm…I see." Julian narrowed his eyes curiously as the cube suddenly went quiet. He waited for almost two minutes for it to speak up again. "Well, it doesn't matter now. Like I said, I've been perfectly aware of everything the moment I was first picked up. In other words, I know about your little problem regarding these rogue Fusions you speak of."

Julian glared to the side. "I…can't say I'm fond of them." He sighed. "Personally, I wanted them locked away for all the trouble they've caused. My…associate, Liam, doesn't see eye to eye with me. He believes in reformation. I don't necessarily disagree with that train of thought, but there are laws to be taken into account here. I built Gappei Village as a second chance for Fusions…but the Rogues actively cause misery without any regard to the lives of others. We may have had one case of a Rogue stepping away and living in Gappei, but the Rogues are active troublemakers." Julian clenched his teeth. "They even attacked half my crew when we dug you up…"

"Hmm…I'm familiar with troublemaking Fusions. I do agree with you, they need to be taught a lesson for their misdeeds."

"Yes, but it's not that simple now. We have this task force, called the Fusion Hunters, that go after the top priority Fusions causing trouble over the region. Liam, however, doesn't want the bad Fusions to change out of fear, especially since he doesn't trust their activities." Julian glared down. "It's…one of the many reasons we haven't been seeing eye to eye, lately."

"So, this Liam fellow is a man of peace while you are a man of authority? Two contradicting mindsets for the same end goal." The cube hummed. "Well, I see no in these Fusion Hunters."

Julian sighed. "Perhaps, but with rogue Fusions getting stronger each day, it'd be impossible to put them away. Fusion Hunters can only do so much against them, especially if they know how to defend themselves."

"Then my timing couldn't be any more perfect." Julian raised a brow at him. "My friend, I've developed a lot blueprints for ingenious projects that are meant to level harness the power of the Fusion in the hands of a Pokémon. Equipment used to bring peace. Of course, with the times, that kind of tech shouldn't be in the hands of the citizens. I do care for the Fusions as well, so long as they seek to change for the better." The cube sighed. "Sadly, also with the times, I lacked the components necessary to complete my bigger projects. Science was all off and tests have proved…explosive."

Julian crossed his arms. "What are you saying?"

"If you want the means to restore order with a greater success rate, all you need to do is trust me. I shall provide all my advanced secrets while you provide the tech and resources to make them reality. They will be beneficial to the restoration of peace. And, in return for my services, all I ask for is a simple favor I can call upon at any time."

The Machamp raised his brow. "What…kind of favor?"

"Don't know, yet, but is that really too much of a request? My ingenious ideas brought into this new century in exchange for _one_ favor?"

Julian bit the inside of his cheek hesitantly. His feet fidgeted uncomfortably. Was it really worth the risk? This box still refused to give out a name or anything. "I'm not sure…"

"If you're worried about me turning my nonexistent back on you, I can't exactly do anything, especially turn, literally and figuratively. I'm an immobile cube, after all."

Julian scratched his head. "Fair point…" He groaned. "I-I don't know. Part of me is still thinking this is some bizarre dream."

"Take your time to decide on my offer. I promise, my revolutionary ideas will change this world for the better. You have my word," the cube promised.

Julian stood up and rubbed the back of his head. "Riiiight…" He headed to his room. "I'm going to try and sleep over this…"

"You do that." Julian slammed the door behind him. The cube hummed quietly in the living…then sighed tiredly. "…what do Pokémon in this century do for entertainment? Probably should have asked before he left." Silence. "…and, I'm talking to no one…"

* * *

After Julian closed his door, he slid down to the floor and held his face. "This is too much for me to take…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He pulled up Brea's name in his contacts and pressed the call button. He held it up to his ear, mumbling, "Please be awake, please be awake…"

After the third ring, the other end answered. "Ugh…Mr. Roteman?" his secretary muttered. She yawned sleepily. "Do you need something, sir?"

Julian smiled lightly. "I'm not calling over work, Brea…well, sort of, but it's more so I need some advice."

"Advice? What for?"

"I'm working on that cube we found in the desert and I needed an outside party's perspective."

Brea yawned again and said, "Okay…fire away."

"So…if a cube happened to start talking to you out of the blue and offered its trade secrets or expertise to benefit your success, how would you go about it?"

He got a long pause out of her. He honestly expected Brea to laugh at him, though she remained completely serious in her response…sort of. "Oh, is that all? Alright, here's my take on it. I'd hang up right now, get into my car, drive to the nearest hospital, then tell the doctors I'm probably suffering from a heat stroke."

Julian clenched his teeth irritably. "I'M NOT SICK, BREA!" He then held his head and groaned tiredly. "At least…I hope I'm not…"

Brea sighed. "I know. Just my attempt at comedy. How did I do?"

Julian deadpanned. "Brea…"

"Hey, I'm groggy and tired. Cut me some slack." She yawned. "In all seriousness, is that thing actually talking to you?"

Julian glanced at his door wearily. "For the most part…I think it actually is…"

"You did say the tech you found was modern compared to today. I don't know what else to tell you."

"Yes, but it's not just about the technology." He narrowed eyes. "I'm not sure if I can trust this…thing. I'm not even sure what it is."

"Well, that's not my problem until I return to work…"

Julian deadpanned again. "You're a real big help, Brea…"

"Look, if this thing is offering advice to help better Profectus Inc., why refuse? Might as well hear it out and see what it has to offer. Who knows? Might be beneficial for you in the long run. Besides, what's the worst that thing can do? Scuff the floor up?"

Julian sighed. "I suppose you have a point." He shook his head. "I still need more time to get my facts straight."

"Do what you think is right. As for me, I'm going back to bed." Julian smirked as he heard the Musharna yawn loudly. "That poison did a real number on me. I'll be sure to be ready for work this week."

"Take all the time you need, Brea. And thanks. Goodbye." He hung up, then rested the back of his head against the door.

That cube did say trust was essential to keep a stable relationship or partnership. It did set off warnings in the businessman's head, given he has to deal with these sort of actions whenever a deal is thrown in his face, but how much of Data's word can he trust? Not to mention, that _favor_ he'll be holding on to until he can cash it in. Just one favor. What did he have in mind?

Julian sighed and pinched between his eyes. _I've taken risks before. That's how I built myself up. Is there harm in taking another?_

* * *

Deep in the underground hideout of the Rogues, Norris was pacing around with an annoyed scowl across his face. His associates merely stared at him, albeit cautiously, as they didn't want to anger him by giving their input on the situation.

After minutes of pacing, Norris stomped his foot down and roared. "Where! Is! ELI?!" his voice rang across the passageways of the closed off sewer.

Mikayla crossed her arms. "He's been gone for only a few days, Norris."

"Those Gappei Wimps and Roteman have been back since yesterday!" he growled. "This is unacceptable! I expect perfection from that crafty freak! I want my results now!" He threw his hands up. "You don't go promising success of the lifetime without backing up your worth!"

Sunny squeaked fearfully. "What if Mr. Eli was captured by those mean ol' police people?!"

Sullivan raised his brow at her. "We _are_ referring to the same Eli, right?"

Norris cracked his knuckles and huffed through his nostrils. "I don't care if he broke his damn ankle! He better show up soon or something's exploding down here!"

Zoey quickly grabbed Sunny and calmly walked back. "Yeeeah…I'll just be over here…"

However, before anyone could get too anxious, someone walked into the room, drawing their attention forward. It was Augustus, timidly hiding his face. "Um…sir?"

Norris' fury died down a little, but he continued to scowl. "What, kid?" he asked calmly.

"I…just heard from our guards that Eli and the two recruits are back from their mission," he stated quietly.

Norris clenched his teeth. "Finally…tell him to meet with me, now." Augustus nodded and walked away.

Zoey relaxed her nerves and walked back over to the group. "Took him long enough. What do you suppose held him up?"

Mikayla shrugged. "It's Eli. Nothing goes as planned when he gets involved. Always doing things his own way."

A few moments later, Eli entered the large area with Braith and Gordon following behind. Gordon carried a large sack on his back. Eli spread his arms out, signaling a hug to Norris as the mad duck marched over to him. "Norris, my friend, my leader! Did you miss me?" Norris' response to that was socking the dark poisoner in the gut, doubling him over. Despite that, Eli continued to smile, if only painfully. "Nope…didn't miss me at all…"

"Where the hell were you?!" Norris growled. "I was close to believing you were captured, for how absurd that is!"

Eli rubbed his sore gut and smirked. "My apologies, my leader, but I got held on the return trip. Not sure if you know this, but I can only fly for so long, especially if I had to carry these two with me. I will say this, though. That storage area for all your bags on commercial airlines? Not the most comfortable place to sleep in." He shrugged. "But hey, we made it back."

Norris gave a petulant snort. "What held you up from getting back sooner?"

"Well, I didn't expect to get back on the plane when I attacked all those workers," Eli admitted nonchalantly.

Zoey raised her brow and pointed at the bag sitting on Gordon. "The hell is that, then?"

Eli smirked at the bag. "Oh, that? Just a little something I picked up. I found some rather…interesting items in the underground of that desert." He snapped his fingers, ordering Braith to throw the bag off of Gordon and slam it down, spilling out its contents.

The Rogues blankly stared at the material laying at their feet, then shot questionable glares at the dark poisoner. "Scrapped metal?" Mikayla questioned.

Eli laughed evilly and reached into his winged cloak. "Norris, I am a man of innovation. What you see before you are the stepping stones to progress. These were the remains of highly sophisticated automatons meant to protect that bunker we found." He pulled the tube of blueprints out, then uncapped it. "After experiencing that lab, we're taking a step in my neck of the woods to restore our supply." He pulled a blueprint out and handed it to Norris.

The Rogues looked over Norris' shoulder as he unfurled the blueprint. Written on the schematic was a detailed layout of some sort of handheld device, like a gun of sorts. Norris read through the components carefully, then handed the print back to Eli with a firm glare. "The hell is this?"

Eli took the blueprint, rolled it back up, and stuffed it in the tube. "What you see in my hand contains many a blueprint for the future in weaponry." Eli closed the lid and skipped around his allies. "My friends, look at us. We are supposed to be the Rogues! Feared by all who wish to push us down!" He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead in a dramatic fashion. "And yet, we're forced to scrape at the bottom of the barrel for our next meal! What kind of criminal masterminds are we?" He spun around and smirked. "And that's when it hit me. We're not acting like true criminal masterminds. We need to take things up a notch to be professionals. And it all starts with these weapons."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Wait…so, you're suggesting we make these weapons to strike fear in others?"

"That'd be the simple route, but utterly cliché. We need to be feared because we have the big, scary weapons?" He snickered deviously. "We were going at this the wrong way. We shouldn't be finding weapons to make us stronger. We should be making weapons to make the rest of the scum of the Earth stronger! Making a profit off the wickedness of the corrupted!"

Sullivan's eyes widened. "You're suggesting…selling these weapons to other criminals?"

Eli smirked evilly. "I did mention almost a week ago that I was connected to the black market before joining the Rogues." He paced around. "Luckily for us, my outside connections can land us some sweet deals with the scummiest people in other cities. We might be able to find a nicer hideout than this dump. Or at least another branch of operations." He shrugged. "I have an old partner who would love to handle with the manufacturing process."

Norris glared. "How are we supposed to do this without the Fusions catching wind of it?"

The dark poisoner snickered. "Please, if the police have trouble finding and shutting down most black markets, what are the Fusions going to do? We can keep quiet and, even if they figure out we're connected, they won't be able to find us."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "It feels like we're stepping into risking territory."

"I never aimed high without taking the risks and odds." Eli looked at Norris. "Come on, Norris, this is the best way to solve our food crisis. We just need to make some big heists to keep food stable long enough until we get those weapons sold."

Norris looked at the other Rogues. Aside from some wary glances, they were against the idea if it meant fixing their food shortage. Eli was the expert in this field. Norris trusted his judgment if he made a good enough case. This…This was promising.

After giving it a moment of though, Norris crossed his arms. "…how soon can you get that partner of yours here?"

Eli shrugged. "Could take some time. Haven't had contact with him in years."

Norris closed his eyes and scowled. "…fine. If this plan of yours guarantees food, you have my full approval." The others nodded in agreement.

Eli tapped his fingers together with a sinister grin. "Oho…thank you, Norris. You won't be disappointed."


	29. Fragility of Trust

It has been a couple days since Julian's interaction with the mysterious cube. Progress between them has been…tense, for lack of better defining words. Of course, with each hour they're around each other, the cube would once again ask if Julian has come to a new understanding of his proposition. Julian gave the same tired response, that he needed more time to think about it. The cube himself was relentless, never tiring in his pursuit. Guess spending three hundred years in total hibernation will do that to a cube, especially if it doesn't have any vitals to cause fatigue.

Julian could only find solace in work, the one place the cube couldn't follow him. Well, actually, anywhere outside his suite was a safe zone itself, but he couldn't even feel free in his own home!

Currently, the Machamp was in his office, pacing around his desk while mumbling inaudibly. Brea was in the office as well, watching her boss go into one of those rare, longwinded conversations with himself. Knowing her boss, this could go on for a while. Maybe days if she doesn't put a stop to it. The Musharna herself was doing much better after taking the antidote delivered to her.

Brea sighed audibly, loud enough to gain Julian's attention. "Two days and you're still lost on what to do?"

Julian mentally realized some time has passed since his arrival to the office. What, about an hour? Was he actually debating to himself for an hour?! He held his head and groaned tiredly. "Ugh…sorry, Brea. I'm just not in a good mood right now."

"The cube's still harassing you?" she pried.

The Machamp leaned against the front of his desk and stared at the back wall. "I…wouldn't say harassment, but he's awfully implacable. Changing the subject doesn't last for too long."

Brea crossed her arms. "So, you still can't make up your mind on his deal?"

"I don't even know what is deal is, that's the problem! Maybe if he were a little more specific on what he's trying to sell me, I'd be open for commitment. But no, he keeps dodging _that_ question with the excuse of trust and stuff."

This made Brea raise her brow. "Trust? What does this have to do with trust?"

Julian sat on his desk and sighed. "Despite having known him for three days, he's reading me thoroughly. He knows I value trust. So does he." Julian glared at the floor. "The problem is…trust is a touchy subject with me. I can't just blindly trust an inanimate object without knowing what I'm throwing myself into!"

That brought up another question for the Musharna. "By the way, what exactly does he do while you're at work?"

Julian scratched his cheek. "He can't do much, so I just left the TV on for him." He crossed his lower arms while leaning back on his upper hands. "Should I take him up on his offer?"

Brea floated over to her boss. "An anachronistic device that shares the same goal and passion as you is offering advice to help you…you tell me."

Julian pinched between his eyes. "This is all too much to believe…I still don't know if he's actually a machine or not." Julian frowned sadly. "How can I trust him when I, myself, haven't been able to trust those I called friend?"

Brea raised her brow at this. "You said you grew up poor, right?"

"Given the time that took place, a lot of us were suffering." Julian narrowed his eyes. "A lot…happened when I was but a young lad. Friends…enemies…they all looked the same to me for a long time."

"If you want to cut the philosophical crap out for a moment, the Rogues are the enemy here. That…thing said he knows a way to maximize rogue Fusion capture. The Fusion Hunters can only manage so much and, as you ordered, they can't touch the Rogues as long as they remain within Grandis City limits."

The Machamp gently clenched his jaw. "…you have a point."

"Exactly. What I'd do is take him up on his offer and see where he goes from there. If he says anything that sets you off, no deal then."

"But wouldn't that be an act of betrayal? I am giving him my word that I'd see him through."

Brea glared. "Boss, with all due respect, the world is sustained by an act of trust, but blind trust, as you put said, is worse. You'd be lying to yourself if you don't agree with him. Betrayal or not, he can't do anything about it. That thing…is a cube. Not a Pokémon. A cube."

Julian groaned quietly. "I don't like breaking promises…"

"Then he better have a persuasive argument under his belt." Brea floated over to the window, arms crossed behind her. "He doesn't control your actions, Julian. He can't stop you."

Julian glared at her for a moment, then direct his gaze forward. "Perhaps you're right…"

Brea glanced at him through her peripherals. "By the way, will this information be made privy to the Fusion Council?"

Julian shook his head. "Heavens, no." He stood up. "I don't want them, especially Liam, getting involved with this. I need to make these decisions on my own terms."

"Is it wise to be keeping secrets from, arguably, the most powerful Fusion to date?" Brea challenged.

Julian merely scoffed and looked away. "I don't need Liam meddling in my affairs. I can handle this without him."

The harshness of tone raised the Musharna's curiosity up a couple notches. So much about the Machamp's history with the godly ape remained a mystery to her. He spoke of him as if they have a deep-seated history that…leaves much to be desired.

"…you know, your tone leaks little hints that your history with Liam wasn't always bickering and distrust. I sense the two of you shared a special connection before the village was created."

Julian intentionally kept his eyes off Brea as he glared at the ground. "…that was a long time ago."

"You never gave me an answer to last time." Brea glared. "Why are you dodging the question? Are you ashamed of something? What happened between you and Liam?"

The Machamp went for his chest and clenched the fabric of his shirt tightly. A shaky sigh escaped his lips. "We've…just moved on from the past." A downcast stare replaced his glare. "I…moved on from the past."

Perhaps she should stop while she was ahead. While terribly unlikely, the risk of firing wasn't something she wanted to test against his patience. "If you insist, sir. I still think taking the cube up on his word might be beneficial. Who knows? It might be worth your while."

This…cube has been a bit more considerate and interested in Julian's ideas, far more than Liam ever has. What they had here was a possible partnership that could benefit the Machamp's success in the long term. It was clear they had common interests when it came to restoring balance to the Pokémon and Fusion's trust. Would it be a terrible waste of an opportunity? Despite the vagueness of it all, that meant the possibilities were endless.

Julian's eyes narrowed sharply, then he boldly faced Brea with a confident nod. "Alright…I'll see what he has to offer."

* * *

Emily wasn't sure how, but the young and perky Marion managed to drag her to the mess hall for lunch. She wanted to continue with her meditation, but the Emolga wasn't taking no for an answer. Apparently, she has taken a real shine to her. How, the Mawile-Froslass wondered, is anyone's guess.

Marion seemed…alright, for the most part. The Fusion still wasn't a hundred percent sure how to gauge her thoughts on the spunky Emolga. Her own bias alone prevented her from fulling accepting the Pokémon's trust. In the back of her mind, Emily knew she wouldn't harm a fly. Yet, at the full front of her mental defenses, could any Pokémon be fully trusted?

Of course, the same could be said for a Fusion, so it was just her bias talking.

It has been a few days since Annabeth and Marion came to the village. Even in the short time they've been here, the two had a blast reuniting with Cade. The phantom panda left the village more often than usual to go sightseeing with his loved ones, with Emily and her hut mates tagging along, of course.

Right, Dez and Charlie. Unlike their pessimistic friend, they were more accepting of the Pokémon. Of course, both had a better trust in Pokémon compared to her. They didn't have to go through…regrettable times, like she did. Still, even when the steel jawed ghost found herself acting pessimistic about being out in the open, she could count on those two to lift her spirits.

Even though she hated it, she wished she could be a bit more open to hanging out with Marion and Annabeth. Surface wise, they were friendly individuals. She couldn't deny that. No…ill intent could be recognized from their actions or any disgruntlement about being within the company of Fusions, plainly obvious given the older Emolga's husband.

And yet, there was something hold Emily back from letting up and relaxing. Was she seriously that tense around these harmless Pokémon? Has she always had these trust issues? How deep did they run? Probably greater than she could imagine. The mind was a tricky thing, yet it knew more than said owner of mind.

She let her thoughts wander beyond her perception of reality, picking at her food numbly and tuning Marion out as she chattered on about…sports? Farm work? Girly stuff? Whatever a preteen Emolga would spew from their head. It didn't matter to Emily. Is that her problem, though? Is she really being too negative?

"…so, I finally decided on bringing my portable synthesizer to school, then impressed my class with my mad music skills!" Marion finished her elaborate tale.

This stirred Emily from her thoughts. _Aw crap, I didn't hear a damn thing she said. Ugh…might as well look convincing._ "My, my, that certainly sound…interesting." Yeah, that seemed like a good response.

"Yeah! My classmates thought I was so cool with it!" Marion then looked to the side with an awkward laugh escaping her lips. "The teacher, however, was of a different opinion. She wasn't happy that I kept blaring it periodically in class. It got confiscated for a week." Marion sighed sadly, if not a little dramatically. "It was a cold, lonely week without my beloved baby…"

Emily rolled her eyes with a tiny smirk poking at the corner of her lips. "I see music is a big thing in your life."

That made the Emolga's smile return. "It practically is my life! I just can't help myself sometimes!" She rubbed the back of her head, with her expression showing embarrassment. "For…instance, whenever I'm listening to music on the farm, I…sometimes break out in spontaneous dance numbers when picking berries."

That got a small, yet legitimate laugh out of Emily. "Seriously?"

"Heh…yeah. Sometimes in the middle of school, too." Marion blushed awkwardly and laughed behind her hand. "I'm often labeled the 'Weird Girl' throughout school…in a good way, though!" she quickly added. "I'm just very expressive when it comes to music. You cannot contain my joy!"

"Oh? So, is that why you decided to tackle Casey out of nowhere?" Emily teased with a dry smirk.

Marion's embarrassed blush reddened her face as she feebly tapped her fingertips together. "Heh…couldn't help myself. Can you blame me? I'm an excitable girl! I see favorite celebrity, I hug them!"

Emily held her face, shaking her head in response. "Hopefully this is a one time case for you."

"I make no promises!" Marion cheered.

"Didn't you or your mom mention something about being in theater?"

"Oh yeah, that!" Marion crossed her arms and expressed a bold grin. "I get trained as a soundboard operator. That's sort of up my alley of expertise! Plus, it's fun to mess with the control board and make things awkward or funny for the crew. I'm surprised they haven't taped me down to the chair yet."

Emily sighed, then picked up an Oran berry. "Seems you've got your priorities in order."

"Oh, I wouldn't say _that_. Sometimes, I think about starting a band, but…well, that seems next to impossible given I'm…a terrible singer."

"What~? You can't be that bad."

Marion deadpanned. "Attempted to sing in my room…next thing I knew, my mom kicks the door open with the first aid kit. Need I go on?"

This made Emily all the more curious about the Emolga's singing capability, yet likely didn't want to suffer the long-term effects of deafness. Best to take the flying squirrel's warning seriously. "Heh…guess you wouldn't make a good lead singer, then."

"Even so, being realistic, kind of hard to find a talent agent where I'm from." The Emolga's eyes widened, then she grinned brightly, exposing her pearly white teeth. "Ooh! You think Casey could put in a good word for me?!"

Given all Emily knew based off Casey's offhand comments about her manager, something told her Marion wouldn't enjoy being in the company of someone like that. "Um…perhaps go for a more realistic approach, kid."

Marion pouted, then crossed her arms in a huff. "Hmph!" She remained that way for a sold five seconds before exhaling loudly. "Well…my other option is theater, and I do enjoy operating the soundboard." She scratched her cheek. "Though, I do like making music. I practice by remixing some songs. I say I'm…pretty decent. A little more practice and I could compose my own music!"

Emily bit into her berry and chewed softly. "You dream big, I'll give you that."

"Now I'm just being insensitive!" Marion leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. "As much as I would love to talk about myself, I bet you have just as many exciting tales to tell!"

The Mawile-Froslass was surprised in her sudden interest, but politely refused. "Thanks, but no thanks. Not much interesting happens around here. You just go with the motions of the village. Though, I suppose the Gappei Village Festival is worth talking about. Granted, I didn't really do much in any of the ones I've been to."

"Aww, come on! There had to have been some wild times back in your youth!" Marion had to pause after saying that, before frantically correcting herself. "AH! I didn't mean to imply you're old or anything! I meant childhood! Childhood!"

Emily understood what she implied, though the word 'childhood' stung at the Fusion's heart. She clenched her teeth as she was unwillingly reminded of those…darker times in her youth. It wasn't in her best interests to explain her own frustrations to the young Pokémon, though she knew the Emolga had a good sense of empathy in her heart.

Emily tapped the table and sighed soundlessly. "I'd…appreciate if we don't talk about my childhood." This got Marion to cease her frantic spasms and stare at the Fusion with a glimmering softness. Emily lightly scratched the table with her index finger. "It's…you know…"

In her ramblings, the Emolga forgot that most Fusions suffered through some tough times as children. _Oh man, I hope I didn't upset her._ Marion drummed her fingers on the table. "…was it that bad?" _Stupid question!_

Thankfully, Emily didn't seem _too_ bothered by the innocent question, though she heaved a heavy sigh. "There are…some things I regret doing back then, if only out of principle." She closed her eyes. "I had to do what was needed…even if the execution was…macabre."

Marion gulped audibly, visibly discomforted by the admission. "O-Oh…" She looked down at her food. "I…was aware times were tough on everyone, but…I have a hard time imaging it could be that bad…" She looked up pitifully. "I, um…I'm sorry I brought it up."

Emily did her best to shrug it off, ignoring the uncomfortable chill running up her spine. An Ice-Type with chills? That bad, huh? "You're just a kid. You didn't know any better." She bit into her berry and chewed languidly. With her arms laying on the table, she could feel it gradually freezing over. She clenched her teeth and mentally halted herself to cease the passive freezing.

Marion looked at the sheet of ice carefully, then exchanged a gentle stare to her lunchmate. "That's…a pretty common trait I see in Pokémon."

"Hmm?" Emily responded with numbness.

"T-That thing where you…freeze stuff when you're feeling down…" Marion's ears flopped down against her head. "Sometimes…my cheeks spark when I have a lot on my mind. I don't really think about it. It just…happens." Emily tried to avoid eye contact with the Emolga, finding greater interest in a nearby trashcan. "Something's bugging you, isn't there?"

Emily restrained herself from shutting the Emolga up. She was too tired to put effort into yelling. The Fusion simply set her half-eaten berry down, which was covered in frost from her icy mood, and dared a glance at the flying squirrel. "My trust with Pokémon…has dwindled in the years. I've…lost my cool on more than one occasion. I've…never held back on expressing my anger. I've…never given respect to the Pokémon who treat us like scum. And I've…never gone beyond what I've done as a child…" Emily bit her lip. "Only because I've had others to hold me back.

"I work as a guard for the village. I take shifts to keep trespassers out. Not to brag, but I'm pretty strong in a fight, and my training has only made me stronger." She glared. "We occasionally get protesters coming by to vandalize or downright assault our gate because they hate us. Even though I've been ordered to never step over my boundaries, that little voice in the back of my head always found a way to convince me otherwise." She then whispered:

"'Kill them…kill them…'"

Emily shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "The fragility of trust…so easy to break and near impossible to repair."

She took a cautious look at Marion, hoping her minor confession won't leave impressionable nightmares on her. Thankfully, not to mention surprisingly, the Emolga stared with a general air of calm, though her expression showed hints of sorrow…for Emily.

Emily completely turned away and prepared to get up. "Sorry…I think I need some time to myself…"

"Emily…can I ask you a question?"

Her voice was feeble. Delicate, soft, and almost hoarse, as if straining to speak clearly. Tears brimmed from the Emolga's eyes, but not from fear. Any tension the Fusion felt coursing in her nerves relaxed at the sad sight, struggling to keep up her cold demeanor.

Marion gulped a bit, then asked, "…do you…trust me?"

Emily stood before her, expression unwavering, yet internally stunned. She turned away from the Emolga and rubbed her face as she got her scrambled thoughts in order. A few days with this excitable Emolga and she couldn't give a straight answer? It's not like she can say 'no.' She was cold, sure, but not heartless. Besides…she'd be lying to herself if she said she saw the little Emolga as a threat. It'd be callous, first of all, and it'd be a stupid move on her end if she felt threatened by someone years younger than her.

Besides…could she really bring herself to hating Marion? She was too sweet a kid to deserve treatment like that, even for a…Pokémon.

Emily narrowed her eyes for a moment, having a brief epiphany in her reasoning. Was it…possible she has been overthinking everything she knew? She has gone on rants saying all Pokémon were the same towards Pokémon, yet…Marion, even Annabeth, were far different than her normal perception of the majority species.

"Emily?"

The preteen's voice drew the Fusion from her thoughts. Perhaps she'll need more time to think over her actions. Now was not the time or place. But for right now, Marion deserved an answer to her question.

Emily sighed, then glanced at the Emolga with no discernable expression, though with a hint of kindness in her eye. "…You're a good kid…that's all you need to know."

It wasn't the response she expected, but it made Marion's day a hundred times better. She smiled cheerfully and stood up in her seat. "Does this mean we're friends?!"

Feeling a bit playful, Emily shot a smirk her way and wagged her finger as she picked her tray up. "We'll settle on…acquaintances." With no more to add, Emily walked away without looking back.

Despite the unsatisfying response, Marion's smile only grew. _Best friends, it is!_

* * *

It was a sad sight when a man dreaded returning to his home after a long day at work. Bad day, angry wife, eviction…all common occurrences. For Julian Roteman, he had to deal with his apparent roommate: a talking cube.

Julian entered his suite with a visibly tired expression. Not from hard work, but from the constant debating going on his mind. He shut the door behind him and threw his blazer unceremoniously onto the rack and threw his briefcase down, mumbling he'll pick it up later. He rubbed his eyes and walked over to the couch.

Right where he left him, the cube was engaging in the 'moving picture screen' the Machamp left on. While only vaguely aware of Julian's presence, the cube felt to give his comments on the apparent horror movie he was watching.

"You know, dear friend, I'm rather impressed with the leaps in technology made since my time. Look at me, designing projects for personal benefit. The genius who designed _this_ contraption is an Arceus damn hero! And this 'movie industry' makes rather impressive effects! Though, I have my notes about this 'horror' movie, namely the illogical actions taking place before my very…I-I-I don't know, eyes? Optical sensors? The true horror I see is these braindead imbeciles! Why yes, you special simpleton, do investigate that strange noise while you're being chased by a killer who can seemingly teleport on par with a Psychic-Type!"

Julian swiped the TV remote off the couch and switched the television off. "Sorry to disappoint…" He dropped the remote and headed towards his kitchen.

The cube sighed. "Oh, it can't be helped. For every marvelous creation, there must be a dud. Huh…much like science, I suppose. A mistake can lead to a breakthrough!"

Julian poured himself some milk and placed the carton away. "Glad to see you were entertained…"

"For the most part. Though, my anticipation lies more with that all so important response you've failed to deliver in the passing days." The Machamp turned his back to the cube and drank his milk. "Has my offer tickled your fancy, yet?"

Julian finished the glass, then set it down of the coffee table as he sat down. His exhaustion shifted to a far more serious expression. "Before we get to that, I need answers." He narrowed his eyes. "A simple question I'm sure you can answer: why are you invested in helping Fusions?"

Ah, the cube was wondering if that question would ever pop up. He didn't have anything prepared, so he'll have to get his wording in order. "Well, my friend, times were much rougher back in my day…century?" he mumbled in correction. "It was, understandably, hard to watch these poor, unfortunate souls suffer at the hands of prejudice for their outwardly appearance and immense potential. With those dreaded Fusion Trials, times were tough. Even though their existence has long since expired, this world is still plagued with discord."

Julian's eyes wandered off and glanced out his window. "We try all we can to change that. That's the vision of my company." He narrowed his eyes. "I'm trying to make a better world. The Fusion Hunters aren't too far behind."

"Ah yes, the Fusion Hunters. An interesting group from what I've picked up. Little details sprinkled here and there. Saw a commercial on the moving picture promoting them. I see they have quite the influence."

Julian rubbed the back of his neck. "They've helped reduce crime against Fusion related affairs, though, as you would guess, they aren't very popular among the Fusions themselves."

"A darn shame. I say they're doing a splendid job." The cube sighed. "While I, too, have a heart for the Fusions' wellbeing, I do not approve of the misdeeds they carry out. Rather than address their issues, they merely reinforce that oh-so pesky stereotype that plagues the name of Fusions."

Julian nodded in agreement. "It…truly is a shame."

"I wish for all Fusions to flourish freely, but I absolutely will not stand for their constant tirades. I, for one, wish to put these stereotypes and criminal behavior to rest!"

Julian narrowed his eyes. "What you're saying…is that you have the means to end criminal activity regarding the Fusions?"

"Well, I have number, theories, and data to back up my claim, but no physical makings of my grand design." The cube hummed quietly for a moment. "Yes, yes, nothing to continue my work. Thankfully, my mind is as sharp as ever. All I need is the resources…and the cooperation of a trusted partner." He hummed in a hinting manner.

Julian asked what he wanted, so he had no other excuse to tiptoe around the question. A little more assurance wouldn't kill him, though. "If I accept your deal, you promise your claims will be legitimate."

"Trust works both ways, friend," the cube stated.

Julian closed his eyes and took a deep breath. This was the first time he'd have to trust someone without having all his facts straight. And, as Brea stated earlier, nothing was stopping him from backing out of the deal should it go south. After all, this was an immobile cube he was talking to.

"Okay…I'll trust you."

If the cube had a face, he'd likely be smiling. "I'm glad to see you came around. I suppose formalities are the next logical step. I already know your name to be Julian Roteman. You'll have the pleasure of referring to me…as Data."

Dead silence rang between the two. The supposed Data remained calm while Julian's eyes widened into a state of shock. Ten…maybe twenty seconds of time passed for the Machamp before he gave an appropriate response. "Wait! _You're_ Data?!"

"Ah, my reputation precedes me!" Data exclaimed, then his enthusiasm dropped as he muttered, "Actually, how wouldn't you know? You did bring my files back from the lab…"

"W-What the hell is this?! Is this some sort of joke?!" Julian shouted.

"I can assure you, my colleagues have stated previously that I'm no jokester." Data hummed for a moment. "Though, I have a record of being too literal in my approach. I have been called witty-"

Julian waved his hands to get him to shut up. "F-Forget that! _This_ is what you meant when you said current state?! Are you saying the Data from those notes WAS an A.I.?!"

"Again with this A.I. nonsense. I'm starting to feel offended." The cube…cleared his throat? "Let me elaborate. I'm no artificial intelligence or simple machine. What you see before you is my greatest- or second greatest, still haven't decided- creation to grace the world! I am, in fact, a living, breathing creature! …sort of."

"Sort of?! What does that mean?!" Julian shouted.

"Lots of science that'd take forever to explain. Let's just say I used the resources available to me and created a loophole to cheat the laws of death."

"I need a bit more than that!"

Data sighed. "I suppose so. Alright, let me explain it like this. The biological mechanisms within all Pokémon and Fusions allow us to do extraordinary things beyond the typical realm of mere concept. Legendaries, in particular, hold this record given their advanced powers among our realm. As such, all Pokémon have power that can be harnessed.

"I suppose a normal example is required. Perhaps the Houndoom species will be a good start. The Houndoom have a biological mechanism that allows them to mix a special toxin that, while not _technically_ life-threatening, poses long-lasting damage when applied to the flames. In short, a pain that'll last forever. Though, given their mythological history, they pose signs of death with their ominous howls."

Julian already knew this. It was common knowledge when you had to work with other Pokémon and understand possible combinations for different Fusions. "What does this have to do with you?"

"My state couldn't be achieved by my own abilities. I required assistance. Using the right combination of Fusions, specifically those that can bend space like Palkia and control the very nature of life like Xerneas, what I've accomplished was creating a vessel that houses and sustains any individual forever. I suppose you could call me a time capsule."

Julian held his chin in disbelief, yet utter astonishment. What this man described was combining the very abilities of different species into technology and exploiting their outcomes. In short, he essentially created Fusion Technology. How has this idea never been explored before?

…oh right, Fusions weren't exactly welcomed back then.

"I'm not surprised my ideas haven't been explored today," Data brought up. Did he read Julian's mind or something? "I've only stumbled upon the idea by accident. Even then, a lot of what I suggested did require Fusions as volunteers. The Fusion community admired me, so I had their trust. Since my ideas did revolve around the use of Legendary Pokémon, they were the only subjects I could use."

"So, that's why you kept your lab hidden deep underground in the desert," Julian concluded. "You didn't want your research falling into the wrong hands."

"To be fair, it was my only option. I don't know about you, but a lab on top of a volcano wouldn't work for me." Data sighed exasperatedly. "Seriously? After all the movies I've been subjected to in the last couple of days, I wouldn't want to be compared to that of a supervillain! Which reminds me, HOW has no one found a lair hidden on top of a volcano?! And why would a scientist who's part Grass-Type want to work on a volcano?!"

Julian snapped his fingers at him. "Data, focus."

"What? Oh, right! Anyway, with my breakthroughs, I've been able to incorporate science into technology. Of course, with resources not being readily available for me, I could only manage blueprints, models, and prototypes. Really…really explosive prototypes."

Julian rubbed his chin for a moment. There was still one thing on his mind he hasn't solved yet. "Data, you know I could have only found you if I had your notes for that specific location, right?"

"Unless you just happened to be digging in that one spot, yes."

"Do you know who could have left the files here? Someone, perhaps an employee of mine, broke into our file room and left your notes, which were stolen quite some time ago, I may add."

"Hmm…can't say I have the answer." Julian groaned, but it cut short as Data continued, "However, I left those notes to a trusted friend. I only asked him to keep it secret and pass it down between generations, for the purpose of…um, a new age where I can use my technology for the benefits of others!"

Julian didn't seem to notice the slight hesitation in his tone. "I see." Julian sighed, then narrowed his eyes seriously. "You've proven to be a genius, but what is this proposition you promised?"

"I suppose we should get onto that." Data took a moment to compile his thoughts. "Let's start with the main reason these…Rogues keep escaping: your police are far too weak in comparison. Sure, while Fusions are naturally born stronger, a well-trained Pokémon can fight, even overpower, a Fusion. Though, we can't forget Fusions are just as strong and can train to fight better. Both sides are intelligent and can work around any problem. Faster opponents can be subdued with strategy. Brawny opponents can be overwhelmed. Brainy opponents can be outwitted. But, according to you, the Rogues, and any other rogue Fusion the police would deal with, are stuck fighting a losing battle.

"Then comes the Fusion Hunters, who seemed to be well equipped to taking on tougher opponents and subduing a Fusion's ability to fight at all. A perfect example of training and equipment. Though, from what you've said, they're usually hired for missions given they're services aren't cheap. Respectable. That kind of equipment and training can't be cheap."

"What are you getting at?" Julian asked cautiously.

"Consider this: what if there was a work around to that strength gap? Well, while I've never made a working batch, I have theorized a special drug that can…make an individual stronger."

That's when the red flags in Julian's mind went off. He held his hands up and shouted, "Hold on! Are you actually suggesting some sort of steroid?!"

That outburst left Data baffled. "No, of course not! Also, what the hell is a steroid?!"

Right, because Data lived in the eighteenth century, he wouldn't know about that. "A steroid, an anabolic steroid to be precise, is basically a muscle enhancer! A dangerous muscle enhancer!"

"Hmm…well, when you put it like that, it's an apt comparison."

"There's no way I'm subjecting anyone to that!"

Data sighed. "Calm down, calm down. I have a pretty good idea what you're talking about. I do have knowledge in biochemistry. I am, however, not suggesting anything you're referring to."

"What could that possibly mean?!"

"Well, for starters, Pokémon and Fusions can naturally increase their own abilities with moves, like Swords Dance or even secondary effects like Ancient Power. The serum I'm proposing operates by those very mechanics, only it does increase natural power by force."

"That's insane!" Julian yelled.

"I never said it was dangerous. Pokémon can safely increase their power. My Enhancer Serum just permanently increases power. It doesn't promote muscle enhancement, but more so the enhancement of one's natural energies, something Pokémon can harness. The process is safe…theoretically."

"Theoretically?!"

"Well, I didn't exactly have willing test subjects…much less a batch of the stuff."

"Test subjects?!"

"I see you're alarmed by this. Well, it'll require some work around, but I guess we won't need subjects."

"What you're suggesting is ludicrous and completely inpokemane! I can't just ask someone to take drugs to make them stronger!"

"You're misinterpreting the purpose of the Enhancer Serum. It's not meant to be a dangerous drug. It's more in line with a super serum."

"They're not _that_ different!"

Data groaned. He should have figured this would be the snag in his negotiation. "I can assure you, I've ran the tests and numbers when comparing different Pokémon. In theory, it won't have any ill effects. The idea in mind is to inject the serum through different parts of the body. You want to go fast? Use a dose for each leg. Strength? Dose for arms. Tougher body? Apply a correct dose into the torso. You have my word, there are no ill side effects or long term consequences, unless you were an idiot pumping more than two doses in."

Julian held his head and stared at the ground in distress. "This is…too much for me to take. It goes against my moral principles…"

"This serum is meant to be beneficial if used responsibly, Julian," Data attempted to persuade. "It's not meant to be taken lightly, but it's no different from that of a Pokémon's natural ability to increase power. Think of it like…I don't know, basic medicines that do that already, like…Protein? Zinc? That sort of stuff? Just…significantly better."

He made a fair point in that regard. Medicines like Protein were used to help increase strength. He did say the serum is only dangerous if applied more than two times, but was it worth trusting? He was an inventor. He didn't think he would have to work with…a super serum.

"I know this might be difficult to accept, but I am offering a chance to take out the more dangerous Fusions out there. If you still think my Enhancer Serum is immoral, then let me say this much: this whole world has done immoral things ever since the Fusions were first discovered. Sometimes you have to take a risky solution to make a safe tomorrow." Julian remained quiet. Data sighed. "Look, if you're not interested, that's fine. I'll just go on with my remaining days inside this vessel, watching more of this illogical rubbish on the moving picture screen.

"I'm not offering a weapon. I'm offering a solution that'll allow Pokémon to be on par with Fusions. After all…in a weird way, we envy their power."

Julian narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then stared out his window once more. He would be taking a risky route, but all he wanted is for things to change. A super serum? Was that really the answer? Well, it's not like he'll have to use it on himself. Plus…the Pokémon will always be at a disadvantage on average. This…This could even things out.

"…fine. I'll take your word for it." He then pointed accusingly. "But you better be sure it _is_ safe! If anyone gets sick, injured, or even killed from it, this is over!"

"I can't make promises on the safety. As I said, too much of the Enhancer Serum would be dangerous. I can promise there will be a safety net for doses. You have my word on that."

Julian sighed and looked away. "Good…now I just need to worry about keeping this secret. I don't want my company knowing about this…or Liam, for that matter."

"We will need somewhere to work, though. Perhaps a select few who can keep this private," Data suggested.

"Hmm…" Albert was one of his more trusted employees, plus he could provide assistance in making the Enhancer Serum safely. Brea was a…well, hopefully she wouldn't say anything. Not many others he had full confidence in.

At least, no one he was closely associated with.

Julian narrowed his eyes, then looked straight at Data. "Actually…there is someone in particular who could help us…"

* * *

Deep within an undisclosed location in the snowy mountains was a facility, braving against the harsh, cold winds of the ever-present snow. This facility was completely unknown to the public and any neighboring cities or towns. The location was closed off due to dangerous terrain, which made it a wonderful, remote location for the secret Fusion Hunter Security Base.

Within the main room of the facility, which was decorated with bland metal walls and a security room, two familiar individuals were making their way to the cell room: Dario and his boss, General Cragtail.

The Golem puffed some smoke from his cigar before looking up the Gallade, who remained neutral in expression as he carried a clipboard. "Dario, what's the word on our prisoners? Status on their rehabilitation?"

Dario looked at his clipboard with disinterest. "Sybil Flinders is coming along nicely in her rehabilitation. She's cooperating nicely with our doctors and has shown good behavior as of late. She'll be set to be released at the end of the week, as will fellow Fusions Ruby Keep, Jonathan Titchener, and Myer Ragsdale."

Cragtail sighed in content. "Ah…I say we're doing a fine job correcting their nasty behavior!"

Dario deadpanned. _That said, they've have stated an understandable hate for_ you. _I wouldn't be surprised if their cooperation was just so they can stay as far away from you as possible._

"Which reminds me," Cragtail suddenly brought up. "How are the less cooperative Fusions coming along?"

Dario narrowed his eyes a little. "As you would expect, not well."

Cragtail merely smirked at the act of defiance. "Is that all? Let them rot in their cells for all I care! Their loss means nothing to me!"

"They are classified as some of the more dangerous criminals on our list, sir."

Even so, the Golem scoffed arrogantly. "Like I care. If they want to test my patience, I'll be succeeding their games. Perhaps I should visit their cells to remind them who's in charge around here."

Dario closed his eyes. "There's still the manner of the two Fusions who wreaked havoc on that Sinnoh military base. The same one where the Golurk-Torterra fled, too."

Cragtail clenched his teeth. Oh, how that little incident has left a stain on his pride will forever burn in his fury. If he ever came across those pesky Fusions, he'll make them submit. "We can worry about them later. I want to have a chat with these troublesome inmates."

They stopped in front of the cell room door, where Dario punched the door code in to open the two mechanical doors. After being allowed entry, Cragtail took the lead in search of said Fusions. He had a good idea who Dario was referring to, given there was only a select few who've been actively causing trouble.

It didn't take long to find the cell he was looking for. Like all the others, a strong, thick sheet of glass and metal walls kept the Fusions from escaping, along with a collar the deactivated the use of moves and weakened their overall strength. Cragtail huffed smoke against the glass, then sneered with a dark smirk.

"Prisoner 482297…" He pulled his cigar out and waved it around. "You've been a naughty little feline lately."

Curled up on the floor of her cell was a Liepard-Houndoom Fusion. She sat up and rubbed her tired eyes. Her color scheme mirrored that of a Houndoom, black fur and a red underside and muzzle. Her left eye was green, but her right was red, practically glowing with a sinister light. Three rib like ridges on her back, a Liepard shaped skull just under her throat, and bone like material shaped around her head with curved horns protruding out.

She possessed an air of calmness as she greeted the general with a friendly, yet clearly sinister smirk. "General Cragtail…to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Cragtail tapped his cigar against the glass barrier. "You and a few of the other Fusions have been causing a heap of trouble lately. I take it you didn't play nice with our psychologists?"

The Liepard Fusion licked her fur out of boredom. "Ah, you've heard about that? My bad. I just don't like your so-called psychologists picking around inside my brain. I find it quite rude, you know."

Cragtail glared calmly. "You are aware this behavioral problem of yours will only further your stay here, right?"

The Fusion turned away from him and resumed laying on the cold floor. "Putting in the extra effort to play nice? I rather not. The minute I'm given permission to return into society, I'll just be thrown right back in here." She smirked. "Don't think I can lie my way through your stupid tests. We Dark-Types have our way with words."

Cragtail sneered. "If it means letting you rot, so be it. You can spend the rest of your miserable life in that cell, 482297."

The Fusion glanced at him with her red eye. It briefly flashed at him before she smirked. "Now, how can I play along with your silly games if you won't have the decency to call a lovely lady like me by her name?"

"I do not bother with trivial nonsense," Cragtail snarled. "You're all the same to me."

Dario, clearly the more sensible of the two, sighed. "Her name is Syndony, sir."

"Hmph…at least some of you have manners." The Fusion known as Syndony went back to grooming herself. "You should take after your subordinates, Craptail. It might do you some good."

"It's _Crag_ tail," the Golem corrected harshly. He then smirked. "And you think I care how I act in front of you? I'm only doing my job to keep my planet safe. I certainly don't have to play nice with spoiled brats like you."

"Who's to say _you_ aren't the spoiled on?" asked a quiet, but firm voice. The two turned around and, in the cell opposite of Syndony, sat an Abra-Hoopa. Colorwise, he looked to be like any other Abra, save for the tuff of pink hair on his head. He had three golden rings wrapped around each forearm and a ring around his waist. His arms were also detached from his body, floating just close to his shoulders. His arms were crossed as he directed his emotionless stare at the general.

Syndony sat up and gave her full attention to her cellmate, smirking gleefully. "Aww, don't tease the man, Gideon. He can't afford to waste those few precious braincells by _thinking_."

"Shut up, freak," Cragtail coldly ordered. Syndony complied, if only to humor him as evident by her smirk still growing. Cragtail glared at the one called Gideon. "We are the ones who captured you. Don't act like you're in charge."

Gideon shrugged his floating arms. "My mistake, sir. It's just that I couldn't help but question your authority, given there's been a rumor circulating around that you couldn't capture three Fusions."

This made Syndony smirk even wider. "Oooh~! Big, bad Cragtail couldn't capture three Fusions?"

Cragtail glared at both of them. "I'll have you know, we weren't present during that event. I'm not sure how you came across that, but I can assure you, they will be captured."

"The only reason you managed to capture us," Gideon brought up, "is because you took advantage of a moment of weakness. In my case, catching me just before I could teleport all because I was napping." Gideon's eyes opened a bit, revealing their sinister green glow. "If I had known you were coming, you would have been blasted halfway around the planet."

Cragtail wouldn't deny that given the complexity of this particular Fusion's powers. Even so… "Heh…it shows how fallible you Fusions truly are. Roaming the planet with your greater power like you're unstoppable." He smirked. "How does it feel to be bested by the best?"

Syndony sneered through her condescending grin. "You tell me, Craptail. We don't plan on staying in these cells forever. A group of us want to give you a taste of your own medicine." Her right eye glowed forebodingly. "It'll be… _killer._ "

Cragtail didn't bother dignifying her response and simply turned away to leave. "Enjoy the rest of your days here in prison. Might as well get comfortable. None of you will ever see the sun again." Dario followed closely behind and closed the door behind him.

Now that they were alone and away from the imprisoned Fusions, Dario took his time to reprimand his boss. "You really are just fanning the flames with this one."

Cragtail laughed. "Come on, those losers got nothing on me! What can they do?"

"Need I remind you of the number of Fusions who hate your guts?" Dario sighed and held his board up. "Aside from those two, the Fusions they closely associated with are the Bastiodon-Rampardos known as Alasdair, the Kirlia-Mismagias Cruella, and…well, don't get me started on our 'special' prisoner."

Cragtail narrowed his eyes. "I take it you're referring to the Hypno-Malamar we apprehended a month ago?"

"He's being locked away in special holding cell far from the other prisoners." Dario sighed. "If it weren't for one of our Fusion Hunters knowing Electric Terrain, escape would have been the least of our worries."

Cragtail scoffed. "Bah! I'm not worried about anything!" He gesticulated at the surrounding walls. "This prison is completely inescapable! No Fusion could ever dream of breaking out without my say! They're fools to think they're in control!" He then calmed himself and scratched his chin, showing annoyance. "Still, the escape of those three other Fusions is bothersome."

"For all we know, they're still in Sinnoh." Dario glared to the side. "The Golurk-Torterra is rather troublesome, though. He would be able to fly with the other two."

Cragtail rubbed his temples and marched away. "I swear, things need to start going my way or I might just explode…" Dario shook his head, then left in the opposite direction.

Cragtail advanced through the halls before coming across his office. He stepped inside and plopped into his chair. He picked up some paperwork and scanned through them. It was monotonous, but it should keep his mind off things. He just couldn't handle any more infuriating news today. Something good has to come his way eventually.

However, before he could get too far into his reading, his desk phone rang. He raised an eyebrow at this. "A client?" These calls typically went to one of the Fusion Hunters accepting calls. Why was his phone ringing? That number wasn't given out to just anyone. Still, he didn't want to deal with the ring and lifted the phone to his ear. "General Cragtail, head of the Fusion Hunters. How may I help you?"

"Um…General Cragtail…this is Julian Roteman."

Roteman? As in head of Profectus Inc.? _That_ Roteman? Cragtail narrowed his eyes cautiously. Why was a well-known businessman like him calling Cragtail? The Golem scowled, but he kept his voice neutral in tone. "Roteman, fancy hearing your voice. What do you want? Finally decided to lift that silly ban off your city?"

He heard the Machamp sigh. "No…No, it's not that. Listen, this is important. I've…come in recent contact with a new partner of mine and…well, I've heard you're a man with connections and resources. A man who can keep top secret projects...well, secret?"

The Golem's interest raised. "You've heard right."

"Due to recent events with the Rogues, I can't risk them snooping around my workplace. And I decided to call you…for a little favor."

Cragtail leaned back and huffed his cigar. "What kind of favor?"

"Would you…be interested in a little deal of mine?"


	30. Cruelty

Some time has passed since Julian made his deal with the mysterious Data. A secret that was kept between them and a select, trusted few. Other than that, things seemingly went on as normal for the next month. Missions were handed out regularly, from the mundane to the serious. The Rogues' activity has dramatically spiked over the month, though for reasons the authorities can't comprehend.

Security measures have to be taken to keep stores and companies safe from the Rogues. In Julian Roteman's case, he had to rely on an equal force to push the Rogues back. That's where today begins.

On an unexpected morning, Julian called in some help from Gappei Village. Reason why hasn't been disclosed yet, as he wanted to keep in as confidential as possible. It was last minute, but Liam sent out Dez, Emily, and Charlie to take up the request.

They came in around ten after having breakfast and patiently waited in the front hall for Julian. Dez stared off into space with a drowsy look in his eyes. Charlie teetered on his feet, arms folded over the leaves on his back. Emily had her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the ground with a distant look.

Dez was the first to break the stretch of silence with a loud yawn. He rubbed his eye and stated aloud, "How long have we been standing here?"

Charlie gazed over at a wall clock. "Hmm…fifteen minutes at most."

Dez curled up on the floor and mindlessly pawed at the tiles. "If we were given the option, I'd settle for two o'clock. Seriously, what's taking Roteman so long?"

Charlie smiled. "He's probably busy. He must have something really important if he called us in this early."

"It better be worth our time…and hopefully nothing strenuous." Dez let out another tired yawn and rolled over onto his side. His armor plating lightly scratched at the floor.

Charlie scratched his head, his smiled lightening up. _Of course that's your motivation._ He directed his glance over at Emily, then frowned when he saw she was staring at the floor with a faintly aloof expression. He tilted his head in concern. "Em…you've been pretty quiet all day. Is everything alright?"

The direct question hoisted Emily back to reality with a frantic flutter of her eyes. "H-Huh?" She shook her head and looked toward the Munchlax-Lilligant before facing away and lightly clenching the hood that draped over her back, hiding the secondary jaw accustom to her normal species. "…fine," she mouthed quietly.

Charlie was at a lost with her strangely aloof behavior, which was colder than usual, though Dez had a probably guess as to what was bugging her. He didn't show it much, but he was pretty smart. He crossed his foreleg over the other and subtly brought the topic up.

"Sssooo…Annabeth and Marion are leaving for Sinnoh tomorrow."

Charlie blinked in surprise. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, heard it from Cade the other day. They said they had a lovely time in the village, but they'll have to return for home."

Emily rolled her eyes at this and glared off to the side. "Good for them…"

Charlie looked at her again, once more concerned. "Um…are you upset?"

"No…yes…maybe…I don't know," she mumbled in a low groan. She pinched between her eyes and let out a longwinded sigh. "I…don't know. It feels weird being…acquaintances with Pokémon."

Dez raised a brow at her with a wry smile. "You're kidding, right? You've had a month to get over that. What, is there anything wrong with them?"

Emily faced away from the prying armored canine, rubbing her temples with a tired gaze directed at the ground. "No, no…they're lovely people, I admit. It's just…there's an underlying agitation and…rage I feel whenever I'm around Pokémon. I try to keep to it to myself, especially after what I said last time, but…I can't get over my distrust of Pokémon. I just can't."

Charlie frowned. "Em…" He wanted to say something, but Dez held his paw up to silence him. The Munchlax-Lilligant sighed and dropped the topic. Good thing, too, because Julian had finally arrived. "Oh! Hello, Mr. Roteman!"

The Machamp took a moment to acknowledge the greeting, returning it with a friendly wave. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked remarkably exhausted. He wasn't as tired or drowsy as the Manectric-Aggron, but a close second. "Hello, you three. Thanks for coming. I'm sorry about the last minute call, but it's important."

Dez stood up and stretched his legs, then shot the Machamp an expressionless look. "This better be good." Charlie jabbed him in the side, with little effect. "Kidding," he responded.

Julian folded his arms behind his back and glared seriously. "I'll cut to the chase. I have some material that needs to be transported to the airport. Personal plans of mine I wouldn't want to bore you with."

"You're a lifesaver, Rote!" Dez exclaimed.

Julian scratched the side of his head and sighed. "Normally, I would have the police mandate the safe arrival of my materials, but…" He glared at the Fusions. "I'm sure you three are aware about the recent crimes committed by the Rogues."

It came out of nowhere, but the Rogues were once again resuming their criminal activities. Strangely, though, it wasn't for their usual gain. They normally targeted food trucks or went on vandalism runs against the more discriminatory Pokémon in Grandis City. Now…their recent crimes have become rather unexpected and untraditional from their usual standards.

Charlie replied to the statement with, "Yeah, we've seen the news. They've been…stealing a lot of metal lately."

Emily closed her eyes. "Metal of any kind, batteries, electronics…a list of odd items."

Dez smirked impudently. "Guess they needed more iron in those empty stomachs."

Julian shook his head. "I can't make heads or tails of their reasoning. Given their size as a group, I expected a food raid at some point. But no, they've been stealing miscellaneous items." He glared. "While I hold faith in the authorities, there particular items of mine require extreme care. Please, I'm entrusting you to keep my equipment safe."

Emily crossed her arms and raised a brow. "What are you transporting that needs that much protection?"

Julian looked away with a nervous twitch in his eye, though they, thankfully, didn't catch it. "Nothing more than reinforced equipment. Just…please make sure they don't steal then all. If one or two boxes get taken, it won't be a big deal, but I need this equipment protected."

Dez smirked. "Well, we're more than capable enough to take them."

Charlie raised a brow at him. "Need I remind you what happened to Hawkins and Asadi?"

Dez chuckled. "If the poison freak shows his face, I'll give him the what for."

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever. Just tell us exactly where we need to drop these materials off." She wasn't in the best of moods, especially if they had to fight the Rogues. Much like Dez, she wanted to get through this quickly.

Julian sighed in relief for the compliance. "I'll have the crate brought down and relay further instruction." He turned away and headed to the storage center the crates were being held. He furrowed his brow. _If the Rogues do strike, this little scheme of Data's better go over well. One of those crates needs to be safeguarded. The rest don't matter. I need to rely on those three keeping them safe, regardless._

Back with the Fusions, Dez and Charlie were grinning about the mission. "Heh, this should be relatively simple. Those Rogues have nothing on us!"

Charlie threw his fists up. "Yeah! Let's do this!"

Emily stayed out of the cheering as she continued to cast a distant glare at the floor. She clutched her arm as she thought about what they said earlier. Despite her attempts to grow out of her miseries, scars wouldn't go away.

* * *

 _A much younger Emily was standing in the corner of a dark kitchen, facing away from the arguing between her mother and father, a Mawile and Simisage respectively. She flinched from the harsh tones being thrown back and forth._

" _She's just a child! Enough is enough!" the Mawile yelled angrily._

 _The Simisage pointed accusingly at the child. "How can I trust these little monsters? Do you know the Hell I was put through when I was a child?! The impact they've had on our history?!"_

" _You're taking out your aggression on a CHILD!" the Mawile persisted. Her secondary jaw snapped viciously at the grass monkey. "I can't keep living like this! Yes, I know how bad things were in the past! Things aren't any better now, but your behavior is only making things worse! Do you not realize what your torturing could do to her?!"_

 _Emily flinched with a stuttering whimper after hearing a loud, audible smack. She could hear her mother fall to the floor._

 _The Simisage continued, rubbing the back of his hand, "That is not my daughter. She's only another reminder that Fusions can't be trusted. Sooner or later, she'll turn on us once she realizes just how strong she can become. Do you not remember what happened years ago?! The bloodshed! The misery! How many lives were lost because the Fusions wanted to rebel?!"_

 _The Mawile sneered and stood up, continuing to defend her daughter. "You weren't even born when that happened!"_

" _My father was! He had to suffer through that damn war like the rest of them! All this hardship because of them!" He tried to reach for Emily, but Mawile stepped in the way. "Get out of the way or-!"_

" _Take one more step forward and I'll bite your hand off," the Deceiver Pokémon ordered as her secondary jaw snarled at him. "There won't BE another war unless this senseless violence ends! This isn't the past! Get over yourself!"_

 _Emily could feel the menacing aura of her mother, causing her to look over her shoulder with weeping eyes. "M-Mom…?"_

 _The Simisage staggered back with an uneasy sneer. The effects of the Mawile's Intimidate cut through him with ease. He couldn't will himself to step closer. Out of frustration, he slammed his fist through the wall and marched out in a huff._

 _Emily gripped her mother's side with a terrified expression. "Is…Is he gone?"_

 _Mawile settled down and dropped her arms to her sides. She exhaled soundlessly. "Yes, he is…" She turned around and faced the whimpering Fusion. Even her secondary jaw, which was hidden by the long hood that draped over her back, was quivering with her. She glared at the bruises on the cowering child. "…you poor dear…" She crouched down and pulled Emily into a hug._

 _Emily wrapped her arms tightly around her mother and wept into her shoulder. "W-Why does he h-hate me, Mom? Why?!"_

 _Mawile glared at the ground. "…the past is stained with blood, sweetheart. Both sides aren't innocent…but none are at fault." She sighed and held her daughter closer. "I promise…I won't let him hurt you again…"_

 _Emily sniveled, pulling back to face her mother. "I…I don't want to live here anymore…"_

 _Mawile narrowed her eyes. "You're not the only one…"_

* * *

"Em!"

Emily awoke from her dazed state and looked ahead. Apparently, Julian had returned and had motioned them to follow. The armored canine and flowery eater were waving her over to get her attention.

"Come on, hurry up! We don't have all day!" Dez reminded.

Emily blinked, then rubbed her eye vigorously before following at a brisk pace. "C-Coming…"

Charlie held a finger up. "Hey, are you-?"

"I'm fine!" She didn't mean to raise her voice the way she did, but she was too wrapped in her thoughts to correct herself. She just marched alongside Julian while keeping her head low. Dez and Charlie looked at each other briefly with concerned eyes.

* * *

After receiving further instructions, specifically which cargo plane will be delivering the supplies, Julian sent the Fusions off on their way. They wheeled a cart that carried eight metallic crates down the sidewalk. Well, actually, it was Dez who was wheeling the cart while the other two kept watch. Emily took the lead, keeping a somewhat vigilant eye out for any potential obstacles, namely the Rogues.

Dez was visibly annoyed as he pushed the cart with his head. "Sure, sure, leave me to do all the work…"

Charlie chuckled with a light smile. "Hey, between the three of us, you're the more appropriate choice for a bodyguard."

Dez smirked wryly. "Ah yes, why didn't I consider it? I'm just the shield to protect the crates! Way to look out for your pals, Charlie!"

Charlie giggled to himself. "You know that's not what I meant!"

"You were thinking it, flower boy!" Dez waved his paw in Emily's direction. "Back me up here, Em!" However, the icy spirit didn't offer him a response, which made his eyes narrow in playful annoyance. "Hey, I know you're trying to focus, but at least help kill my boredom with some light banter!"

The Mawile-Froslass has been pretty quiet the whole day, which worried Charlie as she was a bit more talkative with them. He quickened his pace to match hers. "Em, are you sure you're alright?"

She gritted her teeth and restrained any hostility that could be mixed in her tone. "I'm…fine."

Dez, however, was much more perceptive than that. "Really? You sound like a Gyrados in need of anger management." Charlie shot him a glare and gestured to cut the jokes. "Eh…you know what I mean."

Emily kept her eyes forward and fixed into a glare. "Just want to get this stupid assignment done and over with…"

Dez sighed. "Look, if this is about the light teasing from earlier, I think you're taking it too seriously." Emily didn't respond to this, instead quickening her pace forward.

Charlie gave the armored canine a disappointed glare. "That could have been handled with a little more tact."

Dez offer a kind stare to the Munchlax-Lilligant before facing back to the cart with a downhearted look. "I'm not teasing her to make her angry. She knows that. You and I both want her to open up more." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I hold the same beliefs that Pokémon cause trouble because of their prejudice, but I also hold the belief the loud minority doesn't represent the majority. I don't harbor hate for them like Emily." He shook his head. "Then again, my life wasn't as mentally straining as hers."

Charlie ditched his earlier glare and frowned empathetically. "Can't say I've had it as bad, but I know what it's like to get picked on." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I was fortunate to stumble upon Gappei Village when you found me. I wish Emily I had someone to help her, too."

Dez closed his eyes. "Maybe not in time, but I say I've done a good job helping her." He smiled to himself. "Anything to help my adopted sister." Dez looked around the crates and saw that Emily had slowed her rash pace and was walking normally again. "Just give her some time to cool off. She needs it."

The flowery glutton narrowed his eyes softly, then nodded in agreement. "Alright…"

* * *

Meanwhile, as the Fusions carried on with their delivery, the streets were unknowingly being spied on by the Rogues, specifically Norris, Eli, Zoey, and Sullivan. They hung out on the rooftops, spying vigilantly for any new material to steal. Well, it was actually everyone but Eli working. The dark poisoner was occupying himself with a clipboard.

He snickered at the profits they were making. Within the last month, he managed to get in contact with his old partner and had him come down to help construct the weapons. Eli's been having the Flying-Type Fusions in their numbers ship the weapons out to the rougher parts of Grandis City and some other towns neighboring them. He even got in contact with some other 'friends' to deliver the equipment to their hometowns.

Eli threw his head back and laughed quietly. "We are raking in the dough, my friends! We just need to keep supplying the goods!"

Norris, however, was rather indifferent about the whole experience. He wasn't so much annoyed with the money they were getting and more so annoyed that they had to hunt for the material. "And I thought food was a chore to get…"

Eli grinned. "Suck it up. Our food supply has been steadily increasing as of late. Be proud of that much!"

Zoey messed with her key earring with a bored stare. "How fun…"

"Aww, what's the matter? Not in a flirty mood today?"

Zoey smirked dryly. "Please, like I have the energy to keep that stupid act up."

Sullivan crossed his arms. "Well, you better have it back soon. As our expert thief, you are responsible for getting that material stolen swiftly."

Zoey tapped her Secret Storage key. "Yeah, yeah, I get the gist." She stood up slowly, then stretched her legs.

Eli placed his clipboard away. "Perhaps the construction site is our best bet. Raw material to work with."

"Can we even get enough into Zoey's Fusion Move before the cops show up? Or worse, the Fusions?" Sullivan considered.

Zoey gazed down on the street, then her eyes widened in surprise. "Um…why don't you ask them yourself?"

The Rogues stared at her oddly before looking down on the streets as well. True enough, they saw three Fusions, clearly members of Gappei Village, walking out in broad daylight while pushing a cart with crates on top. Norris crouched down and stood on the building's edge, peering at them with a malicious glare. "What are those Gappei Wimps up to?"

Eli held his chin. "Hmm…they seem to be carting materials. One would assume that material belongs to Roteman. Why else would they be out and about like this?"

Zoey tapped her chin. "Do you suppose they have raw material on them? Those crates look like they can be melted down."

Sullivan, however, raised his hand in objection. "Is it wise to be provoking them? We should be focusing on making our weapons, not attacking the enemy."

Zoey narrowed her eyes dryly and pointed at Norris. "Yeah, uh, tell that to _him_."

The mad duck punched his palm with a malevolent, fiery fury projecting from his hostile glare. "Gappei Wimps…" His comrades could feel the fiery aura blazing off him. He was itching for a fight.

Eli smirked, then snapped his fingers. "Sullivan…get into position. We're gonna have some fun." Sullivan nodded, then sprinted away to find cover on the roof.

* * *

In the silence of traveling to the airport, Dez and Charlie decided to play a game of Twenty Questions, a game Dez was remarkably skilled at given his greater intelligence. "Are they blue?"

"Yes."

"Do they bounced around to get from place to place?"

"Yes."

"Sense bad luck?"

"Yes."

Dez smirked. "Heh…it's Shane."

Charlie sighed, but smiled in defeat. "Correct." Dez snickered through his teeth. "You make it look easy."

"I try not to show off." Dez looked around the cart and settled his eyes on Emily. Her shoulders and muscles looked far less tense than earlier, a sign she's given herself time to cool off. "Em, how are you feeling?"

Emily looked over her shoulder with a calm gaze. "…better."

Charlie grinned. "That's great."

Emily rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry I snapped at you earlier. Things with Marion have left me…weird, to be honest."

Dez waved it off. "We get it. Don't beat yourself up about it. We're not ones to judge you. You have your troubles to get over and we're here to support you."

Charlie nodded in full agreement. "It's nice to see you smile!"

Emily blinked in awe at him, then looked forward with a tinge of red in her cheeks and a warm smile. "Heh…you both are sweet…"

Dez chuckled, then formed a wry grin. "Alright, enough with the mushy crap. We have crates to deliver. I want to get in and out as quickly as possible."

Emily shot him an amused grin. "I'll make sure to go as agonizingly slow as possible, then."

A tepid smirk took over the Manectric-Aggron's face. "Oh, you're mean." Charlie giggled behind his hand.

Emily continued forward, muffling a chuckle just under her breath. Though, once she resumed focus on her surroundings, she sensed an odd shift in the air. "Huh?" She looked around for the source when a loud boom suddenly went off. Her eyes quickly tracked the direction of the noise, then she gasped as a raging Dragon Pulse flew from the opposite side of the street, specifically the rooftops, and aimed straight for the three.

Without warning, Emily used her remarkable speed to tackle the cart out of the radius, with Dez and Charlie brought along. They covered their heads as debris scattered over them.

Charlie stood up in horror. "A-A Dragon Pulse!"

Dez gritted his teeth and looked around frantically, yet retaining a level of calmness. "Then that means…"

"It means exactly what you think."

Without a second to spare, they narrowly avoided the surprise punch that nailed the ground between them, exploding on impact. They put distance between the attacker as the dust cloud dispersed. Norris, who stood up and flexed his fingers, glared at them with vehement rage. The dominant emotion of the mad duck was suffocating and palpable against their beings.

Dez put his guard up instinctively, but was nailed by a sneak attack kick to the back of the head. He attempted a Thunderbolt at the attacker from behind, but they already jumped over him and landed next to Norris. The dark poisoner, Eli, smirked deviously.

Emily raised her fists and looked the situation over. She took note of the Audino-Klefki, the same one Spaz's group informed them about, that hung out away from the battle, yet kept an attentive gaze on the fight. According to Codex, she's not much of a fighter and relies more so on tricks and cheats. One could mistake her for a Dark-Type with that attitude.

Dez narrowed his eyes and examined their opponents. "Neither of them should have access to Dragon Pulse, even the Audino-Klefki." His glare turned serious. "There's a fourth member. Sneak attacker or long-range specialist. Keep your guard up for any other attacks."

Eli chuckled with a cold glare. "I hate to cut the fun short, but…" He made an immediate dash for the cart. "We'll be taking those crates for ourselves!"

He stopped himself from being hit by a flurry of Ice Shards and jumped back. He spotted Emily running at him with graceful, yet ludicrous speed. Her own speed didn't compare to the likes of Hawkins and especially Tamara, but she came close. She delivered a Play Rough against the dark poisoner, which consisted of a goofy dust cloud forming as she delivered furious blows against him.

Eli grabbed her by the arm and used Poison Jab against her. The attack, however, didn't faze her. He narrowed his eyes, confirming his guess. _She has the Steel-Typing. Ghost, Ice, or Fairy make up the other two possible combinations._ He threw the icy spirit over his shoulder using Foul Play and slammed her on her back.

Emily endured the hit and quickly rose to use another Ice Shard, but was pushed back by a Water Pulse from Norris. "Go to hell!" He fired Signal Beam, which pushed her back with non-effective damage.

Eli raised his fists and stepped closer to the fight, only to be met with a Thunderbolt. The lightning hurt the dark poisoner, but he held out enough to keep himself standing. He shook the residual electricity and directed his gaze to Dez.

The two stared each other down and walked in a circle, never breaking eye contact. "So, I assume you're the poison freak that poisoned Hawkins."

Eli placed a hand to his chest with a sense of pride. "Am I that famous in your self-proclaimed, morally upright village?"

Dez smirked lazily. "You're supposed to be the wise guy of your group. Don't expect your simple little tricks to work against me."

"A Steel-Type like you would prove difficult, given my main method of fighting doesn't quite work on your type." Eli grinned confidently. "Even so, you bulk doesn't appear to give you much in the speed department." He turned on his foot and rushed at Dez with twin Night Slashes. "How much damage can that plating of yours soak up?!"

Using his head, Dez blocked the Night Slashes against his skull helmet. He pushed Eli off, then lifted his head up. "Flamethrower!" Flames built up inside his closed maw before spraying them into a thick stream at the dark poisoner.

"Venoshock!" Eli fired green poison from his claws that, while not useful directly against Dez, smother most of the Flamethrower's power for him to endure. He fanned the flames away with his left wing, then sprinted at a low angle with Night Slash. Dez countered the assault with Heavy Slam, locking them in brief stalemate.

Emily zipped around the street to throw the irrational duck off his tempo. This seemed to work as Norris was more concerned with following her movements than actually predicting her attacks. Emily narrowed her eyes. _Quinn must be off his game if this guy's a serious threat._

She got behind him and used Play Rough, furiously punching for the briefest of moments before dashing away in time before a counterattack could be made. Norris frantically swung his fist to get a clean hit on the speedy Fusion, but his movements were all too predictable for the Mawile-Froslass.

She fired off Ice Shards and chipped away at his resistance bit by bit. "Not that threatening of a leader, are you?" she taunted, continuously firing Ice Shard.

The attacks were quick and meddlesome and Norris hated every second of it. He slammed down a Water Pulse and created a thick mist that gave him some cover. Emily logically put distance between the mist and herself while continuing with the Ice Shards. However, she underestimated the mad duck's stealth and agility as he managed to get above her and dive down with his favorite move, Explosion.

"Die!" Norris yelled.

Emily narrowed her eyes and accepted the hit, only it phased through her, much to the mad duck's mild surprise. Emily clenched her fist and slammed Sucker Punch into his cheek while he was in the midst of his attack. Norris slammed into the hood of a car, which blared its alarm in pain.

The Golduck-Electrode, stiff and barely bruised, picked himself up and snarled at the cold Fusion as she glared callously at him. "Straightforward and predictable. I can't imagine Quinn having this much trouble with you."

Norris lightened his expression, but still expressed rage. He wiped his beak, smearing some blood against his fist, and gritted his teeth. "So…you take me for a spastic hothead?"

Emily didn't answer and sped towards the Rogue, readying herself to use Iron Head. Norris jumped off the car hood, cracked his knuckles, and armed Explosion into his wrist orbs. Naturally, Emily knew she could avoid these. However, because she didn't slow her speed, she was caught in Norris' trap as he slammed his fists down.

The explosion blasted not only the duck into the air, but also a scorching smokescreen that splashed into the icy spirit's eyes. "AGH!" Emily closed her eyes immediately, tearing up from the searing pain. It wasn't over as, flying above Emily, Norris inhaled sharply and fired a shot of water that knocked her into the street.

Emily pushed herself up and used the water coating her to rinse her eyes out. That's when she noticed the blue sheen washing over her. She felt…different all of a sudden. "What is this?" she muttered, only to get grabbed by the head.

"Soak. My little countermeasure for pests like you!" Norris slammed her face into the street, triggering another Explosion down on her.

Charlie tried to stay out of the fight, but was drawn to the horrible display against her friend. "Emily!" Without thinking first, the Munchlax-Lilligant ran headfirst into danger with his fist igniting with flame. "Leave her alone!"

An Incinerate flew from the sky and blasted the ground before him. He gasped and tripped backwards over his feet, landing on his back. He scrambled around as more Incinerates rained from the sky and fired towards him. A few shots nailed the flowery glutton in the back, forcing a strained cough out of him.

He fell on his hands, but weakly kept himself up. He glared above him and tried to pick out the Rogues' sniper. "D-Dez said there had to be a fourth Rogue." He hastened himself to his feet and bolted for cover. _Emily and Dez will be at a disadvantage if he fires at them, too! I need to force him out first!_

Charlie didn't have Dez's smarts, but he took a wild guess as to where the Incinerates came from. Forming light blue balls of energy, he fired off a Hidden Power onto the rooftops. The attacks clearly came from above, so, unless their sniper had Lock-On or any other trajectory changing tricks, the attacker struck from above.

While unknown to him, Charlie was right in his brief deduction as Sullivan had to retreat from the roof's edge. He covered himself with his pincer against the Hidden Power's blast. _This little nuisance is trying to flush me out._ He side jumped to his right and aimed his pincer. An Aura Sphere fired from the pincer and locked onto Charlie.

He tried to run, but knew it was inevitable as it blasted against his back. "AGH…" he wheezed in pain. He stumbled against a building and pressed his hand against it weakly. Refusing to drop, he fired off another array of Hidden Powers to push the sniper out of his position. _I need a more direct option!_

In the ensuing chaos, Zoey sprinted for the cart and reached for the first box in her line of sight. She smirked and opened it, revealing the raw metal and material inside. "Jackpot." She looked over the other crates, then discovered the one, out of place crate.

It was metallic like the rest, but this one had some extra features, namely a security lock and blue glowing circuits. She reached out to touch it, only to recoil from the minor zap it gave her. Her hand suddenly went numb.

 _Roteman's keeping this one extra secure. How odd._ She reached for her key. _Heh, but it's nothing I can't-_

"Oh no you don't, Keys!" She barely avoided the surprise Thunderbolt that blasted at her feet. She backflipped off her hands and stood her ground away from the armored canine. She spotted Eli against the ground, stunned from one of Dez's recent attacks. She flinched back as Dez took a step closer. "Don't even think about it."

Zoey glared. She couldn't exactly switch the boxes given her current situation. Thunder Wave would be useless against an Electric-Type. She wasn't equipped for a proper fight. She grinned suspiciously. "Heh…I suppose charming you won't do me much good."

Dez smirked. "Well, guess there's more than one genius in the Rogues."

Zoey's eyes glinted with glee as her smile stretched ominously. "The other one being the one you turned your back on."

Dez immediately looked over his shoulder, but was unaware of the Toxicroak-Honchkrow in his blind spot. Eli held his hand out and sent a staggering red wave against Dez in the form of Swagger. The armored canine staggered back and shook his head as irritating thoughts clouded his mind, namely against the smug poisoner.

Eli gestured him to attack. "I'll give you a free shot." He secretly used Acupressure on himself and was fortunate to get the defense boost. Special defense boost would have been more useful against a special attacker like Dez, but it'll save him the trouble of those annoying Heavy Slams.

Dez shook his head wildly before sneering at the dark poisoner. He fired off a Thunderbolt, though his aim was off by a mile. Eli used the moment of rest to lunge and apply Foul Play, grappling Dez from behind and slamming his head into the pavement.

Zoey grinned. "Nice job, Eli!" She went for the crates again, only to be halted by an Ice Shard this time. "Oh come on!"

Emily pulled herself off the ground and sneered at the Rogues, specifically Norris as he exchanged the same expression. She focused back on Zoey, wiped her lip of a small trickle of blood, and lunged with Iron Head. Zoey crossed her arms defensively, but Norris took the hit instead. The Iron Head practically did nothing. He raised his arm and charged up Explosion. "Die!"

Emily avoided the attack, then retaliated with Sucker Punch to the cheek. Norris skipped across the street, but caught himself on his hands. He snarled faintly before activating his Foresight. He analyzed Emily's movements and determined exactly how she'll attack next.

He fired off a volley of Water Pulses, which Emily weaved through to avoid, only to be brought in close for a Signal Beam. The pink, streaky beam pushed Emily through the street, doing considerably more damage than last time. She jumped up once the beam ended and threw the back of her hood up to show off her secondary jaw.

"Spikes!" The jaw closed, expanded like a balloon, then fired off an array of red, metallic glowing spikes that pierced and sank into the ground.

Dez smirked at the strategy and followed suit. "Stealth Rocks!" In a similar manner to Emily, silvery energy fired off his body in the shape of arrows and scattered into the ground.

Norris took a step back in confusion, then flinched as the ground not only exploded under his feet, but also bombarded him with stones. Zoey and Eli were given the same treatment soon enough. Eli leapt into the air and clung to a wall. "They're limiting our movements."

Emily hid her secondary jaw once more and rushed for Norris. "Now I've got you!" However, she forgot there was a fourth Rogue sniping them. An Aura Sphere flew out of nowhere and struck her in the back. Since she was still under Soak's effects, it was able to score a hit. "AGH!"

Norris brought his fist back and slammed it against the icy spirit with Explosion, blasting her away. Norris panted from signs of exhaustion and lifted his arm. The wear and damage over it was becoming more and more evident. Even though he found a work around to using Explosion with Damp and without fainting, that didn't remove the recoil it placed on his arms and, inevitably, his body.

He growled at the sky and shouted, "Blast them, you idiot!"

Sullivan fired off Incinerates, Dragon Pulses, and Aura Spheres down on Dez and Emily. The Aura Spheres obviously made their mark while the other attacks either missed or nailed them as well. Sullivan constantly changed his position on the roof to give him the tactical advantage.

 _They can't possibly stop me while dealing with the others. The goods will be ours!_ However, once he got himself into a new firing position, he only now realized one of his targets went missing. He quickly scanned the ground and found no trace of the Munchlax-Lilligant. _I must have lost sight of him in the chaos. I'll point him out and bring on a world of hurt-!_

"HIYA!" Sullivan gasped as the missing Fusion made himself known and tackled the anteater sniper from behind. Being so close to the edge, they both found themselves falling towards the ground. "Body Slam!" Charlie shouted as he freefell just above Sullivan. The impact with the ground, plus the added force and weight of the Body Slam, didn't go well for the Rogues' sniper.

 _AGH!_ Sullivan couldn't begin to describe how much pain he was in. Everything suddenly locked up on him in a matter of moments. His body was tense and he couldn't move or breathe for what felt like an eternity. _This rotund brat!_

Charlie rolled off Sullivan and relaxed on his back. He heard the distinct cheers of Dez, telling him 'Good job.' Though, the flowery glutton was worn from taking so many attacks early, not to mention the impact. "Rest." He closed his eyes, then entered a meditative, healing sleep state that washed away all his damage in a green aura.

Sullivan found his second wind and pushed himself up. He growled furiously at the sleeping Fusion. "Fire Lash!" His fiery tongue sprung out and whipped towards Charlie.

Surprisingly, the rotund Fusion let out a loud snore before rolling over on his side, dodging the attack. He then got to his feet, still deep in sleep, and mumbled sleepily, "Petal Dance…" He performed a graceful, yet sleepy pirouette, then fired a storm of petals at Sullivan. He blocked them with his pincer as he was pushed back. His back slammed hard with the building behind him.

 _Ugh…he knows Sleep Talk, too…_

Emily and Norris repeatedly trade blows, using Play Rough and Explosion respectively. Emily dodged one Explosion and switched it up for a Sucker Punch. Her fist knocked the wind out of Norris for a moment.

Emily sneered. "I can keep this up all day!"

Norris snarled quietly, then lifted his arms. "You Fusions make me sick." His wrist orbs started sparking. "All of you…DIE!" His orbs erupted with erratic and uncontrollable electricity.

Eli ceased fighting Dez and covered himself under his wings as the electricity hit. Due to the nature of Discharge, it hit everyone around Norris, friend or foe. Sullivan and Zoey, especially Sullivan, screamed out in pain while Charlie, who slept on his belly, flinched from the Discharge. Only Dez took the attack with minor complaint. As for Emily, who was now a Water-Type and _close_ to the attack…

"AAAAHHHH!" Emily screamed, contorting backwards in agony. Norris even grabbed her to channel most of the electricity at blank point range. She wasn't sure when the attack ended, but she went numb from the pain. She twitched with one eye barely open. "Ugh…"

Norris dropped her onto her feet, then pulled his hand back. "Gappei Wimp…" With Explosion, he backhanded her through a building. The walls tore down from the forcible impact. He settled his gaze on Dez and the sleeping Charlie. "Who's next?"

Sullivan, who took most of the hit with his pincer which was now scorched, glared at him angrily. "What the hell, boss?!"

Zoey's metallic like fur stood on end and was blackened. She looked just as pissed. "Was that necessary?!"

Norris sneered at the both of them. "Shut up and complete the mission." He cracked his knuckles and advanced towards Dez. "I'm ending this."

Dez stepped back and glared. He could feel the malevolent aura surrounding Norris. Everything about him seemed to reflect suffering, fury, and pain. What drove him to destroy so much? Regardless, he stood his ground and kept his head low.

 _Emily, you better get up soon._ He charged up a Thunderbolt and fired it at Norris, full power.

* * *

Within the building she crashed through, Emily attempted desperately to push herself up. She could hear the fighting outside escalating. She shouldn't be laying around and doing nothing. She needed to help her friends, but her arms gave out under her. She felt too worn to get up at the moment.

She felt her consciousness slipping as her eyes fluttered in a daze. _I…I can't let them…get hurt. I can't…I need to…help._ She succumbed to her exhaustion and passed out.

* * *

 _A younger Emily, six years old, was laying on her couch, reading a children's book about sharing, more so out of boredom as she waited for her mother. Speaking of whom, the older Mawile marched into the living room with a suitcase in hand. She looked peeved, but with a sense of relief under it._

 _She let out a deep and prominent sigh that drew her daughter's attention forward. "I've had enough of this. Emily, sweetheart, are you done packing?"_

 _She closed the book and threw it to the side, then slid off the couch to retrieve her small backpack laying on the coffee table. "Uh huh."_

 _Mawile nodded in approval, then glared at the living room in disgust. "We need to go before your father returns. Knowing him, he'll be out for hours, drunk off his ass." She sighed in exhaustion. "Should have divorced that bastard a long time ago…" She took Emily's hand and guided her to the door._

" _Where are we going?" Emily asked nervously._

" _I have some friends in the upper parts of the region. I'll give them a call and score us a place to stay before we settle down on our own." They got to the door and Mawile reached for it. "We're starting a new life like this. I hope you can make the most of it." She turned the knob and opened the door. "The sooner we leave, the better-"_

 _Dead silence came over them as the suitcase slipped out of the older Mawile's fingertips. The fall did not meet her ears, as all her attention focused on the Simisage standing in front of the door, scowling. Not only that, there was a crowd of Pokémon standing behind him, equally pissed._

 _The Simisage growled quietly. "Hello, dear. Going somewhere?"_

 _Mawile took a step back and put a protective arm around Emily, who shook in fear. "What…is this?"_

 _Her husband took a step forward threateningly. "Something that should have been done a long time ago." He pointed at Emily, making her flinch. "The cycle just continues. Every day, Fusions go rogue and wreak havoc on our lives. There's no denying it. They need to go, one way or the other."_

 _The mother and child stepped back with fear in their eyes, though Mawile desperately tried to keep her composure. "You…You can't be suggesting…"_

 _Simisage glared. "It's just logic. Sooner or later, a Fusion will turn rogue and destroy everything we've worked for. We can't afford any more suffering." He held his hand out. "Now…hand her over."_

 _Mawile covered her daughter and stood guard with a feral glare and a loud snarl from her secondary jaw. "Never…"_

 _Simisage sneered out of irritation. "That wasn't a request…" He reached behind his back…and drew a knife._

 _All sense of composure that could be retained left the Mawile in a matter of seconds. Her face turned pale as she stared at the knife in horror. She gulped subtly. "Emily…RUN!"_

" _Mom?!" Emily squeaked fearfully._

" _I SAID RUN!" Immediately after, she tackled the grass monkey to the ground and pummeled him furiously in the face with her fists while biting down on her arm._

 _Emily screamed and made a break for the kitchen exit, but her hopes were dashed as the arms of a Tangrowth stretched out and bound her down. She struggled to free herself. "MOM!"_

 _Mawile tried to rush to her daughter's aid, but Simisage swiped his legs under hers and knocked her onto her back. He went for the pin and held her in place. He hung the knife over her with a dark, sinister expression. "If you won't get out of my way, there's no use for you."_

 _She wanted to scream, but her body locked up in terror and wouldn't allow her to utter no more than a single word. "Em…ily…" Everything became hazy as the knife flew down on her._

 _Emily ceased her struggling and froze in horror as her mother's bloodcurdling screams filled her ears. She would forever regret looking back, the memory of her mother's agony burned into her eyes for the rest of her life. She, too, felt the events after becoming hazy as Pokémon gathered in and surrounded the cowering Fusion, obscuring her mother as she suffered._

 _No memory of the several attacks being fired down on her. Only the pain she had to endure._

* * *

A tear slid down Emily's right eye as she lay motionless on the floor, until her fingers started curling and digging in aggressively.

Meanwhile, with her friends, they continued to hold off the Rogues. "Heavy Slam!" Dez charged straight for Eli and landed a direct hit on him.

Eli got his balance and used Foul Play to slam the armored canine on his back. "How utterly predictable." However, he was left at the mercy of Dez's Thunderbolt, which he charged prior to using Heavy Slam, allowing for a surprise blast to chip away further at Eli's stamina.

Dez panted tiredly, unsure how much energy he had left in him. Not a further thought was provided as he dodged Sullivan's Aqua Jet, then blasted Volt Switch against his back. Due to the nature of Volt Switch, this allowed him to switch places with Charlie instantaneously, allowing the armored canine to take the Explosion from Norris.

Charlie jumped up and landed on top of Sullivan with a Body Slam. Sullivan spread his legs out to retain his balance, allowing Zoey to flip over him and kick Charlie across the face. She spun back around sharply and fired a blank point Mirror Shot into his stomach.

Charlie stumbled back and held his gut in pain. "Urg…Dez, I can't keep this up forever…"

Norris sneered and raised his arms. "Then let me put you out of your misery!"

Sullivan and Zoey immediately recognized the gesture. "Not again!" they screamed before ducking behind a car.

The mad duck fired off Discharge and bathed the surrounding area in lightning. Dez shielded Charlie and took the force of the attack himself. Dez smirked at the flowery glutton. "You know what to do!"

Charlie blinked, then grinned in realization. "Oh yeah!" He pulled himself up onto Dez and leapt off. "Venomist!" His flower puffed out and sprayed a mist like, purple powder into the air. It rained down on the Rogues and Dez.

Eli held his hand out, caught some of the powder, and rubbed it between his fingers. "It's poison." He, Zoey, and Dez were the only ones unaffected by the poisonous powder. Sullivan and Norris, however, managed to inhale it and infect themselves.

Sullivan pressed himself against a car weakly. "Suddenly…not feeling well…"

Charlie held his hips and laughed. "Hahaha! When you have two friends who are Steel-Types, I have nothing to worry about! How do you like that?!"

Charlie immediately regretted his taunt as Norris came rushing for him with fury blazing in his eyes. Despite the purple tinge on his beak, it was like the poison wasn't slowing him down. "Does it look like I care?!" He threw his fist and used Explosion.

Dez took the hit for Charlie once again. "Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine!"

Norris suddenly grappled him and pinned his forelegs in place. "Maybe a taste of my Soak will shut your trap!" He pulled his head back and puffed his cheeks out. Dez immediately went for a counterattack, charging Thunderbolt through his horns.

Before Norris could fire off Soak, a swarm of Ice Shards bombarded him in the back. He lost his concentration and ceased the type-changing move before leaping out of the way. Some Ice Shards nailed Dez consequentially, but they weren't anything to fret over. What did shock him, though, was Emily weakly stepping back into battle.

And she was far past furious.

Dez narrowed his eyes in concern. "Emily…are you alright?"

She stomped the ground and cracked her knuckles. "I'm…fine." Her gaze was sinisterly calm towards the Rogues.

Zoey and Sullivan were unnerved by her tranquil fury, but Eli and Norris retained composure. In fact, Norris scoffed off the look and rushed at Emily with Explosion. "You should have stayed down, wretch!"

Emily sneered, then commanded her secondary jaw to rise from her hood once more. She breathed out a chilling air from both mouths. Soak's effects wore off while she was down. "Nowhere to go but up. Blizzard Breath!"

Her secondary jaw aimed forward, sucked in a huge intake of air, then sprayed a blinding storm of ice and snow. Norris snorted cautiously, then jumped to the side. However, the Blizzard Breath caught his right leg and trapped it near instantly in ice. Eli and Zoey took cover behind the car while Sullivan tried to block it with his pincer. It proved ineffective as the ice wrapped around his massive pincer and traveled over his body before encasing him completely.

The Blizzard Breath covered everything in its path. Roads, buildings, signs, cars, etc., all covered in a thick sheet of ice, snow, and frost.

Dez and Charlie stood behind Emily before the Fusion Move was fired. Charlie grinned with admiration. "Emily, that was awesome!"

Emily exhaled a chilling breath and sneered. "It's not over yet."

Norris hobbled backwards before stomping the ground and shattering the ice around his leg. He glowered with an intense ire burning in his eyes. Any angrier and he might actually burst a blood vessel. "Why won't you die?!" He rushed at her once again.

Emily growled and went for a second Blizzard Breath. "I'm not giving up!"

"Like hell I care about your shitty reasons!"

Emily fired the Blizzard Breath, but Norris planned for this as he ran. Just as it fired, Norris used Explosion on the ground and sent up a wave of exploding debris that collided into the icy spirit. Norris put his guard up against the Blizzard Breath as it hit.

"Emily!" Dez and Charlie called out.

Emily skidded back and panted tiredly. Her arms were burned from guarding her face. "I'm…fine…"

Norris hobbled back, this time with the left side of his body encased in ice. He growled through his teeth. Eli and Zoey poked their heads out from around the car, with the locksmith thief narrowing her eyes and reaching for a certain key.

"I'm sick of this shit. Discharge!" Using his right hand, he fired a slightly more controlled Discharge than the previous uses.

"Thunderbolt!" Dez countered with his own electric move, canceling both attacks out.

Emily's larger jaw inhaled deeply. "Blizzard Breath!" She fired the chilling blizzard to finish off the other half of Norris.

The mad duck thought he would be on ice until Zoey vaulted over him and stuck her key out. "Secret Storage!" She twisted it and summoned the pocket dimension that sucked the Blizzard Breath away, sealing it off from their realm. Emily felt her access to the move suddenly disappear.

Dez charged forward. "Flamethrower!" The scorching stream of flame traveled right for Zoey, but Eli pulled her out of the way in the blink of an eye. Dez tracked their movements and fired Flamethrower after them.

Eli spun and threw Zoey into the air, who aimed her key at the enemy. "Secret Storage!" She twisted the key and released Blizzard Breath back at them.

The moment Emily felt the move return to her, she countered with another Blizzard Breath. The impact of both moves scattered the blistering wind and snow over the streets, obscuring everyone's vision.

During the storm, Eli dashed to the cart and grabbed the first box he could get his hands on: the one with metal parts. "We can't get them all! One will have to do!" He threw it at Zoey as she landed.

She used Secret Storage and stored the box away. This didn't go unnoticed from Charlie as he charged towards her with Fire Punch. "Oh no you don't!" He landed a clean punch against her stomach, knocking the Secret Storage key out of her hand. Charlie went for the key, but Eli dropped over it and smirked evilly at the flowery glutton, scaring him.

"Toxic Bane." He fired the corruptive sludge, forcing Charlie to dodge. That, however, left him wide open for a painful Poison Jab to the gut. At least, that was the intent until Emily took the hit for him and nailed Sucker Punch against the dark poisoner's cheek. Eli grimaced from the hit, then smirked. "Heh…a solid punch."

Emily tried to use Play Rough, but took the receiving end of a Foul Play instead. Eli slammed her on her back, unaware of the ghostly aura that passed over him after successfully using Foul Play. He jumped back and used Swagger, irritating Emily and raising her attack power.

"Go ahead, my dear, take your free shot," Eli tempted sinisterly.

Emily pushed herself up and tried to get a clear head. She focused just enough on Eli to make out his location. She smirked, figuring what he planned on doing before lunging for a Play Rough.

Eli smirked, waited for her to get in close, then executed Foul Play…only for his body to lock up with a ghostly aura surrounding him. _What the hell?!_ The staggering hesitation allowed Emily to land a clean, powered up barrage of punches that swept Eli off his feet. _Don't tell me she has Cursed Body._ He hit the ground with a weak cough.

Norris was the only one left standing. He sneered as the Fusions charged for him with Heavy Slam, Play Rough, and Fire Punch. His anger, fury, and rage all died down into a hesitant scowl. "This might break my arm, but…" Using his free arm, he charged Explosion into his wrist orb, pouring in as much energy as he could muster. With a loud roar, he punched down forward into the ground.

The kinetic impact of the Explosion sent out a wave of destruction across the street and towards the three Fusions. Their eyes widened in horror as the explosion and debris overtook them and detonated into the biggest explosion they've dealt with all day. The aftermath of the blast kicked up a massive cloud of ash and smog.

Norris bit down on his tongue, holding back the agonizing cries of pain over his searing arm. The shock of the blast not only damaged it severely, but it went limp on him. He couldn't feel any movement within it, only pain. He refused to tear up, though, and snapped his irate expression over at his subjects. "Get your lazy asses off the ground and move!"

They didn't have to be told twice. Eli grabbed hold of the frozen sniper and used his red claw to split his icy prison open. The anteater sniper shivered uncomfortably before being dragged along with Zoey and the hobbling Norris. Zoey fired off one strong blast of Mirror Shot to complete engulf them in light, allowing them to disappear.

The effects of the explosion calmed after but a moment. The Gappei Fusions lay sprawled out on the ground, groaning in pain. Dez, the studier of the three, pulled himself up and panted heavily. "Okay…that was nuts…"

Charlie sat up and stuck his tongue out. "Ugh…my tongue tastes like burnt asphalt…"

Dez hobbled over to the cart and checked their cargo. He smiled in relief. "Even so, we scared them off with only one crate missing. Pretty sure that one had useless scrap, anyway."

Charlie stood up and cheered. "Woo! Lucky us!" Emily didn't look quite as pleased, gripped her arm with a downcast stare.

Dez rested against the cart for a moment and sighed. "We better get these to the airport. You both can still walk, right?"

"Yep!" Charlie confirmed with a thunbs-up.

"…yeah," Emily murmured.

"Then let's go. I don't want them coming back." Dez started pushing the cart again, only much more slowly. The other two followed behind, with Emily looking down weakly. She glared angrily for a moment, before sighing heavily and lightening up with a bit more speed in her steps.

* * *

"I've seen some stupid stunts before, but that really took the cake, Norris. Mikayla is going to kill you when she finds out about this."

"Shut up!"

Norris, Eli, and Zoey made their way to a new part of the hideout. Sullivan had to be taken to their 'doctor' to rest off the poison. Norris was too stubborn, of course, and just got a Pecha berry and his arm in a sling. Anyway, the new part of the hideout was where manufacturing of their weapons took place.

Metal parts and a bunch of Fire-Type Fusions everywhere. They were put in charge of smelting and shaping the weapons as Eli's business partner demanded. The parts had to be good in order to be utilized. Speaking of…

Zoey grimaced at the crate she was carrying. "Aside from the box, the parts in here don't look that good in quality. I know metal quality when I see it."

Eli took a spring out and looked it over. "Cyrox can work around it. He might find a way to reinforce it. Guess Roteman was expecting us to rob him, but why transport shitty metal just to attract us?"

Zoey narrowed her eyes. "There was another crate among them, but I couldn't touch it without going numb. He betted on us being too focused on getting the crates of bad metal to figure out how to disable the secured crate."

"Curious. We'll have to keep an eye on Roteman's activities more often." Eli took the crate and passed it off to a Ferrothorn whose main body resembled the shell of a Torkoal. "Get these parts smelted. See if the metal can be useable."

"Yes sir!" The Ferrothorn-Torkoal wandered off with the box on his head.

Eli rubbed his hands together, then brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled. "Cyrox! We're back!"

Floating into view was a Magnezone-Klinklang. His center eye was blue. He had gears inserted into the top and bottom of his body that gradually turned with ticking clicks. Spiked gears surrounded his magnets and floated in place around them via magnetism.

Cyrox analyzed the dark poisoner closely. "Friend Eli…you have returned from mission? Have you and your team retrieved new resources to be converted?" The way he spoke was what one expected from a robot: cold and mechanical.

Eli held his hip with a narrow-eyed stare. "We did, but Roteman apparently carried broken down metal when we got him. Only useful thing we pilfered was the crate."

Cyrox's middle eye lit up briefly before stating, "Not an inconvenience. Our stock of material will suffice. Request for next weapon?"

Eli rubbed his chin. "Oh, so many choices, I don't know what to decide."

"Illogical," Cyrox immediately replied. "Friend Eli's mind is far too cunning and inventive to succumb to indecision." He didn't seem to pick up on the bit of sarcasm in the dark poisoner's tone.

Regardless, this, got Eli to laugh and pat the top of his head. "Hahaha! I love this guy!"

Norris didn't share his optimism as he glared furiously at the ground. He clenched his good hand. "Those Gappei Wimps are driving me insane…I need to destroy them…"

Zoey took a step back, trying to keep a straight face. "You have a one-track mind, you know that?"

Norris nearly lost his temper at that, but Eli pressed down on a pressure point to ease his nerves. Given his knowledge with Acupressure, he knew a few techniques other than power boosts. "Norris, forget about Gappei Village. We're paving the way to become crime lords." He waved his hand across the air. "Just picture it: the Rogues rising up from the squalors and becoming a true threat to the public. I can see the headlines already. We'll be rich and powerful…and you'll be the most feared crime boss in all of Grandis. Soon, all of Kanto!"

Norris snorted. "I never wanted to become a crime boss…I just want to destroy everything that pisses me off."

Eli smirked. "Better to feared and powerful than to be worthless and weak." He massaged Norris' shoulders and whispered into his ear, "The Rogues need a strong voice and a stronger power to lead them. Someone to show the public why we should be feared. We can have the Fusions rise up from oppression and join us. Once they see how powerful we'll become, we'll stand together and take back our freedom by force. If the Pokémon refuse to look past their beliefs about purity of Pokémon, there's no point in being the good guys. That's why Gappei Village won't succeed us. They have their chief to inspire the lost…we have you to encourage them.

"Compared to their Chief Liam, you are the Fusion who will avenge every Fusion who has suffered wrongfully, past, present, and future. You will be hailed as a hero. A spirit of vengeance."

Norris stood in silence, taking the dark poisoner's words into deep consideration. His eye twitched as he remembered the horrible things he would hear on the news. The cruelty, the unjust, and the suffering. He remembered his own in vivid detail.

 _Isolation…loneliness…silence…that maddening silence…driving my mind…over the edge…_

Norris bit down on his tongue to retrain his temper before glaring at Eli. "…make sure our name is feared by the public. Once we go down this road, there's no turning back."

Eli smirked. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

A couple hours passed after the battle. Dez, Emily, and Charlie got the cart delivered to its destination before heading back to Gappei Village. They took an immediate trip to the medical hut first to get treated for their injuries. They took some time to rest themselves off before giving their verbal report to the Fusion Council.

Once it was delivered, they got some head scratches out of the council.

"How peculiar," Abraham muttered. "We've heard about the Rogues' recent crime waves, but I still have a hard time believing their current interests are focused on metals."

"Not just metals. Electronics, power sources…anything like that," Lewis clarified. "We normally hear them stealing food or vandalizing property. What brought this change on?"

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes. "If you ask me, it seems they've abandoned their petty crime style and taken up a new vocation in crime. They couldn't possibly be stealing that metal for survival reasons or grudges."

Cade nodded in agreement. "The real question lies in their intent, though."

Charlie raised his hand. "Maybe their making something."

An innocent question, but not too far off. "It's likely," Abraham partially agreed. "But the matter lies in _what_. We don't know what they're capable of on their own. A troublesome bunch like that can be unpredictable."

Peregrine scoffed and slammed his leek on the table. "Then let's just track those obnoxious shits down and giving them an ass whooping!"

"We can't fully predict their movements until we know for sure." Liam sighed and stood up. "We'll need some of the Fusions to do scouting missions and keep tabs on the Rogues. We have quite a few speedsters, so they can follow their movements without trouble. For now, this is a problem we can't tackle directly until the time is right."

Peregrine groaned. "You're too soft…"

"Anyway, you three deserve some time off," Liam said to the three younger Fusions. "Get some rest and remember to keep up with your training. Meeting dismissed."

The council dispersed out the hut, with Cade staying behind to chat with the three. He smiled at them, hands on his hips. "Since you three aren't particularly busy, would you like to spend one last day with Annabeth and Marion before their flight tomorrow?"

Dez grinned. "You're going to miss them, aren't you?"

"Oh, I would, but I'm actually taking the flight back to Sinnoh with them, too."

"Really?" Dez asked in genuine surprise.

"I've been working all month, even in their company. I want to spend quality time with them on the farm without any Fusion related drama."

Charlie grinned. "Aww, that's so sweet!"

Cade showed off his teeth in a big grin. "I know!"

Dez looked at Emily, noticing she was looking away from the conversation. He rolled his eyes, then nudged her side. "I'm sure Emily's going to miss Marion. Right, Em?"

Emily glanced at him emotionlessly, then sighed. "I guess…"

Cade chuckled. "Marion told me she loved spending time with you and the others. She's grown quite fond of our little village. I say she looks up to you."

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Whatever…"

"Won't admit it, huh? I can respect that." Cade raised his brow. "Still, I can see you're not entirely over your…judgments against Pokémon."

"…she's a good kid, I'll give her that," Emily murmured. She sighed. "I don't know, alright? Something like that can't be forgotten…"

Cade rubbed his chin. "I understand your feelings, but…" He stopped himself and looked up in deep thought. "Hmm…" He tapped his chin a couple times before gasped with a snap of his fingers. "I got it!"

They looked up at him, confused. "Got what?" Dez asked.

Cade grinned happily. "If you're still having trouble understanding your personal turmoil, then I have the perfect solution!" They looked at him in intrigue. The exuberant phantom panda was always full of surprises when he was in a good mood.

This was no exception when he gave his suggestion.

"How would you three like to come with us to Sinnoh?"


	31. Resting Easy

A day had passed since the encounter with the Rogues. After being offered a trip to Sinnoh with Cade and his family, the three Fusions unanimously agreed to tag along, though Charlie had to do some extra convincing for Emily to come as well. She wasn't particularly excited about the trip, but she needed to clear her mind. If what Cade said was true, the fresh air should do her wonders.

After packing and purchasing extra plane tickets, the six went off to Sinnoh for a ten-hour flight before landing at the airport. They were expecting to take a taxi or cab, but the Fusions instead were subjected to a half hour walk. Though, for sitting ten hours on a plane, their legs needed the exercise.

"Sorry we have to walk, but it's better than hailing a cab," Annabeth explained. "That's why we told you to pack light."

"Don't you have a car or something?" Dez asked with his head low.

"Oh, we do, but it was safer back on our property. I didn't want to leave it in an airport parking lot for a whole month." She grinned. "Besides, that just makes the arrival all the more exciting."

"So, you live outside the city?" Charlie asked.

"Always have, always will!" Marion exclaimed. "We're not city folk, as you can tell. Plus, the spacious land is great for setting up berry trees. You'll love it! It's like walking through a magical forest filled with color!"

Charlie licked his lips in anticipation. "You had me at 'berry trees!'"

Emily's mind wasn't fully set on the conversation as her gaze wandered around the seemingly never-ending field of grass. She took a deep whiff of the air and noticed how remarkably fresh it was. Back in the village, one would normally smell various things going on, such as food being cooked, the aroma of the huts, or an earthy scent found in the dirt paths. Out here, the air felt much smoother. Not variant, but…

"…nice," she mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Annabeth asked politely.

"It's…nice out here," she admitted. "And quiet…"

Annabeth smiled. "Glad you like it, dearie."

Cade threw his head back with a deep, hearty laugh. "I knew this would be good for you three! I've been out here plenty of times! You'll still be able to train while getting a taste of the country life!"

"And not a moment too soon." Annabeth pointed out at the house ahead of them. "Here we are."

As they got closer, the Fusions indicated the house was wooden in appearance, standing two levels tall. For the most part, it was a modest, standard house with a white fence surrounding the land they occupied. Within the boundaries were groves of berry trees spoken of earlier.

Charlie dribbled gleefully as he stared at them. "That's a lot of berries to eat…"

Dez smiled lazily. "You're drooling, Char."

Emily glared lightly at the Munchlax-Lilligant. "Just don't do anything stupid."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Charlie mumbled, still eyeing up the trees. Emily rolled her eyes, but secretly smiled as she faced away.

They walked up to the door, with Annabeth pulling the house keys out, when Emily noticed something peculiar about the berry trees. She expected a multicolored forest of them, but they were freshly picked from the looks of it. "Was someone here earlier?"

"Hmm?" Annabeth glanced at the trees, then smiled. "Oh, that? Like I said, I had some people watch the farm for me while I was gone."

"Friends?" Dez asked.

"Not quite. Travelers who were happy to return a few favors for me. They were kind enough to watch and maintain the farm while we were gone." Annabeth inserted the key into the lock.

"Huh?" the Fusions mumbled, still confused about the matter. Random travelers watched the farm while they were gone?

That's when Cade flashed them one of his usual hearty smiles. "Hehehe, kind goes a long way, you three. Play your cards right, you'll leave a good impression on the right people. My wife's very charitable to the many travelers who come by her farm."

Dez blinked, then glared suspiciously at Annabeth. "When you say travelers…"

Annabeth pushed the door open and suppressed a giggle. "I'm well known out here for my charity, whether they be big, small, or…mismatched in features." She stepped inside without another word.

The Fusions exchanged suspicious glances with each other. Knowing Annabeth and Marion for as long as they have, was it possible she…? Wanting answers, they made their way inside after the older Emolga.

Much like the outside of the house, the inside was modest and cozy as well, inviting even. There was a stairway to the upper floor near the front entrance with a living room on their right as they stepped through the hall. They made their way to what they presumed to be the kitchen.

"And thank you again for watching the farm while we were gone," Annabeth's voice came up as they drew closer. "I hope it wasn't too big a hassle."

They stepped into the kitchen and, even with their suspicions, were rendered speechless when they saw the two older Fusions standing in front of Annabeth. From first glance deduction, the two Fusions were a Drapion-Unfezant, evident by the mask over his eyes, and an elderly Alolan Sandslash-Pignite, notable by the yellow swirl designs on his chest and the orange and brown fur.

The Drapion Fusion smiled. "Oh no, no trouble at all."

The elderly Fusion bowed respectfully. "It was our pleasure. The least we could do for your hospitality."

Annabeth held her chin with a beaming smile. "Oh, you both are too much."

Drapion pointed to the kitchen backdoor. "I'm sure you've noticed, but we picked the trees this morning and sorted them into those buckets outside. Got it done a half hour before you arrived, actually."

"You both are so sweet!" She gestured to her fridge. "I was planning on making lunch for my family and guests. Care to stay?"

The elderly Alolan Sandslash Fusion raised his hand and declined. "A tempting offer, but I think we'll pass. We've greatly overstayed our welcome and wish not to get in your way. We have places to be ourselves."

The Drapion Fusion grinned. "But we both plan on swinging by again in the future as usual."

Annabeth chuckled. "Very well. You both have a nice day."

"And to you too, madam." They exchanged handshakes before heading towards the front entrance, stopping to give friendly greetings to Marion and Cade, both beaming with friendly waves, and to the Fusions, who waved awkwardly with perplexed expressions.

Once they were gone, Annabeth pulled a stool up, hopped on, and opened the fridge. "We may have to purchase groceries, Cade. Some of the food could be spoiled. Anyone up for berry stew? Easy to make, but delicious."

Emily's eyes darted between her and the front door. "Uh…you mind explaining _that_ first?"

"Oh, them?" Annabeth chuckled. "Dearie, two Emolga running a farm on their own comes with its fair share of challenges. I didn't exactly want to hire workers, so I decided to start a volunteering campaign for free meals. Makes it easier on me. I'm better at managing food, not paychecks."

Marion continued for her, "Since Sinnoh is generally more peaceful and tolerant of Fusions, you see a bunch of them in disguise roaming the streets. Since some are working odd jobs for food, coming here to work is a paradise for them."

"Wooow…" Charlie awed with shimmering eyes. "That's…That's amazing. You guys are so cool!"

Annabeth smirked and leaned against the fridge. "Don't think it's exclusive to just Fusions. Pokémon are more than welcomed to help out. As expected, we've had quite a few cases of bickering, but I've also seen times where a little hard work and comradery do the soul some good. I guess you could say I'm a positive influence on the community, just like what Gappei Village is aspiring to be."

Cade bellowed with laughter. "Isn't she amazing?! Beautiful, accepting, _and_ a big heart!"

Annabeth smirked with a small eye roll. "That's quite enough, dear." She smiled at the Fusions. "Since you three will be staying here, you're more than welcome to help with the chores. Marion can teach you the ropes. She's been doing this ever since she learned how to walk." Marion grinned pridefully.

Dez, however, gasped overdramatically at the mention of labor. "Say it isn't so! We've been tricked into doing work!" He held his head and howled at the ceiling. "Oh the inpokemanity!" He buried his head under his forelegs, with a clear smirk on his muzzle.

Charlie made no attempt to suppress his giggles, but he was pleasantly surprised to hear the small chuckle coming out of Emily. "Heh…did you just laugh, Em?"

"A little." This made the Munchlax-Lilligant beam with joy, causing Emily to turn away with a faint smile.

Marion couldn't contain her excitement and grabbed both by the hand. "Come on! Let me give you the grand tour of the house!"

Emily held her hand up to decline. "That's fine, we don't need a- and you're already dragging!" Emily sputtered as the surprisingly strong Emolga pulled them up the stairs against their will. They didn't make an attempt to resist, though. Dez smiled lazily, stretched his legs out, then followed after them.

Annabeth held her cheek with a soft grin. "Our little girl. Can't stay still for a moment."

Cade chuckled through his teeth. "She gets that from me." Annabeth rolled her eyes amusingly. "This trip will be beneficial for them, especially Emily."

Annabeth held her chin. "I can tell. In the month I've gotten to know her, she has mellowed out considerably. You made the right call with Sinnoh."

Cade smiled warmly at the ceiling. "Each of the council has their respective duties with the village. Liam as leader, Peregrine as second in command, Gracelyn as head doctor, Abraham as head of education…Lewis even has his role as head of security. I may work alongside him, but I like to think of myself as an educator on the finer things in life. I do know firsthand the importance of family and friends." He kneeled and planted a tender kiss on his wife's cheek.

Annabeth smiled lovingly and returned the affection immediately. "I love you too, dear. Now, care to come down with me to the store to pick up some fresh ingredients for supper?"

Cade grinned. "Of course!"

* * *

After Cade and Annabeth left for the store, they left behind plates of berries for the group to snack on for lunch. Once they were finished, the four headed out back with Marion taking the lead. The Fusions each carried a bucket filled with one kind of berry.

"Process is pretty simple. We supply all kinds of berry products. Berries, berry juice, berry jam-"

"Can I move here?" Charlie exclaimed, earning a sharp jab from Emily. "Ow! Kidding!"

Marion snickered before continuing, "We'll be making homemade berry juice to sell at the vendors. Process itself isn't complicated, but it is time consuming. Be ready to sit on your butts for hours juicing berries!"

Dez smirked tiredly. "Such a tedious task, yet you're smiling _why_?"

Marion scoffed and dismissed his comment. "Hey, this is pretty fun, especially with more people. Like we said, only my mom and I run the farm. We just have volunteers take time out of their day to come help. It won't be as bad as you think."

"You're right, it'll be worse than I think," Dez joked.

"Oh hush!" Marion exclaimed, smiling all the way.

As promised, much to their grief, the labor proved simple, yet tedious to sit through. Basically, they had these mini juicing devices that tightly squeeze the berry and pour out the juice inside. It was almost comparable to how one would stomp on grapes in a bucket and extract the juice into a bottle, only they were using manual machines and mixing some water and sugar.

An hour of time passed over them and they were already sweating. Even with the shade casted over them, the heat slowed their pace little by little. All except Marion were running low on steam.

Dez placed a paw onto of the armored shell sitting on his head, then recoiled his paw with a quick flinch from the heat it absorbed. "Let me guess…you're used to working in the heat?"

"What tipped you off?" Marion asked with a cheeky grin. Dez rolled his eyes in response, retaining his tired grin. "I'm out here a lot, so…doesn't really bother me, I guess." She crossed her arms. "Sometimes I have to do the work on my own while my mom's busy."

Emily recalled a few discussions she had with the Emolga, then asked, "So, you balance working on the farm with school?"

Marion tapped her head. "I may not look or act it, but I'm one sharp cookie! I get homework done, then I'm out here working my tail off!"

Charlie smiled. "We may have to tell some of our friends about this. I'm sure they would love to come and check the farm out."

"More the merrier!" Marion openly invited.

Emily tapped her chin for a moment, then asked, "Hey Marion." The Emolga shifted her attention towards her. "Your dad…he went to school in disguise in his younger years. Does that mean there's Fusions in disguise at your school?"

Marion responded with an honest shrug. "I don't know. That's _kind_ of the whole point about disguises."

Dez smirked. "So, that's a maybe?"

The Emolga chuckled smugly and leaned back. "I think I would've noticed a Fusion in disguise by now. I'm smart!" However, as she leaned back, she forgot there was nothing to support her back, leading her to falling into her berry pile head first. "…ignore this!"

Charlie put some berries in his juicer and squeezed them. "Okay, next question. Is there another reason why your mom allowed volunteers to come down and help?"

Marion popped her head out of the pile and crossed her arms. "Weeelll, my mom really admired Dad's dedication to the village, so she wanted to contribute in some way. She may have gotten the idea when we had that flat tire and were stuck on the street. A couple Pokémon were courteous enough to help us out, but we weren't expecting a Fusion to help, too. There was…obvious tension at first, but they were more focused on getting the car fixed.

"See, since we supply fresh berry products in the market place, we're pretty well known out here. Delicious juice and fresh berries. Our reputation has gathered some respect from the community, including Fusions. So, when my mom saw how random strangers put aside their differences for a moment to help us, that's when she took the volunteering program into full effect. Sometimes we offer a place to sleep for travelers, though they normally have to camp out since we never built guest rooms."

Emily raised her brow. "A bit dangerous to be letting strangers on your property."

"It is, but…heh, well, those two Fusions you saw earlier weren't the only ones who come by here regularly. Pokémon and Fusion alike know and like us for being positive influences for the community, so…if anyone were rob or threaten us, ooh boy, do I feel sorry for _that_ poor sucker." Marion snickered impishly through her teeth.

Emily blinked silently, then went back to juicing. "Huh…guess you have things figured out here…"

"Can't say we're better than Gappei Village, of course!" Marion exclaimed. "I mean, you guys are like a symbol of hope and change and…whatever feel good nonsense my parents were talking about on the plane! We're just naturally friendly, but you guys are helping to change the more ruthless regions! Grandis City really seems to respect you guys now!"

Dez smiled awkwardly. "It's not perfect, admittedly, but…" His smile turned more genuine. "Yeah, I guess we are doing good."

Charlie waved her praise off with a giggle. "You flatter us~!"

Marion looked at the sun quickly before wiping her brow of sweat. "Well, I'm gonna get us some drinks!" She hopped up and dashed off, shouting, "Be back in a jiffy!"

Once she was out of earshot, Dez turned to his friends and laughed. "Still didn't take her for a farm girl. She seems more modern than her mother."

Emily's eyes wandered around the inside of the barn, then looked outside to the lush, plentiful grass that stretched out. "…it really is nice out here."

"I'll say!" Charlie agreed, though for completely different reasons. Now that Marion was gone, he wanted to help himself to his berry pile. He salivated at the sight before reaching for a Lum berry.

Plans were immediately shot down as Dez yanked on his ear. "Don't even think about it, you glutton."

Charlie went teary eyed at his thwarted plans. "Aww!"

Emily stared off at the grassy plains for a bit longer, taking in the quiet view, before returning to her work. She felt much more at ease as she did.

* * *

"Well?! Anything?!"

Rejoining the adventurous wanted criminals, Vivi was calling up to Bartleby as he circled around a mountain. He has been inspecting it for what felt like an hour. As the days rolled by, they've been visiting different parts of Sinnoh in the vain attempt to find the mysterious doomsday device. As it appears, their searches weren't going as well as the optimistic archer hoped.

Eddie further emphasized this feeling as he sat behind the archer with a tired expression. He had his knuckles firmly pressed against his head while resting the arm on his knee. He appreciated the hopeful attitude Vivi carried with her, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Kid…I don't think the shell is in there either," Eddie pointed out. "The golem would have found it by now."

Viv remained adamant and raised her fist. "No way! We can't give up now! We need to stay strong! Have courage! Determination! Food!"

Eddie groaned. "It's been over a month, kid. Randomly checking mountains that _look_ like that could fit a massive doomsday shell. That determination wears thin after a whi…did you say 'food' in that sentence, too?" A low growl, presumably from the Ledian-Decidueye's stomach, answered his question. He pinched between his eyes. "…you're hungry, aren't you?"

Vivi continued to smile boldly, though her quivering face gave her away in less than a second. "…maybe."

Eddie rested both arms in his lap and sighed. He checked around their surroundings. They were in a small forest, but there didn't seem to be any naturally growing berries or fruits laying around. "No berry bushes or anything."

Vivi's stomach growled louder. "N-N-No food?" her quivering voice cried out meekly.

Eddie shook his head. "Relax. I'll head over into town and pick us up some grub." During their travels, they were at least able to pick up a useable amount of money for their trek. It was difficult asking for money, but the few Pokémon they crossed were charitable enough to lend some money. He wasn't fond of getting money he didn't earn, but he at least appreciated the tolerant folk of Sinnoh. Much more than somewhere like Unova.

Right before he decided to get food, Bartleby landed with a loud stomp, shaking the earth. Vivi flailed her arms to retain her balance, then smiled up at the large forest golem. "Well?" The prolonged silence after told her the truth, causing her to slouch forward with a sad moan. "Aww…"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Shocking…"

"I was sure we would have found it by now," Vivi said aloud. "It shouldn't be _this_ hard to find. It's a freakin' tower, for Mew's sake!"

Eddie crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought. "If we can't find something that should stick out in a crowd like our silent friend here, what hopes do we have of finding the other item?"

"Other item?" Vivi stuck her tongue out and reminded herself of the Golurk-Torterra's crude drawings. "…oh yeah! The orb thingy!"

"Yes, the…orb thingy." _I am talking to a teenager, right?_ He shook his head, then looked up. "The device is self-explanatory. It's the conduit used to emit the DNA scrambling wave." He glared. "What I can't figure out is the purpose of that orb. If Bartleby wasn't suffering from minor memory loss or could speak, we'd know more about the machine's functions. The orb itself raises questions." He shrugged his shoulders. "The words are meaningless for the time being. What still baffles me is the Fusion depictions Bartleby drew. What do they have to do with this?"

Vivi tilted her head. "Rebellion?"

"That grand a scale is unbelievable. I refuse to believe any sane Fusion, however way they've been affected by society, would go along with planetary deterioration for the sake of becoming the dominant race."

Vivi stuck her tongue out again, pulling down on her leafy hood a bit to come up with something else. "Hmm…power source?"

"Hmm?"

"The orb, I mean. Call it a hunch, but could it be a secondary power source?"

The idea seemed plausible, but there were some holes. "Maybe…except that would defeat the purpose of the planet's core. You…might be on to something though. We still don't know how advanced Data was or what his research involved." Eddie held his chin, then narrowed his eyes curiously. "Although…that leads to another question: the DNA scrambling."

"Huh?"

"Both Pokémon and Fusion emit an energy field based on their types and properties. We have biological mechanisms that allow us to perform the things we do, but we have an aura of sorts that heightens our overall abilities. We are creatures, both races, gifted with extraordinary potential." Eddie glared. "How does Data intend to acquire the means to invoke that change on the Mewgenetic Code? Something has to entice it to activate…that outwardly energy around us…" He narrowed his eyes seriously, before exhaling tiredly. "Ugh…I'm too wiped to be thinking about this."

Vivi scratched her head with a gentle grin. "Heh…maybe a break is in order."

"Way ahead of you, kid." He tried to stand up, but fell back down from the sudden tremor induced by Bartleby taking a breather himself by plopping down on his rear. Eddie looked far from amused, keeping a straight deadpan to his eyes. "Ugh…" He picked himself up and dusted his fur off. "I'll head into town and pick us up some food. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll fine some lost money."

"Can we come?" Eddie glanced at the shimmering, pleading eyes of the archer. He looked up at Bartleby next, who remained as expressionless as ever.

Eddie glared lightly at the archer. "No offense, but we're currently wanted by the authorities and you two stick out like sore thumbs. Kind of hard to miss him, especially," he stated, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder at Bartleby.

"And you don't?!" Vivi complained, jabbing at his furry body.

"Disguised and hidden in plain sight for over ten years, so…yeah, I don't." Vivi pouted in protest, but obliged with a cutely angry arm cross and plopping down on her rear firmly. "Just try not to get yourself into trouble. I'll be back shortly." He headed off towards the town.

Vivi exhaled her frustration. "Buzzkill…" She looked around for something to do, then set her eyes on Bartleby with a big smile. "Sssooo…know how to play Twenty Questions?" Bartleby tilted his head with a quiet groan.

* * *

A couple hours of laughs and work flew by back on the farm, as the Fusions and Marion were wrapping up their tiring labor. After all the cartons were filled, they placed thirty in their own individual crates, then carried them into the house, away from the sun.

Five minutes of carrying boxes and they were officially done. Crates filled with fresh, delicious berry juice, waiting to be sold off.

Marion patted her hands together, then held her hips and let out a laugh reminiscent of her father's. "Twenty whole boxes done! Not bad, you guys!"

Dez took a moment to sniff his paws, then smiled tiredly. "My paws are going to smell like berries for hours."

Charlie sniffed his hands curiously, then grinned. "Hey, I'm not complaining!"

Emily eyed the boxes with a narrowed eye stare. "So…you're going to sell these crates off?"

"Yep! We might be going tomorrow to see how things are going." She clasped her hands together suddenly with an elated gasp. "I know! You guys should totally come to the market place with us! It'll be a blast!"

Emily was immediately hesitant about taking up her offer. "Um…I rather not." She reached for her arm and clutched it gently. "Crowds of Pokémon doesn't sound appealing…"

Marion tilted her head with a friendly smile. "Oh, don't be like that. The market place isn't anything like what you would find in Grandis City. It's not perfect, but the Pokémon are just nicer out here. No one's going to give you any trouble."

Emily remained skeptical and defiant. "You can't guarantee there won't be one Pokémon in that market place who won't throw nasty comments at us."

Marion actually agreed with her. "You're right, I can't guarantee that. What I can guarantee, though, is Pokémon ten times the one rude guy." She threw her hands up and laughed. "I've lived here my whole life. I think I know what I'm talking about. You'll love the market place, trust me. I can't guarantee perfection, but I can guarantee a pleasant time."

The icy spirit looked to her friends for help. Dez couldn't offer more than a shrug. "I mean, Em, she says the people are more tolerable, so…might as well see. You can't expect everyone to accept us when there _are_ still the bad apples of the race." He rolled his eyes. "Something the more 'vocal' of the anti-Fusion orators seem to forget about their own species…"

Emily looked down. "I don't know…"

Charlie shrugged with a caring grin. "Come on, Em, we might as well. Marion says it's fine and the people aren't that scared or spiteful about Fusions."

"Maybe suspicious, given recent events," Marion unintentionally blurted out, which didn't fall on deaf ears as it grabbed the attention of the Fusions' curiosity. "Oh, uh…did I say that out loud?"

Dez raised his brow. "What does that mean?"

Marion held her hands up and calmly dismissed their suspicions. "Don't go giving me those looks. It's nothing bad or anything. Last month, a few days before we flew down to Gappei Village, there was a news alert about renegade Fusions who attacked a remote military hideout."

"Seriously?!" they exclaimed in surprise.

"Crazy, I know. Practically destroyed the place from what I heard."

Dez narrowed his eyes. "That doesn't sound good…"

Marion, regardless, continued to smile. "Don't give yourself wrinkles over it. The authorities will catch them, or the Fusion Hunters."

Emily rolled her eyes and mumbled with a sharp, bitter tone, "Oh joy, the Fusion Hunters…"

Marion realized she hit a sensitive topic and got their previous conversation back on track. "Let's forget about what I said." She grabbed Emily's hands and bounced gleefully. "My point is that you should come to the market place! You'll have a great time, I promise! If not, I'll make it great! I want the three of you to have the best experience here in Sinnoh!"

Charlie stretched a toothy grin. "I'm sold!"

Dez closed his eyes and smiled lazily. "Same."

Emily looked between her best friends and the beaming Emolga before finally caving into their pleas. "Ugh…fine, I'll join."

"Woohoo!" Marion and Charlie exclaimed.

They heard the front door swing open after their cheer. Their eyes met with the phantom panda carrying groceries and the flying squirrel riding on his shoulder. Annabeth smiled. "Ah good, you're all here. Want to help set the table?"

Dez yawned and made his way to the living room. "No offense, but I'm gonna chill on the couch."

Charlie waved his hand excitedly. "I can help!"

Annabeth grinned at his enthusiasm. "Alright then!"

"Dinner will be ready soon, everyone!" Cade announced as he and his wife made their way into the kitchen.

Everyone split off to their destinations, leaving Emily and Marion alone in the hallway. The Emolga was about to assist her parents when Emily suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder. "Huh?" Wordlessly, Emily guided her out the front door and closed it behind her. "Something wrong?"

Emily took a deep breath, gathering her confidence, then stared right at the pre-teen flying squirrel. "Listen…Marion, I never really said this or anything, but…thanks."

"Thanks? For what?" Marion asked.

Emily felt her eyes wandering off, but she forced them to keep eye contact with the Emolga. "A lot of us Fusions have been through a lot in our times. Some got off better than others while some like me…saw the darkest part of a Pokémon's inpokemanity. Some are driven from distrust. Others are driven by lies and misconception. Freaks like my blinkered father…only want to see what's in front of them. Paranoid by all the hate and malice…they thought doing the worst would make a difference."

She paused to take a breath. A chilling air escaped her lips before she continued, "Many of my friends back in Gappei Village have helped me through. Dez…he's been there to care for me. Charlie…always trying to make me smile. Always a Fusion lending a hand for me." Emily, against her better judgment, directed her gaze onto her feet. "You…are probably the first Pokémon to openly befriend me, even with how cold I was. I didn't like you. I wanted nothing to do with you…yet you kept ignoring me and pursued.

"I guess…I wanted to thank you…for helping me ease the weight off my shoulders."

Marion was awed by her admission, before smiling happily. "Hey, it's no problem. I think you guys are cool."

A faint, cold chuckle escaped the Fusion's lips. "Heh…you'd think that, but…I'm not any better than the rest of them." She clutched her arm tightly. "That day…permanently scarred into my mind…warping my perception of your race…for the worst…" She covered her face with a hand and sighed. "Sometimes I worry…that I might get carried away after only once…it's not easy, I tell you."

She glared bitterly. A cold chill blew through her clenched teeth. "I should…I really should, but…I don't regret what I did to him and those monsters…"

Marion narrowed her eyes worriedly. "Emily…?"

The icy spirit clenched her fist and teeth tightly. The memory of that day. Every detail never lost. A child doing the unthinkable when in a desperate need to survive.

* * *

 _Young Emily lay on the floor of her home, battered, bruised, and burned from the repeated fire sent down on her. She was too stunned with pain to bawl her eyes out. She had herself curled up, eyes sealed shut._

 _A Charizard in the group sneered in annoyance. "For a kid, she's pretty damn durable."_

 _Simisage narrowed his eyes and spun his bloodstained knife. "Then let's put her out of her misery." He stepped toward the damaged child, holding the knife in a reverse grip. "The demons must be put to rest."_

 _Emily's eyes opened slight and stared up at the devil that was her father. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as fear clouded her eyes. Quick, anxious breaths escaped her repeated panting. She was too scared, too stunned, to escape. She couldn't find the strength to move on her own._

 _She forced herself to look away from the monster looming over her, then caught sight of the blood pools on the carpet. The blood of her…_

 _Emily's breathing slowed drastically the longer she stared at the blood, until her breathing turned eerily normal. Her panicked filled eyes softened, then sharpened with great abhorrence towards the Pokémon around her. The hours of torture…the hours of pain…the hours of hate…it was all coming back to her. Her mind was given clarity to recall every second of those horrible hours._

 _In a single moment, all her innocence vanished._

 _Simisage stopped abruptly when he felt the sudden dropping of the temperature around Emily. She had her teeth clenched while her hood covered her eyes. "Go…away…"_

 _Simisage then ignored the dropping temperature and grabbed her by the hood. He lifted her to eye level and placed the knife against her throat. "Say that to my face, you little-AAAAGGGH!" He recoiled back in pain with a deafening scream, dropping the Fusion and his knife._

 _The villainous Pokémon gasped out. "What happened?!" a Victreebel yelled._

 _Simisage's face was twisted in agony as he looked at his hand. Bloody ice surrounded his hand. The Fusion froze his hand without restraint. The ice froze through his skin and broke apart the skin cells, mixing his blood in. Rather than freezing at the surface like most Ice-Type moves, Emily froze through the skin, too._

" _You…devil child…" Simisage growled. He gasped lightly, then stepped back as the floor started to freeze. "Huh?"_

 _Emily found the will to stand. Frozen tears stuck to her cheeks. "W-What? S-S-Suddenly scared of a d-defenseless child?"_

 _A Skuntank shivered from the rapid temperature decreasing. "What's going on?"_

 _The back of Emily's hood flapped open, extending out her second maw in full view. The monstrous extension snapped its vile teeth with hostile aggression. A cold mist seeped from within._

 _Emily clenched her teeth harder in anger as more tears dripped and froze down her face. "You took M-Mom away…you t-tortured me…all of you…" The anger in her eyes turned cold and dead. "May Arceus punish you horrible people in the coldest realms of Kyurem's domain…" Her large maw inhaled sharply._

 _Simisage growled and rushed right at her, swiping the knife off the ground. "Die, you monster!"_

" _The only monsters I see…is YOU!" Emily screamed before ejecting a blistering, unrestrained cold from her second maw, powered by the latent power of her being. A blizzard so cold, the house froze in seconds._

 _The Pokémon made an attempt for the door to escape, but they were instantly wrapped in the blizzard's deadly hold. Their faces twisted in horror as the ice consumed, not just their bodies, deep into the skin. A cold wave entered through their flesh and penetrated into their vital organs. Organs, bones, tissue…all of it froze. The internal or exterior flames of the Fire-Types, despite having the resistance, couldn't stop the cold from snuffing out their flames and taking out their means of living._

 _Simisage thrusted the knife for Emily, but his body became rigid and stiff. Much like his hand, the ice formed around his body and dug deep inside. He forced a scowl as ice covered his face. "D…Damn…you!"_

 _His final cry echoed, then all was met with dead silence._

 _Emily's knees collapsed under her, weak from the unrestrained use of her fully awakened Fusion Move. Quick, exhausted breathes were drawn and released. The house was cold, completely covered in ice. A misty air surrounded her and the ice statues._

 _She looked up at the petrified anger twisted in her father's final expression. She weakly pulled herself up and limped closer before placing her ear against his chest. She heard a faint heartbeat pumping inside…until it stopped._

 _She stepped back with a shocked expression, then looked around at the rest of the frozen Pokémon. She went way beyond the normal Frozen status. She felt the cold energy she normally felt become faint. She overwent her limit. A Pokémon and Fusion had mental restraints that kept them from doing the unthinkable. In her rage, she temporarily disobeyed those mental commands._

" _I…I killed them…" She wasn't happy. She wasn't sad. She wasn't angry. She was…numb. She didn't feel anything._

 _With the newfound adrenaline coursing through her, she wordlessly stepped around the statues with a blank expression. She wanted to cover as much distance as she could before the pain acted up again and before the authorities arrived._

 _She clenched her eyes shut and whispered, "Mom…I…I'm sorry…" Her slow walk turned brisk, then steadily elevated from a jog to a full on run away from her childhood home. Droplets of water slid down her face and splashed on the sidewalk as she ran, freezing on impact._

* * *

Emily stood still in silence, then exhaled a shaky breath. She placed a hand on Marion's shoulder. "Marion…you…you have a good heart. Never lose sight of that. I don't have hope for the future, but…knowing squirts like you are around…there might be some hope left after all."

Marion blinked in awe, then smiled confidently. "I…I won't stop! I promise Emily, I never will! Things will get better! I just know it! You'll see!"

Emily sighed, then showed a tepid smile. She walked around Marion, offering a pat on the back, then said, "For my sake…I hope I'm wrong about the future."

Marion stepped by her side and grinned. "Just be happy to know that there's two Pokémon out there in the world that like you!"

Emily chuckled faintly. "You're too optimistic for your own good."

The Emolga snickered. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Depends on your perspective." She shoved the pre-teen flying squirrel ahead and opened the door. "Now…I want some dinner. Let's eat."

"Right!" The two stepped inside, then shut the door behind them.

* * *

In a shady, undisclosed location far outside the boundaries of Grandis City, a facility hidden from view, existed a market place. But not a market place known by the public. One hidden for the sake of secrecy. A place where deals could be made outside the strict eye of the law.

The black market.

Shady Pokémon in the cover of night, walking around in the secluded, dimly lit rows of collapsible stands in search of rare items, new weaponry, or illegal drugs to use at their own leisure.

A male Frillish floated up to a stand ran by a Delcatty. The stand presented a wide array of weaponry not normally found in Grandis City. Types of guns, knives, and even equipment normally owned by the police, such as the stun batons. The ghostly jellyfish rubbed his tentacles together in glee. "Ooh, pretty wares you've got there!"

The Pyroar in the stand next to his grinned deviously. "Oh please, don't be fooled by his deals of grandeur." He presented him to a row of bottles sitting on the stand. "Specially crafted elixirs to give you that much needed edge over the authorities. They won't know what'll hit them when you use these babies." This interested the Frillish as well.

Delcatty growled at the Pyroar. "Hey! Stop stealing by customers!"

"I can't help if I have the better deals," Pyroar boasted conceitedly.

"Oi, oi…quit flirting with each other, you second rate amateurs." The vendors ceased arguing and glared in the direction of the offender. They spotted the Toxicroak-Honchkrow, standing with his feathered crest tipped over his eyes with a visible, smug grin. Behind him stood a large crowd of Fusions carrying crates, with a Golduck-Electrode standing by his side with a deep scowl. "Has business slowed since I left? I shouldn't be surprised."

"Eh?!" the Delcatty gaped in irritation before shouting, "Just who the hell do you think you are?!"

Eli tipped his feathered crest up and smirked. "What? Does this handsome face not ring any bells?"

The Pyroar narrowed his eyes. "A grandiose Toxicroak with the features of a Honchkrow…" He gasped. "Eli?!"

"Who?!" the Delcatty shouted. "You know him?!"

Eli held his hips and laughed. "One of the best when it came to selling to the criminal underworld. I see my reputation still lingers out here." He smirked deviously. "That's good. That'll make my job easier."

Pyroar narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What are you on about?"

Eli snapped his fingers, ordering one of the Rogues to drop a crate in front of his feet. He kneeled down and undid the latches. "You can put away your fancy elixirs and outdated weapons. We're in the future of technology. Disabling our natural abilities…now we'll harness those natural abilities. What I have to offer will send the Rogues above the criminal underworld, promoting the status of our rise to power."

He opened the crate and pulled out the first of many weapons. The device was a gun of sorts, about as long as his arm. It was shaped like a Clawitzer pincer with a barrel projecting out from the claw itself.

Pyroar's curiosity took an immediate downturn, unimpressed by the revelation. "A child's squirt gun?"

Eli smirked evilly and eyed the Delcatty's stand. "It may look like that, but far from it." He aimed at the stand, much to the cat's horror. "This is no toy. This…is the rise of Fusion Arsenals!" He fired a straight, orange beam into the stand.

For a moment, nothing seemed to happen apart from the orange glowing spot in the front of the stand, until the Delcatty realized the glow was spreading over his stand rapidly. With haste, he leapt over the counter and got to cover before the stand became completely enveloped in the glow before exploding into fiery debris.

The criminals gawked at the flaming wreckage while the Delicatty stared with devastation at his destroyed wares. A loud stomp directed their attention, meeting with the scowl of Norris. The light of the flames dancing on his body emphasized his harsh glare. "That enough of a demonstration for you?" The criminals backed off out of fear when they saw his wrist orbs sparking.

Eli, too, bathed in the light of the flames, grinning with his usual charm and wily glee. "Science is an artform in this day and age. Pokémon have control over the elements. Pokémon born from machines. Sometimes you have to look in the right places to get what you want. Sometimes…possibility is staring you right in the face."

"What…is that?" the Pyroar breathed fearfully.

Eli grinned. "I came across some rather enlightening notes. Anachronistic from their original time, yet far beyond anything I could imagine possible today." He blew on the gun's smoking barrel. "A device that mirrors that shooting power of the Clawitzer…with the explosive power of an Electrode. And that's only one of thousands of possibilities.

"Those notes I found broke the barrier between weapon and creature. By replicating the genetic code of a Pokémon or Fusion into a digital format, Cyrox and I were able to artificially replicate the energy of a Fusion and place it in these weapons." He snickered. "Had to call in some favors from a few Ditto and Ditto Fusions to make the process easier. Combining the best of both worlds into a single weapon." He rested the weapon over his shoulder and laughed evilly. "So…tell me, gentlemen. Are you not impressed?"

The crowd was silent with awe at the charismatic Fusion, then the Pyroar smirked with acceptance. "The great Eli never ceases to amaze. The criminal underworld will surely appreciate these."

Eli narrowed his eyes subtly. _Maybe, but you fools won't know what'll hit you once we've reached the top._ He grinned. "Now…mind setting up a spot for us? I wish to get my shop started."

The Pyroar gestured behind him, silently ordering the criminal Pokémon to part. "Right this way, Eli." The Pyroar led them to a suitable location to get their wares set up.

The Rogues followed behind, ignoring the gawking stares given them by the Pokémon. Norris sneered. "Some greeting."

Eli closed his eyes and brought up a relaxed smile. "I aim to please. Once our names branch out beyond here and Grandis City, Fusions will start flocking to us for a chance to take their revenge. Selling these weapons will get these fools to bow down to us. We'll be living like kings, with you on the top."

Norris narrowed his eyes. "I never dreamed of such a lofty goal…"

"You want to be feared." He glanced at his boss with a friendly smile. "No one's ever going to mistreat you ever again, my friend. I promise."

The Golduck-Electrode clenched his fist and nodded in agreement. "Right…" The corners of his beak stretched out into an angry smirk. "Heh…let's see if Gappei Village still thinks we're nuisances after this. They've awakened a beast that cannot be tamed. And I'm looking forward to it."


	32. Three Tales of Admiration

The day started off like any normal late morning for the time mouse, Spaz, but then he got called into the Fusion Council Hut for important business. That was all they offered to explain before he came into the hut. The actual reason for his summons remained unclear.

He sat before the Fusion Council with a curious, rapid eye twitching stare. He fidgeted in his seat at his usual speed, mainly through his wagging feet. He twiddled his thumbs before asking, "So, what's-the-problem? Is-there-a-Fusion-on-the-streets-I-need-to-track-down?"

Abraham scratched his chin. "Yes, but not for a wandering Fusion like usual. No, this is a bit different."

Lewis folded his hands together and glared sternly. "Witness reports lately have spotted the Rogues going in and out of hiding at different points of the day. We suspected relation to crime, but there haven't been reports of such."

Spaz tilted his head. "So…they're-doing-nothing-remotely-criminal-worthy?"

Gracelyn sighed. "We're not sure of that. For the most part, their activities haven't led to fights breaking out. Given their criminal history, they've been unusually quiet up until the recent crime spree of theirs. While we don't have evidence to suggest ill intent-"

Peregrine slammed his wings down with a loud smack, spooking Spaz out of his seat as the steel duck stated, "Oi! Don't give the boy that crap! Of course they're up to something! It's written on their faces!" He pointed at Spaz and shouted, "And you're going to spy on them and see what the flying hell they're up to!"

Lewis sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "That's…pretty much the gist of it."

That was all Spaz needed. He grinned in anticipation for the assignment. "Consider-it-done! I'll-have-this-city-swept-in-seconds!" the fast-talking mouse boasted.

Liam held his hand up to quiet him. "While we don't doubt your claim, we do ask for you to take a partner. Three-man teams are normally the requirement, but we need absolute discretion carrying this out. The objective of the assignment is surveying and stealth, no direct combat."

Spaz was more than okay with having a partner. "That's-cool! I-work-well-with-everyone! Take-your-pick!"

"We already have," Lewis stated, folding his arms over the table. "You're fast, but also good at staying on task when needed. We needed the stealthiest of the village working on this assignment, so you'll be paired with Tamara."

"…" Suddenly, with a single name, all of Spaz's bravado drained away and replaced with a flustered and nervous demeanor. His cheeks flushed bright red while sweat dripped down his forehead. "T-T-T-Tamara?! I-I-I have to…w-w-work with T-Tamara…as in…t-two of us…a-alone?"

Peregrine scowled. "Yes, glad to see you've grasped basic English." Gracelyn lightly flicked him in the head. "OW!"

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "That won't be a problem, right?"

Spaz nervously tapped his fingers together. "Um, well, uh…!" He waved his hands around with an awkward grin. "A-Are you sure you d-don't want me paired with Quinn or…perhaps York or Asadi…or…?"

Gracelyn smiled knowingly at his flustered demeanor and tittered in amusement. "Now Spaz, I understand working with someone you like is a little nerve-wracking-"

"W-WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'LIKE?!'" Spaz screamed in alarm. "I D-DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON HER OR ANYTHING!"

Peregrine was getting fed up with his fidgeting and shouted, "Quit your whining and inform Tamara of your assignment!"

Spaz couldn't really say anything else with the no-nonsense duck scowling at him. He lowered his head in defeat. "Yes sir…" He dragged himself out of the hut.

Liam pinched between his eyes and groaned. "Your people skills require finer tuning, Peregrine."

"I wasn't going to sit here and let him make excuses just because he has communication issues with that boisterous cat!" he retorted.

Abraham, however, just laughed to himself. "Ah, young love. Quite an amusing sight, yes?"

Peregrine shot a deadpan stare. "You and I have very different interpretations of amusing…"

* * *

Having just finished an art class with her students, Rebecca made her way towards the mess hall while cleaning her hands with a wipe. "I could probably go for some pasta right about now…" she mumbled to herself. She tilted her head. "Are they serving pasta today?"

"HEY! Becca!" Rebecca halted in her tracks and smiled happily at the arrival of her crush as he bounced into view with a gleeful skip to his step. "How are you doing?"

She giggled, still finding his positive energy utterly infectious. "Hell Ren, always a pleasure to see you~!" she greeted with a flirtatious tone, though, as always, Ren didn't catch on. Oh well. "Just got done with a class. How about you? You seem extra energetic today."

Ren chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "That's because I'm taking a trip to the city."

"Any occasion?"

"Well, no offense to Artemis or Sheila, but I want to eat out for once. You've told me the food in the city was great, so I wanted to give it a try!"

Just as he said, Artemis happened to be walking by. She waved her balled up feeler at him and shouted, "You better like our food better or no more free cupcakes after hours!" She made her way to the mess hall.

Ren's eyes widened with a teary shimmer. "AWW!"

Rebecca giggled again. _He's so adorable._ "Well, I hope you have fun. I'll be eating at the mess hall instead. I don't exactly have money on hand and all I know is the one shop I ate at."

An idea popped up in the Frogadier-Aegislash's head before shouted, "Hey! Why don't you join me? Just the two of us?"

His platonic invitation caused the Braixen-Lucario's cheeks to flush with heat. Her blue fur made the color look purple. "W-Wait…you mean it?"

"Sure, why not?" Ren exclaimed. "It'll be fun! We don't get to hang out that often with training and stuff. I say we change that! What do you say?"

Rebecca turned away so he couldn't see her giddy, wide grin that matched the internal squeals that threatened to burst from her throat. _He basically asked me out on a date! This is…SO AWESOME!_ She nearly jumped for joy, but restrained herself and sharply inhaled to control herself. _Keep your cool, Rebecca! Don't freak out!_ She spun back around and faced the frog knight with a smile that greatly contrasted her sporadic excitement inside. "Why yes, I would love to join you."

Ren grinned and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her to the gates. "Great! Let's get going!" It took another ounce of willpower not to squeal at the handholding.

* * *

In the recent days, Juniper has decided to take her training a bit more seriously than normal. Rather than being yelled at to do so, she willingly pulled herself out of bed and headed to the training grounds to get started. Even she admitted she needed to hone her skills, for as good as they are. So, facing one of the practice dummies, she went all out with a flurry of precise and rapid palm strikes.

She trained for about…a whole minute before suddenly slouching forward against the dummy and falling asleep in an instant. Some drool escaped her open mouth and dripped down the dummy.

She would have stayed like that until she woke up on her own have it not been for Wash walking by. The Frogadier-Banette spotted her snoozing, then sighed with a light shake of his head. _Not again._ He walked over to her, then proceeded to gently shake her shoulder. "Jun…wake up."

The disturbance caused Juniper to fall to the side and land on her face, which alerted her to her feet in an instance. "H-Hands off my soda stash!" She blinked, then rubbed her eyes before assessing her surroundings again. Her eyes landed on Wash, which made her smile droopily. "Ah…hello Wash."

Wash held his hips and asked, "Were you training alone?"

"Perhaps. Why?"

"Seems to me you were just doing your usual thing." He raised his brow. "Do you ever wonder why Peregrine forces you to work with a partner?"

The Spinda-Mienfoo slouched forward, then yawned. "Neeeeever crossed my mind…" She smiled innocently. "Besides, this girl needs her beauty sleep."

Wash pinched between his eyes and sighed. "Well, by that absurd logic, you must be the most beautiful Fusion in the village."

Wash didn't seem to catch his own wording, but Juniper sure did. With a sly grin and bit of pink in her cheeks, she asked, "Dearest Wash, did you just call me beautiful?"

Now his words sank in, which caused him to develop pink in his cheeks as well. He concealed himself under his grey cloak and hood. "Um…well…I didn't mean it like…I…"

Juniper broke the awkwardness with an amused giggle and a playful tap on his nose. "Just teasing~!"

This alleviated the tension surrounding him and allowed his face to cool off. "Riiiight…" He cleared his throat, then said, "Listen, since you're having a bit of trouble focusing, maybe you can benefit from my help."

Juniper considered it, but she wasn't sure. She turned to the dummy and lightly jabbed it. "Oh, I don't know. Sounds nice, but training is so…boooooring!" She spun around the dummy with somewhat graceful form. "Peregrine, for all his yapping and scolding, does agree I'm a prodigy in the art of combat." She rested on her rear and yawned. "Training…at this point in my life is tedious."

If that was the issue, Wash already had a solution. With a confident smirk, he suggested hintingly, "In that case, maybe you need a _live_ target to practice on."

Juniper looked up at him, then smiled lazily. "Ooohhh…I get what you're thinking…" Five seconds of silence passed between them before she continued, "No wait…never mind, you lost me." Wash faltered in disbelief.

He sighed, then stated with greater clarity, "I mean, spar with me. I mean, think about it. We've fought before…granted, I don't remember much of it with the whole…thing with 'Barbatos.'"

Juniper remembered that day she and Wash battled each other. All seemed normal until Wash seemed to…lose his mind halfway through. Barbatos was like a separate personality of Wash's, born from the intense stress he endured back in his hometown. He's gotten better at holding him back, but it was something Wash couldn't stop worrying about. A lot of the village understandably worried about that demented side of his.

The exceptions being the council, his hut mates, a few of the other villagers…and Juniper.

In fact, despite being on the receiving end of Barbatos' rage, Juniper held nothing against Wash. She tapped her chin. "Ah yeah, I remember that." A lax smile formed. "Ah, good times…"

Wash sweat-dropped with a mildly baffled stare. "You and I remember that day very differently." He shook his head. "But seriously, I would love to spar with you. I do want to see what makes you such an amazing battler."

Juniper stood up and hid her hands in her sleeves, smiling suspiciously. "This isn't some fancy mind trick to get me to spill my guts, right? I haven't forgotten about that betting circle, you know."

Wash rested his hand over his heart. "I promise, this has nothing to do with that. I have honest intentions."

This made Juniper smile with added respect. "Well…who am I to say no? You got a deal. I wouldn't mind a workout buddy anyway." She leaned back and yawned, though Wash took immediate notice she was planning to fall on her back…on purpose.

He immediately grabbed her shoulders and kept her from falling asleep. He smirked knowingly. "Not this time, missy."

She smirked back. "Can't let a girl have her pre-battle nap first?"

"I think you're rested enough."

"Don't you mean beautiful?" They both snorted and shared a laugh.

* * *

After relaying the mission to Tamara, she and Spaz dashed into the city and perched themselves on the rooftops, a suitable vantage point for scouting out the crafty Rogues and their evildoings. Well, _supposed_ evildoings, but it was fairly obvious.

Tamara took the job very seriously, as she kept a sharp, narrow eyed gaze on the streets below while crossing her arms over her chest in a stern manner. She never looked more serious. As she vigilantly scanned the streets, she began to monologue out loud.

"As the hero of Gappei Village, I will not rest until these cowardly, criminal lot are put behind the iron bars of justice for their misdeeds. No more will they send the people of this fair city into a state of disarray, for I shall protect them with my strength and speed! I shall execute this mission will the utmost determination! Let all who worship evil's might, beware my speed! Under my watchful gaze, you can hide and run all you like, but you'll never escape justice! So says the…Sapphire Wind of Speed!" She struck a heroic pose, fist aiming for the sky.

There was a brief pause after her heroic declaration before she relaxed and started questioning herself. "Ugh, still doesn't sound right. Does the name work? Describes me perfectly."

Her back was facing Spaz, so she was unaware of the goofy, love-struck expression plastered on his face as he stared at her. He wasn't sure for how long he has been staring, but he just let his mind blissfully drift away as he watched her perform her heroic bit. _She's so dramatic…_

"Well, Spaz?"

The time mouse snapped out of his daydreams with an alarmed screech. His tiny fairy wings buzzed nervously. "H-Huh?!"

"I was asking for your opinion on my hero name. What do you think?"

Spaz felt sweat dripping down his body. _Don't…freak out, Spaz. She's just asking for your opinion on something. Don't…screw it up._ "Um…yes." _YES?! That was the best you could come up with?! Stupid brain!_

Tamara was equally as confused. "Uh…just yes?"

Spaz mentally scolded himself, then worked up the nerve to give a proper response. "Uh…w-what I meant was…t-t-the name does suit you…i-it describes you w-well…b-b-but maybe you could…s-shorten it. I-I mean, the hero of speed have something that…r-rolls off the tongue!" He finished with a nervous grin.

Tamara narrowed her eyes judgingly at the mouse, making him wonder if he said something wrong, but relief came over when Tamara slammed her fist into her palm. "Hmm, perhaps you're right! I could probably benefit from a shorter name! I'll have to work on that!"

Spaz sighed and slouched over. _Thank goodness, I got through that just fine._ His face glowed with heat. _Ugh…I have to try and hold a conversation with her until sundown? This is going to be tough…_

Tamara refocused back on the street, eyes sharpened into glares. "Anyway, keep close attention. We can't have the enemy sneaking around us. We won't give them the chance."

"Y-Yeah…" Spaz walked up to her side, but kept eye contact to a minimum. It was difficult to keep contact without flushing like mad. "W-What do you s-s-suppose the Rogues are up to?"

Tamara clenched her fist. "Up to no good, that's what! Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot! Once they slip up, we'll get the drop on them and bring them to justice!"

Spaz blinked. "I…d-don't think the Rogues are superstitious. Wait…did you take that line from a comic book?"

Tamara sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "Erm…perhaps?" She groaned. "I'll work on catchphrases another time. As for the Rogues, I don't have a definite answer. Their crimes, however, do leave a lot to analyze. Their usual heists consisted of food and necessities, along with destruction of property. They're not behaving like how they normally would. They're more organized. Almost like…" Her eyes widened. "My god…lowly street gang turned criminal organization!" She slammed her fists together. "Of course!"

The Pikachu-Celebi fought back a laugh. "Heh…you even sound like you're from a comic book."

Tamara grinned. "That's where I get inspiration from."

Spaz rubbed his head. "Funny…first glance, you don't look like someone who reads comics. Personality wise…it's clear as day…" His speech was slow, but without stutters at least.

Tamara sat on the roof edge and leaned back on her hands. "Well…they've helped me get through some tough times, ever since I first arrived in the village. They were…a comfort tool, I guess you could say. I was probably…seven…maybe eight when I got invested into the world of heroics."

Spaz debated to himself, but chose to sit down next to her…with a lot of space between them. "So, they've…helped you out?"

Tamara smiled. "Ever felt motivated by literature?"

"I do a bit of writing in my free time," Spaz admitted. "Keeps me still, but keeps my mind racing."

Tamara sighed and looked up at the clouds. "Heroes have been a big part of my life. They've shaped me into a better Meowth-Accelgor." She grabbed hold of one of the ribbon extensions from the back of her collar and rubbed it between her fingers mindlessly. "Heh…you don't think I'm going overboard with my desires, do you?"

Why would he? "N-No! Of course not!" Spaz exclaimed, red crossing his face. "Y-You're amazing, Tamara! Everyone thinks you are! You're fast, strong, brave, beaut-!" He bit down on his tongue and prevented himself from saying that suggestive adjective. _Slip of the tongue there!_ "W-Well…everyone looks up to you!"

Tamara smiled to herself. "Yeah…I guess I am." She looked at her feet. "Speed is something I want to improve. I want to be faster than anyone who rivals my speed." She briefly smirked at Spaz. "Which is why you're my number one rival!"

Spaz flinched at the title. He really liked Tamara, but he was always afraid of expressing his feelings. The ninja cat is very prideful, so challenging her to a race and either winning or throwing the race would crush her…or maybe he was overthinking it and just couldn't find the courage to express his feelings to her.

His moment of tension disappeared as the cat continued, "Brave, strong, steadfast…all the things I want to be. Whatever it takes to be a hero…" She sighed. Despite keeping eye contact low, Spaz noticed a shimmer of sadness in her eyes. "I want to be fast…faster than everyone…so I can protect the lives that matter…to prevent a tragedy from being born…"

Spaz's nervous demeanor softened into one of compassion. Without thinking, he reached out to her. "Tam…"

He recoiled his gesture when the ninja cat shook her doubts off. "I'm fine…just got wrapped in my own thoughts…" She looked down at the street. "I didn't mean to bring up any heavy topics…I just…" Her mood took a complete one-eighty, with eyes widening and a sharp gasp flying out her breath. She sprung to her feet and pointed down, shouting, "ROGUES!"

Spaz panicked and got to his feet. "W-Wait, seriously?! Where?!"

"They're right there!" she pointed out for him. However, taking a second look at the oddly colored Pokémon she spotted, an embarrassed smile took over. "Whoops, never mind. That's just Ren and Rebecca." Spaz faltered over, completely baffled by her lapse in judgment.

"You…need to stop jumping the gun, Tam…" He pushed himself up, then stared at her- avoiding eye contact, of course- in confusion. "Wait, did you say Ren and Rebecca?" She nodded, making him look down and eventually picking out the purple Frogadier in gold plating and blue Braxien. "What are they doing out here?"

Tamara showed her teeth through a smirk. "On a secret covert mission like us to pinpoint the Rogues' location!"

"…or…they're on a date," Spaz suggested, pointing out the hand holding between them.

"…yeah, I guess that, too."

* * *

Ren guided Rebecca down the sidewalk, keeping his eyes peeled for the restaurant he wanted to try out. Rebecca kept quiet for most of the walk, just happy to be spending time with the loveable Fusion. Though, her curiosity broke said silence. "So, Ren, you haven't told me where we're going."

Ren smiled apologetically. "Did I forget to tell you? My bad." He looked forward again. "I was looking at all the shops and restaurants I could go to when I found the best restaurant ever! The Pancake Palace! A restaurant that sells breakfast all day long, including freshly made, fluffy, delicious pancakes!" His mouth watered as he imagined a stack of fluffy pancake drizzled in syrup. "It's like heaven!"

Rebecca giggled. _Adorable goof._ "Pancakes for lunch, eh? Sounds like my kind of fun!"

Three more minutes of walking passed before Ren pointed out the Pancake Palace, which had a pancake shaped sign hanging over the entrance. They stepped inside and got a table for two. They got the expected stares from the other patrons, but mostly with curiosity. It wasn't everyday a couple of Fusions ate out in public.

After they took their seats and ordered their drinks, they looked at the menu items. Or rather, they looked at the variety of toppings and sides they were going to have with their pancakes. Ren looked around his menu and grinned. "They've got a lot of options to choose from! Have whatever you want!"

Rebecca waved her hands dismissively. "Oh no, I couldn't. I wouldn't want to spoil myself with your money."

"Aww, thanks, but I insist! I invited you, so it's my treat!"

Rebecca blushed, which she covered behind her menu. _He's so generous._

Once the waitress returned with their drinks, they placed their order of pancakes in and waited patiently for her return. In the meantime, they used the time to make light conversation.

Ren sipped his water and asked, "How's training going with you?"

Rebecca tapped the side of her glass, thinking back to the hours spent in training. "Well, I've actually been doing some private training with Lewis."

"Seriously?!" Ren exclaimed in surprise. "I wouldn't have assumed you to take up combat training with him!"

Rebecca chuckled. "Well, not exactly for that purpose. Being partly Lucario, I figured training under him would be beneficial. Sure enough, I was right." She pulled out her twig and held the end out towards him. She concentrated before lighting the end up in a brilliant blue flame, which contained a mass of aura channeling through it.

"Whooooooa…" Ren awed with shimmering eyes.

"Yep. He's been teaching me how to better handle my aura." She closed her eyes. The fur in her ears stood up with aura wrapped around them. "I even got better at sensing other auras and my surroundings. I can feel everyone's presence in the restaurant."

"That is so cool!" Ren praised.

Rebecca ceased her sensing and opened her eyes, giving him an embarrassed smile. "Oh, it's not that great. I'm sure your training is just as thrilling."

Ren smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, uh…I've definitely improved under Peregrine's wing. Can't say the experience is all that pleasing when he yells at you so much. I think I have a sore spot on my head from all the hitting." He grinned much more genuine. "Even so, Hawkins and I are improving rapidly! We actually managed to score a few solid hits on Peregrine!"

Rebecca gasped. "Really? That's amazing!"

Ren grinned like a giddy child. "I may have squealed when I did. It was such a proud moment for me!"

Rebecca giggled. "Of course you did." She leaned back and held her juice up to her lips. "Anything else new with you?"

"Hmm…not really. I have been speaking with Martin, that Beautifly I know, about some other books and stuff about Ivan Faust."

"Ivan Faust?" Rebecca bit the inside of her cheek, trying to recall the name. "Hmm…oh yeah, Quinn told me you've been obsessing about him."

"I'm not obsessed!" Ren pouted in objection. "I'm just curious! And why shouldn't I? He's an interesting guy! One of the most well-known Fusion Rights Activists in history! The first to spark some semblance of consideration into the Pokémon that once despised Fusions!"

Rebecca wasn't well versed in history or Ivan Faust, so she just nodded along. "You don't say?" She chuckled. "Well, I guess it's good to know even the distant past wasn't full of heartless Pokémon."

"Yeah…though, the reason I've been asking Martin about other sources I could use is because there doesn't seem to be much on Ivan Faust. Aside from his good deeds and charisma, no one really knew anything about his personal life. There have been sources stating he helped Fusions off the streets, but…no one really knows what else he did. He was, still is, a bit of a mystery back then. No one even knows what happened to him after a certain point."

Now that got Rebecca to raise a brow. "He disappeared?"

"Basically."

"Freaky. Even so, it's nice he left a strong impact after so long."

Ren nodded, then looked up. "Makes you wonder if his ideology would have had an even stronger impact if he was born in our time. Three hundred years later."

Rebecca shrugged. "Who knows…but we have Mr. Roteman to carry on those beliefs." She grinned encouragingly. "Heck, we have you, too."

This got Ren off guard. "Wait, really?! Me?!"

"Of course! Ren, you're one of the sweetest, most generous guys I know! You hold no grudges against anyone and you're always there to lend a hand, no matter how absurd or mundane the task! If there's anyone I know that sets an example for comradery and cooperation, it's you!"

Ren stared at her in awe, then his eyes watered happily while he formed a big smile. "Aww! Thanks, Rebecca!"

Rebecca giggled behind her hand. _So cute._ "No problem."

The waitress returned with their stacks of pancakes, making their mouths water at the delicious breakfast food. "Here you go. Enjoy."

"Thank you!" they both exclaimed before the waitress left.

Ren lifted his fork and knife. "Dig in, Rebecca!"

"Already on it!" she exclaimed, mirroring his actions. They shoveled their stacks into their mouths, getting some weird stares from the other customers and waiters.

* * *

Wash performed some stretches to limber himself up for the battle, standing on his side of the battlefield. Juniper, on the opposite side of him, did the opposite and slouched forward with a sleepy grin and narrowed, swirly eyes. She swayed side to side as she waited for the ghost frog to give the signal.

Wash finished with his leg stretches, then got himself into position. "Okay, I'm ready. Are you?"

Juniper yawned and rubbed her right eye. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He nodded in acceptance. "Good. And remember, this is just a sparring match. We're not here to win. We're here to train."

A hint of a smug grin formed in the sleepy panda's drowsy expression. "If you say so…"

Without giving a signal, Wash made the first move with dual Cut attacks. His speed was incredible, crossing the battlefield in less than a second. He pulled both blade constructs back and swung them in an 'X' formation. Juniper's eyes shifted to sharpened states. She deflected the Cut blades over her head, then stepped out of the way and shoved him in the back, using his own momentum against him.

He tumbled forward, but quickly rolled to his feet and threw one of the blades at her. She dodged and slammed her palm against the middle, shattering it into dissipating pieces. She felt Wash appeared below her with an Aerial Ace for the chin. It came close to striking her, but she deflected his fist and used Sucker Punch against his side.

Wash jumped back and held his side with a quiet grunt. Regardless, he lunged again with Cut. Juniper caught the blade between her hands. As Wash tried to push against her arm strength, he asked, "Seriously, where…did you learn to fight?" He swung his leg at her side.

Juniper blocked with her own kick, then spun on her heel and threw the Frogadier-Banette away. "I have my history. Training came naturally, I suppose."

Wash landed, then retaliated with Water Pulses. "Prodigy or not, your attention to your surroundings is impeccable!" Juniper channeled cold energy through her fists and used Ice Punch against the Water Pulses, shattering them into ice crystals. Wash used this as a diversion to get in close with Aerial Ace. "Got you!"

He saw her arm lifting for another Sucker Punch, so he swept his leg under her feet, knocking her off balance, then slammed his Aerial Ace charged fist into her stomach. She skipped on her back and rolled onto her stomach. Despite the super-effective hit, she smiled with her usual drowsiness. "Ooh…that hurt…"

Wash smirked. "Heh…high tolerance for pain, too."

Juniper rolled onto her feet and crossed her arms. "Years to toughen up. That's the will of the Fusion." They took their steps and circled each other, never breaking eye contact.

"The most unassuming Fusion of Gappei Village…is also the most skilled of the bunch."

Juniper grinned suspiciously. "Heh…you sure you're not in this for my secrets, Washster? By my own judgment, _you_ seem the least assuming about it."

Wash formed Cut and spun it. "Why would I?" He turned on his heel and dashed straight for her. "I thought you didn't want us prying!"

"And I don't!" Juniper slammed her palm against the Cut and shattered in with Force Palm. She went for the Sucker Punch while he still had forward momentum. "But I like to have my fun teasing you guys!"

Wash slid on his knees and dodged the Sucker Punch. "Well, I respect your privacy!" He spun on his hands and threw a strong kick, which she blocked with her arm.

"Aww, you're too much!" She slammed her palm down, but he dodged and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground.

Wash stood up and rubbed his cheek. "I wouldn't have joined that betting circle if it were for anyone else. But you…I'm the most curious about you. I joined just to get to know you. The real you."

Juniper rested on her side, fist firmly pressed against her cheek. "I know I'm interesting, but the real me isn't for your amusement."

Wash formed both Cut blades. "Is this a fake persona or the real you?"

Juniper spun on her back, then flipped back to her feet. "This is New Juniper. The me I prefer. The me I think is most fitting." A wry, sleepy smile formed. "Heh…kind of funny. You and I aren't so different. We both have two sides, one we want everyone to love and the other we rather forget." She snickered. "Heh…think I would pass for a philosophy teacher?"

Wash ignored her joking question and went for the attack. "What were you like?"

She lazily dodged his slashes. "Less lethargic, believe it or not. Other than that, I was…not me."

"Not an answer to work with!" He spun and downward struck her. She stopped the blades, with the shock of the attack crushing the ground under her.

She smirked. "It's the answer you're getting!"

Wash smirked back. "You know I won't stop trying, right?"

In a surprising move he didn't question, Juniper grabbed him by the hand and twirled him around like they were performing a choreographed dance instead. She even teased him with a dip. "More fun for me. I'd give you a hint, but you'd probably write it off as cryptic." She spun him around, then kicked him in the back. "Either way, you can try all you want, but you're not getting a word out of me."

Wash recovered from the strike and formed dual Cut again. Using Aerial Ace through his legs, he increased his movement speed to flicker vanish overhead and, using Aerial threw his hands too, struck Juniper with explosive force. She blocked the damage with her Force Palm, sending erratic sparks of energy flying. The ghost frog's attack, however, did shove her back.

Wash put distance between them and fired a Water Pulse. Juniper grinned and caught the Water Pulse, redirecting its motions while applying the chilling power of her Ice Punch. She threw it back at the ghost frog. He briefly formed Cut to break the Water Pulse into ice crystals, then fired two more Water Pulses. Juniper performed the same maneuver, this time throwing the Water Pulses in the air, only Wash used the moment to tackle her to the ground.

She shook her head and tried to get up, but Wash pinned her arms and body down. She blinked slowly, then smirked. "Aww, looks like you pinned me."

"You're not even trying, are you?"

"What~? I didn't even have my soda yet."

Wash smirked. "That's your excuse?"

"Are you surprised?"

They stared at each other with bold smirks for a solid ten seconds, letting themselves catch their breath and let the adrenaline wear off. Once their battle instincts dulled a bit, they realized their faces were particularly close to each other right when Wash pinned her. This realization was simultaneous from the sudden widening of their eyes and the influx of heat rushing to their cheeks.

Wash jumped off her and covered his face under his hood. "S-Sorry."

Juniper sat up, then smiled coyly as she gently pulled on her ear. "No worries." She dragged her digit through the ground, not at all awkward out by the closeness. She giggled softly. "Heh…Wash?"

"Yeah?"

"Dodge."

Wash looked up, then dodged the Water Pulse that exploded on the ground into a disjointed spire of ice shards. He looked around and saw the second Water Pulse she deflected froze on one of the hut roofs.

He chuckled and ran his hand through the eerie purple energy on the back of his neck. "Hehe…thanks for the save."

Juniper stood up and dusted herself off. Her cheeks were still pink as she giggled. "I wanted to play a dirty trick on you, but I'm not that mean. Wasn't expecting the Water Pulses to land where they did, though." She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a can of soda, perfectly undented despite having blocked attacks with her arms.

Wash smiled with amusement. "You do know we're in the middle of a battle, right?"

Juniper took a sip of her soda. "Attack me all you want, but I'm taking my break."

Wash shook his head at her lazy attitude, then formed his dual Cut. "Have it your way!" He sprinted and swung the blades at the lazy panda. As she drank her soda, she dodged his strikes with dizzying movements, making it harder to predict how she'll move.

Wash narrowed his eyes in admiration as he continued his assault. _A sharp mind that can carry out complex actions and mundane tasks at once. You're an interesting girl, Juniper. Whether or not you give me the chance, I want to learn more about you._

"Oh Wash~!" Juniper suddenly exclaimed with a cutesy tone. "You said you don't drink soda, right~?"

A momentary period of confusion came over the Fusion. "Yeah, so-AGH!" Without warning, she splashed some of her can's contents into his open mouth. He lost his focus, allowing her to chop him in the back and knock him onto his stomach.

Juniper twirled behind him, then winked. "You just did."

Wash shook his head, then glared at her. "I thought you said you weren't playing tricks."

Juniper flashed a silly grin. "I did…but I lied."

Wash smirked playfully and formed his Cut blades once more. "You're going to regret that!" He chased her around the battlefield while both laughed. After that small prank on Wash, it wasn't a battle anymore. It was a game.

It resembled two little kids enjoying their childhood in that moment.

* * *

"…what did inspire you to become a hero?"

Tamara and Spaz were racing across the rooftops, searching for a new vantage point to use. Activity hasn't picked up with the Rogues, making them wonder if they were ever going to come out. Seeing there was nothing else to do, Spaz asked that innocent, curious question about the ninja cat.

Tamara stopped on top of, what she presumed to be, the roof of a bank. She crossed her arms and sighed. "Most heroes have tragic backstories. I'm not excluded from that camp."

Spaz landed next to her. "A lot of us went through a lot."

"I wouldn't call my past the most heartbreaking or tragic, but…different people react to different things." She looked down. "Most common for Fusions is horrible childhoods."

Spaz teetered on his feet. "Can't say I would know. I never knew my parents…not sure if I have any. I just lived on the streets stealing for survival and causing mischief. Didn't even have a name to call my own."

"Until you came to the village," Tamara added. She smirked a bit. "Heh…why 'Spaz?' Seems more like an insult than anything else. You're normally a jittery fellow."

Spaz smiled shyly and looked away. "It…suits me. It was a name I could finally call my own. I was more than happy to wear it as part of my identity." He tried to look at her, only really getting a glimpse of her whiskers that swayed softly with the wind, as did her ribbons. "You, however, are different. Always trying to put on a brave face and proclaim to everyone you're a hero. What drives you to do that?"

Tamara's eyes softened, then she sat down. "Juniper isn't the only one claiming to be a symbol." She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged her legs. She stared sadly out onto the city. "There's always someone who needs a hero to protect them. I want to be something that inspires strength. Protection. Hope." She gripped at her leg tightly. "…someone who can steer you away from the wrong path…"

Spaz sat down next to her and frowned sympathetically. "I…never took you for someone who would…take a life."

A weak chuckle escaped her mouth. "Heh…to be perfectly honest, neither did I." She glared for a moment, then sighed. "Spaz, I haven't told anyone besides Juniper and Ulysses this. It's something I don't like to admit out loud, so promise you won't tell anyone."

Spaz immediately nodded in agreement. "I-I won't. W-What…?"

Tamara sighed shakily, then closed her eyes. "I wasn't…always this brave and bold. Quite the opposite. I was a small kit…who was timid, terrified, and meek. I couldn't stand up for myself, I was always picked on for the way I looked…then there was my father. I never knew my mother, so all my memories of a parent fell onto him. That…drunken, abusive fool who didn't know the first thing about raising a child. Hard times fell on us. Guess who got to be the lightning rod to all his angry, drunken outbursts?"

Spaz cringed at the image. "Tam…I'm so sorry…"

"I'd cry myself to sleep," she continued, "and hoped each night it was all a bad dream. It never was." She glared firmly. "I just had to take it because I was a child. There was nothing I could do, he said." Her expression turned dark. "That fool and I learned something very important that day: even a child…has a breaking point."

Spaz gulped. "That's when you…"

Tamara didn't look like she was going to cry, but her eyes projected grief. "I didn't even see it myself. When I came to, I found puncture wounds through his throat…and his blood on my claws." She closed her eyes and hid her face in her legs. "I ran…ran and ran for months, trying to escape my own grief. It haunted me with no remorse. I was devastated. I felt horrible about taking someone's life, even if it was my abusive father.

"Then Liam found me. He comforted me for days. He never asked directly what was wrong. He was just…there, helping me cope. In a way, I think he knew what I was going through." Her rigidness softened as she spoke. "Liam…ever since then, was the only one I truly considered a father figure in my life. I never felt so safe in someone's arms before. He…is my hero."

She shook her head, fighting back the urge to let tears flow. Spaz, however, let some slip out as he listened to her. She continued, "He offered me a home in Gappei Village, the only place where I felt truly happy." She glared at the street and took a deep breath. "I not only want to protect my friends, but I want to protect all who face adversity. Without taking a life." She held her hand up, then tightened it into a fist. "I will…become a hero. I'll never take a life without absolute reason. And will…protect all that I love."

Spaz stared at her in awe. For once, he was staring into her eyes without turning away. This…was what he admired about Tamara. This was who she was. A strong Fusion who sought to be better than everyone…so she could protect everyone. That level of determination…was why he liked her so much.

He was hesitant, but he worked the nerve to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You…will make a great hero, Tamara. I know you will."

Tamara shifted her full focus onto him, which caused his face to redden. He attempted to look away, but his body locked up when a pair of arms wrapped around him and pulled him against the ninja cat. And yet, he warmed up to it almost immediately.

Tamara chuckled quietly, then let him go. "You're one cool rival, Spaz…and an amazing friend."

Spaz blinked in disbelief. _She…thinks I'm cool…and amazing?_ Moments like these made it that much harder to hide his true feelings for her…or to keep himself from acting foolish.

Tamara stood and punched her fists together. "Right! This is no time to be acting sappy! We need to keep our heads in the game! We have to keep an eye out for…" She paused for a moment, then gasped out and pointed down. "Rogues!"

Spaz snapped out of his daydreams and narrowed his eyes accusingly. "Uh, Tamara, remember what we talked about earlier?"

"I do, but…!" She grabbed him by his cheeks, making him blush in shock, then turned his head to where she pointed. "Look!"

His cheeks immediately cooled when he spotted the source of her outburst. Sure enough, it was a Slurpuff-Vanilluxe and Aipom-Kecleon sneaking around in an alleyway. He believed the former was Mikayla, having encountered the Rogues personally a few times. The other must have been the Rogue that Asadi fought. They nodded at each other before vanishing into the darkness.

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "What are they up to?"

Tamara let go of him and took a few steps back. "Only one way to find out." She sprinted to the edge of the roof, then leapt over the street, landing on the building parallel to the bank before sneaking along the alleyway path.

Spaz blinked at the impressive jump, then jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "I'll just…use the fire escape and meet with you in a second…" He sped down the bank and ran to the other roof.

* * *

Ren and Rebecca leaned back in their chairs and sighed in content. They were stuffed from all the pancakes they ate. "Those were delicious," Ren commented.

Rebecca nodded in agreement. "Oh yes, definitely!" She beamed brightly. "Thank you SO much for bringing me!"

"Aww, you're welcome!" Ren sat up and grinned. "We should come back here sometime!"

Rebecca blushed and hid a smile behind her hand. "Yeah, that would be nice." _Yeah…just you and me._

"We should bring the others, too!" Ren added excitedly.

That dashed Rebecca's brief daydream. _Heh…or not._ She stretched her arms and got out of her seat. "I should really head back. I didn't have much planned for today, so I want to rest in my hut."

Ren got out of his seat. "Oh. Well, let me pay for our food and I'll walk you back."

Rebecca turned away to hide her blush and internally squealed. _He's such a gentleman!_ She turned back and smiled kindly. "Well, with an offer like that, how can I refuse?" Ren smiled, then waved their waitress over.

After food was paid for, the two made their way back to the village. During the comfortable silence between them, Rebecca took the time to truly look at the subtle changes across the city. Nothing tangible, but felt. Her first mission through the city was radically different compared to now. She, Shane, and Chris got cruel glares thrown their way with an uncomfortable tension present in the atmosphere. Now…everyone seemed more accepting of them being out in the open, just to simply get lunch.

Rebecca walked close to Ren, which he didn't mind. She smiled softly. "I'm glad things are getting better in the city. I can't believe we're actually making a difference."

Ren laughed jubilantly. "Don't be surprised! We wanted to show them we're nice folk! No matter what the most pessimistic Pokémon or Fusion says, we won't rest until we bring an end to this eternal rift!"

Rebecca held a hand to her chest. "Makes me all warm and fuzzy."

Ren grinned and raised his fists. "Maybe if we try hard enough, we'll achieve world peace!"

Rebecca laughed awkwardly and rubbed the back of her head. "Let's not get too unbelievable with our hopes and dreams. Aiming kind of high for the impossible."

"Always have, always will!" he insisted proudly. Rebecca just laughed it off and leaned against him. His positive encourage was always something that brought a smile to her face.

* * *

After spending a half-hour sparring (and running around like children), Wash and Juniper called an end to it and got some towels to wipe the sweat off their bodies. Juniper took a whiff of her underarm, then groaned. "Yeesh, when was the last time I've sweated this much?"

Wash wiped his face and said, "I don't know. Against me in our first fight?"

Juniper grinned slyly. "Are you playing some voodoo mind trick on me to exercise? It seems to only happen with you around."

Wash laughed as he wiped under his arm. "No voodoo tricks here. I'm just amazing at persuading you."

Juniper giggled, then wiped down her face. "Still, I have to admit, that was pretty fun."

"Does this mean you'll take training more seriously?" Wash asked.

She fluttered her eyes at him with a cutesy smile. "Aww, Washster~! I always take training seriously~!" The deadpan stare he shot her way said otherwise, so she burst out into laughter. "Okay, fine! Naps will still remain my top priority!" She grinned sly and nudged her head against him. "Though, if training involves you, I might consider otherwise."

Wash smiled and rubbed the back of his head. A small blush popped up. "Heh…you do bring a certain something to training."

She blushed at his comment, then chuckled behind her hand. "Yeah, I bring soda." She pulled another out and waved it in front of his face. "Want another sip?" she teased.

During the fight, she somehow managed to trick him into taking five splashes of soda when his mouth was open. He smirked and pushed the can away. "Like I said, no thank you."

Juniper snickered and stuffed it back into her sleeve. "Whatever, your loss." She grabbed his hand and spun him around. "Still, I would love to do this again. This'll be our little dance to share alone."

Wash laughed. "You're still insisting this is a dance?"

She held her hip and smiled wryly. "You bet."

It was impossible to keep a straight face in front of her. Wash simply pinched between his eyes and chuckled. "Alright, fine. This will be our dance."

Juniper giggled, which quickly changed to a tired yawn. Fatigue, actual fatigue, finally kicked in for her. "I should probably…head back to my hut…before I…" She collapsed forward, but Wash grabbed her under the arms and supported her weight against his.

Wash raised his brow and smirked at her. "Do you ever take anything seriously?"

Juniper smiled innocently and leaned against him. "Carry me~?"

Wash didn't object. Sharing an amused laugh with her, he wrapped her arm around his neck and carried her back to her hut.

* * *

Tamara and Spaz glared seriously as they stood above the alleyway they followed Mikayla and Braith through. From their vantage point and the distance they crossed, they realized this alleyway was completely abandoned. After the Rogues reached a dead end, the two Gappei residents waited for their next move.

The two Rogues looked around to make sure they weren't followed. Tamara and Spaz ducked back on the roof to keep their position hidden. Once they were sure the coast was clear, Braith reached around on the ground and opened up a secret hatch the blended with the concrete.

Tamara and Spaz watched as the two hopped in and closed the hatch behind them. Spaz narrowed his eyes curiously. "I've been through every inch of this city and never seen that before."

"Is it the entrance to their hideout?" Tamara wondered.

"I'm not sure. They haven't done anything this morning, as far as we know, so there'd be no point to sneaking in and out of the hideout to accomplish nothing."

"So, it's something else entirely." Tamara stood up. "Pursuing them any further will expose us. Not enough to pin a crime, but enough to warrant further investigation."

Spaz nodded. "The council will want to hear about this." They nodded at each other, then sped off back to the village to inform their superiors.


	33. Keeping Secrets

After returning from their scouting mission in the city, Tamara and Spaz stood before the Fusion Council and explained their findings, as little as they were, as best they could. It wasn't enough to outright say what they were up to, but enough to raise concern and suspicion.

Liam held his chin. "So, you two found two of the Rogues using a secret passageway?"

Spaz nodded. "Correct, sir. Though, Tamara-and-I-weren't-able-to-identify-what-it's-for. We're-not-sure-if-it's-the-entrance-to-their-hideout-or-not."

Lewis narrowed his eyes, barely comprehending what he said. "Try to slow down while talking, kid," he demanded politely.

Spaz gulped sheepishly. "Heh…sorry, sir. Force of habit."

Lewis folded his hands together. "Still, a secret passageway being utilized by the Rogues definitely requires further investigation. Not much to work with, but it might clue us in on what they're up to. Anything else we should know?"

Tamara shook her head. "No, sir. We couldn't exactly follow them without risk of exposure. We're not familiar with all the Rogues, so tailing them from behind without getting caught was a risk we wouldn't take."

Gracelyn smiled. "Good use of judgment, Tamara." Tamara smiled proudly. The colossal bear looked around her fellow councilmen. "We can't waste time figuring out if it's their hideout or not. For now, further action must be taken. I suggest further gathering of intel."

Peregrine smirked. "Then let's flush them out the old fashion way! We know where they're meeting up at least! Let's get all the Fire-Types together and burn their asses out!"

Abraham smiled lightly at the sadistic plan. "Perry, you're thinking too irrationally. We still don't know how they'd counter such a simpleminded ambush. Stealth/Direct action needs to be taken."

"Getting rid of them now is top priority!" Peregrine squawked. "Regardless of who they are or how powerful they are, _we_ can easily take them out!"

"Ah, but miss out on a wonderful learning experience for the younglings?" Abraham chuckled behind his hand. "I don't think so."

Peregrine narrowed his eyes. "You know, sometimes I wonder if you're the crazy one."

"I'd argue we're all a little crazy."

Liam sighed, then looked back at Tamara and Spaz. "I suppose we've reached a common consensus: direct infiltration into this passageway."

Gracelyn nodded. "As Spaz was kind enough to point out, this isn't a guaranteed lead into their base, but rather a location they frequent. We'll have to send a team in to uncover their plans."

Tamara closed her eyes and smiled conceitedly. "Say no more!" she exclaimed, holding her hand out while the other proudly rested over her heart. "I'm already on it! Just give me my team and I'll be ready to go."

Lewis deadpanned at her. "Yeeeeeah- no."

That killed Tamara's mood just as quickly as it came. "HUH?!" she shouted slack-jawed.

Abraham smiled. "Don't get us wrong, Ms. Tamara, your work was well appreciated in this mission. That said, a mission of direct confrontation should be handled with a bit more care than what you have previously shown."

"What…do you mean?"

Lewis sighed. "Tamara, you're too impulsive for your own good. This is as much a stealth mission as it is a capture mission. You're very stealthy, yes, but quick to anger at times."

Tamara pouted sadly. "Aww…"

Abraham chuckled. "Fret not, youngling. We'll send you on a mission with lots of fighting in time, should such an event arise."

Spaz grinned wryly. "Heh…I'm not bummed about it. I'm cool just hanging out here, anyway."

Peregrine nodded. "Very good. You're both dismissed."

Spaz bowed. "Thank you, sir." He looked at Tamara, then chuckled awkwardly as the ninja stared at the floor with a sad, despondent look. He hesitantly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the hut. "Come on, Tam, some food and a good workout will cheer you up…"

Once they left, the council resumed speaking. Abraham was the first to speak, pressing his hands together in a serious manner, which contrasted with his whimsical demeanor, "I suppose we should bring up the Rogues' meddling in the Unovian labs some time back."

Liam drummed his fingers against the table. "Julian said all he found were files…and some useless, stone box." He grunted. "He still hasn't gotten back to us yet on decoding the new files."

Gracelyn raised her brow. "He hasn't? But it's been a month."

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "He's been kind of quiet lately. He's probably just working harder these days."

Abraham shook his head. "In any event, we should take the Rogues' actions in those labs into account. I'm sure many of you have noticed this little crime spree of theirs popping up ever since they raided the labs. Not too long after the excavation. Call me paranoid, maybe a tad overanalytical, but I find this all a trifle bit suspicious."

Peregrine sneered. "They did try to steal from Profetus Inc. a long while back and stole the same files Julian had. Something's not right…I can feel it in my gut."

Lewis closed his eyes. "Then we best get right onto sending out a team tomorrow." He looked at Liam. "Got any suggestions, chief?"

Liam scratched his chin, thinking for only a moment, before nodding. "I have a few in mind…"

* * *

"…and that is why we called you three in," Liam finished explaining to the three Fusions he assigned for the mission: Quinn, Shane, and Chris.

Quinn crossed his arms. "A secret, underground passageway being utilized by the Rogues, huh?"

Abraham nodded. "Yes. Going into a direct fight this early on won't be the right course of action. This particular assignment requires a bit more thoughtful judgment as well as strong Fusions. You three are some of the most level-headed of the village, so this task shouldn't be too much to handle."

Shane nodded. "I suppose it's nothing we can't handle, but how come Quinn's coming with us instead of Rebecca?" He smiled apologetically at the nightmare lizard. "No offense, of course."

Quinn waved it off. "None taken."

Lewis crossed his arms. "Nothing against Rebecca in terms of strength. She has shown exemplary progress in her training and would serve well in the mission. However, we went with Quinn since he can provide a bit more, namely in interrogation. The ability to put people to sleep and probe their minds is an excellent tool for this mission. We need as much as we can gather about the Rogues."

Chris nodded. "Ah, that makes sense."

Abraham continued, "Shane's unique ability to sense danger or bad omens will help keep you all out of trouble while Chris…well, you're the much-needed muscle for the team."

He smirked and punched his fists together. "Eh, I can get behind that."

"We do ask you exercise caution," Gracelyn warned. "The Rogues' numbers seem to increase with each new encounter with them. Their secretive activities tell us they can't be taken lightly. All we ask is that you don't do any rash. You have the means of fleeing in a tight spot. Do not try to play heroes and do anything foolish."

Peregrine sneered. "Their hot-headed leader is already familiar with Quinn. Always be prepared for a fight."

Shane saluted. "You have nothing to worry about, sir. Under your tutelage and training, we're trained to defend ourselves."

Quinn nodded in agreement. "That explosive hothead tripped me up once, but I won't let it happen a second time." White flames conjured in his hand. "I've changed since our last bout."

Lewis smirked. "Brimming with confidence. Don't let it go to your heads." He stood up and headed towards the exit. "Follow me. I'll provide you with a list of extra details to keep in mind." They nodded and followed him out. "First things first…" was all the council could hear before it fell out of earshot.

Liam sighed and stood up. "I should head back to my quarters."

"Expecting a call from Julian?" Gracelyn guessed.

Liam shook his head. "No, just tired lately." He pinched between his eyes. "Besides, he went off on some business trip of his. He didn't provide me with any details other than that."

Peregrine scowled. "That Machamp has been awfully quiet lately. Not getting back to us on what he found in the labs is bad enough."

"Oh Perry, I'm sure it's nothing," Gracelyn assured.

"Oh, don't give me that shit! That charismatic business tycoon hasn't said jack shit about anything lately! I'm starting to think he's keeping secrets from us!"

Abraham smiled lightly. "Hmm…maybe I wasn't the only paranoid one around here."

Peregrine shot a glare at him. "Giving me crap for being suspicious?!"

"More so for being generally untrustworthy of others," he corrected with a smug grin, "but I suppose that's another way of putting it." Peregrine gripped his leek tightly, fighting back the urge to slap some sense into the Smeargle-Ninetales.

Gracelyn held her hips and sighed. "Gracious, you two, Julian is a respectable and honest man. He wouldn't be keeping secrets from us. Isn't that right, Liam?"

The godly ape met her gaze with an uncertain look. He didn't know the answer to that question himself. He never held Julian in high regards and the passing days only make that trust worse. Still, wanting to avoid discussing the issue further, he simply turned toward the exit and walked. "…right."

* * *

Unknown to the Fusion Council, Julian's business meeting wasn't with the kind of company one would expect him to be with: the head of the Fusion Hunters. The plane that picked him up was piloted by a Beartic Fusion Hunter. There were no windows in the seating area, likely to maintain secrecy of the base's location. The Machamp felt a trifle bit nervous going to an unknown location.

Data, who was sitting in his lap, felt the exact opposite. "I say, these Fusion Hunters keep to themselves, don't they?"

Julian gulped. "Y-Yeah…their HQ is completely hidden from the public. No one outside the government knows where it is. I'm one of the few exceptions now."

"I can't wait to see all the Fusions being held here. I wish to know if the future has a chance for change." The box wouldn't stop going on and on about how he wanted peace to be made. He seemed really interested in coming here. Guess he really wanted to speak with the Fusions.

"You seem nervous." Julian froze up from Data's observation. He didn't need to be a genius to detect the aura of uncomfortableness around him. This actually made the box laugh. "Heh…how amusing. A Machamp without a backbone."

Julian clenched his teeth. "Shut up! I-I'm just…nervous, that's all. A facility housing some of the most dangerous Fusion criminals in the world and I'm flying towards it! How are you not freaking out?"

"Well, for one, this casing is nearly indestructible. Two, my interests lie with the testing on the serum. I want to see if the batch was a success. Improvements made from the Fusion Hunters would be astounding. And, as I said, I wish to meet with the Fusions being kept here." He chuckled lightly. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"I'm a charming man, that's all. Don't overthink yourself into a corner." Julian wasn't sure about the answer, but he waved it off since more pressing matters needed to be attend to very soon.

They felt the plane going in for a smooth descent. They waited a bit until they felt the plane touchdown on solid ground and rolled to a complete stop. Julian drummed his fingers on top of Data patiently before the Beartic pilot made his way in. Wordlessly, the artic bear waved them over before opening the door. Julian nodded and, with Data in his lower arms, followed the bear out.

Julian and Data found themselves in a loading bay for the plane. They turned around and saw the closing bay doors lower, catching a small glimpse of the snowy environment raging outside. Not a strong enough indication of where they were, but it at least told the Machamp they were in a cold climate. He must be the only outsider to have this knowledge.

He flinched from a low grunt from the Beartic, who nodded his head in indication to continue following. Julian did as told and followed close behind the bear. They left the bay and made their way through the halls. The appearance of the building exterior so far was cold and unwelcoming. The Fusion Hunters clearly weren't interested in lively surroundings.

Data hummed before commenting, "Dark and menacing…I say, this reminds me of those spy movies I had to sit through."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "I doubt I've seen them, but aren't you referring to a villain's lair?"

"Well, I'm certainly not seeing Pokémon dressed up in fancy tuxedos and armed with fancy gizmos. All we need now is the dictator smoking a cigar and I'll be set."

Julian sighed. "I am so glad I haven't exposed you to the internet yet. I'm not sure how, but I'm going to come home one day and find you doing movie reviews."

"Well, well, well…so, you've finally arrived." Julian froze in place, but willed himself to turn around and face the newcomer. General Cragtail himself, followed closely by Albert. Since Albert was the only other Pokémon to know about Data and the secret project, he entrusted his fellow scientist to help with the production of the Enhancer Serum and asked Cragtail to pick him up as well.

Julian gulped audibly, then faced the Golem boldly. "General Cragtail…a pleasure to see you again." He extended his hand out as a show of good faith.

Cragtail smirked and shook his hand. "Pleasure's all mine!" He puffed some smoke from his cigar. "I hope the flight here wasn't too stressful."

Julian laughed nervously. "Oh…what makes you say that?"

"You didn't seem all that confident about coming to meet with me," Cragtail hinted at, catching wind of the awkward aura around the Machamp. The businessman looked away uncomfortably, but eased up when the Golem laughed it off. "I'm just messing with you! Don't get yourself worked up!" He smirked at Data. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of being introduced to the fancy box, yet."

Data's sensors blinked in response before saying, "General Cragtail, pleased to meet you. You may refer to me as Data."

"Heh, appropriate name for a robot," Cragtail said shamelessly.

Data sighed grumpily. "…I am not a robot in the technical sense. I can assure you, I was once flesh and blood. This form was simply a means to defy the hands of death."

Cragtail waved it off. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Data decided to change topics. "Anyway, Julian has told me a lot about the Fusion Hunters. Your services seem to be quite popular around the world. A sphere of influence, sending your agents to aid citizens and capture rogue Fusions. I have to say, despite my stance on Fusion Rights, I support the work you're doing."

Cragtail grinned. "Heh…some Arceus damn appreciation. Always good to hear." He turned away and placed a hand against his chest. "It's true. We pride ourselves on keeping these unruly Fusions detained until they're successfully rehabilitated. Only the finest psychologists to help these Fusions obtain a new sense of peace, so they may one day reenter society with a clean slate." He wagged his finger. "Sure, some call me a horrible man, but only if they act up. You get a lot of that around here with a certain group of troublemakers."

Data's sensors blinked rapidly. "Ooh, troublemakers, you say?"

Albert held his chin. "What do you mean by troublemakers, exactly? Are you implying these Fusions have been attempting to a breakout?"

The Golem scoffed. "Please, this place is completely unescapable. Those Fusions don't have a chance in hell. No, they just cause problems with the psychologists and Fusion Hunters who keep watch of them. There's one group I keep my eye extra close on. I don't trust them, but it's not like they can do anything to me." He smirked at Data. "Perhaps you would like to see for yourself."

Julian raised his hand. "Cragtail, we should really be discussing manners for why we're here. We just want to know how testing with the serum is-"

"I'd be more than happy to see them," Data complied almost too cheerfully, which shocked Julian.

"HUH?! B-B-But, the Enhancer Serum-!"

"We have the time, dear partner," Data reassured. "I just want to meet with these troublemakers and perhaps give them some age-old wisdom of mine. I'm sure they'll see my side of things without complaint."

Julian was baffled. He'll never understand what motivates this former Pokémon to do the things he does. The Enhancer Serum seemed like top priority on its own, yet Data suddenly has a change of mind now that he's in the Fusion Hunters' base of operations.

Even so, he had no reason to complain. Time wasn't issue, as he said. With a disgruntled sigh, Julian said, "Fine…"

Cragtail smirked and led them to the cell room. "I should warn you. Some of them bite. They're the troublemakers of this facility, so don't expect a friendly welcome."

Data chuckled. "I have my way with people. Don't worry about me."

Cragtail brought them to the doors and punched the door code in before letting them in. Cragtail huffed some smoke before saying, "We make sure the Fusions are well-managed and stay fit in their new accommodations. We don't denounce or restrict the ability to socialize, so they're free to speak with each other as they please." He smirked. "Even with those troublemakers, we don't do anything about it. All their plotting holds no weight against us."

Albert narrowed his eyes. "How exactly? What keeps them from breaking out?"

"Same thing the authorities use to restrain them. The collars they were inhibit their ability to use natural abilities and moves, while also weakening their strength. The collars also emit a localized pulse to the wearer if they attack any of the Fusion Hunters or me." He moved his vest down a bit and revealed a chip attached to his rocky shell. "A necessary precaution, I assure you."

Julian was too busy looking around at the different types of Fusions resting in their cells. Most looked either relaxed or indifferent about their captivity. Data seemed to voice his thoughts, "The prisoners seemed relaxed in their cells."

Cragtail laughed. "As long as mutual respect is in order and that they follow rehabilitation procedures without complaint, there won't be any conflict."

Julian narrowed his eyes worriedly. "This brings back horrible memories…"

"I can make them worse if you want." Julian nearly jumped out of his skin, barely keeping hold of Data and not dropping him. He turned to the cell holding the Fusion that spoke, meeting eyes with the Liepard-Houndoom. He flinched under her single, unsettling red eye that glowed sinisterly.

Data, after getting over being dropped almost, hummed with interest. "Ah…I take it she's one of the prisoners with a nasty bite?"

Cragtail sneered. "You are correct. I have the displeasure of introducing you to Prisoner 48229-"

"Oh honestly, Craptail," the Fusion interrupted, "no need to be so formal." She faced Data and Julian. "You will have the pleasure of referring to me as Syndony."

Data had to question his matter of addressing the prisoners. "You only refer to them as their identification number?"

Cragtail rolled his eyes. "I get enough crap about that from Dario."

Syndony chuckled mockingly. "He just loves to spite us. Fair enough, though. Mutual hatred and all that."

Data blinked his sensors and spoke with his charismatic tone, "Well, I'm pleased to have the honor of meeting such a lovely Fusion as yourself, Ms. Syndony. You may call me Data."

Syndony held her paw up to her lips and, uncharacteristic to her devious persona, giggled at his compliment. "Oh my, you're quite the charmer for a…talking box." Reality set in before her face took on a deadpan expression. "The hell?"

Over in the cell across from her, Gideon walked up to the glass and peered as close as he could. "A talking box?" He groaned. "Either we're all high or machine based Pokémon are finally taking over."

Julian turned Data around to face the teleporter Fusion. "The latter's probably the closest to truth. I was one flesh and blood, but now I've adopted this new state for my own convenience."

Gideon chuckled dryly. "Pretty formal for a former Pokémon. Name's Gideon."

"Data. Nice to meet you, Gideon. My business here is to simply greet all the lovely troublemakers giving the warden a tough time. I do support equal rights between Fusions and Pokémon."

"Kekekekeke! You don't see much of that around here!" They looked at the cell above Syndony's and saw a Kirlia-Mismagius smiling wickedly at them. Her legs and hair were purple with the elaborate tufts of a Mismagius resembling the classic witch hat. She had three red jewels on her chest. Her eyes were a delightfully wicked red, filled with cheer and mischief as she stared down at Julian and Data with a Cheshire grin.

This, of course, startled Julian. "GAH!"

Data, of course, was more than delighted to greet her. "My, my, aren't you a cheery young lady."

 _I think the word you're looking for is 'creepy.'_ Julian thought with unsettled eyes.

Cragtail groaned. "As you can see, we have a wide range of crazies hanging around here. May I introduce you to the nuttiest of them all, Prisoner 284630."

The Kirlia-Mismagius laughed with a toothy grin. "Oh Craggy, is it really that difficult to remember 'Cruella?'"

Julian's jaw nearly dropped. _Did someone ACUTALLY name their kid 'Cruella?'_

Cragtail went on to explain, "She seems like an innocent, giggly girl, but she's incredibly dangerous. She took out a sizeable number of my Fusion Hunters before being apprehended." Cragtail glared over his shoulder, directly at Gideon. "Compared to that one over there, she was the second most difficult to restrain."

Data looked around the cells with his omnidirectional vision, given he had sensors all over his exterior. "Hmm…perhaps they'd be better off in better spacing. This place is rather dreary."

"It's a prison, cube, not a five-star resort." Cragtail waved his hand around arrogantly. "I'm the superior being here. They give me crap, they get nothing but the bare minimum."

"That is why we wish to grind your bones into dust, snake!" They turned to the cell next to Gideon's. In it sat a Bastiodon-Rampardos. His stone armor was blue and his skin was dark gray. All seemed normal until one looked at his head. The shield face was now more cone shaped around the face, blue and shiny, with gray spikes along the edges. If it weren't for the body type, one wouldn't believe he was a Bastiodon.

Data was caught off guard by the different looking Bastiodon. "Oh my…that is certainly an interesting alteration. Tell me, who are you?"

The Fusion huffed, then stomped his legs down before proudly stating, "Alasdair, the ultimate offensive and defensive Fusion!"

Cragtail sighed. "Another difficult one to detain. He wasn't impossible to chase. He's about as slow as a Shuckle strapped to an anchor. Holding him down, however, was the real highlight of our troubles." Cragtail faced Data again. "We have a number of other troublemakers, but these four are the leaders of their circle. I had to keep another dangerous prisoner away from them for that reason."

"Oh?" Data questioned curiously.

"A Hypno-Malamar." Cragtail shivered. "Geez, we nearly ran into some issues if it weren't for Electric Terrain. He doesn't speak, so we don't even have a name- not that I care- and his abilities are rather unsettling. Only ever used two moves: Hypnosis and that Fusion Move of his." Cragtail clenched his teeth. "Trust me…if he ever got out, we'd all be in a heap of trouble."

Data stayed silent for a moment before humming curiously. "Oh…that's certainly interesting…" He scanned the four Fusions he has been introduced to. "All of you are fine individuals in my book."

Cruella bounced in placed with an insane smile. "Look at that, Syndony! The box likes us!"

Syndony smirked. "Nice to have some other than a Fusion Hunter to talk to…and someone who's actually competent." She smirked jeeringly at Cragtail. "Looking at you, Craptail."

Julian groaned quietly before saying, "Look this is all well and good, but I really think we should talk about the-" He immediately bit his tongue, preventing himself from spilling the secrets related to the Enhancer Serum in front of the convicted Fusions. He handed Data off to Albert. "Here. Just…hold him and let him talk to them." He started pushing Cragtail away.

The Fusions' eyes were all on Data. "So, you wanted to speak with us?" Gideon asked, leaning against the glass wall.

"If it means keeping that snake away, we'll listen," Alasdair said.

Data chuckled wholeheartedly. "Oh…I just wanted to spread good ol' fashion wisdom onto you four…"

After getting out of earshot with them, Julian faced Cragtail and said, "We didn't come here to speak to criminals. I want to know how progress with the Enhancer Serum is going. You said you've been testing and refining the dosages the last few days."

Cragtail smirked and huffed some smoke before holding his cigar and saying, "Ah yes, that little miracle you dropped on my doorstep." He waved his cigar around as he said, "We went over the box's notes. Batches are being replicated and improved. I'm sure he'll be satisfied with what we've got."

"And the testing?"

"Hehe…we'll get to that when we do. For now, just relax. This is all in the name of peace."

Julian looked back and watched as Data blissfully chatted away with the four Fusions. Surprisingly, they were laughing along with…whatever he was saying and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his company. For all his vagueness, Data genuinely wanted to bring peace. Maybe he was overthinking himself.

Julian sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Maybe I need a bit more faith in him…"

* * *

The team of Fusions were given the coordinates on the passageway Tamara and Spaz located before heading out into the city. Quinn took to the air while Shane and Chris hopped along the rooftops, albeit a bit slower in movement compared to the airborne nightmare lizard. It didn't take them long to find the hatch before meeting at ground level.

Quinn took the lead by inspecting the hatch first. He felt around the sides, feel the subtle impressions in the ground from constant wear. He narrowed his eyes, then stood up. "This has been used quite a bit. Frequent travel in and out. However, it doesn't seem like the kind of condition I'd expect from a frequently used entry point."

"In other words, it's likely not their hideout," Chris concluded. "If that's the case, why are the Rogues visiting here so much?"

"Well, as the council pointed out, they have been on a metal stealing spree," Shane reminded, lightly swaying the claw tipped ribbon on his head around. "I do sense minor disturbances down there."

Quinn dug his claws under the hatch and lifted it open. "Well then, let's take a closer look." He took a step forward, then hopped down into the opening. Chris and Shane looked at each other, shrugged, then jumped down after him.

Turned out the drop was much deeper than they expected, so the non-flyers gripped the ladder along the wall and slowed their fall before gradually sliding down to meet with the nightmare lizard. Once they touched down, they found Quinn staring ahead with a baffled expression. It only took a couple seconds to see why.

Before them were several tunnels connected by a twisting and curving tunnel that led straight to who-knows-where. The tunnels were neatly crafted from stone, aged over time. By Quinn's own judgment, the stone seemed to be a little under twenty years old post construction.

"The hell…? What is this?" Chris asked aloud, lightly banging his fist against the walls. "Did the sewers get a massive overhaul?"

Quinn felt around at the walls. "These don't look like they were made from machines. I'm willing to bet they were formed via a Ground-Type's influence. Maybe several. They experts when it comes to reshaping the earth. Maybe a few Rock-Types added to the mix."

Shane bounced to his side. "Based off our descent, I say these tunnels are far too underground to be noticed by sewer operators. These were likely made in secret."

"I see we're on the same page." Quinn took a couple steps forward and inspected the different passageways the tunnel offered. "Now the real question, what's all this for? Do the Rogues need these many hallways?"

Chris held his chin. "Seems too elaborate and complex for the Rogues. Besides, York told us they changed locations some time ago. Like Quinn said, these tunnels are a little under two decades old. Either someone else made this in their spare time, the Rogues are fast diggers, or this isn't their base at all."

Quinn held his chin. "All reasonable in their own right. Besides, Spaz did say two of them snuck in here during the middle of the day. We don't know what they were doing, but we can assume they had to come here from their base." He glared ahead before walking. "Standing around and talking about it won't get us anywhere. We're unraveling their little schemes." The other two nodded and followed behind.

Given their multiple options for paths, they decided to take the central path out of convenience. They kept their senses alert, but calm. Being the more levelheaded of the village, they were able to keep cool in the eerie silence. Besides, there wasn't a need to be tense when they basically had an early alarm system bouncing with them.

Speaking of Shane, he stopped Quinn and Chris with his ribbon protrusion. "Stop." They didn't hesitate to obey.

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Rogues?"

"I don't know, but we shouldn't be standing out in the open. We're exposed."

"Do you know where we can hide?" Chris whispered.

Shane blanked out for a moment as he sensed their surroundings, then came back into reality before point out five of the seven tunnels in their immediate surroundings. "There, there, there, there, and there are all bad places. If we hide in there, we'll be caught."

They nodded before ducking into one of the safe tunnels. They blended into the shadows and narrowed their eyes sharply as they saw a collective group of shadows appear in the line of sight. The figures stepped into view, but the revelation left them speechless.

A group made up of Fusions, who looked rough and tough based on their facial expressions, but also Pokémon accompanying, just as tough looking. They shot glares at each other, but didn't engage in combat. Instead, they headed through the individual tunnels and made their way back to wherever they led.

Quinn pressed his back against the wall, completely perplexed. "Okay…that makes no sense…"

"Fusions AND Pokémon in the same area?" Shane mumbled with equal confusion.

Chris crossed his arms and leaned against the wall on his shoulder. "Well…at least that confirms this isn't the Rogues' hideout. Anyone that prideful wouldn't let any Pokémon into their dwelling."

"But that doesn't explain their collective gathering," Shane stated quietly. "What possible agenda do these groups share that would allow them to congregate in the same vicinity?"

Quinn peered out from the tunnel before ducking back in. "Hold on, there's two more lagging behind."

Two Pokémon were taking their sweet ol' time through the tunnel: a Dwebble and a Hawlucha. What stood out to them was the strange equipment the two Pokémon carried by their sides. The Hawlucha carried strange looking grenades, shaped like avocados, that glowed in an icy blue. The Dwebble had a Clawitzer pincer gauntlet on his right claw, with vials of purple liquid attached to the sides with hoses.

"Haha! These are amazing!" the Hawlucha exclaimed, spinning one of the grenades atop his finger. "These babies will give the cops the cold shoulder for sure! Robbing banks and fleeing the police just got a whole lot simpler!"

The Dwebble rolled his eyes. "Ice grenades? I prefer the classics." He waved his gauntlet around. "One spray of this and I'll have an entire room poisoned in seconds."

The three Fusions in hiding exchanged suspicious looks with each other. They've never seen weapons like those before. The two apparent criminals acted like they were weapons of mass destruction. What warranted such an absurd belief?

"Okay…this calls into some interrogation," Quinn mumbled as he pressed his hand against the floor. He quietly extended his shadow out to the Pokémon.

The Dwebble bid farewell to the Hawlucha before scuttling off into his tunnel. Hawlucha waved back, then started making his way to his tunnel. A few steps in and he felt a cold grasp around his ankle, sending a bone chilling shiver up his spine. He looked down, then screamed out in horror at the shadow wrapping itself around him. His cries were immediately muffled by a shadow gag before being dragged into the tunnel the Fusions hid in.

Chris grabbed the wrestling bird by the chest and pushed him up against a wall. "Play nice, buddy. We just want to talk." His admission earned a panicked flailing from the bird, trying to break his screams out of the umbra gag around his mouth. "He's not in a good mood, I take it."

Shane confiscated his grenades off his person and examined them closely. "So…my professional opinion? I have no idea what these are. Basic guess, they're ice grenades met to freeze targets." He tapped the sides. "Still, what's powering these things?"

Quinn glared into the panicked Hawlucha's eyes. "Perhaps our little friend here is willing to shed some light." The angry growl told him the Wrestling Pokémon will not comply. However, Quinn wasn't asking for his compliance. Quinn placed both hands on the sides of his head. "Dark Void."

He blasted a burst of darkness that quickly wrapped around the wrestling bird like a bubble. His eyes were wide in horror, then immediately turned droopy before his head slumped forward. Quinn checked his eyes to make sure he was definitely out cold.

Quinn glared, then flashed his eyes red. "Dream Eater." An apparition of himself split from his body and phased into the bird's mind.

Shane and Chris stood behind him in quiet awe. Chris held his chin. "Geez, Quinn's got a neat technique up his sleeve. Control over dreams and nightmares."

Shane chuckled lightly. "Heh, I think I'll stick with my bad luck detection."

They waited for only a moment before Quinn resumed consciousness. He shook his head, then stood up. "He'll wake up later. He'll just think he passed out on a few drinks…" He pinched between his eyes with a troubled look. "Good grief…of all the possible reasons…they had to take that route…"

Chris gripped the nightmare lizard's shoulder in his claw shaped fist. "Quinn, what's wrong? What did you see?"

Quinn clenched his teeth, then faced them with a fierce glare. "Weapons…the Rogues are building weapons."

The two gasped with disbelief. Shane held one of the grenades up as he asked, "You're telling us…the Rogues are building crazy weapons like this? Why?"

Quinn paced around in the tunnel. "It's all centered around that Eli fellow. He's working with the black market and has all the Rogues helping in transporting their newest shipment in."

This came off as pretty shocking. "Yeesh," Chris expressed, "they're actually stepping up as real criminals."

"It gets worse." He pointed at the grenades. "Those weapons…they're not normal like the tech we have. They have the power of a Fusion made into them. They're using the essence of Fusions to power these things and make powerful combinations out of them."

Chris glanced at the grenade, not willing to believe what he was hearing. "Is…Is that even remotely possible?"

Shane waved his hand around casually. "Well, given we do have Pokémon species made up of gears and composed of code and data, I'm willing to say…maybe?"

Quinn held his face and sighed. "I only saw one of the weapon being demonstrated in his dreams…but, dear Arceus, they pack a punch. Different types of combinations means different ways to overwhelm the opponent." He glared and stepped out of the connected tunnel. "We need to go deeper. I only saw a tradeoff point, not the actual market. Even so, we need to bust their operations and fast. There's no telling how long these things have been in production."

Chris glared. "Then enough yammering and get a move on!" They nodded firmly, then quickly dashed down the main tunnel towards the tradeoff point.

* * *

After finally getting themselves organized, Cragtail led his guests to the underground laboratory of the facility. Cragtail ordered one of his Fusion Hunters to wheel out a cart with a sheet draped over it. Julian and Data stood close by to Cragtail while Albert stood nearby the lab's control panels.

Cragtail smirked at the cart, rubbing his hands together. "We got to work immediately after you sent us the details and test samples. New, improved batches are in the works as we speak."

Data buzzed in excitement. "Show us."

The Golem gripped the sheet and threw it off, revealing a rack of vials containing scarlet liquid. Lying next to the rack was an injector gun for the vials. He picked one of the vials up and twisted it around in his fingers. "Haha…you've brought us a miracle of science, my friend. We tested the sample batches on Grass-Type moves first. A single Leech Seed amplified by a single dose squeezed our toughest guy unconscious."

Data hummed in approval. "Excellent. I'm glad to see you didn't test it on living beings yet. These formulas can be extremely dangerous if misused. The current limit should be two in total."

"That will be the first thing we'll try and work around, box," Cragtail promised as he stared at the scarlet liquid. "Being able to use more than two would surely give us the tactical advantage."

Julian set Data down and crossed his arms. "What about the testing phase? As in, a living test subject?"

Cragtail placed the vial away and held his hip…or, where a hip would likely be for a Golem. "We've hired a few test subjects who willing volunteered for the project. They'll be paid handsomely for their services."

Julian raised his brow. "What…kind of people do you have in mind?"

Cragtail waved it off like it wasn't important. "Just people, nothing more."

Julian felt that uncomfortable feeling return. He raised his finger to object. "I-"

"I see nothing wrong with this," Data cut in. "I trust your judgment, Mr. Cragtail."

Julian stared down at Data in absolute befuddlement. _Is he oblivious or actually that crazy?!_ He picked Data up and whispered, "What are you doing?! You're not even going to question who he might be bringing in? I need to know before we send random people out to test dangerous serums!"

Before Data could respond, Cragtail cut in by saying, "I can assure you, friend, that you have nothing to worry about." Julian knew he kept his voice low, so the Golem must have read his body language instead. Cragtail then sneered off to the side. "Still, what's the point of test subjects without a proper test of power? Simply testing them on stationary targets won't do. No, we need a live target to fend for their life."

Julian blinked, then rubbed his chin. "I…suppose that makes sense. But to test against who?"

Data blinked in thought before stating, "The prisoners in this facility might not be the best choice, given any forceful conflict could lead to their accidental release."

Julian looked over at Albert, who seemed to be minding his own business by the control panels. "Gates, do you have anything?"

"Hmm?" Albert seemed lost in thought, but he turned himself around and leaned against the panel causally. "No, can't say I have any suggests." He slipped his right hand into his coat pocket. "Hmm…actually, why not the Rogues? Capturing them would be help out for several reasons."

Julian grunted and shook his head. "No, no, we can't. If Liam found out Fusion Hunters were after the Rogues and it gets led back to me, I'll be thrown into the deep end. I can't have the Enhancer Serum's development traced back to me."

He heard the devious snickering of Cragtail behind him, warning the businessman that the leader of the Fusion Hunters had something cooking up in his mind. "There's always a loophole to such laws, my friend. The Rogues won't escape my clutches."

Julian narrowed his eyes, then crouched down to face Data, whispering, "You REALLY want this guy in on the deal?"

"Too late to turn back," Data stated. "Besides, I know what I'm doing."

"You're not even going to question who he might be hiring? Cragtail doesn't exactly have the finest track record when it comes to honesty. He may be helping the world by reducing problems with threatening Fusions, but I'm not sure if I can trust him."

"You have nothing to worry about, Julian," Data reassured. "I'll be handling business between me and General Cragtail. You don't have to get yourself worked up about it."

"But…what's got you so invested into making this serum? Why collaborate with Cragtail? What's motivating you to do this?"

Data's sensors blinked slowly. Red flashes. Green flashes. Yellow flashes. A soft, ominous chuckle echoed out from his cubic state. "Oh…I have… _ **my reasons**_." Julian stumbled back, almost breathless with terror as the dark tone the box projected. It sent that cold shiver he's been feeling all day back up at full speed. Seconds later, the ominous tension dropped and Data resumed speaking with his cheery demeanor to Cragtail, "Now then, please tell me more about the other tests you've performed with the serum."

As Data and Cragtail conversed, Julian backed away until his back met the cold walls of the lab. He held a hand against his heart, feeling the rapid thumbing against his ribcage. He was feeling a lot right now. Fear. Conflict. Guilt. Uneasiness. Doubt. He was getting himself mixed up in dangerous obstacles that could jeopardize everything he's worked for or potentially improve the state of his goals.

Even so, could he really continue going along with this? Does he have a motive to hide secrets and defy the trust he's built back up with Liam, the one he once called his best friend?

Julian clenched his fists and bowed his head with shut eyes. _Please…Please tell me I'm doing the right thing._


	34. Fusion Arsenals Unveiled

Persisting through the tunnels with Quinn at the lead, the Gappei Fusions took to the path the Hawlucha's memories revealed about the black market's general location. Or, at the very least, the tradeoff point the deal was being made.

Black market…a black market. Yeah, the Fusions weren't particularly happy when they found that out, but they never expected something this big connected with the Rogues. It was hard, maybe even impossible, to believe that the Rogues could achieve such a status in such a scummy profession.

Chris furthered to express their frustrations by rubbing his forehead. "The damn black market…the Rogues are working in the black market…I thought the Rogues were supposed to be petty criminals doing revenge schemes. My mistake, turns out they've turned over their life of crime and became weapon dealers! And for weapons like THIS?!" he exclaimed, holding up one of the ice grenades.

Quinn swiped it from his hand and stuffed it in his mane for safekeeping. "I get what you mean. This almost makes no sense."

Shane bounced alongside him. "Where could they have possibly acquired such advanced knowledge?"

"Hard to say." Quinn hold his chin and kept his eyes low as he thought. "Lewis briefly mentioned that these crimes started up some time after investigation in the Unovian labs. That…Eli fellow was there. He seems to be the brains of the Rogues." Quinn shook his head. "Still, that'd imply that centuries old lab had advanced technology inside."

"Utterly ludicrous, if you ask me," Chris admitted honestly.

"I completely agree," Shane said. He crossed his arms. "There must be a logical explanation for all of this."

"The Hawlucha was no help, but there still might be Pokémon staying behind that could know about the market's location," Quinn pointed out. "Taking them out is our job."

"Wouldn't reading their minds work?" Shane asked. "You did it with the Hawlucha, after all."

"I could, but reading dreams isn't as simple as you think. Unless I have consent from the recipient, I'm limited to what information I can pull out. Dreams are…complex," Quinn stammered. "I was lucky to get that much out of the Hawlucha." He sighed. "Plus, if any of the Pokémon happen to be lucid dreamers or have…active imaginations, their dreams can be turned against me." _Best example, when I was helping Artemis with her nightmares._ "Most logical course of action is arresting potential suspects."

"But what if the Rogues catch wind of our interference?" Shane pointed out. "The moment they realize we've infiltrated their base of operations, they'll most probably change locations. They can't be trusted. They're crafty in their own right."

Quinn closed his eyes. "I figured that much, but consider it from their point of view. Where else could they possibly set up shop? At the very least, this'll limit their activity through these tunnels. Only so many ways to get back to the market, right?"

Shane held his chin. "Fair point."

"With the police involved, options will be limited." He glared ahead as he began to recognize more of the tunnel. "We're getting closer. Be on your guard." The other two nodded and readied themselves.

With the flame on his tail, Quinn parted the darkness and revealed a metal door at the end of the tunnel. It was sealed shut by a locking mechanism that prevented entry, likely with the permission of whoever operated this far out in the unknown tunnels. It was in relatively good shape, indicating the care that was placed into maintaining functionality. A clear sign that someone was interested in keeping unwanted company out.

Since being granted permission was out of the question, Quinn pressed his hands against the door and extended shadows into the door's mechanisms. Trial and error was key since he had no idea what he was turning or messing with. Slipping into the shadows and appearing on the other side was another option he had, but he would be in a state of vulnerability should any disreputable thugs decide to jump him. With the potential threat of the Rogues' weapon supplies, that wasn't an option.

Thankfully, it only costed him two minutes to get the door undone. A satisfying click and turn of the final lock granted them access beyond the door. Quinn pulled it open and gesture the other two to step through first before following behind, leaving the door partially open.

Being so far underground, they expected to be underground all the way through. Instead, what they ended up coming across was the outside world. They could see the clear blue sky and everything. They weren't sure what part of Grandis City they stumbled into, or if they were even in Grandis City at all.

The door was connected to a rock formation, almost resembling a very small mountain. The ground felt barren and sandy against their feet, but still like solid ground. A quick sweep of the sand revealed white painted lines evenly spread apart from each other.

Shane's eyes widened. "Is this…a parking lot?"

"That…might explain the unfinished bridge over our heads," Chris pointed out.

They looked up and, indeed, there was an unfinished bring standing over them on two legs of stone. Lights weakly flickered off the bottom, meaning there was some power flowing through…wherever they were.

Before them was another eye opener. Small wooden shacks that have withered and decayed with time. The sand seemed to cover up the many streets hidden in plain sight.

Quinn stepped forward, curiously surveying the area. "Where…the hell are we? I've never seen anything like this on Grandis City maps."

Shane held his chin. "Well, to be fair, we've been walking for a while. A few hours, if I'm not mistaken."

 _Have we really been walking for that long?_ Quinn shook his head. "Okay…we may not be in Grandis City, but…still, what's all this about? It looks completely abandoned. We're on the surface, but we went underground to get here."

Chris crossed his arms. "Is it possible there were elevations subtle in the ground?"

Quinn paced around with a thoughtful look. "Very likely, I have to admit. That's the only explanation as to why we're above ground, but that raises more questions as to what THIS is all about. Why is there an abandoned street all the way out here? And why does it look in ruins?"

"We've been traveling on foot, but this could be still close to Grandis City," Chris suggested. "Could be an old section of town long forgotten, maybe before Grandis City was constructed."

The idea seemed plausible in the nightmare lizard's mind. From what he could recall, warring between Pokémon and Fusions escalated to full on fighting, way before either of them were born. Bloodshed, fighting, even some death…times were only getting tenser until the Fusion Hunters became a reality. Crime rates lowered and continued to drop with the development of technology for suppressing and containing Fusions. It's not much of a stretch that a town suffered heavy damage and just got abandoned. Times were rough for both sides. The real question needed to be asked was…

"Why?"

Shane held his hips. "We don't have an answer for that, but Julian could. He's been running his company for years in Grandis City. Maybe he knows what this is all about."

"Perhaps. Either way…" Quinn scanned the area with narrowed, focused eyes. "This seems like the trade-off point. That means we're close."

"Where should we start?" Chris asked.

Quinn glared at the sky. "Good question…flight would give me a better view of our surrounding, but I wouldn't know where to begin looking. There's untouched land for miles." He looked down and stared straight ahead at the withered shacks. "Was this seriously the best they could do for a trade-off point? How can any criminals find their way out here?"

Chris shrugged. "Well, we can rule out that someone used to live here." He held his chin. "Maybe they're somewhere underground out here. If the people running the black market are responsible for the tunnels, they could certainly manage a task like that."

"That obviously doesn't make our jobs easier." Quinn groaned and glared off to the side. "Shane, you have any ideas?" Silence came from the luck ghost. "Shane, did you hear me?" He turned around to face the silent ghost.

Shane's eyes were glazed over as he stared off into space. This wasn't an uncommon habit for the luck ghost, but it did me he was having another one of his premonitions. No matter what, they were always about something bad that didn't benefit ANYONE listening to him.

Chris waved his hand in front of the Gengar-Phione's eyes, snapping his claws a couple times for extra measure. "Greeeeat, he's having another one of his weird, voodoo, bad luck premonitions." He looked around calmly. "Well, where is it? Should I expect a piano falling from the sky?"

Quinn sighed and walked over to help wake the luck ghost, only to stop short and glare over his shoulder suspiciously. Something, or someone, was heading towards them. He wasn't sure how many, but the only other people who could be out here with them have to be tied to the black market. There wasn't anyone or anything else for miles.

Quinn subtly shushed Chris, then gestured to drag Shane behind the bridge to hide themselves. While Chris tended to Shane and waited for him to come to, Quinn peered out from around the bridge and, after much searching, spotted a suspicious group of characters: a Watchog, a Magmar, and an Alolan Raticate.

Almost immediately, Quinn knew they came from the black market based off the weaponry they had on them. The Watchog wore wide lensed sunglasses on his forehead, which had green, yellow and pink temples. The Magmar carried a large war hammer over his shoulder, mechanical in design with a volcano symbol imprinted into the side. Finally, the Alolan Raticate seemed to be wearing slippers shaped like the feet of a Buneary, with little puff balls attached to the heel. They had some complex wiring through them with a sky blue energy core on top of the slippers.

Quinn glared, already channeling Shadow Claw through his arm. "More buyers…"

Shane finally came back to reality, then stated emotionlessly, "Beware the red button. Do not let him press it."

"Huh?" his two companions expressed in confusion. Shane shook his head lightly before giving a light shrug.

Quinn shrugged it off, not willing to worry about it, then glared at the three Pokémon heading towards them- or rather, the tunnel system. "These guys look like they came from the market directly." He looked at the allies. "Perhaps we found our link to their location."

Chris nodded. "Yeah…finding the market ourselves might land us in trouble. Capturing and taking them into police custody is our best bet."

Shane crossed his arms. "Just give the word and we'll strike."

Quinn nodded, then pressed against the bridge before melting into his shadow. "Wait for my signal," he got out before completely melting the bridge and rising up to a high vantage point.

As the Fusions plotted for their ambush, the Pokémon drew nearer to the tunnel system, chattering happily about their new weaponry. "Hahaha! Finally! Really power at our fingertips!" the Alolan Raticate exclaimed. "Escaping the authorities will never be easier than this!"

Magmar grunted in mild irritation. "Feels weird to be doing business with scummy Fusions…" He looked at his war hammer, then smirked. "Then again, the results make it worthwhile, I suppose."

Watchog closed his eyes and smirked conceitedly. "Heh, let those Rogues do what they want. They're the real idiots for selling such powerful weapons to us. A few more and we could even turn the tables on them."

He expected his cohorts to jump aboard with his clever scheme, so he was legitimately surprised when they shot him down almost immediately. "Bad idea, right there," Raticate stated.

Magmar evenly lightly bonked him on the head. "Don't go thinking shit plans like that, buster! I wouldn't mind getting the drop on those lousy Fusions, but there's an unspoken rule in the black market: if you make deals with Eli, don't backstab him."

Watchog rubbed his aching head. "That so?"

Raticate nodded. "Think of it like this. He has one of the most dangerous minds in the criminal underworld. He's not…absurdly smart like most Psychic-Types, but he's creative, always thinking ahead of his clients and opponents. He always has a plan to keep the odds in his favor." He pointed between the weaponry they had. "Don't be surprised if one of these has an explosive tucked away in it, or some fail-safe to keep you from using them against the creators."

Watchog took his glasses off and inspected them. "Yeesh…I'll take your word for it." He then smirked and placed them back on. "Whatever. As long as we don't piss him off, we'll be living on easy street."

They finally reached the tunnel system to head back to their respective cities, but stopped when they saw that the door was jutted slightly open. Raticate blinked, then groaned in annoyance. "Oh great, some idiot left the door open." He grabbed the side and pulled it open.

Magmar gripped his war hammer firmly, shaking his head in disapproval. "Do any of those idiots want a cop stumbling in on this area?"

"The cops are the least of your worries at the moment."

The Pokémon's reaction time barely allowed them to dodge the massive Shadow Claw striking over their heads, slamming into the door and locking it shut. They rolled to their feet, then glared up the Shadow Claw as it vanished. Hanging upside down from the bridge over them was a Charmeleon-Darkrai. They braced themselves, then turned around as they felt two more presences: a Hitmonchan-Scizor and a Gengar-Phione.

Chris slammed his fists together with a confident smirk. "Fancy weaponry you got there."

Magmar stood his ground, trying to keep attention on all three. "Shit! Fusions?!"

Watchog sneered. "Worse! They're from Gappei Village, I'm sure of it!"

"How did they find us?!" the Raticate exclaimed.

Shane smirked. "Hehehe…a stroke of bad luck, it appears."

The Pokémon growled as Quinn floated down to them with crossed arms and a firm glare. "There's a number of ways this can go down. Either you play nice and come with us…" He cracked his knuckles. "Or, we take you away half-asleep."

The Pokémon sneered at the Fusions, then the Alolan Raticate spoke out, "You twerps must be new to the streets. Giving up isn't an option for folk like us!"

Magmar adjusted his grip on the war hammer. "But take the option yourself. We aren't normal Pokémon anymore. Your day of reckoning will be met by our hands." He wielded the weapon in both hands and gripped tightly. "It's like fate has brought you here. We can't take the risk of testing these on the Rogues…"

The Watchog smirked. "…but you're not Rogues," he finished.

Chris smirked and slammed his fists together. "If you want to fight, quit tiptoeing around it and give us a show!"

Raticate hissed before clicking his heels together. "Our performance will leave you speechless!" He bounced on the tips of his toes a couple times, seeming to get a feel for the slippers while he glared at Quinn. He took his time to psych himself up before squatting down and springing straight for the nightmare lizard with surprising speed and height.

Quinn was naturally adept at flying and easily avoided the fat rat's first attack, then prepared to fire a Dark Pulse. _He'll bounce off the bridge and come right back at me. There's no other way around it._

He was wrong.

Actually, in a surprising twist, the Alolan Raticate kicked off the air, which rippled from his takeoff, and bounced to the side before skipping right into the nightmare lizard while his guard was down. Quinn immediately adjusted and blocked the kick with his arms. The air ripped around the rat's foot as he pushed against Quinn's block.

 _D-Damn! How did he change directions like that?!_ Quinn propelled himself off the kick and kept his distance from the jumping rat as he pursued him. His eyes focused on the slippers as the Alolan Raticate jumped through the air like it was solid. _What the hell did the Rogues get their hands on?_

Back on the ground, Chris was tasked with taking on the Magmar. The Spitfire Pokémon raised his war hammer over his head and came rushing for the metal fighter. Chris narrowed his eyes on the hammer, keeping track of its position, before dodging to the side as the Magmar swung down.

The hammer missed, but it made its mark. Striking the ground, the hammer released a powerful shockwave the encompassed the ground and triggered a massive explosion of pressure that fired rock into Chris. He crossed his arms and defended against the debris.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Chris growled. He glared at Magmar as he lifted the hammer up. "Let me guess, you were a demolitions expert who got fired?"

Magmar gripped the hammer and sneered his way. "Don't be cute with me, boy. Once I connect this hammer with you, even your bones will be turned to dust."

Chris smirked in defiance. "Heh…I'll have you know, I'm pretty tough."

"I can tell you're part-Scizor." Magmar smirked deviously. "I'm going to have fun breaking you. Fire Blast!" He exhaled a stream of fire with the front shaped like the kanji for 'Big.'

Chris kept a level head and side jumped out of the way, but the Magmar fired a second Fire Blast while rushing with the hammer. "Vacuum Wave!" Wind swirled around his fist before he threw a straight jab, sending off the wind blast to cancel the Fire Blast. "Now, Night Slash!" His pincer like fist elongated into a purple glowing blade. He lunged and counter the war hammer without hitting the face, presumably where the explosion was triggered.

Shane was pretty limited in attacking a Normal-Type Watchog. Whirlpool and Sucker Punch were all he had for him, but it should be enough. "Whirlpool!" He summoned the spiraling water over his head, then chucked it at the chupmunk.

Watchog flicked the glasses over his eyes and pressed the activation button on the side, then jumped out of the way of the Whirlpool. Shane took the moment of distraction to phase below the ground and pop up behind the chipmunk. Shane reached out to grab him, but was taken by surprise with the Watchog's counter attack with a Shadow Ball.

Shane phased through the ground and reappeared behind Watchog again, readying a Whirlpool to use. However, Watchog caught on to his attack again and blasted the Whirlpool before it could be fired.

Shane flew back from the explosion, then landed on his spike. He bounced in place with an annoyed, yet confused look. _Am I going mad or is he predicting how I'll strike?_

"Well?" Shane glared as the Watchog beckoned him to continue. "I don't have all day."

The Gengar-Phione knew he was stronger, but he couldn't do anything if he predicted his movements. He narrowed his eyes on the glasses before asking, "What do those do?"

"Hm?" Watchog smirked and tapped the sides of his new gadget. "Ah, this baby? Quite the gem for my brilliant eyesight. What you see here is a miracle of science, combining the best of the Xatu's past and future seeing capabilities with the unwavering eyesight of the Noctowl. Put them together and you get a pair of glasses that read and predict the body language of my attacker. So long as I can see you before you make a move, not even phasing from underground will help."

Shane's eyes widened. _They actually made a device capable of more than destructive feats?_

Quinn was listening in while evading the pursuing rat. _So, the Rogues are even considering combination weapons that do more than blow stuff up._ He maneuvered out of the way of the Alolan Raticate as he nearly got another kick off on him. "You damn rat!"

Raticate snickered gleefully. "Oh, these shoes are a dream come true for me!"

"Flamethrower!" Quinn fired white hot flames at him, but the chubby rat bounced off the air and avoided being cooked.

"Kekeke! These combine the springy, bouncy abilities of the Buneary with lightness and applied float of the Jumpluff for aerial hopping!" He stopped flying around and jumped on the air in place. "As long as I keep applying force to the air with my kicks, I can stay airborne for an indefinite amount of time!"

Quinn glared. "Then I'll have to exhaust you before you take me out. Will-O-Wisp!" He fired miniature fireballs at the Alolan variant, manipulating their movements, to chase him down.

Raticate laughed and bounced away from the Will-O-Wisp. The speed and power of his kicks put great distance between him and the burning flames, greatly annoying Quinn. "Idiot! I can keep this up all day!" He took a deep breath. "Sn-ARRRRRL!" he growled, sending out a purple sound wave that disrupted and smothered the flames out. He kicked himself into Quinn, who blocked with Shadow Claw.

Chris dodged more of Magmar's hammer swings, keeping just out of its striking range while keeping his guard up. He braced himself for the eruptive impacts every time the Spitfire Pokémon struck the ground. With the powerful tremors created in the attack, the Hitmonchan-Scizor felt a blazing heat rushing out of the ground, as if the energy of the impact generated enough power to heat up the air.

Magmar laughed and held the hammer up proudly. "This is what I call a weapon! Forget your fancy glasses and jumping slippers! A hammer with the eruptive force of the mighty Camerupt combined with the godly control over land curtesy of Groudon! What you see is true power!" He swung the hammer again.

Chris ducked under the swing as he generated wind around his fist. "Vacuum Wave!" He threw the air punch right into the Pokémon's stomach.

Magmar was caught off guard by how strong it was, stronger than any Vacuum Punch he has ever taken before. The force pushed him back a considerable distance from Chris. He struck the hilt of the hammer into the ground and stopped himself. He growled aggravatedly. "That…was stronger than I suspected…"

Chris narrowed his eyes. _My heightened physical strength coupled with the ability Technician at least guarantees me that I can dish out effective moves without taking huge risks. Still, getting close to that hammer is a problem. I can't rely on brute force. I may have to get defensive or take bigger risks._

Magmar spun the hammer, then struck the ground like he was shooting a golf ball. A straight path of crumbling land shot right for the Hitmonchan-Scizor. Chris kicked off his right leg and evaded the attack. He placed his guard up and blocked a straight punch from the Magmar, a move he didn't expect.

Magmar smirked, then inhaled sharply. "Flamethrower!" He fired flames down on Chris at point blank range. Having a quadruple weakness to fire, Chris let out a sharp scream of agony as the flames scorch his skin. Magmar pulled the hammer back and slammed it against Chris' gut. The metal puncher coughed up blood from the crippling, exploding force that sent him skipping across the ground. "Hahahaha! How'd you like that?!"

"Chris!" Quinn called out, but turned his attention back on the Alolan Raticate after getting free hit on nightmare lizard's back.

Chris supported himself on one fist, breathing heavily after that last combo of hits. _I can't take any more direct blows like that._ He glared over his shoulder. _Those damn weapons really are something else._ Chris closed his eyes and sighed to calm himself down. _Keep your cool, Chris. Remember your training with Gracelyn._

Being the heavy hitter of the Fusion Council, Gracelyn took it upon herself to teach Chris a thing or two about utilizing physical strength. She didn't consider herself a good teacher and was more suited to medical care, but she gave him some needed advice about how to apply strength against a stronger foe.

" _A piece of advice, Mr. Tanner. An offense is a better defense. For as hard as you can hit, you can reduce or even cancel out your opponent's attacks with your own. A fight can't be won with just brute force. Know how to use it. Know how to counter. Know how to keep up the defensive."_

Chris pushed himself up and stretched his legs out, alleviating himself of some soreness so he could properly stand. He faced Magmar again and punched his fists together. "That all?" he taunted cheekily.

Magmar sneered, then pulled his hammer back as he went into a charge. "You damn Fusions have been the powerhouses of centuries! Now it's our turn to take that title!" He lunged and swung the hammer. "I'll turn you into paste!"

Chris positioned and grounded himself, then puffed his chest out. "Iron Defense!" A silvery, metallic light shined over him. The hammer slammed into his chest, making him grunt, but he didn't go flying this time. The damage was reduced enough to where Chris could take the hit as it destroyed the ground behind him.

Magmar, in his shock, staggered back. "Wha-?!"

Chris lunged forward while the Spitfire Pokémon was off-balanced. "The moment the enemy's balance is off, take the hit…" He pulled his fists back, then unleashed a flurry of punches into the Magmar's stomach. "Comet Punch!"

Magmar was sent flying onto his back and landed with the hammer slamming down on his beaten stomach. "Agh…!"

Quinn and the Alolan Raticate flew parallel to each other as they exchanged attacks. Quinn was analyzing his opponent and how he fought. So far, it seemed he was heavily relying on the slippers to increase his strikes. Reliance on kicking strength meant his legs were important.

Quinn glared. _Well, I can't catch him to break his legs, but we'll keep that plan off to the side._ "Dark Void!" He fired off a volley of sleep inducing orbs.

Raticate laughed and swerved through the attacks. "Kekekeke! Keep wasting your time! My air maneuverability is far superior to yours!"

That actually struck a chord of irritation for the Charmeleon-Darkrai. "Buddy…don't say crap you can't back up." Quinn flew after him, keeping pace with his air skipping.

Raticate just laughed and laughed like an arrogant jackass would. "What's the matter?! Did I hurt your pathetic feelings?!"

Quinn wasn't one to get mad easily. The only thing he felt towards the irritating rat was annoyance. "I wouldn't expect any less an insult from a petty man child."

Raticate gritted his teeth and snarled. "You lousy-! Snarl!" he barked, firing the grating soundwave at him.

Quinn flew out of the sound's expanding range and momentarily accelerated his speed, appearing right in the chubby rat's path. He inhaled sharply, then rained Flamethrower on him. Completely caught off guard, Raticate let out a scream of pain as the flames burned his back.

Quinn shut his maw and smirked. "I'm too mature to fall for your childish insults."

Raitcate nearly fell to the ground, but quickly regained balanced and bounced on the air. He sneered angrily at the cocky lizard. "Who do you think you are, smartass?!"

Quinn held his hips. "Well, 'smartass' is certainly the more accurate description you've given of me today."

The Alolan rat growled and pumped more force into his legs, soaring right for the lizard with his open jaw. "Hyper Fang!" A strong white aura coated his teeth before biting down on Quinn, who protected himself with Shadow Claw.

Back with Shane, he phased in and out of the ground, avoiding dangerously close Shadow Balls being thrown at him. The Watchog was predicting how he moved above ground to predict his position upon returning to the surface. His quick speed and ghostly attributes were the only thing keeping him safe. Watchog switched up attack measures and chased down the luck ghost instead.

Shane bounced on his spike and glared seriously. _Whirlpool and Sucker Punch are the only attacking moves I have that'll hit him. Night Shade's useless against him. I'll have to buy time!_ "Charm!" Shane unexpectedly flashed shimmering, cutesy eyes to throw the Watchog off balance.

However, the move ended up failing as Watchog lowered his head to avoid looking directly into the Charm. "Crunch!" He jumped over Shane and dove onto his shoulder, sinking his single incisor into it.

"AAAHHH!" Shane bellowed, locking up from the pain. His facial muscles twitched as he glared at the chipmunk. "Y-You-!"

Watchog smirked and, with a muffled voice, stated, "I saw that coming. Try all you want, but any move you make will be filled in by these glasses. There's nothing you can do that I can't see." He bit down harder on Shane's shoulder. "Centuries of payback to look forward to!"

Shane involuntarily closed one eye from the pain. He growled irritably. "Don't go…acting like some hero, you jerk! Acid Armor!" Shane suddenly turned into a clear liquid, causing Watchog to snap his incisor down on his tongue.

"AGH!" Watchog held his mouth and stamped his foot down. "Dammit, dammit, dammit! That stings!" Shane reverted to a solid state and bounced away, leading the chipmunk to chase him down. "Get back here!"

Quinn and Raticate clashed repeatedly in the air, Shadow Claw to Hyper Fang. Quinn tried to get in a few Flamethrowers, but the Alolan rat wasn't falling for his traps a second time. The nightmare lizard kept on the defensive as he tried to determine the situation.

 _Take out the legs, take out the weapons. Shouldn't be this hard, but he's slippery. The others aren't fairing any better, but we're not outmatched. They're still criminals relying on weapons and their attacks._ Quinn narrowed his eyes. _Think of a way to turn the tides._

The Alolan Raticate ricocheted off the air around the Fusion to build up speed and momentum. "Are you going to play chicken all day or are you going to fight?!"

Quinn groaned inwardly. _You wouldn't be acting so smug if you weren't…hold on!_ Quinn glared down and spotted Shane as he ran away from the Watchog. _Remember Quinn, rely on the strengths of you allies._ "Shane!"

The luck ghost casted a glance up at the nightmare lizard, staggering in his run. "What?!"

"Curse this guy!"

"Huh?!"

Quinn smirked. "That guy can predict your attacks, but not this one!"

Shane caught on to what he was saying and smirked. "Right! Get this guy off my back!"

Watchog's special prediction glasses saved him from a Dark Pulse raining down on him. He rolled over on the ground and glared up at the Charmeleon-Darkrai. "Insolent brat!" He fired Shadow Balls at him, but Quinn slashed them apart with his Shadow Claws.

Raticate saw the opportunity to rocket himself straight for Quinn while his back was turned. _What an idiot! Turning his back on the enemy!_

Shane closed his eyes for a moment before widening them in a flash of purple. "Jinx!"

"Huh?!" Raticate couldn't see the invisible aura flying at him. "What the hell is that one up to-?!" The curse caught up to him and took effect. Almost immediately, he felt a drop in his physical abilities, followed by a burning sensation (the Burn status) and a sudden staggering that interrupted his jumping (the Flinch effect). "W-W-Wha-?!"

Quinn suddenly appeared in his path and caught him by the face. "Got you."

Raticate screamed with panic and flailed to escape. "Let me go, let me go!" He growled and pulled his foot back. "Take a bite out of this, freak show!" He slammed his foot into the Charmeleon Fusion's stomach, expecting critical damage to take place. However, his kick did nothing more than make Quinn's eye flinch in reaction. "…oh no…"

Quinn smirked. "Burn status, power drop…yeah, you're not in a good spot." He used Shadow Claw to pick off the slippers and bring them into his free hand. He glared threateningly at the Alolan Raticate. "But, I'll grant your request and let you go."

Raticate only then realized the poor choice of words at their current height. "AH! Wait, let's talk about this! We're both reasonable crea-AAAAAAHHHH!" he screamed as he plummeted to the ground. Thankfully, Quinn only dropped him at a height he could reasonably survive. Pokémon and Fusions could take a lot, so the forces of gravity won't kill him. Crashing into the hard, sandy ground, the Alolan Raticate sank flat onto his stomach, too weak to get up. "Uuuugh…"

Quinn smiled in satisfaction, then glared down as he watched his friends handling the other two. _Chris can probably handle the hammer._ He directed his focus onto the Watchog and his prediction glasses. _Those, however…how do they work?_

Chris dodged hammer swing after hammer swing, consistently keeping his distance from its destructive power. Magmar saw the fallen Alolan Raticate before growling. "Lousy bastard wasn't strong enough. I won't be defeated as easily!" He raised his hammer up high.

Chris smirked confidently. "Fine by me. Tank!" Chris crossed his arms and sent a wave of energy over his body, converting it into steel. He punched his fists together, then blitzed the Magmar before he could swing his hammer down, and unleashed a flurry of punches into his face. "Comet Punch!"

The punches felt stronger than the last ones. The final punch to his chin sent the Spitfire Pokémon flying off his feet and crashing into the large column of the unfinished bridge. He held his swollen face and pressed his back against the wall to keep him on his feet. "Y…You…"

Watchog dodged Shane's attempted punches while trying to get in with his Crunch. He sneered in annoyance. "You two are a disappointment." He spun around Shane's punch and blasted his back with Shadow Ball. The luck ghost cried out in pain. "I'll always see through your attacks. No matter how you move, I'll see the end results."

Shane glared over his shoulder after recovering from the blast. "Don't…get cocky…your luck will eventually turn against you."

Watchog smirked. "This isn't luck. Just fate." He lunged for the luck ghost, readying himself to use Crunch.

Quinn took account of the word choices he used to describe the glasses, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder…" He glared, then shouted, "Shane! Keep dodging what you can!"

Shane wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he trusted the Fusion's judgment. "If you say so!"

Rather than phase through the ground or blast Watchog back, Shane simply bounced out of the chipmunk's bite range. Watchog adapted to Shane's dodges the longer he analyzed his movements. His persistence was pushing Shane into a corner, allowing the chipmunk to take his chance and land Crunch on Shane's side.

"AGH!" Shane growled, trying to withhold his cries.

Watchog smirked, then reared his head back for a second Crunch. "I got you now!" With Shane paralyzed from the pain, he threw his incisor at him to land the finishing blow. However, inches from biting down on the luck ghost, Watchog's jaw suddenly locked up and prevented him from using Crunch. "Gah…huh?!" He looked at himself and saw a dark aura surrounding him as he tried to use Crunch.

Shane suddenly wrapped his ribbon protrusion around his body and pinned his arms to his side while he was distracted. Shane smirked through his discomfort. "Cursed…Body."

Watchog's eyes widened behind his glasses. _Cursed what?!_

"Now I see what Quinn was hinting at. You kept going on and on how those glasses predict what you immediately saw. The actions I took to prep my moves, subtle or not, to how I'd move in for the attack." Shane's grin stretched. "But abilities aren't something we activate willingly. It's not something you can predict under these circumstances."

Watchog clenched his teeth. "You rotten Fusion!" He tried to slip his arm free to bash him with a Shadow Ball.

Shane slapped the glasses off his head, then flung him into the air. "Whirlpool!" He raised the swirling vortex of water and threw it, trapping the chipmunk as he fought back against the thrashing waves and currents.

Watchog fought through its currents in an attempt to launch a Shadow Ball. Quinn flew above the Whirlpool, unknown to the chipmunk, and pulled out one of the confiscated ice grenades. He activated it, then dropped it. "Oops."

It splashed into the water and swam with the currents before resting against Watchog's body. Too panicked to remove it, Watchog screamed as it exploded blank point and converted the water into a prison of cold, trapping him in a misshapen block of ice.

It slammed to the ground, with the chipmunk hanging out with only his face and hands uncovered. He looked to be in pain. "S-S-S-S-So c-c-c-c-cold! Ow-ow-ow-ow…"

Quinn landed next to the frozen chipmunk and leaned against the ice. "Huh, instant freeze. Nice."

Chris walked over with a satisfied grin. "Aside from the scrapes, that went reasonably well."

Shane held his hips and stared at the frozen Watchog. "Yeesh, that just looks flat out painful."

Quinn shrugged in indifference. "Whatever. At least we have them all captured."

"DON'T be so sure!" The Fusions turned around and saw the Magmar standing far back. His knees were shaking unstably, still weakened from Chris' earlier assault. He looked exhausted, yet far more pissed off than earlier.

Chris glared. "Good grief, didn't I knock the wind out of you a moment ago?"

"Guess he can take the punishment." Quinn cracked his knuckles. "I've taken less damage. Let me handle him."

Magmar sneered at his calm demeanor. "So, you think I'm small fry that can taken out, pathetic Fusion?!"

Quinn shot a deadpan glare. "Cut the tough guy crap out. You're clearly too weak to move more than a few steps." He walked forward with an air of coolness. "Why don't we just sit down and get to the crux of our intrusion? Where's the black market? Where are the Rogues?"

Magmar glowered for a moment, then chuckled darkly. He lowered his head to cover his eyes in a shade of darkness. "You know about that…those devious Fusions will kill me if I let you continue your investigation…" He gripped the hammer and twirled it within his grasp. "Now you've got me real wound up! Time to die!" He revealed a red button on the side of the hilt, which he immediately pressed.

Chris had a moment of déjà vu before gasping. "Uh, Shane? Didn't you say something earlier about a red button and no touching it?"

"I believe so," the luck ghost stated nonchalantly.

Magmar psyched himself up, fueling his tired muscles with adrenaline as he lifted the hammer up high. The block of the hammer overloaded with an intense heat, working the internal gears and mechanisms into overdrive. "Witness the end of your pathetic existence, Fusions!" He swung the hammer downward and struck the ground with a sharp bang.

The Fusions jumped back as the ground split open violently. Unlike the last use of swings, this hit triggered an explosive reaction that sent up smog and a fiery flash. A more potent heat rising out to simulate volcanic activity. The Fusions evaded the wave of earth with their guards up, taking the destructive area of effect of the blast.

"Shit!" Quinn cried out as the shrapnel of rock flew past him. He winced as they sliced the surface of his skin. "Are you insane?! You're pushing that thing past its limits! I could explode!"

"Shut the hell up!" Magmar roared as he lunged at them. "I'll take the risks if it means wiping you freaks off the face of the earth!"

Shane landed on his spike and glared. _Well, at least I can definitely hit him with this!_ "Night Shade!" His eyes glowed purple as he unleashed an ominous, spooky wave that enveloped the Magmar.

The Spitfire Pokémon staggered from the ghostly attack, but willed himself to raise his hammer. "Fire Blast!" Slamming the hammer down at the same time as releasing the Fire Blast, he triggered a more fiery explosive wave towards the Fusions.

"Whirlpool!" Shane countered the flames with his Whirlpool, then leapt over the crumbling ground.

Quinn flew into the air and took aim with Dark Void. "Get that damn hammer away from him before he blows himself up! Or worse, us!" He fired the sleep inducing attack.

Magmar forced his legs to get him out of the way. His body was screaming for rest, but his mind and heart were racing with fury. "Get…LOST!" He struck along the surface of the ground and sent out a surface gliding shockwave towards Chris.

Chris shielded his face and ran straight into it. "Tank!" His body turned to steel, increasing his attack, defense, and speed. "Iron Defense!" He furthered his defensive capabilities with the protective aura of metal. After taking the hit, he ran straight for Magmar. "Night Slash!" His claw-like fist changed into a blade.

Magmar forced himself to counter the attack with the hammer. Chris's Fusion Move allowed him to endure the hammer's insane explosive force, but it also canceled his Night Slash out.

Shane bounced around Magmar, then positioned himself. _Got him!_

Magmar, however, spotted Shane, noting the purple glow illuminating in his eyes. He growled. "Don't pull that cursing shit on me, freak!" He pushed Chris back, then slammed an explosive wave right at the Gengar-Phione.

Shane ceased Jinx and bounced away from the explosive wave. "He's not fooling around anymore!"

Magmar hit the ground nonstop, forcing the Fusions to back off from his rampage. "I won't stop until all of you are gone! You won't find the market! You'll get nothing out of me!"

Quinn flew right for him with Shadow Claw. "Don't be stupid! Drop the hammer before you kill yourself!" He could see the mechanical hammer was overloading with intense heat and sparking uncontrollably. The internal mechanisms were pushing and wearing themselves out to keep running over their maximum power. It was going to explode if the stubborn Magmar doesn't switch the device off.

Magmar countered his Shadow Claws with the hammer. Quinn bit his tongue to hold back the cry of anguish burning through his arms. His bones were creaking and stressing as a vibrating force pummeled through his Shadow Claw. All attempts at reasoning were long gone.

Chris raised his fists with a serious glare. "Shane, do you have any ideas _now_?"

Shane glared. "Obviously getting the hammer away from him is our prime directive, but he's determined to keep us away. Either Quinn can catch him off guard with a Dark Void or…" Shane's eyes widened. "Wait…Quinn! The grenades!"

Quinn glared over his shoulder as he continued to push against the hammer, much to his arms' distress. "What?!"

"The ice grenades! Do you still have some left?!"

The Charmeleon-Darkrai's eyes widened, then he propelled himself backwards, letting the hammer strike the ground and blast it open. He struggled to lift his arm and reached into his white mane, pulling out a single grenade. "It won't keep him frozen forever, but one of these will leave him wide open for a counterattack."

Shane nodded. "But, we need to stagger him first!"

"Leave that to me!" Chris rushed into battle. "Hit me with a Whirlpool, now!"

"Huh?!" Shane didn't know what he was planning, but he chose not to question it. "Alright then! Here!" He summoned the whirlpool and threw it directly in Chris' and Magmar's path.

Chris activated Tank once more and let himself get enveloped into the whirlpool's currents. However, he managed to fight against the ranging currents thanks to his power boost. He ran right for Magmar while pulling his fist back. He closed his eyes and focused his energy into it.

Magmar sneered. "I don't know what you're doing, but I've seen enough!" He raised the hammer to destroy the whirlpool before it could hit him.

Quinn pulled his claw back and took aim. "Will-O-Wisp!" He flicked a white flame that curved around the whirlpool and shot into Magmar's eyes. It obviously won't apply the Burn status against him, but it staggered the Spitfire Pokémon right before the spiraling water crashed into him.

He glared through the water and garbled a threat to them. His weakened arms tried to force the hammer against the waves and strike the approaching Hitmonchan-Scizor. Chris kept his eyes closed as he closed in on the Pokémon. His fist enveloped in a blue glow once it reached maximum power.

 _Focus…PUNCH!_

He jumped over Magmar, using the waves to give him some lift, and slammed his fist down on his skull. Magmar's eyes dazed from the direct blow, nearly knocking him completely unconscious. He lost his grip on the smoking hammer, sparking even more unstably through the water.

Chris dove out of the whirlpool and gasped for air before shouting, "Quinn, now!"

Quinn activated and kicked the grenade into the water. Just like the Watchog, the whirlpool instantly went solid once the grenade went off. Water turned to solid ice, trapping the Magmar inside, only completely instead of partially.

The Fusions relaxed themselves, but didn't completely let their guard down until the evaluated the Magmar's status. For the most part, it seemed that final attack took the rest of the fight out of him. As for the hammer, they saw it steaming in the ice, being cooled down rapidly into a stable state.

Seeing all three were taken out, the Fusions let themselves relax. Quinn gripped his sore arms and groaned. "Artemis is going to give me hell when she sees me like this…"

Chris smirked lightly. "Hehe…glad I don't have your problems…"

Shane huffed in exhaustion, then glared seriously at the fallen Pokémon. "Those weapons…if these three were a bit more competent and we weren't on our guard, they could have taken us out…" He held up the prediction glasses. "Destructive, elusive, unassuming…the Rogues can make any weapon they want with the power of Fusions…"

Quinn nodded solemnly. "And handing them out to equally dangerous criminals…they're taking their goals in a new direction." Quinn sighed. "I'm definitely too tired to try stealing info from their heads, but the police should be able to get them to talk." He glared all around the deserted field. "Almost certain they're hiding out here…wherever here is."

Chris crossed his arms. "The walk back is going to be brutal carrying these three." He looked around at the wooden shacks, turning the gears in his head. "Hmm…I don't have my tools, but I can probably build a sled to drag these guys with us."

"I could probably summon a few shadow hands to help push," Quinn offered.

Chris nodded. "Right! Let's round them up and get a move on as soon as possible!" He dashed towards the shacks, racking his head for ideas to build a sled.

While Shane bounced over to the unconscious Alolan Raticate, Quinn glared seriously at the long stretch of land, still uncertain about the details of this location. _The history of our world was completely different before any of us were born. Does this place hold its own history? If so, for what?_


	35. Chance Meeting

Along the empty roads surrounded by a beautiful forest of trees came three Fusions dragging their feet lazily. Well, rather, two of them dragged their feet while the bigger Fusion stomped lightly behind them since he wasn't suffering from the same problems as them.

Vivi and Eddie were both hungry, having not had much to eat since their last meal. Cash was pretty hard to come by, even with odd jobs to hold them over. Given their pressing agenda and a possible spot on top of Sinnoh's most wanted, staying in one place for too long wouldn't benefit their stomachs. They got lucky when they passed the occasional wild tree growing fruit, but that's about it on their luck.

Eddie was hanging in a lot better than the Ledian-Decidueye. Sadly, this wasn't the first time he had to go some days without food. Not a proud moment in his life he loved to admit, but it happened. He felt sorry for Vivi, who was clearly suffering from her lack of sustenance.

"Fooooooood…" she moaned desperately.

…though, that sympathy got torn to shreds smaller and smaller every time she opened her mouth and complained. Eddie believed he could exercise good patience, but he had a limit before his mood would turn sour.

Eddie closed his eyes and grumbled under his breath before saying, "Kid, quit your damn whining. I got all I could purchase the other day…deal with it."

"But I'm huuuuungry…" she whined.

Eddie could already feel a frustrated tic mark pulsing on his forehead. "Whining isn't going to make food magically fall out of the sky!"

Vivi groaned and finally gave in to her fatigue. Eddie had to stop and stare down at the younger Fusion as she collapsed to her knees and planted her forehead with the asphalt road. "Go on without me, Eddie…I'll only slow you down." She rolled onto her back and stared up at the sky. "There's no hope for me left…"

Eddie facepalmed and groaned inwardly. _Damn brat._ He looked up at Bartleby, who bent down and poked at Vivi to check and see if she was actually dead. It was equal parts amusing and weird for the Hitmonlee-Typhlosion. He held his hips and sighed. "If you're going to mess with her, at least carry her the rest of the way."

Bartleby stared at him silently before pinched Vivi by the feathered cloak, picking her up, and dropping her into his hand. Vivi continued to play dead, though she added, "Ah yes, the perfect resting place…this shall be my grave…"

"STOP BEING MELODRAMATIC! YOU'LL BE FINE!" Eddie scolded in annoyance. He glared ahead and continued walking with his arms crossed, Bartleby tailing close behind. After reining his temper in, Eddie said, "Just relax, kid, I'll solve our food situation in no time. Just have some Arceus damn patience for once…"

Thankfully, that got Vivi to quiet up as they walked down the street. Eddie searched around the road to find anything that could help them solve their problems. He was really aiming for another group of berry trees to pick clean, but there didn't seem to be any wild ones for miles.

There was, however, something that caught his eye.

Passing by a telephone pole, there was a loosely hanging flyer stapled to it. "Hello, what's this?" He ripped it off and took a closer look at it.

Vivi lifted her head up a bit and groaned, "Is it food?"

"Potentially. Seems there's a berry farm in this area, just outside the main towns. Says they're offering free meals and a place to sleep in exchange for labor on the farm."

Vivi sprung to her feet and leaned over Bartleby's finger, significantly better than before. "Free food?!" she exclaimed. Eddie could see her salivating with glee.

He narrowed his eyes and waved the flyer up at her. "Free food for _labor_. We don't have to pay with money, but you actually need to earn it."

Vivi pouted in disappointment. "Dang it…" She then smiled boldly and crossed her arms. "Hmph, fine by me! No use crying over it!" She pointed in a random direction. "That way, Bartleby! Take us to the farm!" Bartleby began to turn around and head in the opposite direction.

"Other way!" Eddie shouted, causing Bartleby to stop. The flame kicker pinched between his eyes before walking the right way. "Just follow me before one of you gets each other lost." Bartleby turned on his heel and followed after him while Vivi danced excitedly on his palm.

* * *

"Eat up, everyone!" Annabeth exclaimed as she set out lunches for her guests and daughter. It was a quiet, yet busy day on the farm with some work being done outside. Dez, Emily, Charlie, and Marion thanked her for the food before eating.

Just outside the window, they got a good view of the backyard and the rows of trees that were in view. They could see some Pokémon and Fusions working out in the fields, like a Kangaskhan, a Gabite, a Druddigon-Starmie, a Clefable-Gengar, and a few others that were out of view. Every day, the three Gappei Fusions got to see different types of Fusions coming to the farm for free meals and working for them. It felt nice to see the community aspect of this farm take a positive influence on everyone.

One Fusion to enter the house was Cade, who wiped his brow of sweat. "Phew, I'm working up a sweat out there."

Annabeth smirked. "Getting soft, dear?"

Cade boomed with his jolly laugh. "Oh, heck no! I've still got a fire cooking inside me! This is nothing I can't handle!"

Annabeth giggled. "I should have figured. Well, at the very least, help yourself to some lunch. I made sandwiches."

The Pangoro-Spiritomb snagged his plate off the counter and sat himself down. "Looks yummy as usual!" He grabbed the sandwich and took a large bite out of it.

Annabeth smiled fondly at him before facing their daughter. "Marion, sweetie, make sure to rake the leaves up from under the trees."

Marion saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" She nibbled threw her sandwich like a shredder until it was all gone. She patted her stomach in satisfaction, then grinned at the three Fusions. "Any care to join?"

Charlie shot his hand. "All aboard!"

Dez raised his paw lazily. "Eh, sure."

Emily, however, shook her head. "I'll pass. I'm just going to take it easy this afternoon and catch up on my meditation."

Marion gathered her empty plate, along with Dez's and Charlie's, and placed them in the sink. "Suit yourself! Come on, fellas!" She raced out to the backyard with the two following at a much slower pace.

Emily rolled her eyes and sipped on her juice. "That kid has way too much energy for her own good."

Cade snickered through his teeth. "That's my little girl." His left spiral eye glanced to the side and looked over the Mawile-Froslass with intrigue. It's only been a few days, but he felt a definite change in her demeanor and the air around her. That cold exterior she kept around her was thawing. "You seem much mellower these days, Ms. Skull."

Emily closed her eyes and smiled subtly. "Really? Haven't notice."

Cade smiled and looked out the window, watching the Pokémon and Fusions working outside. "I knew bringing you here was the right call. The slow pace of the country land, away from the noise and chaos back home. Annabeth has been doing a great job trying to make everyone feel welcomed out here. It's not often you here Pokémon and Fusion getting into bloody fistfights in Sinnoh."

Annabeth smiled over her shoulder as she tended to the dishes. "Give yourself some credit, Cade. Gappei Village has been doing a lot of work to improve relations in Kanto."

"It was a slow progress over the last twelve years," Cade admitted. "Julian's little shove helped boost our influence."

Emily rolled her eyes. "For as underhanded as it was…" she muttered quietly.

"But even so, I feel we're doing better with Kanto. Maybe with enough patience, the rest of the world will have a much more accepting view of Fusions and forget the bad blood we've shared." He smiled lightly. "Not like I'm asking for world peace, just…peace."

Emily looked down at her juice, her reflection staring back at her. "I've…been given some time to think things over, to be honest." She gripped the glass with a minor, sour glare. "The hate I felt has dwindled, but…it's not completely gone." She shook her head. "A part of me still can't get over the cruelty that was done to me. The cruelty done against Fusion kind."

"Buuut…" Cade encouraged to continue.

Emily tapped on the glass lightly. She exhaled a cold breath, then looked up at the councilman. "Despite everything, I'm willing to overlook the actions of the past and focus on the individual. I was wrong of me to give Marion crap from the start. I…will try and not let lasting impressions sway my judgment of other Pokémon."

Cade smiled and patted her on the back. "Atta girl. I knew this trip would be good for you."

Emily didn't say a word after. She focused back on her juice, then smiled a bit more openly before taking a sip of her drink.

* * *

After gathering the rakes from the barn, Dez, Charlie, and Marion got to work gathering the leaves from some trees with buds of berries growing off the stems. There was quite a lot of leaves scattered under the trees. Yardwork was always an activity to get done out here.

As Marion raked the leaves, she went on to explain the purpose of the chore. "We like to use any of the fallen leaves to help our baby trees grow. Since they still have nutrients in them, it'll help the little ones grow faster. We normally do this with the baby trees to have them grow nice and healthy, otherwise we just leave them for the other trees and don't bother them."

Charlie nodded. "I get what you mean. I actually help out with gardening back in the village, making sure there's some beauty and life in our wonderful little world. I know quite a bit about plant care."

Marion grinned. "No wonder you've been loving the farm so far!"

Charlie chuckled awkwardly and looked off to the side. "R-Right, definitely not because I'm surrounded by delicious, mouthwatering, sweet berries…"

"Eh, Charlie? Why are you drooling?"

The Munchlax-Lilligant quickly erased the saliva off his mouth and smiled sheepishly. "What? I wasn't drooling over food!" Marion narrowed her eyes with a sly, knowing grin.

They turned their attention to Dez and his mildly frustrated grunts as he attempted to rake the leaves with the rake held between his teeth. A lack of hands and thumbs made tasks such as this a little difficult, especially when he was too lazy to ever bother learning how to use a rake.

"Ugh…should have thought this through…" he grumbled.

Marion laughed and set her rake over her shoulder. "Aww, don't be like that. Raking leaves is easy."

"For a biped, maybe, but I'm clearly a four-legged creature with paws."

Marion pumped her fist. "You can do it! Go, go!"

Dez looked to the side and sighed with an exasperated smile. "Save the pep talk for later, kid…" He tried to correct his form with the rake, but a sudden jolt through the ground caused him to lose his balance and fall on his stomach. "AH!"

Marion and Charlie jumped in alarm from the sudden shaking of the ground. Charlie looked around panicky. "Whoa, what's going on?! Are we having an earthquake?!"

"I don't remember earthquakes happening all the way out here!" Marion cried. "Besides, earthquakes aren't this rhythmic! It feels more like someone's walking!" She peeked her head out from behind the trees and looked at her front yard. "I could be something else-!" Her eyes widened and her rake slipped out from between her fingers.

With her silence, Dez and Charlie poked their heads out from behind the trees, too. "What's wrong?" Their eyes bulged out in shock, catching exactly what Marion saw.

Walking down the road, in plain view, was a large Golurk, bigger than any Golurk they've ever seen before. To top it off, it didn't appear to be made of stone and clay like regular Golurk were, rather it was made of wood and leaves. It was some sort of nature automaton.

"A Golurk Fusion?!" Dez quietly exclaimed.

"He. Is. Huge," Marion mumbled in awe.

Dez narrowed his eyes. "I should probably get your parents." He raced off to the fetch Cade and Annabeth.

Charlie looked at Marion questioningly. "Should we go introduce ourselves?"

Marion smiled lightly. "Why not? We always get Fusions coming by to work for food. Nothing new."

"But have you ever gotten Fusions who towered above your house?" the flowery glutton pointed out, emphasizing the scale of the wooden golem.

Marion crossed her arms and tilted her head with her face scrunched up. She tapped her foot a couple of times before relaxing her pose and pulling a silly face. "Nope, can't recall!"

They would've discussed the matter further, but a female voice called out to the farm. "Yoohoo! Hey, farmer people! Anyone there farming?!" They could've sworn they heard it coming from the Golurk Fusion, but they saw a figure standing on its hand.

"Kid, has anyone taught basic decency?!" The other voice sounded old, but not elderly.

Marion and Charlie got in closer through the trees and finally identified their two other guests. A Ledian-Decidueye standing on the Golurk-Torterra's hand and a Hitmonlee-Typhlosion standing next to the golem's legs. He looked rather impatient as he glared up at the Ledian Fusion.

Marion's eyes sparkled excitedly. "Wow, more company!" She dashed off to greet them. Charlie tried to grab and stop her, but he ended up tripping onto his face. She skidded to a halt in front of the gates and waved to her new guests. "Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you all!"

Vivi looked down and blinked thoughtfully. "Do you have food?"

Eddie glared at her again and shouted, "KID, I will smack you upside the head if you don't shut up!" He cleared his throat, then proceeded to greet Marion with a respectable bow to start. "Excuse me, young lady, but we wish to speak to the head owner of your farm. We heard you offered free meals in exchange for labor on your property. Is that correct?"

Marion teetered on her heels and grinned giggly. "That's right! Pokémon and Fusions of all kind are welcomed to volunteer on the farm!"

"Woohoo!" Vivi cheered before gliding off Bartleby's hand and landing in front of Marion to shake her hand. "You're a lifesaver, friend! Truly are!"

Eventually, Dez returned with Annabeth and Cade, with Emily tagging along to see what the ruckus was about. Charlie rubbed his sore face and joined their side to greet the newcomers as well. Annabeth held her chin and observed their guests with a thoughtful grin. "Well, you all seem like an eccentric bunch. I hope my daughter hasn't been giving you too much trouble."

Eddie shook his head. "Not at all, ma'am, she's been very helpful as of now." He gestured to himself, then his companions. "My name is Eddie. This here is Vivi, and our giant friend, Bartleby."

Vivi waved enthusiastically. "Salutations, everyone!" Bartleby raised his hand and waved slowly, making quiet creaks in his joints. "Just for the record, our pal here isn't able to speak, but he's really good at charades!"

Annabeth giggled. "Duly noted. I'm Annabeth, the head of this farm. You've already met my daughter, Marion. And this is my husband, Cade." Cade waved with a light grin while Marion beamed with her usual enthusiasm. The older Emolga gestured to the three other Fusions. "These are Cade's charges, visiting from out of the region. Dez, Emily, and Charlie."

The three bowed politely. "Pleasure to meet you."

Eddie bowed back, with Vivi and Bartleby mimicking him. "The feeling is mutual."

Annabeth clasped her hands together and laughed. "It's always nice to have more hands on the farm. I hope you're ready for some hardwork."

Vivi folded her upper set of arms behind her head and crossed the lower arms over her stomach. "Haha! We're looking forward to it, ma'am-!" Her growling stomach cut her off. Vivi's face remained frozen with her cheerful demeanor, with her saddening hunger peeking through the façade.

Annabeth brought her hand up to her agape mouth. "Oh dear, are you all hungry?"

Eddie waved it off. "Don't worry about her. She's just a wee bit gluttonous-" His stomach emitted a low growl, causing his face to flush with heat. "…we've…been a little short on cash as of late."

Annabeth held her hips and sighed. "Good grief, I can't have you all working if you're going to collapse from hunger."

Cade laughed out loud. "Well, I guess we'll have to treat you to lunch first." He wagged his finger at them. "But you can't go skipping out on work after lunch. That's the rules around here."

Eddie closed his eyes and snorted a laugh. "We weren't planning on running, but we promise not to."

Annabeth smiled. "Great! We'll make you some lunch right now!"

"Yaaaay…" Vivi cheered in blissful relief.

The adults and Marion led Vivi and Eddie to the house for lunch while Bartleby attempted to follow behind, awkwardly stepping around in the property to find somewhere to sit while being mindful not to step on anything or anyone. Some of the few Pokémon and Fusions working in the fields were agape at seeing the large Fusion.

Dez tilted his head and looked at his friends. "Geez, they must have it rough. I can't imagine not being able to eat for days."

"I don't think they were THAT hungry," Charlie pointed out, "but I see your point." He then smiled brightly. "Still, they seem pretty cool. Vivi seems like she'd be a blast at parties."

Dez snickered. "Sounds like it. They were all pretty unique looking, too." He looked at Emily. "What do you think?"

Emily crossed her arms and sighed. "They're alright, I guess. Kind of weird, if you ask me." They jumped in alarm. Apparently, Bartleby finally found a place to sit and plopped himself on the ground.

They kept their balance and saw he was sitting in the backyard. Charlie smiled awkwardly. "Maybe a little."

* * *

After whipping up another round of sandwiches, Annabeth set the plates of food down in front of Vivi and Eddie. "There you go. I hope you enjoy."

Eddie bowed his head. "Thank you very much."

Vivi grinned. "Yeah, looks delicious!"

Annabeth smiled in appreciation, then looked out the window and caught a glimpse of Bartleby- or rather a part of his side. "Oh, does he need any food as well?"

Eddie waved it off. "Don't worry yourself over it. In the time we've been together, we discovered he doesn't consume food like us."

"He likes sunlight!" Vivi exclaimed with a bright grin.

Eddie blinked slowly at her, then nodded at their hosts. "Yeeeeah, something like that."

Cade held his chin as he stared out the window. "I've got to say, this is the first time I've ever seen a Golurk-Torterra before. He looks pretty sturdy. I suppose being a mix of the Continent Pokémon has to do with his increased size."

Eddie nodded in agreement. "We've come to that conclusion ourselves." He picked up his berry and, through unknown means that couldn't be perceived with his species, ate a piece off it.

Cade sat down at the table with them. "So, you've all be traveling together lately?"

Vivi nodded. "Yep!" She slugged Eddie in the arm, playfully. "This guy and I go way back!" Eddie rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink.

"Oh, I see. Are you her father figure, then?" Cade asked innocently.

The sudden question caused Eddie's eyes to bug out before preceding to choke on his drink after swallowing down the wrong pipe. He wheezed out in shock as he pounded his chest to get himself back under control.

Vivi, acting like her friend wasn't in a brief panic, laughed and waved the absurd comment off. "Oh no, he's just my friend." She leaned forward and whispered into the phantom panda's ear teasingly, "Plus, he's terrible with kids. He'd make a horrible father."

Eddie heard that comment and glared harshly at her. "Oh, shut the hell up, you annoying brat!"

"See?" Vivi continued to pick on him, laughing as he barked fury at her.

Cade held his hands up and laughed, which got Eddie to cool off. "My apologies. I figured you two weren't related by blood, but I just assumed you were her parental guardian."

Eddie took a breath, then lifted his glass. "I see…well, I'm not her guardian. We're just traveling together." He took a sip, praying not to get another scare like that again.

Annabeth sat down with her husband. "So then, what brings you all the way out here? Where are you traveling to?"

Eddie could see the subtle, nervous glance Vivi shot at him. He acknowledged the stare with a blink before looking back at their hosts. _We've been out in the open quite a lot since our little break in with the military. These two don't recognize our faces. The military doesn't know if we're dangerous or not given the circumstances of our intrusion. Either they're keeping who we are secret or we're getting off lucky that no one recognizes us. We have to play our cards carefully._

"Where are we traveling to? Heh, nowhere in particular." Eddie waved his glass around gently. "I found the kid and golem myself. Just passing through and they tagged along with me. Personally, I'm not looking for any set destination. We're just traveling the roads as we see fit." He shrugged. "Though, we've hit a string of misfortune before finding our way to your farm. Personally, we just couldn't resist lending our assistance to you lovely people."

Annabeth giggled. "Aww, aren't you sweet?"

Vivi nodded. "Yep! Good Samaritans, we are! Any job you've got for us is no hassle! Once we've gotten our rest, we'll be hitting the road soon!"

"Well, stay as long as you need to," Annabeth encouraged. "It's no trouble as long as we can cooperate."

Eddie bowed his head. "Thank you again for your kindness."

"You're welcome. Now, eat up so we can get to work."

"Yes ma'am!" Eddie and Vivi exclaimed before going back to their sandwiches.

* * *

Once lunch was finished, Annabeth led Eddie and Vivi out back to a row of small trees. They weren't small like the baby trees, but they were in the beginning stages of growth. They were spaced out so that, when they reach their full size, they'll have enough room to be crowded next to each other.

Vivi bent down and stared at the tiny trees in awe. "Wow…" She gently poked it. "So tiny…" She squeaked in surprise as Eddie grabbed her by the cowl and turned her to face Annabeth.

"Quit lollygagging, kid, we've got work to do," Eddie grumbled.

Vivi pouted at him. "Why can't I have a little fun?"

"We already ate their food, I don't want to screw up whatever chore we're getting!" Eddie growled.

Annabeth chuckled lightly, trying to dismiss the mild fuming between the two. "Now, now, no reason to get tense. Yes, a lot of the work on our farm is tiresome, but simple to get across. I'm not asking you to know complex farming techniques or anything."

Eddie dropped Vivi back on the ground, who then responded with, "So, what's our first task, Ms. Annabeth?!"

Annabeth held out two watering cans for both of them. "Pretty straightforward. I just need you to water these trees. Nothing too demanding. I ask that you be mindful of how much water you give them. Wouldn't want to overwater our poor trees."

Vivi took a can and saluted. "You got it, ma'am!" She then blinked in confusion. "Wait, you can overwater plants?" Eddie facepalmed and groaned inwardly.

Annabeth chuckled. "Yes, dearie, you can. More water doesn't always equal better." She smiled. "Just remember to take it easy and not worry about it. I trust you both can handle this."

Eddie took his can and looked it over. "Um…right. We'll do our best."

Annabeth nodded. "That's all I'm asking for. Have fun!" she exclaimed before walking off.

Vivi smirked at her friend. "Huh, huh! So, we 'CAN' have fun!" She nudged her watering can. "G-Get it?! Because we're holding watering cans! And you were just talking about that we can't…" The unchanging expression of dryness in the flame kicker's eyes made her stop and deflate in disappointment. "Yeesh, maybe we should be watering you."

Eddie pinched between his eyes and groaned. "Why couldn't I just paint the house or something…?" He turned to the first row of trees in front of them. "I'll take this row, you handle the other. Try not to get lost," he added teasingly.

Vivi rolled her eyes with a mild sneer. "Haha, very funny. I'm not that directionally challenged!" She stepped into the second row of trees and started watering. "How come Bartleby doesn't have to work?"

"Do you really think he can help us water these trees without crushing them?"

"…fair enough." Vivi crossed her arms in annoyance. "We're still nowhere near close to finding the doomsday tower," she brought up, intentionally keeping her voice low. "And that orb thingy, too. What are we missing?"

Eddie looked around quietly, making sure no one else was present, before glancing at her. "Honestly, I don't know. We can't keep checking every damn mountain we come across. We haven't even searched them all in Sinnoh, assuming it's even in Sinnoh. And the orb…ugh, don't get me started on finding something that might be buried underground."

Vivi grinned uneasily. "Heh, yeah…not exactly the best of leads to work with." She looked over her shoulder and took another glance at Bartleby, who was just sitting and staring off into space. "I feel kind of bad for Bartleby. He must be sad that he can't help us."

"Kid, don't forget, he knows where all this stuff was hidden. He worked closely with not just your ancestor, but also Data." Eddie ceased watering and scratched his chin. "That guy…I still can't get a read on him. What is he up to if he hid away all his secrets? What good would they be now without him?" Eddie closed his eyes. "There's definitely something not adding up, but we don't have any context clues to work off of. All we have is Bartleby and your ancestor's journal."

Vivi crossed her arms. "It's the best we can work with, unfortunately."

Eddie sighed and scratched his head. "Makes me feel like I'm in over my head."

Vivi smiled cheerfully. "Don't be a grump, Ed. You need some optimism in your life! Sure, the challenge seems impossible, but reachable!"

"Not in my lifetime," he mumbled under his breath.

Vivi smirked. "Hey, I didn't come this far just to give up! I sacrificed my plans for a better future to see this through! Whether you're with me or not through it all, I'll be the one to complete this mission! That's a promise!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes, then sighed before chuckling dryly. "Stubborn brat…" Vivi snickered cheekily.

"What's all this about a mission?"

The two Fusions suddenly froze up and paled at the sudden voice. Their eyes slowly turned towards the newcomer and landed on Emily, with Dez and Charlie standing next to her. The Mawile-Froslass had her arms crossed and her brow raised curiously.

Vivi, with her brain overloading with panic, dropped her watering can and screamed at the top of her lungs. "ABORT MISSION! ABORT! WE'VE BEEN COMPROMISED!" Vivi ran in circles, flailing her arms, before making like a Doduo and diving head first into the ground. However, she accidentally dug her antenna into the ground and caught herself in a head stand. She flailed in her trapped position. "AAAHHH! I'M STUCK!"

Eddie facepalmed and sighed inwardly. _Oh yeah, real subtle, kid. That doesn't make you look suspicious._

Emily, thankfully, didn't think much of the hidden implications of her sudden panic. "Um…is she okay?"

"If we're being honest, I don't think her brain is functionally properly," Eddie admitted.

"HEY!" Vivi shouted in offense.

Dez snickered behind his paw. "What's got you all wound up? That almost sounded like real fear."

Eddie glanced off to the side, thinking carefully. _I can work with this._ He cleared his throat and faked an explanation- or rather, a half-truth, "Vivi's very excitable, as you can see. She's always making a game out of everything and rarely takes anything seriously."

"STOP TREATING ME LIKE A CHILD!" Vivi cried angrily, all while still flailing upside-down.

"See what I mean?" Eddie continued with narrowed eyes.

Charlie laughed a bit. "Yeah, I can see that. Do you need help getting up?"

Vivi's anger quickly turned into her usual optimism. "Oh, no thanks! I can get myself out." She spat into her hands, rubbed them together, then pushed against the ground to pry herself out.

Eddie rolled his eyes, then looked back at the three Fusions. "Anyway…Dez, Emily, and Charlie, right?" They nodded. "What brings you over here?"

Emily shrugged. "Well, we heard you two chatting, so we came to see what was up. I'm guessing it was nothing important."

Eddie nodded with a lighthearted, albeit awkward laugh. "Oh yes, trivial drivel we wouldn't want to bore you with."

Dez looked over at the wooden golem near the house. "You have an interesting group going on here. Though, I have to say, your friend there looks…um, old. I know some Pokémon have a pretty long lifespan, but he's pretty old looking. Almost ancient."

Eddie shrugged. "Well, Golurk and most Ghost-Types in general are known for living far past the life expectancy of a mammalian Pokémon. Though, I don't really know much about Bartleby since he can't speak." Eddie held his hip and sighed. "We found him…off the streets, you could say. Vivi was responsible for bringing him into our little group." _An experience I'll never forget because of the heart attacks I almost had._

Vivi was getting her antenna closer and closer out of the ground. "Barty's a real sweetie, though! And a great listener! You can talk to him for hours and he'll even respond with little gestures here and there!"

Emily narrowed her eyes at the large Pokémon. "Hmm…sounds like someone I can get along with, then."

Vivi finally pushed out of the ground and fell flat on her back. "Woohoo!" she cheered, raising her fists.

Charlie folded his arms behind his back and teetered on his heels. "I'm actually pretty curious. We've met quite a few traveling Fusion and hear a lot about their travels. What brings you all the way out here?"

Eddie crossed his arms, trying to fabricate a believable story without being a blatant lie. "Hmm…nothing special. We're just traveling and visiting place to place. Kind of like a road trip around the whole region. So much to see and explore."

Vivi decided to add to the story. "Oh yeah, and it's loads of fun! You know, when you look past the money shortage and dying from starvation…" She smiled blankly as she internally recalled those painful hours of walking with no food. "That…That wasn't fun…"

Eddie sighed as the Fusions gave her disturbed looks. "As overdramatic as she's being, she's not far off the mark. They say you go on vacation to get away from stressful activity, but even that's unavoidable on vacation. Sometimes I feel like I'm foregoing sleep to keep moving."

Vivi snickered and jabbed him teasingly. "In all fairness, you are pretty old-"

Eddie bonked her on the head with the heel of his foot, glaring irritably. "I'm not that old, you brat!"

The Fusions stared in mild bafflement before easing up. Dez flashed a toothy smirk. "You all are certainly an odd bunch. Is fighting normal with you two?"

Eddie groaned. "She's an irritating pest, but…guess I've grown used to it."

Vivi snickered. "Just like I've gotten used to you being an old grump!"

Eddie resisted the urge to bonk her again. "Uh huh…anyway, I don't think we ever asked. Where are you three from?"

Emily took the liberty of answering. "We came here with the Pangoro-Spiritomb, Cade. We actually live out in Kanto, in Gappei Village."

While Eddie gave an interested look, Vivi silently gasped in disbelief. She hid behind Eddie and stared at them in awe. _They're…from Gappei Village? THE Gappei Village?_

"Gappei Village, you say? That little Fusion village out in Kanto?" Eddie asked.

"That's the one," Charlie confirmed. "Cade's one of the members of our council, but he took some time off to spend more time with his family. We tagged along to relax."

Dez closed his eyes and chuckled. "Though, I wouldn't say 'little' is a proper description. It's an ever-growing piece of land that makes Fusions feel welcomed and loved. Trust me, we call it our slice of paradise for a reason."

Eddie chuckled wryly. "I've been hearing about how you all have been taking a more productive route outside your village's walls. Helping the general public and maintaining crime, as I recall."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Wasn't delivered to us on a silver platter. Heck, it was dropped on us without warning. We weren't given much choice about doing it or not…"

Charlie smiled. "But it turned out alright with satisfying results, so what's to complain about?"

Eddie laughed in amusement. "Sounds rough, but at least you kids have it easy. Cherish that for all it's worth."

Charlie grinned. "Hey, there's no reason that paradise can't be extended out to you. We don't push away Fusions from joining the village. Maybe you three could come to Kanto and stay at Gappei Village."

The flame kicker held his hips and shook his head. "It's a tempting offer, but not one I can accept. Sorry, but the kid and I are pretty busy out here in Sinnoh."

Dez shrugged. "Your loss."

Emily turned away with a small smile. "I think we should get going. Marion's probably got more chores for us to do." She gave a small wave to the two. "Sorry for distracting you from work."

"No apologies needed," Eddie replied as he picked up his watering can. "You three take it easy."

"Will do!" They waved off to Eddie and Vivi, then headed straight back for the house.

Eddie snatched up the second watering can and handed it off to Vivi, who watched the Fusions retreat back into the house. "Back to work, kid. We can't waste any more time."

"…right." Vivi, for once being quiet, headed over to her section of trees and began watering.

* * *

After getting their chores done and filling up on dinner, night had already set in. Vivi and Eddie slept outside in the backyard, which they didn't mind since that's what they've been doing lately. Bartleby was on his back, mindful of his surroundings as usual, while the two Fusions slept on his chest.

Eddie, who had his hands behind his head, stared up at the sky for a long while before glancing up at the wooden golem. "You know, for a wooden golem, you're surprisingly comfortable to sleep on." He got a groan in response, which Eddie interpreted as appreciative. "Um…you're welcome…" They stared up at the starry sky with drowsy eyes. "It's been a while since I've seen stars this clear out."

Vivi's bulbous eyes reflected hundreds of stars as she stared with uncharacteristic silence. She nodded her head in agreement and offered a small, "Yeah…"

Eddie glanced at her suspiciously. "Are you doing alright, kid?"

"I'm…fine."

Eddie blinked, then looked back at the sky. "You've been pretty quiet all day. That's not like you." He narrowed his eyes. "Anyone like you who stays silent must have a lot on their mind. Am I wrong?"

"…no, you're not." Vivi shifted onto her side and hugged herself.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" Eddie asked. "It's just us out here. No reason to feel afraid or ashamed of anything."

Vivi's orange pupils narrowed slightly. She didn't respond for a solid minute, leading Eddie to believe she didn't want to talk. He just shrugged it off and closed his eyes, awaiting sleep to overtake him.

"…Gappei Village…"

Eddie opened his eyes and glanced at her. "Hmm? What about it?" Though, Vivi didn't need to answer once Eddie recalled one of their previous conversation. "Oh yeah, you told me before how you planned on going to Gappei Village. Never did because you've been traveling place to place over this…conspiracy shit."

Vivi smiled weakly. "Heh…it's funny how plans can change so suddenly. Even I never expected it." She rolled onto her stomach and rested her head in her folded arms. "I heard some many wonderful things about Gappei Village. The very place I knew I would be accepted." She looked down. "Kind of wish I knew what I was missing out on. I had big dreams to go there. Paradise…fun…adventure…a chance at love…"

Eddie glanced at her. "Love?"

She chuckled dryly. "Just because I act like a child doesn't mean I'm not interested in finding a boyfriend. Though, I suppose I don't meet a lot of guys interested in me, since I've lived around Pokémon who despised me…"

Eddie blinked, then stared up at the sky once more. "No one's forcing you into this conspiracy shit. You don't have to do it."

"Someone has to," Vivi responded with a sigh. "No one may know about the device now, but rediscovering it could bring about cataclysms if the wrong people got hold of it. I'm trying to prevent a future like that from happening." She narrowed her eyes sadly. "Even so, it would be nice to…have something like Gappei has."

"And what's that?" Eddie asked.

"…a real family."

Eddie looked back at her with some surprise in his eyes. He could see the longing look reflecting off her bulbous eyes. "Kid…"

Vivi breathed steadily as she stared off into space. "An entire village where everyone is one big, happy family. A place of acceptance…somewhere that I can feel wanted. Feel loved. Feel respected." She sighed. "Anything's better than what I got…"

Knowing she was referring to her actual blood family, Eddie visibly scowled in annoyance. "Don't give them any thought, kid. Those jackasses aren't worth remembering…they're all in the past."

The younger Fusion narrowed her eyes softly and looked down at the wooden surface of Bartleby's chest. "…do you think they…regret what they've done? That they…miss me in some way?" A bitter chill ran up her back. "Or…was I really that pointless in their lives?"

She froze as a comforting hand landed on her head and gave a firm pat. The hand was warm and soothing. She looked up and met with Eddie's sympathetic eyes. "…Vivi…people can change with time. Some regret their actions, some feel discomfort for them, some revel in their actions…and there are those that feel nothing. What's important…is that you be better than what they were to you. If you ever have a family of your own in the future…raise them right. I don't believe in a pointless existence. I believe in wasted potential, though, when someone gives up on themselves." He narrowed his eyes. "…that's how I've lived the last few years of my life, giving up on myself as a Fusion."

Vivi blinked in awe. "Eddie…"

He gave her head a few more pats before laying back down. "You're a bright kid, Vivi. Never forget that." He rested on his side. "If you want to learn more about what Gappei Village is like, just ask. You'll get some closure."

"You…really think so?"

"Yeah, sure…maybe if…no, _when_ we find and destroy that stupid doomsday device, you'll be able to live out your dream there. Like I said, though, don't let this mission stop you from living out your dreams. You're still young. Treasure that."

"…I think I'm gonna started heading to bed," Vivi said as she wrapped herself in her cloak.

"That's probably for the best." Eddie yawned before finishing off with, "Goodnight, kid."

"Goodnight Eddie…goodnight Bartleby." The wooden golem groaned his reply. Vivi stared down at herself contemplatively, then closed her eyes with a tiny smile on her face.

* * *

"Fusion…Arsenals?"

A day after coming back from his meeting with Cragtail, Julian was informed that one of the Fusions from Gappei needed to speak with him. Currently, he was in his office with Quinn standing before him sternly. The Charmeleon-Darkrai got through explaining the deal with the black market and the secret tunnels made underground, topping it off with the Rogues and their connection to the powerful set of weapons.

Quinn nodded. "Yes, sir. That's what they're referred to as. Powerful weapons. They gave my friends and me a tough time. We made sure to have them confiscated and safely kept with the police. I'm sure you would like to look at them."

Julian pressed his cheek against his knuckles and narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "How could the Rogues have access to powerful technology like that?"

"We have reason to believe the Unovian labs have something to do with it," Quinn replied. "After all, their sudden crime sprees started up days after your trip there."

"I suppose that makes sense…" Julian closed his eyes. "I'll make sure to look into these weapons myself. And what of the black market's location?"

"We haven't been able to get it out of the three crooks we apprehended. All we know is that the market is stationed somewhere in a deserted area outside of Grandis City. Almost like a desert."

The Machamp's knuckles whitened, subtle enough that Quinn didn't notice. "Abandoned outskirts…you say?"

Quinn nodded once more. "Yes…you wouldn't happen to know anything about them, do you?"

"…no…can't say I do." Julian shook his head. "I'll speak with the police chief and discuss how we should go about handling the black market. A full scale search and we'll pick up on their exact location. You can go now. Give your council my regards."

Quinn bowed. "Certainly. You have a good day, Mr. Roteman." Quinn turned and exited the Machamp's office.

Julian put up a friendly smile as he left, but, once he was in private again, his mood soured into a frown. _They're using the unpopulated outskirts…a stretch of land that holds too many horrible memories from the past._ All four hands pressed down on the desk. _The bloodshed created there…when peace was crippling from the tension…no wonder we didn't find out about this sooner. Not a lot of people even know about those outskirts for a reason._

Julian glanced over at his phone, sitting temptingly in his view. He glared at it. _The Rogues are going to repeat a dark history if those weapons get into the hands of too many criminals, but there's no way a police squadron would be enough._ He clenched his eyes shut and growled uncomfortably. _I…have no choice. I can't believe I'm doing this._

Before he changed his mind, he picked the phone up and dialed in the appropriate number before placing the device against his ear. He waited in unnerving silence, save for the phone's ringing. Finally, it picked up and a familiar voice answered.

"Julian, my friend! Calling already?! What a surprise! Whatcha' need?"

Julian stayed silent for a moment, collecting his thoughts and rationalizing his decision. "Cragtail…if you really do have the means to bend my laws…then I found suitable targets for the Enhancer Serum." Julian could feel the unsettling, excited smirk that appeared on the Golem's face. He didn't need to say anything else, other than:

"Who…and where?"


	36. Overpowered

Night was setting in the abandoned outskirts that hid the infamous black market. Word hadn't immediately gone around the authorities were aware of the market's possible location, though rumors were spreading after the apparent battle that took place quite recently. The destruction near the main entrance made that evident. Even so, no one was worried as they could easily change locations should they get caught. They've been hiding for this long, after all.

Two Pokémon had just left the market briefly before shops closed up, a Rampardos and a Tyranitar. They headed towards the tunnel entrance with smug, proud smirks adorning their faces.

"Hehehe, I hate to admit it, but those Rogues aren't so bad!" the Rampardos laughed. "Scummy Fusions or not, they know how to make a deal!" He sighed in disappointment. "A shame I couldn't afford any of their weapons. Looks like I need to make a few…'withdraws.'"

Tyranitar snickered. "I know what you mean. I have my eye on some of their guns. They look pretty sick. Could tear down a whole building if I wanted to."

Rampardos clenched his fist and raised it as high as he could. "I say we head out in the afternoon tomorrow for a drink! Crime just got a whole lot easier!"

"Well said!"

They laughed all the way to the tunnel door. Rampardos reached out to open it, but stopped when he saw the door swinging open on its own. They stepped back and watched curiously as, in actuality, a figure stepped out from behind the entrance.

A Poliwrath with a stoic look in his eyes, keenly observing the outskirts. The two dinosaur like Pokémon don't believe they've seen this particular Poliwrath around in the market. What drew their attention was the bandages on each of his upper arms. Possibly because of swollen spots on the arm, but it was hard to determine.

Before they could ask him anything, specifically to get out of the way so they could leave, the Poliwrath directed his gaze to them and beat them to the punch. "You two…where is the black market?"

"Huh?" the Tyranitar grumbled lightly. He bent down and huffed through his nostrils. "Who the hell are you? If you're looking for the market, you should have been notified through the criminal underground. That's not info you want flying around publicly."

Rampardos crossed his arms. "Besides, market's closing up. Tough luck."

Poliwrath narrowed his eyes. "How disappointing, but I'm not here to purchase weapons. I'm not new to the criminal world, but I'm not after gain in power. I'm looking for the Rogues, to eliminate their production line."

"Huh?!" the dinosaurs gasped in surprise.

Rampardos snarled at the frog creature. "Buddy, you're putting yourself on thin ice here." He poked his chest forcibly. "Those weapons are a miracle sent down to us. Who are you supposed to be, a cop?"

The Poliwrath crossed his arms. "Hired help, more so. My only concern is eliminating your suppliers." He shoved them out of the way and started walking. "Try and stop me if you want, but it might be difficult with your skulls split open."

Tyranitar growled and took on an aggressive stature. "Say that again, bastard!"

Rampardos dragged his foot back repeatedly as he prepared to charge. "I'll smear this creep into paste." He let out a ferocious roar and stampeded for the frog creature while his back was turned. "Head Smash!" His body erupted in a blazing blue energy.

Poliwrath stopped and calmly looked through his peripherals. He extended his arm out to the side and clenched his fist. A red tinge of color brightened under the skin, emitting a light steam from the heat. His muscles tensed up, demonstrating control of his strength.

With a quick turn of his heel, Poliwrath's palm faced the charging Head Butt Pokémon and gripped down on his skull, forcing the immediate stop of his Head Smash and momentum. The force sank his feet a bit into the ground, but the shock through his body didn't faze him.

Rampardos was choked with shock. "H-How-?!"

"I did warn you." With only the movement of his arm, he flung the Rampardos into the unfinished bridge structure with tremendous force, sending cracks up the leg.

Tyranitar stumbled back and gaped in horror as his friend slid to the ground and fell unconscious, bleeding from the head. "What the hell?! What are you?!"

He felt a hand suddenly grip his own head before shoving him face first into the ground. He tried to push back, but the hand had a tight hold on him and was giving more than he could exceed. The hand pressed down hard on his skull, threatening to break under the pressure.

"I demand answers this time." Tyranitar looked up in fear at the Poliwrath, who remained completely stoic with a darkness in his eyes. "Where is the black market…and the Rogues?"

* * *

After closing up shop for the night, the Rogues took to celebrating another fine day of selling their Fusion Arsenals. They tapped glasses of soda and berry juice together before taking a commemorative sip, though Norris chose to stay out of the festivities and stand off to the side with his shoulder supporting him against a wall, crossed arms, and a stern glare in his eyes.

Eli laughed and waved his glass. "My friends, we are living on easy street! We're the big-time hotshots now!"

Zoey smirked as she leaned against their weapon cases, her glass hanging near her lips. "We almost sold out yesterday. We've got some promising buyers on our hands."

Sunny danced on her friend's head, holding a glass equal to her height. "Goodbye starving nights, hello buffet night!" She downed her Oran berry juice.

Sullivan sat above them on the crates, resting his head and left arm over his massive claw. "I'll be honest, Eli, I was pretty skeptical about weapon dealing, but you proved me wrong."

Mikayla nodded, sitting on top of the stand's counter. "You really came through for us when we needed it."

Eli tipped his hat crest over his eyes and smirked. "You all are too kind."

Norris grumbled in annoyance as he listened to them, rolling his eyes at the praise. "Yeah…just great…"

Eli let go of his crest and looked at his leader. "What's got you all mopey, boss? Aren't you happy we're finally getting somewhere with our group?"

Norris closed his eyes and quietly snarled through his teeth. "I've never been happy…not for a long time…" He dragged his claws against the wall. "I wanted to be something…something the public could fear, but…I never imagined this…"

Gordon, who was laying on the ground next to the counter, narrowed his eyes tiredly. "What? Becoming weapon dealers?"

Braith landed on the railgun zebra's head and laughed. "Get over yourself, boss! What are you talking about?! You live to be feared! Seeing all those smiling faces _**turn upside down with bloodcurdling screams of agony**_!" she growled maliciously before finishing with her cheery, "Yep, yep, yep!"

Norris covered his face. "…guess I'm not used to being lucky…should I be happy? Or am I doomed to be miserable for the rest of my life? Always angry? Never satisfied?"

Eli patted his shoulder. "That's just your nerves talking. You said you wanted us to grow as a gang."

"I want people to suffer for my torment…" he grumbled. "For all the horrible things they've done to me…"

With the main part of the Rogues was Augustus, the Minccino-Cofagrigus who wanted to tag along out of interest. He looked at his boss with sadness shimmering in his eyes. The young Fusion looked up to Norris, so it pained him to see his superior so distressed.

"Why…should I be satisfied with getting the best life ever…when I still feel like crap?" Norris clenched his fingers down on the wall, cracking it with his restrained strength. "I don't know what I want anymore…I just have all this hate in my heart…"

Sullivan narrowed his eyes. "Boss, come on…"

"And what kind of leader am I for not solving our food shortage sooner?" he growled at himself. "I'm the leader of the Rogues, yet I suck as one."

Eli crossed his arms. "Don't beat yourself up over it. This wasn't an easy task for any one of us. We got off lucky."

Norris glared at him. "Yeah…coming from the guy born to be lucky…"

Mikayla stepped up to him and gently wrapped her arms around him to soothe his tension. "Don't be like that. Why can't you be happy for once? I understand you've been through too much stress in your life, but you can't ignore the good parts of life."

The Golduck-Electrode snarled. "Then why do I still feel like crap?! Nothing ever goes my way! For all I know, this is just another shitty disappointment waiting to rear its ugly head at me!" He shoved Mikayla off, unintentionally knocking her over, but he didn't care. He pinched between his eyes and growled. "Damn headaches…" He started walking away, grumbling under his breath before announcing, "I need a moment alone…"

The Rogues kept quiet for a while moments after the mad duck marched off. Mikayla picked herself up and brushed some dirt off. She didn't take offense to the crude shove, but she did worry for Norris with how stressed he could get over the most minor things.

Augustus stared off where Norris left, ears drooped against the sides of his head. "…Mr. Norris is angry again."

Mikayla sighed. "I'm worried about him, too, buddy." She lightly patted his helmeted head.

Zoey swirled her drink around in glass, giving a long, hard look at the path Norris left on. "I keep hearing about the shit Norris went through as a kid. Physical abuse…punishments that drove him mad…" She grimaced. "And I thought living on the streets was bad. At least I could run away from my problems…like I always have. But him?"

Sunny frowned. "He looks so sad! Should we talk to him? I could give him a hug to make him all better!"

Eli held his hand up. "Don't…at all. When he gets this huffy, friend or foe becomes a blurred line for him, more so than usual. The dude just has a lot of hate welled up in his heart. So much anger clouds his mind, he doesn't know what he truly wants to be anymore. Feared, powerful, happy, relieved…it always comes back to anger."

Mikayla sighed. "Makes me almost feel sorry of the poor soul who's with him on the date he wants to vent all that frustration out. Like a living time bomb." She sat down and rubbed her head. "I just wished he could finally be at peace with himself."

Zoey narrowed her eyes at the two, then finished off her drink before sitting off to the side and resting her chin in her hands. "I have to wonder…" Eli and Mikayla faced her curiously. "You keep mentioning how Norris doesn't fit the qualities of being a leader. All of us can see that. But, I have to wonder…why do you follow him?"

Eli blinked with an inquisitive shine in his eyes. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "I'm just following orders like everyone else. However, he's…too destructive to properly lead."

Gordon lifted his head. "Actually, she makes a valid point. There's no denying his remarkable talent for combat, but he doesn't strike me as…" He paused for a moment to yawn. "…the leader type." He narrowed his eyes. "I know he started the Rogues, but…is that enough qualification to give him his title?"

Zoey closed her eyes. "Lest we forget he has little regard to collateral damage, especially with his own team. He blasted me and Sullivan with his Discharge when we were off collecting parts." She focused on Eli and Mikayla. "So, why keep insisting he's the leader if you feel he's not fit to be one?" The two looked at each other with some unease. "I'm not being hostile. It's an honest, genuine question, one that needs to be addressed."

Eli narrowed his eyes at the Rogues, now having their attention focused on him and Mikayla. He sighed, then turned his back to them as he held his hips. "Listen…some things are better left unexplained, they say…but, in our case, some things can't be explained at all." He closed his eyes. "Believe it or not, even I don't have the answers."

"What do you mean?" Sunny asked.

"Norris as a leader is probably one of the stupidest decisions any thinking creature could possibly make and, to some degree, that might be true." He glanced to the side wearily. "However, with Norris, there's…this feeling you get when around him. It's hard to explain, but…he has this drive to go the extra mile. He's effective in battle, but it's his ambition that shines through the brightest."

Braith shot him a deadpan stare. "You don't have a clear, concise answer, do you?"

Mikayla held his hip and shook her head. "Like Eli said, it's not so simple. It's a quality about Norris that can't be rationally explained, but…there's this spark you feel when he's set into motion." She looked down. "I don't think any of us have a real answer for following a self-destructive hothead, but…what he lacks in adequate leadership qualities, he makes up for with…unwavering determination." She looked straight at Zoey. "Does that answer your question?"

She narrowed her eyes, then sighed. "Not really, but…it's the best answer I'm going to get, I suppose."

Eli waved off the somber air and walked towards the weapon crates. "This is a discussion best saved for another time. Let's get these stored and locked away for the morning. We've got another day of selling to get through." He rubbed his hands together, smirking deviously. "Cyrox promised the new designs tomorrow. They should sell like hotcakes."

The crew got to work carrying the crates off to their personal safe locker. Augustus watched the older Rogues carry the items back and forth before turning his gaze back onto the empty path Norris left on. His ears flopped against the sides of his head again with clear sadness.

He felt a gentle pat on his head and looked up to Mikayla. "He'll be fine. He just needs to clear his head."

Augustus blinked at her, then continued looking forward. "…I don't like seeing Mr. Norris angry. He makes him look unhappy. Like he's hurting himself."

Mikayla sighed. "I'm with you on that one." She rubbed his head. "Don't let it bug you too much. He's thick-skinned, but hard to put down. That's why you admire him so much, right?"

Augustus smiled a bit. "Yeah…"

Mikayla lightly tugged on his arm. "Come on, you can help with some of the small crates."

"Okay…" He followed her to the weapon piles.

Eli gathered some of the cases into a pile when he felt a new presence making its way over to them. He turned to the new face curiously, then smirked upon meeting the eyes of a Poliwrath. "Yo, a little late to be hanging back, don't you think? If you're looking for something to purchase, we're closed. You can try again tomorrow if you want."

The Poliwrath, however, wasn't focused on the weapon casings being packed away. Instead, his eyes shifted between each individual Fusion in front of him. "…you're the Rogues, yes?"

Eli chuckled. "Stupidly obvious question, but we are."

Poliwrath examined his surroundings thoroughly. "I would have never guessed for a black market to be hidden underground in abandoned outskirts."

Sullivan dropped a case and walked over. "Is this guy causing trouble?"

Eli raised his hand to stop him before going on, "You say that like this is your first time here." He leaned forward and held his chin. "You certainly don't have a face I would remember." He tapped his chin. "You don't look too keen on buying our supplies, though." He looked around. "Quite a coincidence you would happen upon us for the first time…after hours."

Poliwrath narrowed his eyes. "What are you implying?"

"I don't know…what do _you_ want?" Eli asked with a sly grin.

Poliwrath sighed and crossed his arms. "Eli, the dark poisoner of the Rogues. You're as perceptive as they say." He shrugged. "There's no need for me to tiptoe around the subject, so I'll just get to the point." He pointed at the group. "I'm here to put an end to you."

Eli smirked. "Us, huh? Not our business?"

Zoey joined him at the stand with a serious glare. "What are you, a cop?"

"Or a Fusion Hunter?" Braith suggested, hanging upside-down by the stand's awning.

"Neither." Poliwrath cracked his knuckles. "I was hired, no questions asked, to come here and dispose of you creeps. I have no particular side when it comes to the justice system, but I can't refuse high paying profits if killing you troublemakers is my only task."

"Ah, the infamous 'K' word," Eli muttered playfully. "That's real cute, you know." He pressed his hands down on the counter and leaned forward. "Listen, pal, I'm not sure if you're nearsighted or stupid, but you're not only outnumbered, but outmatched. If you're not a Fusion Hunter, then you're just some hired mercenary writing his own death sentence. One Pokémon against seven Fusions, excluding the kid and our boss who stepped out for a moment. And don't get me started on the firepower sitting behind us." He waved the Poliwrath off. "Now, run along and let the adults continue with their business."

Poliwrath sighed. "I was also informed of your condescending nature. Perhaps I should rephrase myself: I'm here to kill off the Rogues, so don't make this any more difficult than it _will_ be."

Eli narrowed his eyes. _He's serious._ He snapped his fingers, gesturing the Rogues to take cautious stances against their possible enemy. "You want to try that again, friend?"

Mikayla glared. "You're messing with the wrong batch of criminals, bub. Leave while you still have legs to stand on."

Poliwrath glared back. "You freaks just don't know when you're beat, do you?" He tightened his fist. His arm glowed in a red tinge of heat.

Sullivan finally had enough of his attitude and lunged forward with Aqua Jet. "Screw you, asshole! Go to Hell!"

Eli smirked inwardly. _What an idiot. What could be possibly do against all of us?_

Poliwrath focused on the approaching boiler Fusion, then threw his hand out and caught the Heatmor-Clawitzer by the pincer. Sullivan gasped as his Aqua Jet absorbed into the muscular tadpole's body. "So, you have Water Absorb? Whatever! I still have other ways to-!" He tried to open his pincer, but the Poliwrath forced it shut, still holding on tightly to him. "Argh…I can't…open my…!"

"My turn." Sullivan's face instantly twisted with pain as the muscular tadpole struck him in the gut. The kinetic force sent him flying through the stand and barreling through rock and buildings that shook the air. The Poliwrath's fist steamed from the heat building inside his arms. "And what did you plan of doing again?"

The Rogues, thrown through a loop, stood paralyzed in shock and, as much as they didn't want to admit it, fear. They knew immediately that wasn't any normal punch they witnessed, nor was it a battle move.

"What…What the hell?" Eli breathed in disbelief.

Poliwrath flexed his fingers and stared at them with his stoic glare. "That's the thing with you Fusions. Always so cocky with your power that you can't see when defeat is in your future."

"Sullivan!" Mikayla ran to the injured Fusion and helped him sit up. He grimaced and reached for his stomach, but retracted his hand and snarled in pain. "R-Relax! You're going to be fine!"

Sullivan barely had an eye open as he glared at the mercenary. "That…guy…that wasn't a normal punch…he's…he's…" Blood dripped from his mouth. "He's too strong…"

Mikayla was silently panicking before snapping her head at Eli. "We need to get out of here, now!"

Poliwrath leapt over the table and pulled his fist back. "I won't allow any of you to leave alive!"

Eli glared at their assassin and put up a protective stance. "Foul Play!" He redirected the flow of the punch and threw the Poliwrath into the crumbling building. The dark poisoner pointed intensely at Augustus, making him jump in fright. "Get Norris! Now!"

Augustus was shivering through his feet, but he swallowed his nerves and nodded hesitantly. "Y-Yes sir!" He spun around and bolted off as fast as he could.

The Rogues turned back to the mercenary, but gasped as he dashed past them and went straight after Augustus. While he didn't seem to have any speed that matched his absurd strength, he was much faster on foot than the young Rogue. "And just where do you think you're going?!" Augustus looked over his shoulder and screamed.

A hand suddenly grabbed the mercenary by the wrist, pulled him off his feet, and slammed him down on his back with a sharp drop. He was stunned for only a moment before looking up in time to see a Minccino tail disappeared around a corner. His eyes moved up and glared at his assailant: Zoey.

The locksmith thief sneered down on him. "I'm willing to admit I'm pretty cold, but attacking children?" She bared her teeth. "Not happening." She flipped back from a straight up punch, putting a couple meters distance between them.

Poliwrath picked himself back up and stretched out his arms. "Very well. Perhaps bringing your fool of a leader would be beneficial." He turned around, poured power through his arms, then sharply clapped ahead of himself.

The Rogues were thrown back by a powerful shockwave that tore up the street and other buildings. The underground market rumbled from the bouncing of sound and shockwaves. Rock rained from the ceiling. They caught themselves and hid behind some of the destroyed debris.

Eli sneered from behind their cover. "It'll take a while before Augustus returns with Norris. We can't risk direct conflict. Everyone, suppress him!" He leapt out of cover and formed toxic sludge in his palms. "Toxic Bane!" He threw the sludge at the mercenary.

Poliwrath glared at it, pulled his palm back, and threw a straight palm strike that blew the Toxic Bane apart with a sharp gust. He lowered his arm and sauntered towards them as the sludge harmlessly dropped around him. Eli aimed his claws and rapidly fired Venoshock. Poliwrath tore out a chunk of ground and blocked the poison shots with it.

Eli glared. _I feel the power coursing through him, but it's…just not normal. Nothing like a Fusion or Pokémon. Certainly not something a normal Poliwrath is capable of doing. What the hell is he?_

Poliwrath tore out two more chunks of rock. "Do you wish to die like cowards?" He threw the rock with incredible force with a cone of air shaped around them.

Sunny quickly zipped out of hiding and molded together some of her Pollen Puffs before tossing them into the rock. She took cover as the puffs exploded the rock, sending dangerous, flying pebbles scattering. "W-We're not cowards!"

"The fairy's right! Yep, yep, yep!" Poliwrath glared up, spotting Braith as she jumped along the market buildings with a cheery skip in her mood. "Besides, you look like fun! Fun to beat into a _**BLOODY PULP**_!" She spun in the air, wrapped in a light blue aura. "Acrobatics!" She swung her foot down and threw herself at him.

Poliwrath jumped back and went for a palm strike, but the slippery monkey swung around his arm and pounded his skull with Double Hit. Poliwrath pulled back on his finger and flicked compressed air against the chameleon monkey's chin. Braith crashed into another stand face first.

"Ugh…" She screamed again and dodged another air flick before angrily shaking her fist. "No fair, no fair, no fair! I call hacks!" She dodged two more air flicks that pierced the stand like bullets.

"Save your childish ranting for hell, freak!" Poliwrath threatened as he took aim once more.

Gordon's eyes sharpened as he entered his serious state, extending out his mandibles. "Charge Beam!" Electricity coursed between the mandibles, then fired a straight, fast electrical beam into the tadpole's exposed back. "Got him!" he neighed, blowing steam from his nostrils in excitement.

Poliwrat shot a glare at him and growled. "Wait your turn, freak." He slapped his hand across the ground, triggering a land tidal wave rising up to sink them.

Mikayla ran into action. "Ice Beam!" The icy energy beams blasted against the land wave and encased it in ice. The frozen rock loomed over them dangerously. She sighed in relief. "That was too close."

Poliwrath reached out and grabbed the jumping monkey by the face. "Hey, hey, hey!" Braith cried out angrily, but immediately went silent as the mercenary aimed his pulled back finger for her face.

Poliwrath glared. "Say goodnight."

"Let go of her!" Pollen Puffs rained down on his back and exploded. Poliwrath growled in pain and released Braith, who made a hasty escape. The mercenary spun around and flicked air bullets at the buzzing cotton fairy. "Giga Drain!" Sunny fired the energy sapping beams from her hands and into the tadpole.

Poliwrath raised his hands over his head. "Enough!" He clapped and sent out a shockwave that stunned Sunny midflight. Her eyes widened in horror as the mercenary pulled his fist back and threw it right for her tiny form.

"Sunny!" The fairy was suddenly pushed out of the way by her best friend, who unfortunately took the direct hit of the punch to her stomach. Zoey spat out blood, then went skipping across the ground and crashed into their rock cover.

"ZOEY!" Sunny cried out.

Mikayla tended to Zoey immediately. "Are you okay?"

Zoey spat out more blood that dripped over her cheek. She glared at the frosty Fusion. "This…is why I stay out of direct fight…GAH!" She scrunched up as her injury flared. Her face twisted with pain. "AGH, it hurts, it's HURTS! ARGH! GAAAH!"

Eli quickly jabbed her with his Acupressure, though specifically to neutralize her pain receptors temporarily. He glared at their opponent. "His strength is unreal…that wasn't acquired from normal training…maybe not any training." He glared at the Poliwrath's steaming arms. "What the hell is up with his arms? Why are they heating up like that?"

Mikayla gulped worriedly. "Please tell me you see us getting out of this safely…"

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth irritably. It pained him to even say this, but, "There's no way we can beat him like this. We're too weak."

Gordon took offense to that and stomped his hooves down. "Oh, is that so?! Then I'll give this jackass a beating he'll forget!"

"Don't you mean 'never forget?!'" Mikayla exclaimed.

"Not when he has a concussion!" Gordon neighed and charged into battle.

"Idiots!" Eli shouted before biting back his tone. He gripped his face and forced his scattered mind to compose itself. "Keep it together, Eli…" He glared at the mercenary as Braith, an enraged Sunny, and Gordon fought back as best they could. "One normal punch is enough to take us out for the count. We can't risk any heavy hitters."

"So, you're suggesting an escape?" Mikayla guessed.

"Do you have any better options?"

"…" Mikayla glared at the mercenary and sneered. "His strength is the only worrying factor. I'll slow him down as much as possible while the rest of you make a bolt for the exit."

Eli helped Zoey up. "Don't get yourself killed." Zoey glanced weakly to her side and noticed a separate weapon case lying nearby. She glared at it, then reached up to her key-earring and plucked off the Secret Storage key.

Mikayla called out to the three Rogues fighting. "Keep pushing back! Give me an opening!" She broke into a sprint and ran towards them.

Gordon snorted and roared fiercely. "You heard the lady! Give it everything you got! Flame Charge!" Coated in the energizing flames, he rammed his head into the tadpole's spiral stomach and pushed him back.

Poliwrath glared, dug his feet into the ground, and gripped the zebra's head tightly. "A Flame Charge?" He lifted him up, preparing to bash his body down like a ragdoll.

"Braith, now!" Gordon shouted.

"Camouflage!" Braith grabbed Sunny and turned her back to Gordon. She turned light orange, matching the ground floor.

"Discharge!" Gordon fired off the wild electrical attack, directly hitting Poliwrath with all he had.

Poliwrath grunted in pain before tossing the railgun zebra away. Gordon landed on his hooves, then charged into him with Flame Charge, much faster than before. Poliwrath brought his hands together and readied to slam them down on the zebra's skull, but Braith flew in from behind and attacked him with Double Hit.

"Nope, nope, nope!" Braith shouted.

Gordon turned around and bucked Poliwrath into the stomach before blasting him with Charge Beam. "We will not fall by your hands!"

Sunny slammed down a Moonblast on Poliwrath, seething through her teeth. "We're not scared of you!"

Fed up with their constant attacking, Poliwrath slammed his hand down and shot up rock from the ground, staggering the Rogues so he could palm strike them out of his sight. They screamed, soaring through the air, and crashed into the stands. Poliwrath cracked his knuckles, then pulled out another large chunk of earth, this one around the size of a Wailmer. With a hefty roar, he chucked it at the fallen group.

They covered themselves in anticipation, but were saved by Eli, who cleaved the rock down the middle with Night Slash. He reared his head up and shouted, "Mikayla, NOW!"

Poliwrath immediately settled his stare back in front of him just before Mikayla fired a point blank Moonblast. He caught the attack between his hands and suppressed the energy before crumpling it into sparkles.

Mikayla inhaled sharply, then shouted, "Winter Storm!" She puffed her cheeks out and, as hard as she could, expelled the icy mist from her straw appendage like smoke from a train funnel. The mist wrapped around the two in a wide area, obscuring them from the other Rogues.

Eli narrowed his eyes, then pointed to Gordon and Braith. "Get Sullivan and move it!" He helped Zoey up once again and carried her on his back before running, with Sunny flying by his side. Braith helped get Sullivan on Gordon's back, then jumped onto the zebra's head as he galloped after Eli.

With Poliwrath, who panted slightly from the excitement, he glared around in the icy mist curiously. "What is this?" He looked down at himself and saw ice forming around his body and legs. Ice tried to coat around his arms, but the heat they gave off allowed it to melt. He glared at a barely visible Mikayla. "Is this your plan…or a last-ditch effort?"

Mikayla narrowed her eyes cautiously. _I can't guarantee this will stop him for good. I just need to hold him off until he's completely frozen._

However, due to the desperate planning they put into escaping, Mikayla overlooked a minor detail about her opponent. Poliwrath raised his hand up and cupped it. "Have you forgotten how strong I am?"

Mikayla's eyes widened in shock, then she turned and bolted after her friends just before the mercenary swiped the air and sent out a powerful gust of wind that nearly tripped her over her own feet. She felt her Winter Storm blowing away with it. _No!_

Poliwrath glared and started chasing after her, but he winced at the stiffness in his legs. His arms may have been spared, but his legs weren't so lucky. They were coated in ice. "Damn…that's going to be a problem…"

Confident that she slowed him down, Mikayla increased her pace and dashed for the Rogues, barely managing to catch up to them before slowing and matching their speed. "I…I slowed him down!" she wheezed.

"Good!" Eli shouted before glaring seriously. "Just what the hell was that guy?! How can a Poliwrath possess that much strength?!"

"Seriously, that dude was intense!" Gordon shouted. "One direct punch and we could have been KO'd!"

Braith smirked. "Hehe! At least he can't chase after us!"

Back with Poliwrath, he watched as their fleeing forms slowly escaped from sight. He narrowed his eyes calmly. _I was hired to eliminate you troublesome pests._ He raised his fist. _No morals, no redeeming qualities. In the end, you're still criminals._ He pulled his arm back. _Hypocritical of me to say, but I'm not the one planting a target on my back. You freaks had this coming from a long time._

His fist glowed red, this time with energy pouring into it. "…Dynamic Punch."

The Rogues refused to look back, only caring about finding the exit. However, they became overwhelmed with fearful curiosity as they heard the sudden sound of rushing wind growing increasingly louder behind them. Eli grimaced. "Don't tell me…Braith?"

The chameleon monkey hesitantly turned around, then paled in horror. "…we're going to die."

The Rogues screamed out in pain as a violent shockwave blasted into them, ripping apart the very market with its wrathful force and firing rock and debris that scratched or even pierced through their skin. They felt their bones rattling and aching from the stress, their internal organs tingling from the frenzy.

Through the high-speed impact, they crashed onto the ground, the impact flaring their injuries to uncomfortable levels. Their two injured comrades, Sullivan and Zoey, screamed out the worse as their tender injuries ache at unfathomable degrees. The stress on Zoey caused her Secret Storage to open up and eject the weapon case she snagged earlier.

"Zoey!" Sunny tended to her side, as she was the least impacted by the fall. Tears streamed down her eyes. The nasty bruise over her front was too much to see. "N-No…" She quickly started making healing Pollen Puffs, tossing a couple over to Mikayla before feeding some into Zoey.

Mikayla, who immediately went to Sullivan after landing, grabbed the Pollen Puffs and fed them to Sullivan. "Stay with me, Sully! You're going to be alright!"

"We're not…" Mikayla gasped, then looked at a despondent Eli as he stared down the path, eyeing their assassin with hidden panic. He pushed himself onto his knees and panted lightly. "We can't escape…we can't fight back…he's too strong…"

Mikayla's eyes shimmered with sorrow and stared down their approaching killer. "No…"

The foot of the tadpole stomped the ground firmly. His arm ached from using Dymanic Punch, throbbing from the overexertion. _He warned me about using moves with this stuff. At least it paid off._ Poliwrath loosen the stiffness in his arms, then cracked his knuckles once again.

"Didn't I tell you?" he asked with a murderous glint in his eyes. "None of you…are leaving here alive."

The criminal Fusions were stunned. They couldn't find the will to move. The Gappei Fusions were one thing, but…this guy had overwhelming strength they couldn't possibly match or endure. Braith's lips twitched up into an uneasy grin. "Heh…it was nice knowing you guys, I guess…"

"Y-Yeah…" Zoey muttered quietly. "Can't…r-run away this t-time…"

Eli clenched his fists angrily, seething through his teeth with vile hatred for the Poliwrath. _Move! Move, you damn idiot! Stop being scared! He's nothing! You never had to rely on strength to win! You never backed down in the face of fear! Just move!_ But he couldn't. He didn't have the drive to fight this man. All he could do was protect his…his friends.

Eli stood in the way of the Poliwrath and spread his arms out. "That's far enough! I won't let you hurt them any further!"

Poliwrath glared, then broke into a sprint straight for them. "Don't worry, you won't feel a thing after this last punch!" He charged up Dynamic Punch and leaped into the air, planning to end them in one final attack.

The Rogues stared up at him, anticipating with dread the incoming punch. Eli was the only standing, trying to keep some resolve alive in the Rogues. His claws glowed weakly with Poison Jab. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't risk getting himself hurt. He had to protect them, no matter what. That's what a leader would do…right? What would Norris do?

"…hey…asshole."

Speak of the devil.

Poliwrath glared to his left, then received a brutal, unrestrained punch to the side of his skull. It felt like his skull crumpled under the force for a moment. To only add to the brutal impact, the fist exploded and used the propulsive force to fire the tadpole through the ground like a meteor.

The Rogues sat, agape with awe as their savior landed before them. Eli's legs gave out and he fell on his rear with a relieved, perturbed smile. _Right…like he ever cared about personal safety…_

Norris lifted his head and fixed his fired-up glare at the Poliwrath he spiked into the ground. He clenched his teeth, then shouted, "Just who the hell do you think you are?!" His voice boomed for all to hear, presenting his powerful presence.

"NORRIS!" the Rogues cheered loudly. Augustus worked a miracle for them, just in time.

Poliwrath pushed himself out the ground and felt his head, then retracted with a wince. It stung, a lot. He glared at the new fight, though with a bit more intrigue. "The infamous leader of the Rogues…"

Norris scowled at the man, but then, surprisingly, turned his anger on his own crew. "You idiots…"

"Huh?" they expressed with confusion.

"Don't act stupid. I heard what you said, just a moment ago. Saw it with my own eyes." He sneered furiously. "Giving up already? Accepting death?" He growled. "Don't you ever say shit like that again or I'll give you hell! I'm not the leader of a bunch of pansies! I don't care if the odds are against you! I don't care if you're injured! You want to live to see tomorrow?! Then stop with your shitty whining and fight, even if there's no point! You got that, you damn morons?!"

The message, for however mixed it sounded, rang loud and clear. Eli smiled shamefully at his leader. "O-Of course…boss. Understood…" The others nodded slowly, but didn't hesitate to agree.

Norris snorted through his nostrils. "Good…" He returned to scowling at the mercenary. "As for you…I don't know who the hell you are and, frankly, I don't care…" He clenched his teeth. "But you have some nerve coming down here and starting shit like you own the place. Shit like that…makes me angry…" He tightened his fists as his wrist orbs crackled with electricity.

Poliwrath narrowed his eyes. He raised his steaming fist and asked, "And what difference could you possibly make that all of your subordinates couldn't?"

The mad duck's beak twitched up into an angry smirk. His eyes shook with rage and vigor. "Oho…because unlike them…you came at a bad time, my friend. Something like this would make be pretty angry on a normal day. However, the difference is…I WAS ALREADY PISSED OFF!"

With a furious roar that could shake the heavens, Norris dashed straight for the Poliwrath with his wrist orb charged with Explosion. Poliwrath reacted quickly and countered his Explosion with Dynamic Punch. Their punches collided with each other and exploded with a menacing shockwave that rumbled the surrounding area.

Suffice to say, the Rogues were stunned by his monstrous fighting spirit. "He's so AWESOME!" Sunny squealed.

Braith raised her fists and laughed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Kick his ass, Norris!"

Eli narrowed his eyes, feeling just a bit skeptical. _But will it be enough?_

"RAWR!" Norris roared, slamming his Explosion fist into the Poliwrath's stomach. Poliwrath grunted as the explosion pushed him back. He attempted to counter with his strength enhanced arms, but Norris dished out punches faster than he could move. "Fall! You! Damn! Bastard!" He slugged him across the face, with an added Explosion.

Poliwrath bounced across the ground, then caught himself. He panted lightly and felt the scorched marks over his body. He narrowed his eyes. "I see…" He stood up and went into a stance, stating, "You truly live up to your rep-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Norris interrupted, surprising the mercenary with an Explosion between the eyes. Norris glowered at the tadpole hidden behind the plume of smoke, then scoffed. "Tsk…"

Poliwrath, after smoke cleared, had caught his fist and minimized the explosion into his palm. Even so, he regarded his power in high respects. "As I figured. Powerful, brash…and completely predictable."

Norris grunted from a swift backhand to his side. Despite the crap he gave his crew, he now understood why they decided to run. Already, he felt the infuriating jolt of agony surge through his body as he was slapped into rock, covered in a cloud of dust.

Poliwrath sighed and eased up. "He was certainly a dangerous wild card." He focused back on the other Rogues and walked towards them. "Now, where did we leave off-?"

"Where are you looking?!" Poliwrath, thrown in a brief state of surprise, barely blocked the explosive punch aimed for his head. He caught the steely, furious gaze of the mad duck. "Don't you DARE turn your back on me!"

 _He recovered from that attack already?!_ He took down Sullivan and Zoey in one hit, but this guy, after taking one of his hits, was moving just as fast as before, maybe faster. _Mr. Roteman's sources say this one's dangerous. Taking him out quickly is the only option._

Poliwrath brought his hands together and slammed them down on the Golduck-Electrode's back. It clearly harmed him, seen from his harsh coughing, but the tadpole then found himself on the receiving end of a Signal Beam, blasting him apart from the Fusion.

Norris, stiff in his movements for a moment, raised himself to full height and roared angrily at the rock ceiling. "GO TO HELL, BASTARD!" He rushed down the mercenary with vehement fury burning from his eyes.

Poliwrath, ungracefully, landed on his feet and defended against the mad duck's relentless punches. _He's clearly injured, but his body is moving with incredible persistence! His stamina, strength, ferocity…I doubt he feels any pain now! I've never met anyone this pumped up on adrenaline!_ He glared. _But even he has to tire out sooner or later! He can't go on forever!_

Poliwrath slugged Norris in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. He reached to grab and crush his head, but the mad duck's tenacity forced him in his breathless state to dodge the hand and retaliate with Signal Beam. Poliwrath blocked the attack with his hands, noticing it was a lot weaker since it was in a vulnerable state.

Norris rolled across the ground and gasped for air, then spat out blood. He panted quickly, feeling his nerves burning with excitement. His muscles, moving on combative instinct to win, threw him towards the muscular tadpole. "You can't stop me!" He roared and pounded Explosion after Explosion against the Poliwrath, tearing apart the destroyed earth.

Poliwrath had to keep blocking with his arms. The Enhancer Serum that amplified the energy in his arms gave him muscles a higher tolerance and impact absorption towards brute force attacks such as this. Any more direct shots would guarantee his defeat. _He's acting only on instinct. He should know getting up close like this is suicide, right?_

Norris, noticing his opponent wasn't focusing on him for a moment, snarled angrily. "Take this SERIOUSLY!" He threw both fists against the tadpole's defense.

Poliwrath was thrown back by the force, but kept his footing. His arms smoked from the repeated blockings. He glared through his arms as he huffed. "You're a fascinating Rogue. I have to wonder what hell you went through to gain this unwavering tenacity."

Norris growled and stomped the ground. "Gawk all you want, but I'm still going to destroy you!" He lunged once more, charging up both his wrist orbs.

Poliwrath predicted his movements and caught him by the fists. "I won't fall for any more of your Explosions!" He readied to bash him into the ground, but Norris slipped out of his hold and flipped on top of his head. "Hey-!"

"I don't know what kind of freaky, mumbo jumbo got you this stupidly buff, but you seem to be channeling all that raw power through your arms!" Norris gripped down on the muscular tadpole's shoulders. Poliwrath noticed the wrist orbs were still sparking. "And by the way! If I'm so predictable, then counter this! DISCHARGE!"

The Poliwrath tried his darnedest not to uproar in screams of pain as electricity blasted into him, as well as blasted everything around them. The Rogues, getting a clear view of the action, could see Norris was putting his all into every ounce of power he could manage.

"He's nuts!" Braith exclaimed. "I've never seen him go all out like this before!"

Sunny grinned happily. "Mr. Norris has a chance! He can win!"

Eli grimaced. "Maybe, but he's putting a lot of stress on his body and mind…" They looked at him, confused. "When he gets this serious, it's like his limiters are turned off. He's not fighting with strategy or elusive play. He's giving everything he can to defeat that mercenary. But…how long until his body finally gives out?"

Mikayla suddenly turned concern and looked back at the battle with newfound worry. "Norris…"

"DIE, DIE, DIE!" Norris screamed, finishing his electric assault with two deliveries of Explosion straight down on the mercenary's head.

Poliwrath barely managed to shield himself with his arms. He glared at the mad duck, feeling riled up that a single Fusion was giving him this much trouble. "I've had enough of you, freak!" He grabbed Norris by the ankle before he could flee, then proceeded to beat him against the ground like a limp ragdoll five times. "Remember your place, Fusion!" He tossed Norris away.

Norris grabbed the ground and halted his flight. He pushed himself up, struggling with fatigue, and glared straight at his opponent with an unending well of hate. "Bastard…I'm not done…" he panted.

Poliwrath raised his arms and kept on his guard, but stated, "No…you are done." He glared. "Surrender and accept your defeat."

Norris scowled at the man. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'm not done!"

"You're a talented fighter, no point denying that. I dare say any time before today, you would've beaten me ages ago. However, I've been outfitted with the means of putting you down permanently. Pests like you aren't my concern."

Norris bared his teeth. "I'm…still standing…" He paused and coughed up blood in a harsh cough. He rubbed his beak and continued, "Still standing…aren't I?"

Poliwrath glared at his determined attitude. "You're reaching your limit."

The angry smirk returned. "Ha…then I guess I'll have to kill you before I crash!" He threw himself forward and sprinted with uncoordinated grace.

Poliwrath glared. _He can't be serious._ He pulled his fist back. It glowed red with energy. _That's it. One Dynamic Punch and he's history._

However, Poliwrath caught a glimpse at something held between the mad duck's hands. A light blue, glowing sphere of psychic energy being concentrated into a powerful attack. Norris held it in his right hand and pulled his arm back, winding up his attack.

"Defend against this! Psionic Bomb!" He threw his hand forward with the Fusion Move.

 _Shit!_ A Fighting-Type like him couldn't possibly match the power of a Psychic-Type move like that. Forced onto the critical defense, Poliwrath threw his fist into the Psionic Bomb and used Dynamic Punch to minimize the blast against him.

A violent explosion triggered between them, shining a blinding blue light into the Rogues' eyes as wind soared past them. Buildings collapsed further and rock was smashed up in the explosion into particle rock. Sunny shrieked and hid behind Gordon. "SO SCARY!"

"He's not fooling around here!" Gordon exclaimed.

Eli covered his eyes and peered through the blinding explosion. _We're counting on you, Norris. Please tell us you have a plan to win._

The explosion died down, revealing both fighters pushed back from the blast. Both were panting heavily, showing signs of deep fatigue, though Norris suffered from severe injuries all over himself. He knew he was going to feel like shit the next day, assuming he could beat this overpowered tadpole, that is.

Norris, however, was beginning to feel those negative side effects. Working his body so hard to deal maximum damage left his arms in a paralyzed state. _D-Dammit! Move, you shitty arms! MOVE!_

Poliwrath gripped his shoulder and rubbed the soreness between his arm and shoulder blade. His arms felt numb, but everything else felt like crap. Both were bloodied and bruised, with Norris taking the worst so far. The tadpole still couldn't get over the Rogue leader's vicious tenacity. He took so many direct hits that put two of his subordinates out of commission. Perhaps his drive to win surpassed theirs.

"…heh…" Poliwrath closed his eyes. "You live up to the reputation you've set for yourself. You truly are the strongest Rogue."

Norris sneered. "I don't flippin' care. They'll finish the rest even if you take me out."

Poliwrath glared. "Do you really think they will stand a chance? I can eliminate them with a single Dynamic Punch. All at once. None of your subordinates are a match for me."

Norris, for once, presented a calmer glare, which he directed off to his peripherals, looking at something through them. "Not all of them…"

The active Rogues tried and traced his gaze before finding a shocking sight hiding from the battle. It was Augustus, watching the battle with evident worry and fear.

Braith nearly jumped out of her skin when she spotted him. "What, what, what?! Why is he still here?!"

Eli narrowed his eyes. "Norris…what are you up to?"

Norris clenched his teeth, then sprinted at full speed yet again. "NOW DIE!" He charged up his wrist orb with Explosion, putting all he could muster into his next hit.

Poliwrath glared and pulled his hand back for a palm strike. "This ends now!"

Their attacks landed their marks. Norris delivered the Explosion into the Poliwrath's stomach, detonating with all his remaining strength. Poliwrath bashed his palm against the mad duck's face. Winning out on superior force, Norris was thrown across the destroyed field and crashed into the area Augustus was hiding in.

The coffin chinchilla shrieked. "Mr. Norris!"

Norris' face twitched aggressively, expressing great deals of pain. _Dammit!_

Poliwrath dropped to one knee and groaned, holding the searing scorch mark across his torso. _Ugh…that one did a number on me…he packs a punch…_

The Rogues stared in concern and fright, now that their last shot at freedom has been taken out of commission. "What do we do?!" Gordon shouted. "If Norris can't beat him, what chance do we have?!"

Eli's jaw trembled as he tried to find the words. "I…"

Augustus went to Norris' side immediately and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him up. "Mr. Norris, get up! You can't lose! You just can't!"

"Augustus, stop!" The coffin chinchilla ceased his efforts and let go of him. Norris scrunched up and growled irritably. "I…can't move my body anymore…everything's…not responding. I've worn myself…to my limit…"

Augustus' eyes watered fearfully. "B-B-But, you…you can beat him! You're the strongest!" He bent down and cried into Norris' chest. "Please, Mr. Norris! I don't want to die! PLEASE!"

Poliwrath stared at the weeping Fusion for a moment, then scoffed. "The little one should have run when he had the chance." He turned back to the other Rogues. "As for the rest of you, I-WHOA!" He barely blocked a massive electrical beam fired at him that shot with raw, intense force.

Everyone turned to Gordon as the culprit, but even he was stunned by the attack. They then set their eyes on the one holding one of their weapons: Zoey. She forced herself, despite her injury, to sit up and supported the weapon over her shoulder: a rocket launcher shaped blaster with a rotating gun barrel shaped like Vikavolt mandibles and painted to look like a Clawitzer pincer.

She clenched her teeth and bit back against her pain. "I…only have…two more…shots left…" She weakly reloaded the internal weapon chamber, then took the next shot.

Poliwrath held his hands out and pushed against the powerful beam. He felt his feet sink through the ground. "Now I see why your weapons are so popular! Quite the destructive force, they carry! But…I will surpass them!" He pushed against the beam until the shot was used up, then he made his way towards them.

Eli clenched his teeth, then stepped forward. "Everyone! Stand your ground!" He crossed his claws. "Norris did the heavy hitting! Honor his defeat by finishing the job! We're not backing down anymore!"

The Rogues narrowed their eyes and nodded. "Right!"

"R-Right…" Eli saw Sullivan was catching his second wind and aiming his pincer. "Y-You can c-c-count on m-me…"

Poliwrath glared as the Rogues prepared themselves for one final battle. "Fools…" He slowly powered up Dynamic Punch. "Don't you see I have already won-?"

"Oh, shut UP already!" Zoey forcibly screamed, firing her final shot at the mercenary.

Poliwrath depowered Dynamic Punch and threw both fists against the beam, staggering its course and disrupting it entirely. "Why should anyone feel sorry for you pathetic freaks?! Just because your lives were sad?! Grow the hell up! Shit happens!"

"Shit that you Pokémon bring us!" Eli growled. "Maybe you're the one who needs to grow up!"

Poliwrath glared. "Children shouldn't defy their superiors." He walked towards them as they readied for a desperate fight.

Norris listened in on his followers giving their last stand speech. He narrowed his eyes at the rocky ceiling above him. He felt enough of those punches to know one misstep would lead to inevitable defeat. What other option did he have?"

"M-Mr. Norris…" He looked at the crying Fusion still weeping on his chest. "W-What are we g-g-going to do?" The small Fusion looked up at his leader with reddened eyes.

His shimmering eyes turned confused as they met Norris' somber, hardened expression. He felt that face staring through him thoroughly, as if contemplating something about the little one. Norris blinked, then glared at the Poliwrath. He was too burned out to get angry, but it boiled his blood the closer he approached them. "I have no choice…"

"N…No choice…?" Augustus repeated with a quivering lip. "W-What are you…?"

Norris sighed, then, for the first time in a while, shared a soft, apologetic stare with the child. "Kid…just know that I don't do this to hurt you…"

Augustus recoiled in confusion. "W-W-What…?"

Norris closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself for what he had to do. He knew it was their only shot at seeing another tomorrow, but forcing Augustus into an uncomfortable state was wrong, even for him. Still, it had to be done. He breathed in, then recalled the phrase he dreadfully memorized so he would never say it out loud unless the time called for it.

"Augustus…would you care to partake in another informative game?"

The coffin chinchilla's eyes widened out of reflex. His right eye twitched as both slowly turned red with black, ghostly energy flowing around in them, then shaped themselves into a glare. Out of instinct, his golden helmet closed in around his mouth like a mask. The coffin shape on his back split open, releasing four shadowy arms that waved with eerie movements.

Norris looked away, ashamed of forcing the child into this hidden state of his. He would have covered his face to hide his shame if his arms could move. He sighed shakily, then glared. "Here's the game…destroy that Poliwrath." Almost like a robot, Augustus started to move with stiff, mechanical movements.

The Rogues kept their guard up as Poliwrtah walked closer. Eli, Gordon, Mikayla, and Sunny fired off Venoshock, Charge Beam, Ice Beam, and Giga Drain, but the mercenary batted them away with the air and continued on his path. Mikayla almost went for a Moonblast when she noticed Augustus walking out into the open.

She gasped. "Augustus!" This got the Rogues, even Poliwrath, to stop and look at the approaching chinchilla. "What are you doing?! Get out of here! It's not sa-!" Eli suddenly covered her mouth. "Hmph?!"

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Something's not right."

Gordon narrowed his eyes. "The kid doesn't look right. Wasn't he cowering a few moments ago?"

"Worst time to act brave!" Braith screeched.

Poliwrath glared at Augustus. "That kid again? Weird looking, though." He tried to shoo the Fusion off. "Beat it, kid, or else." And yet, Augustus continued on his path. "Didn't you hear me? I said scram, brat!" It was like Augustus couldn't hear him at all. Poliwrath sighed in annoyance. "Good grief." He rushed for the Fusion. "I'll make this as quick as possible!"

Augustus' glare sharpened as his shadow arms spun around him and expanded outward, creating a thick black mist that obscured Poliwrath's vision.

"That's Haze!" Mikayla exclaimed. "What's Augustus doing?"

Poliwrath looked around through the black mist cautiously. "Damn brat…where are-GAAAH!" Two fists slammed into his already injured stomach, then a third slapped him across the ground and smashed him through a building. He pushed himself up and wheezed with discomfort, then glared as the mist lifted. "What the…?"

Augustus' shadow arms floated around him protectively. His steely gaze focused exclusively on the Poliwrath, devoid of emotion.

"When did the kid learn how to fight?!" Braith shrieked.

Eli took this opportunity to dash for the immobile duck. He picked his leader up, but not before asking, "Norris…what is that?"

Norris glared at his second-in-command. "Augustus gets nightmares. I'm not sure about what…but there are occasions where they set him off. _That_ is why I never wanted you idiots to provoke or bother him." He coughed harshly, aching his sensitive chest. "That kid…is a monster if left unchecked…"

Poliwrath pulled himself off the ground and raced towards Augustus with two Dynamic Punches. However, in his desperate attempt to put the chinchilla down, he overlooked his typing. The Dynamic Punches passed through Augustus due to his Ghost-Typing.

"Shit, I forgot-AAGH!" Two shadow fists uppercut him and send him flying upward. He growled and regained his balance in midair. "In that case, Payback!" Both fists glowed purple as he fell back down. "This'll put you down for good!"

He came close to hitting him, but the shadow arms moved faster than he could punch. They disabled his arms and held him in place for a two Shadow Ball collision. He was thrown back and tried to land, but the arms struck out and bashed him repeatedly. They moved with incredible speed that he couldn't anticipate or prep for their attacks.

Mikayla elaborated on this out loud. "Augustus could certainly be taken out by any one of those punches, but he exceeds the Poliwrath where he falls behind. Precision, reach, speed…I never knew Augustus was so talented in fighting."

"Yet he's too scared to try it…" The Rogues saw Eli carrying Norris with him. The mad duck grimaced. "Augustus knows how to fight…but he won't do it on normal terms." He looked down shamefully. "Except when he hears a certain phrase. That's when his childlike innocence becomes suppressed." He glared at the battle. "I've seen it before…and I pitied him."

Poliwrath trembled as he lifted himself up. The injuries sustained from Norris were acting up. He shouldn't be this weak against a child. "You…I'm not…done…yet-!" A powerful Ominous Wind slammed into him and threw him around in a tornado before dropping him. "Ugh…" He looked up, then paled at what stood above him.

Augustus' shadow arms joined together and compiled into a mass of darkness that towered over the destroyed buildings around them. The mass split apart and took on the form of spikes.

Poliwrath's eyes shook with…fear. "What…is this?"

Norris closed his eyes and sighed. "…Do it."

Augustus narrowed his eyes, then commanded the shadow spikes to fire down and pummel the mercenary deep into the ground with unrelenting force. The mercenary screamed out in pain.

Sunny covered her eyes out of fear while the others turned away uncomfortably. Norris sighed. "Augustus seems to be highly adept at controlling his separate appendages. He can mold and shape them as he pleases. And their hits are nothing to scoff at."

Mikayla was petrified in horror as she listened to the relentless beatings. "Augustus…"

They weren't sure how long the coffin chinchilla was beating down on the mercenary, but his rampage soon came to an end. They dared to look and spotted a deep crater where the Poliwrath lay. Augustus stared into the shallow pit as his shadow arms flowed ominously.

The Poliwrath was mangled unconscious, surprisingly still alive. However, he was beaten into a pulp, with one arm twisted and both legs twitched. The heat channeled through his arms finally cooled.

"Gah…ack…guh…" was all he could say in his stupor.

Augustus stared at him for a moment longer before starting to pass out. His shadow arms retreated back into his back coffin while his mask separated back into his helmet. His eyes glazed over as they turned back to normal. He went to sleep on his back, snoring soundly.

Norris cringed as his injuries acted up, then ordered, "One of you…grab him so we can get out of here…"

Mikayla ran over and cradled the unconscious child in her arms. She lightly patted his head. "You poor thing…"

Eli sighed. "I'll have to call Cyrox about repairing all of this. The heads of this community are going to have words about what happened." He glared at Norris. "You owe us an explanation."

Norris scoffed. "You say that like I know myself…"

"You're the one who found him, not us."

Mikayla walked up to them with the coffin chinchilla resting comfortably in her arms. "Norris, what happened to him?"

Norris glared at the ground, then sneered. "If I'm willing to guess…the same shit that's terrorized us our whole lives." He clenched his teeth. "Augustus told me he came from…somewhere. All he knew was he was supposed to get stronger, like it was an order. I found him with a piece of paper telling me never to say a certain trigger phrase in front of him…that alone tells me how sinful this world is."

Gordon, with Sullivan and Zoey on his back, calmly walked over. "Someone made him like that?"

Norris growled. "That's what I believe…" He closed his eyes. "This is why I fight…why I hate…nothing but wicked deeds casted down on us." He glared at Augustus. "Whether they be mistreatment or turning kids like him into _that._ Berserker monsters…it makes me sick." He took a moment to control his rising anger.

Mikayla looked down at Augustus with pity. "I see…"

"There will always be Pokémon who think they're superior to us, that they can do whatever they want…" He growled. "Remember that…because I want this world to know that I'll destroy anyone who tries to defy us…"

Nothing else was said after that. The Rogues went silent as they followed Eli with the limping Norris to the market's main exit. Now they were beginning to see more of why Norris does what he does. There will always be those who try to oppress them, and they'll be the ones to destroy those evils by their own means.


	37. Connections Made

Out in Sinnoh on a familiar farm, the guests of Cade's family were out working around or inside the house. Eddie, Vivi, and Bartleby took advantage of Annabeth's generous nature to extend their stay a bit before they headed back on the road. The two Fusions of reasonable height were more than willing to help out with the chores per the older Emolga's request. Since Bartleby couldn't reasonably do much, he let Marion sit on his shoulder and talk her mouth off. Despite being virtually emotionless, he seemed to be listening intently.

For Eddie and Vivi, they were tasked with cleaning dishes. Eddie handled the washing while Vivi finished off with the drying. Since they had experience working together cleaning dishes back at the bar, they worked well in sync.

The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion cleaned out the inside of a glass and narrowed his eyes in satisfaction, even laughing to himself. "Well, this brings back familiar settings." He handed the glass to his traveling companion. "All I need now is the crazy customers and me serving shots."

Vivi wiped down the inside of the glass and grinned. "Do you miss working at your bar?"

Eddie shrugged. "Meh, maybe a little. I had my moments in that place, but I wouldn't say I was completely attached to it."

Vivi nudged his eyes and winked. "You want me to order a drink from you and act like a crazed drunk?"

Eddie made a brief, droll laugh. "Now that's the last thing I want to see: you and alcohol together."

Vivi pressed her cheeks together. "Am I too precious to have my innocence tainted?"

Eddie lightly bonked her on the head with his knuckles. "You are not an innocent squirt." He looked to the side and hummed thoughtfully. "Though, I have to wonder. If alcohol makes you tipsy, maybe it'll improve your terrible sense of direction."

Vivi pouted and flailed her arms with her rag and glass in hand. "It's not my fault! Directions are confusing!" Eddie threw his head back and laughed his head off. Vivi grinned, normally never seeing this relaxed side of Eddie's, before dragging herself into the fun.

Cade stepped out from around the corner and leaned against the wall with an amused smile. "My, my…you don't hear the Fusions back home having this much fun washing dishes."

Vivi turned and waved cheerfully at the phantom panda. "Hi, Mr. Cade!" she exclaimed.

Cade chuckled and gave a short wave back. "Greetings, Vivi. I see you're in high spirits."

"Always have and always will!"

Eddie shook his head. "You have no idea how much of a handful she can be." The ladybug archer pouted angrily at him, but he ignored it. "Anyway, we're almost done with the dishes. Just a few more plates."

Cade nodded. "Very good. My wife really appreciates the help."

"Well, we appreciate her kindness." Eddie sighed. "I'm not looking forward to going back on the road. Hopefully Annabeth doesn't have reservations against providing travel meals."

Cade waved his doubts off. "Don't fret. My darling Annabeth wouldn't mind preparing some meals for you both before setting back on…whatever you're doing."

Eddie's eyes lit up gratefully. "That'd be wonderful."

Vivi smiled at them, then went to dry off a plate on the rack when she spotted the Gappei Fusions out back in the shed. They were doing chores as well. If she had to guess, they were juicing berries for the family's specialty berry juice. Seeing them made her recall the conversation with Eddie the other night.

There was so much she wanted to learn about the village she dreamed of living in. It'll be some time before that dream becomes reality. With her sights so dead set on finding the DNA Doomsday Device, finding peace in that comfy paradise seemed like a fleeting dream. It made her sad to think it might not ever happen.

Eddie has told her countless times that she isn't responsible for the fate of the world over a machine that is nonexistent to the public, but she wanted to carry on her ancestor's wishes and destroy the threat of that machine activating. She needed to cling onto the hope she held close to her heart.

Staring out the window for so long, Vivi didn't realize Eddie was trying to get her attention. He tapped on her shoulder persistently before she faced him in a snap. His eyes were narrowed gently. "You want to talk to them now, don't you?"

Vivi looked down and kicked the floor awkwardly. "…yeah, maybe a little…"

Eddie raised one brow in amusement and stood to full height. "Go on, get going."

"Huh?" she expressed in confusion.

"Just go talk to them."

"But the dishes-"

"It's just a few plates." He snatched the rag and plate out of her hands and nudged her to the door with his foot. "Live your dream even if it's through a fantasy. At least you'll know what to expect once you can finally go there for yourself."

Vivi blinked, then her eyes shimmered brightly. "Eddie!" She hugged his waist. "Thank you!"

Eddie froze awkwardly, still not completely comfortable with the close physical contact. "Okay, okay, enough hugging!" He shoved her off and pointed at the door. "Just get out of here!"

Vivi saluted. "Yes sir!" She squealed and ran out of the door with her arms flying up.

Eddie sighed, then laughed fondly. "Stupid kid…" He faced the sink and finished drying the plate before moving on to the remaining dishes.

* * *

As Vivi saw for herself, the Gappei Fusions were once again juicing berries for the family. They appeared more adept at performing the task after doing it once before.

Emily, as she squeezed Oran berry juice into a container, looked to her friends and asked, "Anyone know where we're heading back?"

Dez closed one eye and looked up in thought. "Um…probably in a day or two."

Emily sighed. "Too bad. I was beginning to enjoy our time here."

Charlie grinned. "I agree! Annabeth and Marion have been SO nice to us! I'm going to miss them!"

Dez smirked. "Too bad will be heading back to less relaxing jobs soon."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. We came here to get away from that chaotic nonsense. I'll gladly take juice making over Rogue fighting after last time." She squeezed out Grepa berry juice next.

Charlie took some Razz berries. "I hope everyone's doing alright. What do think went down while we were gone?"

Emily shrugged. "Meh, probably nothing particularly eventful."

"HEY GUYS!" The trio screamed and jumped out of their seats to face the offender of their ears and now racing hearts. They were greeted by the beaming face of the Ledian-Decidueye, who bounced on her feet like a child. "What's up?!"

Charlie gripped his chest and sighed with fleeting panic leaving his eyes. "O-Oh…oh, thank goodness…h-hey, Vivi."

"Hey to you, too!" she greeted back spiritedly. "Whatcha' doin'?"

"Aside from recovering from a heart attack…" Emily grumbled.

Dez smiled awkwardly at the archer. "We're just making juice, nothing special. What about you? Need something?"

"I'm glad you asked!" Vivi inhaled and started rambling, "See, I was in the kitchen doing dishes, I saw you guys hanging out here, I did some thinking, I came rushing out to say hi, I-!" Dez planted his paw against her mouth.

"Sum it up in ten words or less," he requested politely.

Vivi moved his paw off and flailed her arms. "Tell me everything about Gappei Village! Please, please, please, please!" She shot her beaming eyes at them, sparkling with curious delight and childlike innocence.

Charlie blinked in bewilderment before smiling. "Heh…you're interested in Gappei Village?"

Vivi nodded. "Oh yes, yes, yes! It's been my dream to live there!" She jumped with fluttering feet. "It's the paradise I've always wanted!" She landed and sighed with an annoyed pout. "Buuut, I'm stuck out on the road with Eddie and Bartleby until we…finish traveling, which could take a while."

Dez gave a sympathetic smile. "That kind of sucks. Sorry to hear that."

The ladybug archer waved it off and grinned. "Oh, that doesn't matter! I've got the next best thing: actual members of the village! I want to know all about what I'm missing out on! Can't you grant me this humble request? I NEED to know!"

The trio exchanged glances, then smiled. "Eh, what's the harm?" Emily asked rhetorically before sitting herself down.

Dez grinned. "Sit down, Vi. It's story time!" Vivi gladly plopped her rear down on the ground and held her cheeks as they went on to explain the paradise she dreamt of.

* * *

Within the private labs of Profectus Inc., Julian prepped to dissect the mysterious weapons that suddenly came into existence. Despite only learning about them recently, their circulation into criminal hands was becoming evident in the last couple days. He was going to pick apart their pieces and find out what allowed the Rogues to obtain such absurd power.

Donned in a lab coat with rubber gloves, Julian placed himself in front of the table and gazed down on the subject: the fried war hammer stated to generate quakes with intense heat.

He started by unscrewing the plate of the hammerhead, the supposed source of the weapon's energy. As he did, he gave his compliments about the technology. "Even with its unlawful purposes, I have to give credit to this amazing piece of tech. It looks like it could deliver the destructive force Quinn spoke of."

Joining him in the lab was Albert, who stood off to the side with a newspaper in hand. "And recent crime waves overnight prove his claim further. We had a couple robberies from shops and an attempted break-in at the bank, only stopped because there were a couple Poison-Type officers at the scene." Albert narrowed his eyes. "These weapons sure do come in various forms. Papers say a Wartortle subdued the police with a needle gun. Needles were described to deliver a paralyzing sensation far stronger than a Thunder Wave or any other paralyzing moves."

Julian grimaced. "The idea of petty crooks obtaining that level of power…" He sighed. "Still, they're only Pokémon. Remove the weapon and they'll be as vulnerable as ever." He set three screws into a plastic dish. "I've asked Liam to have some of the Fusions do nightly stakeouts. Hope they don't mind long nights."

Albert turned the page, then smirked. "Well, this is an interesting piece of news. 'Unknown Poliwrath found in critical condition outside of local hospital.'"

Julian's head shot up in alarm. "…did you say…a Poliwrath?"

"Yep…it's exactly the one you're thinking about."

Julian marched over and snatched the paper out of his hands to read the headline. "…what the hell? Did the Rogues do this to him?"

"He was lucky to be alive, according to the paper. His memory is a little hazy, but doctors identified severe bruising and, most notably, scorch marks over his body that were recognized to be the cause of multiple direct explosions."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "Direct explosions…think we found one of the culprits, then."

Albert crossed his arms. "Not even one crook dosed on that power serum was enough to take out the Rogues." This made the Cacturne smile with intrigue. "Hehe…Fusions. Their power truly fascinates me. I was always curious about their potential growth, even before I came to work with you, sir. So much to learn about them…"

Julian thoroughly inspected the damage over Poliwrath. "That's a lot of brutal damage. If he didn't have the serum, he probably could have been taken out in less. If they had to send him into a critical state to beat, perhaps there was some success in his failure." He handed the paper back to Albert, then walked back to the workstation.

"Cragtail might want to hear about this later. I'll write up a quick report about his mercenary's status and see how well he'll take it." Albert held his chin. "I do wonder why such a horrible man abides to your rules."

"Cragtail knows the consequences of overstepping his boundaries. For as horrible as he is, he has some sense of justice to what he's doing. He's not torturing the Fusions at his base, at the very least."

Albert smiled and shrugged. "Guess some are just horrible people for the right reasons. A light way of describing him, I suppose."

Julian shook his head. "I have no time to berate Cragtail's actions. I just want to know where on earth the Rogues acquired this technology." He then grimaced as a thought crossed his mind. "At least, I _hope_ I don't know where this came from." He reached under the workstation and pulled out some files. "My work notes and maybe some of Data's could help identify a potential source."

Albert pulled out his phone and scrolled through some personal notes. "Wouldn't having the box assist you be adequate?"

Julian shook his head. "No, bad idea. Aside from you, Cragtail, and Brea by extension, I don't want anyone knowing about Data, especially if they found out what I've been plotting with him." He clenched his teeth. "I'll be ruined if anyone pins a connection between me and these activities. It's hard enough hiding him in my suite without a neighbor banging on my door."

Albert raised his brow. "Should I ask?"

Julian groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Data…has become quite fascinated with reviewing/criticizing bad movies. I dread the day he ever acquires access to the internet."

Albert smirked off to the side. "Well, he would be a hit on that video-sharing website if he knew how to edit videos."

"Don't encourage him," Julian grumbled. "I got off lucky saying he's a younger relative of mine."

"I'm glad I don't have your problems." Albert narrowed his eyes at his phone, then stuffed it away. "Anyway, I should head out and get that report done for Cragtail. I have other stuff to get done, too."

"Well, don't let me hold you down. You're free to go."

"Thank you. You have a good day, sir." Albert left the lab, leaving Julian to his own devices.

The Machamp recalled what Albert said about letting Data help him. He agreed his help would be beneficial, but… "That damn box drives me nuts sometimes. His mind is brilliant, but…there's so much about him left unanswered…" Julian shook his head. "There's just so much about him that I have yet to understand."

He pulled off the plate to the hammerhead and found a mess of wires inside. He used two glass rods to push through the wires gently. Picking through the wiring, he found some internal components contributed to power regulation and generating. However, what caught his eye was the source in the center.

A generator with a mechanical, glass orb in the center. The orb pulsed with red and light brown energy that swirled inside its containment like a lava lamp. It looked weak and low on power.

"What do we have here?" Julian mumbled to himself, reaching in and picking the strange orb out. A decently size orb, perhaps a few sizes smaller than the average stress ball. He narrowed his eyes at the orb. "Generating heat and earthquakes…what kind of power source is this?"

For the next half hour, he ran some quick tests on the orb to determine what type of energy it was. He isolated the two different energy sources and even detected a difference in the red energy. Similar in type, but different in origin. The light brown energy seemed to have traits that matched with the red energy.

Eventually, he compiled some results. "One composed of Fire…the other composed of Earth, yet the energy seems was extracted from living creatures. This is the ethereal energy that surrounds all Pokémon and Fusions." Julian tapped his head. "Quinn mentioned how the Magmar stated it had the combined power of Camerupt and Groudon. The Rogues had to have gotten this from some Fusions.

"But, this doesn't make any sense. I've never heard of utilizing the energy is such a way. Where did they…?" Julian narrowed his eyes. "This sounds familiar…" He ran to his stack of notes and shuffled through them.

He spent nights examining Data's work and has mostly memorized his theories and scientific breakthroughs. Some caught the interest of Julian, admittedly, but one stood out above the rest: utilization of a living creature's ethereal energy into a physical form.

The very file Julian found and skimmed over immediately.

The Machamp lowered the file with an unsettling glare. "Now I see why the council was so worried about the Rogue's strange behavior since Unova…it's Data's work…"

* * *

"…the Gappei Village Festival is the pinnacle of fun and entertainment," Dez went on explaining the annual event of their village. "We celebrate every year for the village's anniversary."

Charlie grinned. "Games, awesome food, officially welcoming all newcomers to the village! It's a great time! Everyone loves it!"

Vivi's eyes were sparkling in awe. "That sounds amazing!" she squealed.

Emily smiled lightly. "I suppose it is. I'm not too keen on attending it, but these bozos always drag me into it, anyway."

"You know you love it," Dez teased.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Shut up…"

Charlie chuckled. "We have no shortage of colorful villagers, either."

"Ooh! What's everyone like?!" Vivi asked loudly.

"Well, you've got your loners, your overly happy fellows, some crazies, some…darker fellows…" Charlie laughed awkwardly. "It would take me forever to explain each of them. Still, we joined together for the same reason: to be ourselves." He rubbed the back of his head. "A lot of us didn't have the best lives. Few of the villagers got off lucky."

Vivi frowned. "Oh…" She looked down. "I…kind of figured. I don't know any of them, but I already feel sorry for them." She placed a hand against her chest. "I, too, have had my fair share of horrible memories."

Emily sighed. "It's a staple for the village. It's hard to come by Fusions who haven't been mistreated in some way." She closed her eyes and smiled a bit. "But, hey, everyone gets better with enough time to heal. We play a part in the healing process, I guess."

Vivi grinned and clapped her hands. "You guys really are like a big happy family! It really is the paradise I dreamt of!" She leaned back and kicked her feet, squealing giddily.

Dez chuckled with his eyes closed. "It's not all glitz and glamor, I'm afraid. These days, we find ourselves busy with work. A lot of missions and grueling tasks to either boost our reputation and cause or to defend our city from less than morally sound fellows."

"The Rogues, to be precise," Emily muttered.

Vivi tilted her head. "Rogues?" She closed her eyes and thought it over for a moment. "Um…you mean those mean ol' Fusions who cause trouble, right?"

"On the nose," Dez said, tapping his nose once.

"They've been pretty active lately," Charlie mentioned. "They're normally stealing food or causing property damage. Now they've been on a metal stealing spree for some unknown reason."

Dez waved his paw around. "They've pretty much become top priority on our list of responsibilities."

Vivi tapped her chin, then grinned. "They sound like fun, now that I think about it!"

Emily smirked dryly. "You don't keep your head screwed on straight, do you?"

"Huh?" the archer sounded blankly.

Dez continued on, "But yeah, they're pretty bad. They've done it all. Vandalize, steal, harass, breaking and entering…heck, they even stowed away on an expedition into some underground lab."

Vivi blinked. "Underground lab?"

Charlie tapped his fingers together and looked at Dez. "Um…Dez, should we really be telling her about that?"

"Why not?" Emily asked aloud with her arms crossed. "We know just as much as Hawkins, Asadi, and Ulysses do. Nothing ground breaking because Julian's been keeping a tight lip."

"Um…fair enough," Charlie mumbled.

Dez went on, "Anyway, our friends explained it as some strange lab that looked ancient. Weird equipment and old files stored away for years. Think Uly mentioned something about robots, which is the most ridiculous thing I could have heard coming from there."

"Hawkins even told us he thinks experiments were done down there. Since we've been working with the president of Profectus Inc., we were hoping he'd tell us a bit more about those labs since there's been weird stuff going around in his lab."

Vivi held her chin. "This all sounds like it's coming out of a science-fiction movie." She grinned. "Ooh! Maybe the lab was run by aliens!"

Emily smirked. "I highly doubt that."

"Well, some Pokémon are classified as aliens…" Charlie muttered.

Emily shrugged his comment off. "Though, I wouldn't put it pass you. They had to keep their secrets protected through code and stuff. Heck, even the guy who ran it had a weird sci-fi name. How many people do you know named 'Data?'"

Vivi held her chin. "Well, I never had friends, so not many."

Dez looked to Emily. "Well, to be fair, 'Codex' is a pretty weird name, but it's pretty normal for him."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but Code's kind of a weirdo himself."

Vivi chuckled. "Now I want a weird name. What do you suppose would suit me? Should I name myself after famous Decidueye or-?" Her scatterbrained mind finally organized itself and went to a sudden halt. She took in a sharp intake of air and gasped with pinprick eyes. _Wait…did they say…DATA?!_

The Fusions stopped talking when they saw their new friend sat paralyzed, openmouthed, and slowly breathing out a strained breath. They looked at each other worriedly. "Was it something we said?" Charlie asked.

Dez waved his paw at Vivi's face. "Yo, Vi? You still with us?"

Her jaw twitched uncomfortably. She spoke in a stressed, high pitch voice, "I…I'm good…"

Emily raised a brow. "You clearly don't look-WHOA!" Vivi suddenly pounced on her and grabbed her by the hood with a serious glare.

"Tell me everything you know about that laboratory! Right now!"

* * *

Data groaned as he watched yet another horror movie. Currently, there was a Bellsprout sneaking through the kitchen with a flashlight while ominous music played in the background. "He's behind you…he's behind you…he's behind you…he's behind-" Much to Data's surprise, a hand broke through the floorboards and dragged the pitcher plant down to the basement, his screams silencing seconds later. "…huh, what do you know? He wasn't behind you. Extra credit for that."

A phone lying next to Data suddenly rang. Normally, he'd be unable to pick it up, but Julian was kind enough to surprise him with new modifications to his imprisoned state. On top of his box, a thin robotic hand with five digits, wired into his box so he could manipulate it through his brainwaves.

He reached down and turned on speaker. "Julian, buddy! So glad you called! Let me tell you, this new hand is working out like a charm! I can finally change the channel! By the way, saw this excellent comedy earlier called '50 Days to Live.' With that kind of name, I suspected a psychological thriller or horror movie. The title's misleading, but hints at a placebo with the main character. See, it's about a guy who-"

"Data," Julian interrupted. "I really have no time to talk about this. We have important matters to discuss."

Data tapped the sides of his cube. "Oh, I see. About what?"

Julian was still in the lab, sitting down in a swivel chair. "The Rogues and their Fusion Arsenals, as they call them. Data, I've got around to analyzing their tech and reached some unsavory results." He glared. "The energy source used to power them coincides with your notes on a creature's ethereal energy. It's your handiwork."

Data's sensors buzzed with red, yellow, and green as he hummed curiously. "Is that so?"

"It seems to line up with their activities ever since I retrieved you from your lab." Julian glared. "Care to explain what might have inspired their new crime style?"

Data chuckled lightly. "I see…well, it seems those troublesome Fusions acquired my blueprints for Fusion based weaponry."

Julian's eyes widened. "You made blueprints for what?!"

"Yes, it's true. Though, while I had the theoretical science to back me up, I simply lacked the resources to replicate it. It seems the modern age, however, has improved on my own work."

"Why would you create weapons?!" Julian exclaimed.

"I never created a physical weapon. They were either theories or prototypes. Besides, it's not like I do anything different from your own work."

Julian jabbed his thumb against his chest. "Hang on, my equipment is strictly meant to detain Fusions, not cause wide spread destruction! You don't even sound the least bit worried over this!"

Data waved his mechanical hand around. "Oh, I am, but I choose not to let it affect me. I designed those prints out of curiosity, for I've always been fascinated with Fusions and their hidden potential."

"But why weapons? Do you realize what would've…actually, scratch that! Do you not see what's happening now?! Those weapons ARE in the wrong hands! Why sustain them?!"

Data chuckled as he lifted the TV remote and flickered through channels. "Because knowledge is innovation. The more I learned about these different creatures, the more I wanted to learn what else was possible. I wanted to learn how to harness the DNA of a living creature and transform it into something greater. Fusions, to me, were intriguing creatures with so much potential. I never saw them as monsters, I saw them as true evolution."

Julian narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "…what else have you been doing that I don't know about?"

Data hummed curiously. "Julian, you almost sound like you're having second thoughts about our partnership."

"You still haven't explained what you really get out of this."

"I told you, I just want to end this feuding between the Pokémon and Fusions. Pokémon just need to learn from their mistakes and the horrible acts they've committed."

Julian felt a twinge of annoyance from that comment, unknowingly clenching tightly on his phone. "Just because things escalated badly over the years doesn't mean the Fusions have no fault in their actions. They've caused just as much strife and pain as the Pokémon."

Data hummed with intrigue at his infuriated tone. "Oh…I suppose you're right. I can't blame either side for being so tense…since you all went through a war many decades back." A cold silence came over Julian, with the cube only able to hear is tense breathing. Data continued flicking through channels. "I stumbled upon the Historical Channel at some point while you were working. I happened upon a small documentary about the Hybrid War, as it was called. It was rather informative. No bias, just facts. You and your old friend Liam were a part of that war, weren't you?"

"…" Julian slumped over in his seat and held his face. He clenched his teeth uncomfortably. "…we were young, still in our childhood. The events…sparked new feelings in both of us, for the good and for the bad. I feel like our ambitions were born near the end. But…that's all in the past."

"And yet, you continue to expand your brilliance to change the future." Data set the remote down. "As for the weapons, I wouldn't worry about them too much. They're only as strong as the wielder's mind is. Basic fighting. If your opponent doesn't know what they're doing, you'll be fine."

"…right." Julian breathed and rubbed his head. "I need to finish up with work. We're not done with this conversation, though."

"I wasn't asking otherwise," Data said.

"Uh huh. You're still doing alright over there?"

"Never better."

Julian stood up. "Okay. Just try to stay out of trouble."

"Oh, I will." Julian hung up on the other end. Data chuckled lightly. "It's not like I can do much in this form. Though, all I need is one hand…and my own ethereal energy." Red, yellow, and green sparks flew off his fingertips, sparking against his surface like a welding torch.

"Don't worry, Julian. I'm not causing trouble. You don't even realize everything is going according to my design. You'll thank me in the end. I'm going to create a better world. A perfect world for everyone."

* * *

"TELL ME! TELL ME! TELL ME!" Vivi screamed while flailing her arms. Dez had her pinned down, but she was only interested in what they knew. "Spill it, now! The labs! WHAT?!"

Emily backed herself away with a shocked, wide-eyed expression. "What the hell is your problem?!"

"You don't understand! I need to know! Tell me about the labs! Data! EVERYTHING!" Vivi shouted.

Before she could get anymore stir-crazy, Eddie ran outside once he heard the commotion. "What the hell is going on out here?!"

"We don't know!" Charlie exclaimed. "We were talking about something and she got set off!"

"About what?"

"Labs ran by someone named Data…" he admitted meekly.

Eddie's eyes widened in brief alarm before glaring at Vivi. "Kid, cool it!"

"But Eddie, they know! They KNOW! They-!" Eddie bonked her in the head with the back of his heel, stunning her.

He reached down and grabbed her by the cowl. He turned apologetically to the Fusions and said, "Give us a moment. I need to reprimand her." He dragged her out of their sight, leaving them with equally baffled faces.

Eddie brought the frantic archer behind some trees, just a bit out of earshot. Vivi recovered from the blow to the head and stared up at Eddie with wide eyes. "Eddie, they know something! We need to-!" Eddie dropped her on her rear with a cold glare. "…I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"What the heck was that about?" Eddie asked in an irritated tone.

Vivi looked down guiltily. "Sorry, but…when they mentioned Data, I kind of flipped out. Their boss guy took some files from a lab apparently owned by Data. They know something about him."

Eddie held his hips. "Kid, are you sure they know anything about him?"

Vivi scratched her cheek. "Um…well, they didn't seem to know much aside from passing details from friends. But still, you can't deny the coincidence there!"

The flame kicker glanced through the trees and took a brief look at the trio as they recovered from the scare. He looked back at his companion. "I suppose you have some semblance of a point. But what are you getting at?"

"Think about it! If they know him by extension, there must be a connection through! Roteman might have documents that could tell us more about Data and his objectives! Maybe even clues towards the machine! We've been searching for nothing for weeks! This is the biggest lead we could've gotten!"

Eddie held his hips. "What do you expect us to do, sneak into Kanto? Bartleby doesn't exactly blend in a crowd."

Vivi tapped her chin. "Good point…" Her bulbous eyes widened, then she broke out in a happy grin. "But…who says we have to sneak into Kanto?"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Kid…"

"It's not like the military alert the public about us yet. They know we're not threats since our only objective was breaking Bartleby out. We never tried to hurt anyone."

"We blew up an underground base," Eddie reminded. He glared to the side. "Still, you have a point. I made it clear to the soldiers I fought that I wasn't out to harm. They may still be looking for us, but are keeping it quiet with the Fusion Hunters due to circumstances. I can't say we'll get off the hook easily about trespassing and destruction, but…"

Vivi rubbed her hands together, her grin growing. "Exactly…instead of sneaking into Kanto, we can have these guys bring us there! They can bring us to Gappei Village! My dream home!"

Eddie raised his brow amusingly. "Uh huh…and you still plan on going after _that_ little impression you left on those three?"

Vivi's pupils shrunk in alarm for a moment, then she scratched the back of her head and laughed nervously. "Ooh…hehe, whoops."

Eddie rolled his eyes. "That's what I thought. Still, what do you plan on doing? Even if we go, you can't keep it secret from so many Fusions."

Vivi tapped her chin, then looked towards the house. "…didn't Cade say he was a member of the village's council?" She grinned. "Ooh! That's perfect! If anyone should know about this, it's them! The Fusion Council would listen to me!"

"Doubtful," Eddie muttered. He sighed. "I don't know…"

"Eddie, please!" she begged with her hands clasped. "Two objectives in one stone throw! Find out more about Data's hidden agenda AND live in my dream home! Haven't you ever wanted to go to the village?!"

"Well…"

"Please~!" she begged with pleading, shimmering eyes.

Eddie narrowed his eyes softly. She made some good points. Besides, why would he deny her dream? She clearly wanted this. He sighed and held his hips. "Good grief…I suppose you'll need me to back up your claims."

The archer grinned and hugged his waist. "Thank you, thank you, Eddie!"

"Enough with the hugging!" Eddie shoved her off and dusted himself clean. "Beats heading back out on the road and walking aimlessly. I'll explain things over with those three over there." He pointed at the archer with a stern look. "Go talk to Cade and make sure you get your facts straight. And be weary when you mention the break in."

"Yes sir!" Vivi sprinted to the house with a cheerful squeal. "Gappei Village, here I come! WOOHOO!"

Eddie held his head and groaned. "Good grief, things are gonna get weird real quick…"

* * *

Cade was sitting on the couch and enjoying a book in his free time. As he turned the next page, he saw the excitable archer run up to him. He grinned when he saw her beaming smile. "Vivi, hello. Did you enjoy your time with the others?"

Vivi nodded. "I sure did, sir! Loads of fun!" She started getting herself to the point, teetering on her heels. "Say…by chance is that offer for Gappei Village still open?"

Cade closed his book and set it down with an intrigued smile. "Ooh, changed your mind about coming?"

Vivi smiled sheepishly. "Sort of. It was a last-minute decision made between me and Eddie." She narrowed her eyes seriously. "Actually, though…I have a question."

The earnest, yet grave look in her eyes made the phantom panda turn serious as well. He rested his arms in his lap and leaned forward. "It sounds important."

"Very." She stepped forward and placed a hand over her heart. "I want to know about your connection to the labs your Fusions and Mr. Roteman found in Unova. I fear I have information that is connected to those very labs."

* * *

Cragtail reclined back in his chair with an annoyed grunt sounding through his teeth. He just got an update from Dr. Gates about his hired help's status. It wasn't anything remotely pleasing to the Golem. "You've got to be kidding me…he lost?!"

Behind him was the A-Team of Fusion Hunters, Dario, Archie, and Maddock. Maddock leaned over Cragtail's chair and smirked at the report. "Dang, look at him. He got messed up. Did he get run over by a train?"

"Those damn Rogues are responsible for this!" Cragtail nearly ripped his computer in half, but Dario lightly restrained him.

"Sir, enough." The Gallade held his hips and sighed. "It seems your Enhancer Serum isn't as infallible as you made it out to be. Without results on the Rogues, there's no data to work with."

Cragtail slammed his fists down. "This is outrageous! The testing and numbers! We should have beaten them! Why did he fail?!"

Archie held his chin. "You sent one guy against an entire criminal gang. Regardless of strength, this was likely to happen."

"He should have wiped them out with a single hit!" Cragtail rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Argh! You can't rely on anyone these days! I might as well hire a Shuckle while I'm at it! At least they have near impenetrable shells!"

Maddock snickered and turned away. "It is kind of your fault. A simple brawler with that strength would definitely be a threat, but the Rogues have proved countlessly that they've evaded authority clutches with their skill alone."

"Don't you dare compliment their escape!" he scolded the Bisharp. He folded his hands together under his chin. "Though, you have a point. A mercenary was a wild gamble, anyway." He glanced at the A-Team. "Perhaps I should have you three dosed up instead."

Archie glared. "I'm not permanently altering my body chemistry just to apprehend some defiant punks." Dario and Maddock agreed immediately.

Cragtail growled and turned back to his computer. "Fine!" he groaned. "I still have three mercenaries on standby in case SOMEHOW this happened. If one wasn't enough, maybe three will suffice."

Maddock held his hips. "Is hiring shifty lowlifes to capture other lowlifes the wisest decision? Half the ones who accepted the job clearly have it out for Fusions. We're trying to capture, not kill."

Cragtail smirked. "Please, these buffoons know their place. As long as they get paid, they'll listen. Three crooks dosed on Enhancer Serum should do the trick."

Dario glared. "You're putting far too much faith into criminal morality."

Archie agreed and added, "They're not going to waste an opportunity to taking their petty revenge out on some Fusions. Do they even know which are the Rogues and which aren't?"

Cragtail shrugged. "Probably."

The A-Team facepalmed. _That's a 'no.'_

Cragtail pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Now to get their money's worth."

* * *

Cragtail made sure to have three more potential enhanced Pokémon on standby in case Poliwrath somewhat screwed up his assignment. Hiding out in the alleyways of Grandis City, accepting a call from their boss, were a Linoone, a Hitmonchan, and a Swalot. The Linoone, who wore a vest, had the phone on speaker so they could all hear.

"It would appear one wasn't enough to eradicate those pesky Rogues," Cragtail stated after explaining the situation.

Linoone smirked. "We've heard. We saw the papers earlier. Those Rogues sure did give him a beating."

They heard the Golem growl. "It was an infuriating fluke that I expect you three to rectify. Three of you should be more than enough."

Hitmonchan smirked. "Don't fret, boss. Those freaks got nothing on us. That idiot Poliwrath made the mistake of overanalyzing his targets and believing he could take them all on. We won't make the same mistake."

"Just remember, that serum channels through the parts of your body you injected them into. Even if it's one or ten Fusions, you're not invincible." Cragtail chuckled. "Hopefully they'll be too weak to fight back." Cragtail paused for a moment. "Hmm…perhaps if you come across them, I ask that you take care of any crooks wielding those weapons as well. You'll get a bonus out of that."

Swalot chortled excitedly. "Ooh, we'll keep that in mind!"

"Excellent. One last thing: make sure to avoid Gappei Village's Fusions. Despite their infuriating laws, I forbid any actions against them. I'm willing to bend the rules for my benefits, but even I have standards."

Linoone chuckled. "Sure thing, boss. We won't lay a finger on them."

"That's all I needed to here. Get to it." The call ended.

Linoone slid the phone into his vest pocket, then smirked. "Don't attack the villagers, he says? Heh…yeah right." He smirked at his two cohorts. "And miss out on a chance to get some payback? I don't think so."

Swalot laughed. "The Rogues are probably going to be in hiding! No point in tracking them down!"

Hitmonchan crossed his arms. "However, we've got the next best thing. The Gappei goodie-goodies play the heroes these days. They'll be going after these small-time crooks and their fancy weapons. Find the crooks…"

"…find the Fusions." Linoone threw his head back and laughed. "We'll just tell ol' Craggy that there was a mix-up! That braindead moron will believe us and still give us our pay! A win-win!" He rubbed his paws together. "With this new power of ours, we can beat a few Fusions!"

Hitmonchan punched his fists together. "Gentlemen, we're in for some ol' fashion fun tonight!" They laughed deviously as they left the alleyway, blending with the crowds.

They couldn't wait to see which poor Fusions would be on the receiving end of their rampage.


	38. Suspicions in the Night

Late nights in Grandis City didn't normally promise danger. Nothing truly to worry about so long as you remembered to stay safe. Typical advice anyone would follow. However, in the recent develop of crime thanks to the Rogues, criminals were getting bolder in their robberies.

Currently, a convenience store was under the mercy of a Gothitelle and a Crawdaunt, holding a Girafarig at gunpoint while ordering him to empty the cash register. The Crawdaunt, who stood guard by the door, wielded a spiked club that resembled a Toxapex while the Gothitelle that was harassing the cashier pointed a pistol with the barrel of a Toucannon's beak at his head.

"We don't have all night!" the Gothitelle barked in anger. "Fill the bag! Faster!" The giraffe shrieked and stuffed the bag with money much quicker, sweating and praying for his life.

Crawdaunt, while tapping his club against the glass, narrowed his eyes when he spotted red and blue lights shining from around the corner of a street. The sirens were getting louder. "Hurry up! They're almost here!"

With the bag finally filled, Gothitelle swiped it and knocked the giraffe across the face with her gun. "Tsk. The police are a joke now. We can take them."

"I rather not run the risk of getting shot, thank you!"

They bolted out of the store and hightailed it down the street. They checked the buildings they passed by before spotting a path to the alleys. "We can lose them in here, hurry!"

They slipped into the cover of darkness and backed slowly into the alleyway as the sirens came closer. A quick peek around the corner showed them stopping to check on the store while officers stepped out of the car and raced down the street.

Crawdaunt held his club up, with the spikes glowing purple. "I've been waiting to test this bad boy out."

Gothitelle pulled a magazine clip out, with the image of a Sharpedo on it, and loaded it into the gun. "The second you see them, don't hold back." She took aim and awaited the police's arrival. However, the second she did, ribbon like appendages sprung from above her and wrapped around her wrists, pulling her arms apart. "AGH! What is this?!"

"Psst." Her eyes widened, then glanced through her peripherals as a shadowed figure, hanging upside-down next to her, leaned close to her ear. "Want to hear a secret?" She inhaled, then blasted her poor eardrums with Hyper Voice.

Crawdaunt jumped in surprise. "What the hell?!" The attacker released Gothitelle, who bled from the ears as she passed out on the ground. Crawdaunt glared at the attacker: a certain Sylveon-Scrafty with a mischievous smile. "Gappei Fusion!"

"Scared Pokémon!" Artemis shouted back, then laughed.

Crawdaunt started to sprint with his club pulled back, but took a strong punch to the stomach, curtesy of the blue blur that popped out of nowhere. The speedster grabbed him by the head and slammed his face into the walls, knocking him out cold.

Tamara dropped him, then posed heroically with a bright grin. "Take that, villain! Beware the might of…the Blue Ninja Hurricane!" she exclaimed proudly.

Awkward silence, soon after, until Artemis offered her input. "Booooo~!" she taunted.

A tick mark of frustration appeared over Tamara before shouting, "Oh, SHUT up, Artemis! I'm still working on the name!"

Artemis grinned slyly. "Aww, not enjoying our girls' night out?"

"The three of us are hunting criminals. We're not having a night on the town." She looked around before glaring. "Wait, where's Juniper?"

Artemis pointed up. "Roof. Napping. The usual."

Tamara pulled on her whiskers and growled. "For Arceus' sake! Juniper! She always does this!"

Artemis shrugged. "Hey, I have no reason to complain. More baddies to beat up." She then pouted sadly. "Too bad these two went down too easily."

Tamara wall jumped between the alleyway while Artemis used her feelers to climb up. The ninja cat reached the top and looked around before spotting the culprit.

Juniper napped on her side with a diet soda cradled between her arms. Her left leg twitched a bit in a cute manner, like a baby Growlithe sound asleep. She smiled blissfully. "Why yes…I would love a bed made of clouds…"

Tamara nudged the panda with her foot. "JUN! Wake up!"

Juniper didn't jolt awake, but Tamara did rouse her from her slumber. She yawned and rubbed her tired eyes. "Is it morning already?" She found Tamara and smiled sleepily. "Oh, hey Tam. What did I miss?"

"EVERYTHING!" she shouted. "We took out the robbers without you!"

"Oh, you did?" She snapped her fingers. "Oh darn, my bad…"

Tamara's face fell into a deadpan stare. "You could try sounding a bit more sincere."

"I am! ...kind of." Juniper grinned. "Oh, what's the harm? You two got to beat up more baddies!"

Artemis pulled herself up and walked towards the martial art panda with a matching grin. "She knows what I'm talking about!" They high-five each other and laughed.

Tamara looked away, pinching between her eyes to relieve her frustration. "Am I the only sane one here…?"

"Probably," Artemis answered with a shrug and wry grin.

Juniper chuckled. "Lighten up, Tammy, we're all having fun here."

"What she said," Artemis agreed. "I mean, what's the harm? It's not like anything bad is happening."

"Do…you not even remember why we're out here so late?" Tamara asked, now facing them. "We're literally looking for once petty criminals now wielding highly dangerous weaponry. We have no reason to CHILL out! We have a duty to serve justice to these people and keep the streets safe from crime!"

Juniper lay on her back and folded her arms behind her head. "Like I said: _chill, girl._ We've got time to kill," she stated in a very lax tone. "We've already stopped five attempted robberies. The sirens seem to be calm now."

Tamara raised her brow dryly. "We?"

"Tamato, tomato," she muttered off before closing her eyes.

Tamara rolled her eyes, then sat herself down with minor reluctance. "Fine…girls' night, it is."

"Y- _eeeaah_!" Artemis cheered, waving her feelers around before sitting down as well. "I say we start off the night with some _boy talk_ ," she suggested with a mischievous grin.

Tamara groaned. "Good grief, I'm not going to listen to you chatter about how 'wonderful' and 'sweet' Quinn is. He's a cool guy and all, but I can't stand the sweetness between you two."

Artemis snickered behind her paw. "While I would love to torture you with my love life, I'm mostly referring to this one," she directed to Juniper, tapping her nose with her feeler.

"Eh?" Juniper sounded with an open eye.

Artemis grinned knowingly. "Don't be like that, I know things. You and good ol' Washy have been training in secret. Thought you could pull a wall over me, did you?"

Juniper smiled wryly. "I have no idea what you're going on about. Wash simply offered me tips on how to keep myself more motivated in a fight, that's all."

"How's that working out for you?" Tamara asked.

"Well, I've been falling asleep less…no, wait, nothing's changed." She laughed playfully. "But, I admire his patience with me. Guess even he knows how much I love to nap!"

Artemis giggled teasingly as she poked at the panda's cheeks. "Come on, don't dodge the question, sweetie. You know what I'm after. Give me the juicy bits. You're not just training."

Juniper sat up and smirked. "I know what you're insinuating, my devious friend." She held her head up. "If you must know, training has occasionally devolved into more of…a game of tag between two close friends. I tag him, he tags back. We both chase each other and laugh."

"Annnnd~?" Artemis urged on.

Juniper rolled her eyes, then smiled fondly with a tint of pink in her cheeks. "Well…I can't deny there's something…appealing about him." She giggled. "Tell me, is it normal for my heart to flutter when we trade punches or was I just bubbling with joy spending time alone with him?"

The mischievous fox squealed and wrapped her feelers around the panda, pulling her into a hug. "Tammy, our girl has a crush~!"

Juniper shrugged it off with a tired smile. "Eh, perhaps, but I'm not in any rush for relationships. Taking it nice and easy until I decide to take that step in the direction."

Tamara raised her brow. "Why Wash, though? What's so appealing about him to you?"

Juniper held her chin in thought. "Hmm…well, it's complicated, yet it's not."

"No more of your damn riddles!" Tamara shouted.

Juniper chuckled. "Fine, fine." She looked at the night sky. "Personally, I'm attracted to his past. It reminds me of my own in a way."

"Do you have a split personality, too?" Artemis asked with a large grin, hoping it was a clue to her secret life.

"Nope. Only one personality in this noggin and she's a heavy sleeper." Juniper laughed before going on. "I don't mean literally, but more of a metaphor. As individuals, we live with two different sides. A side we don't like and another that we _want_ others to like. I think of it as us hiding behind masks and worrying that who we are will scare those we care about away."

"Huh…that's pretty deep," Tamara admitted.

Juniper then grinned slyly. "Though, I can't deny Wash is quite the looker, too."

Artemis matched her expression and gave her a light shove. "Bah, speak for yourself. Quinn's far more attractive." She tapped her chin. "Guess we're both attracted to the strong silent types." They giggled together.

Tamara looked away with a dry look. "You two and your love lives, I swear…" Tamara's eyes suddenly lit up in alert while her ears twitched, picking up suspicious sounds nearby.

The other two didn't notice as they chatted. "I have to wonder why you went for Quinn," Juniper asked. "He doesn't seem like your type on the surface."

Artemis closed her eyes and beamed while wagging her tail. "What can I say? He makes me feel special."

Tamara held her hand up. "Shush, both of you," she whispered. She closed her eyes and focusing deeper into the approaching sounds. "I hear something."

"Sirens?" Juniper asked.

"I don't hear any myself," Artemis said.

"No, this is different," Tamara said as she focused harder.

"Different how?" Juniper asked.

Artemis looked around, then felt her ears twitch as sounds were picked up. "Wait…I think I hear them, too. They sound like footsteps…heading in our direction."

Tamara opened her eyes and glared. "Someone's coming for us."

Artemis smirked. "Us? What, is some brave crook trying to outmuscle us now? HAHAHAHAHA! What a joke!" She laughed her head off, until a streak of beige and brow soared right past her and nearly connected an attack to her, but she jumped back in time with minor surprise. "What the WHAT?!"

The girls glared at a Linoone that dragged his claws into the rooftop to slow his insane momentum to a stop. He shook his head, likely from the rush of his speed, then smirked villainously at the girls.

"Well, well, well…we did find some Fusions out at night."

"We?" the girls muttered, before checking their sides and spotting a Hitmonchan and a Swalot emerging from the other sides of the roof. The girls held her fists up (in Artemis' case, her feelers) and stared down their sudden enemy as the Pokémon circled them like Sharpedo trapping their prey.

Artemis looked between the three newcomers, then flashed a smirk. "You gentlemen need something? You lost? Or are you in need of an ass whooping?"

Swalot chortled in amusement. "Chohohoho! Pardon the intrusion, ladies, but we've been itching to find some suitable Fusions to quench our thirst for battle. That would be you, unfortunately."

Juniper yawned, indifferent about being surrounded by potentially dangerous criminals. "I'm sorry, but…what? Go bother someone else, like the Rogues."

Hitmonchan smirked. "Now see…that's a bit of a problem. You see, we are looking for the Rogues. Or rather… _were_. Rogue…Gappei…it's all the same to us. But there's a big difference when referring to your group." He punched his fists together. "At the end of the day, you're the ones who put guys like us behind bars."

"We were hired to search for the Rogues, but we decided to have some fun. To teach Gappei Village a lesson about suppressing crime," Linoone went on, sliding his claws across his neck. "You and your village are a problem we want to wipe out. Get the picture?"

Tamara sneered and held her fists up to him. "I'm not sure what interest you have in the Rogues, but you're making a big mistake challenging all three of us."

Hitmonchan chuckled. "If the results of the last guy are anything to go off of, we shouldn't have any trouble taking you pretty ladies out. We can't have _heroes_ stepping in our way."

At the mention of being referred to as a hero, Tamara felt her pride expanding as she made a bold stance with a proud grin. "Oh…hero, huh?"

Artemis and Juniper looked at each other with lopsided smiles. _Annnd, there she goes._

Tamara did dramatic posing as she made another of her overblown speeches. "That's right, villains! You stand before a hero! Wherever there's justice to be served, I shall be the caterer of heroism! For where there's evil to be slain, a hero shall rise and vanquish such sin! Even the tiniest grain of truth and justice shall pierce through the iron walls of villainy! You face, now, a true hero! A hero that will always save the day, no matter the distance or trek!

"Speed…is Justice!"

A long, awkward silence hung in the air between the two sides, with everyone staring at the ninja cat in either bafflement or question.

Artemis inhaled to gain the cat's attention, then asked, "So…do you just have all that written down on flashcards and memorized or do you improvise that?"

The three criminals blinked quietly at the cat before Swalot spoke his thoughts. "Well…we just HAD to find the crazy ones first."

A fire burned in Tamara's eyes as she raised her fist. "What did you say?!"

"Enough!" Linoone got on all fours. "We came here to eliminate the Rogues, but it'd be far more beneficial to eliminate the true pests first."

Juniper smiled lazily. "Oh please~. What are you going to do about it?"

He answered with action. His hindlegs glowed with heat and steamed lightly. He bent back as he readied for his attack. Confidently smirking, he kicked off and threw himself at Tamara at incredible speeds that through her off guard almost. Tamara quickly sidestepped his claws, but the weasel quickly flipped his body and kicked in the opposite direction, striking Tamara in the back before she could recover.

"GAH!" she cried out before flying over the street and crashing into the building opposite to them.

"Tamara!" Artemis called out.

Juniper was wide-eyed with her arms crossed casually. "Huh…consider my foot in my mouth…"

Artemis glared at the criminals. "What the hell was that?!"

Hitmonchan punched his fists together, as they, too, steamed from the heat they gave off. "Let's just say you're no longer superior beings as of tonight."

"Chohohoho! This'll be a blast!" Swalot exclaimed as his body emitted the same steam.

Artemis stepped back and growled. "Something's very wrong here."

Juniper raised her brow. "Maybe…though, different parts of them are giving off that steam. Suppose that means something?"

The crafty Fusion pawed at the ground as she mentally prepared herself to fight. "Don't know. Just attack however you can. Think you can work up the energy to help?"

Juniper yawned before offering her friend a smile. "Eh, sure, I've got nothing better to do."

Hitmonchan punched his fists together before charging. "I've got the Spinda Fusion!"

Juniper skipped backwards and avoided his punch reach. She was mildly surprised by the force it carried out, feeling the breeze of the attack graze her cheek with such prominence. She twirled away from a downward punch that bashed out a large hole in the roof.

 _Hmm…I wouldn't doubt a normal Hitmonchan can do that, but that didn't even look like a very strong punch. He's carrying a lot of power through his strikes._

Artemis raced for the Swalot and ran circles around him as he attacked with Shadow Ball first. Artemis used her feelers to rapidly deflect the attacks with excellent coordination and dexterity. She reflected most of them back into other Shadow Ball projectiles and even scored some hits on the Swalot himself.

"A bloated gas bag like you has nothing on me!" she taunted.

However, the Shadow Balls didn't seem to accumulate that much, or any, damage to the Poison Bag Pokémon. He stood tall with barely a mark to his skin. He grinned teasingly. "Chohohoho! What was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of failure!"

Artemis glared, then ceased her circling to flip overhead. "High Jump Kick!" Her right hindleg flash red, then she threw herself down with the power of her kick.

Swalot smirked. "Wrong move!" He inhaled, then inflated his body out.

Artemis struck his chest dead on, but the impact to his body didn't feel quite like what she expected. Like a Magikarp tackling a brick wall, her momentum was turned against her and the force struck back through her leg, knocking her off.

"Ow!" she cried as she massaged her leg with her feelers. She glared at the Swalot as he relaxed his body. She saw the point of impact, but nothing more than a scuff mark. Her attack did absolutely nothing, not even a sign of discomfort. She knew she wasn't in her high attack form, but still, not even a little damage. "What the heck?"

"Chohohoho! My body can repel your feeble attacks with no damage to take! My durability far surpasses anything you could throw at me!"

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "I'm supposed to be the cocky one here, buddy." _Juniper was right. I felt the heat coming off him. Something's empowering body to be strong enough to repel attacks._ She glared at Hitmonchan and the Linoone, who was lining himself up to fly towards the opposite building. _Arms and legs…striking power and kick off speed._

Over with Tamara, the ninja cat recovered from her crash landing and picked herself up. Resting her arms in her lap, she shook her head to readjust her bearings. "Ugh…where am I…?" Her ears twitched in alert before spotting the approaching, fast blur. This time, she leapt out of the way and kept a good distance as the Linoone slashed her original position.

Linoone spun on his front paws and laughed. "Take a good look, Fusion! This is power!" He kicked the ground and sent forth a shockwave that knocked her off her feet, then he jumped in the air and kicked her straight down in the torso. "You're officially outclassed!"

Tamara weakly grabbed her aching and bruised stomach. She stood up and formed a hand sign. "R-Recover…" Her body wrapped in a green, healing aura that wiped away her newly acquired injuries.

Linoone poured power into his legs and lunged right for her. "Hey! Who said you could recover?!"

Tamara kicked to the side and avoided his attack. "Water Shuriken!" She threw four Water Shuriken that caught him off guard during his moment of slow down, exploding in his face. She hissed in annoyance. _Damn weasel is fast, but he doesn't have control over turning like any other Linoone, just with more force to his speed._

Linoone patted his face before facing the ninja cat again. "Cheap shot, Fusion."

Tamara sneered, then cracked her knuckles. "What is this, anyway? Did the Rogues give you freaky vitamins or something?"

Linoone smirked. "This isn't the work of the Rogues, nor is it your concern. Our goal is to snuff you freaks out for good. We've even the playing field, only we're better."

Tamara glared. "Tch. Is that so?"

"We can't have the pests thinking they can stomp over us. We're Pokémon. It doesn't matter how powerful you Fusions are. We've lived on this planet far longer than when you started popping up." Linoone chuckled darkly. "We're destined to wipe you all out."

Tamara felt a smirk forming on her face. "Oh?" She chuckled and extended her claws. "I can feel my blood pumping in anticipation."

Linoone crossed his claws as they glowed white. "Let's see who truly is the superior race." They squatted down, then sprinted for each other and connecting their Night Slash and Slash attacks, matching sparks flying off.

Back with Hitmonchan, the boxer was adamantly throwing punches at the lazy panda. He knew connecting just one of them would mean a huge advantage in his favor. He could punch with enough force to fire shockwaves. There was, however, one small problem: he couldn't land a single hit on Juniper!

Juniper, with her uncoordinated movements and dizzy posture, kept leaning and falling back from the boxer's punches. One threw enough force to smash through the adjacent building with the pressure, but even that didn't deter the panda. Hitmonchan just couldn't get a definite read on how she moved and swayed. Worst part of it all, he could see the slight focus in her eyes. She was doing this on purpose, yet still kept her lax demeanor.

"Hold still, would ya?!" Hitmonchan shouted as he got more aggressive with the punches.

Juniper smiled lazily. "I wouldn't want to disappoint, but those punches of yours look like they hurt. I prefer to keep my face bruise free, thank you very much."

Hitmonchan leapt in the air and pulled his fists back. "Does it look like I care about your needs!" He punched rapidly downward raining shockwave punches that crumbled the roof.

Juniper continued with her dizzy spinning and dodged the rain shower of pressure. She aimed her palm up and grinned cheekily. "Force Palm." She released the yellow blast wave from her palm and disrupted the raining pressure punches, while also scoring a hit on the boxer.

"AGH!" He fell on his back with a smoking mark on his chest. He growled and pushed himself back onto his feet. He saw a Moonblast flying from the corner of his eye and punch it into harmless sparkles. "Hey! Watch it!"

Artemis ignored him as she flung Moonblast and Focus Blast at Swalot, using her high special attack damage as her main go for attacks. However, even that was doing minimal damage against the tank of a poison bag. She was getting fed up with his passive response.

"What?! Is standing around and being a target all you can do?! Trying to exhaust me?!"

Swalot grinned. "Chohohoho! Far from it! But, since you asked, I'll oblige! Gunk Shot!" He fired a stream of high pressured poison straight at her.

Artemis, shrieking with panic, rolled out of the way of the poison stream, then ran circles around the Swalot once more as he tracked her with the attack. Working up a strategy, she stopped and inhaled. "Hyper….VOOOOOIIIIICCCCEEEEE!"

The sound wave pushed against the Gunk Shot and created a stalemate between the attacks. Swalot reached his limit and stopped firing the Gunk Shot before jumping out of the sonic wave's way. Swalot grinned. "Ooh, trying to make me pass out from sound overload?"

"OOOOHHHHH SSSHHHHUUUUTTTTTT…UUUUUPPPPPP!" Artemis screamed, her voice carried through the Hyper Voice. Swalot jumped out of its way again and fired down Shadow Balls, forcing Artemis to dodge.

Tamara and Linoone traded consecutive blows with each other. Night Slash and Slash collided with force, spreading sparks across the roof with incredible speed. Linoone dug his claws in, spun himself around to a stop, and lunged at Tamara with her back turned. "What makes you the authority against us, Fusions?! We don't bow to you freaks?!"

Tamara tensed her muscles as his slash sent her flying in the air. Her face scrunched up as she seethed through her teeth. _Grr! If it weren't for his damn speed, those attacks would be stinging so much!_ Her eyes snapped open into a sharp glare. _But I'll show you what speed really is!_ "Agility!"

Linoone lunged at her as she landed, but she flicker-vanished the second she did. He spun around and stopped himself, looking around frantically. "Now where did you-AAHHH!" Tamara appeared above him and slashed down on his back with Night Slash, sinking him into the roof.

"I don't take orders from criminals!" Tamara shouted.

Linoone picked his lower half up and kicked her in the gut. "Takes one to know one!"

Tamara flew back and nearly fall over the side of the building, but caught herself on the edge, hanging over the side. She glared up as the Linoone loomed over her. "You don't care about what our ancestors done! All you care about is making others miserable!"

Linoone sneered. "Maybe so…" He stepped on her hand and ground it under his sole. "But at least you'll be out of the picture."

Tamara growled, then flipped herself up onto a handstand and struck him square in the face with her feet. "Not while there's still justice to be served!"

Linoone stumbled back, wiped his bloodied nose, then got on all fours. "There's no justice that can stop my wrath!" They lunged for each other, bearing their claws with fierce looks.

Juniper, back in the other roof, continued to avoid punches when she happened to pick up on the Linoone's shouts. She raised her brow curiously and held her chin. "Hmm…no justice, huh?"

"Pay attention, freak!" Hitmonchan yelled as fist came dangerous close to her head…

…before suddenly flying over her shoulder and slamming down on his back with a swift maneuver by the martial art panda. It was so fast, he barely registered the counterattack or the panda's movements.

Juniper held her hips and tilted her head to the side. "Hmm…freaks, monsters, hybrid mistakes…that's all I hear from the angriest Pokémon, though maybe that's with or without their reasons, from the petty to the legitimate. Monsters that are nothing but trouble, huh?"

Hitmonchan picked himself up and glared. "You got a problem with that, brat?"

Juniper blinked, then looked over her shoulder with a calm smile. "No…not really. If anything, I suppose I am a bit of a monster."

Hitmonchan growled and punched his fists together. "That's the idea!"

"But tell me, if I'm the monster for stopping the bad guy…" She grinned cheekily. "What does that make you?" The boxer glowered furiously at her. "I've had my fair share of hate in this world. I just don't let it affect me. Call me a monster all you want. I've been called worse."

Hitmonchan roared and rushed at her, swinging his fists. "I'm going to wipe that smug grin right off your face!"

Juniper took a gentle stance and awaited his attack with a cunning grin and a sly look in her eyes. "You're in for a long night of disappointment." She threw her palm out and collided with his fist with Force Palm, exploding in intense light.

* * *

While all the chaos was going on outside, Julian and Data were watching a movie, suggested by the cube himself. While he was enthralled in the images on screen, Julian displayed clear boredom with the activity, rubbing his eyes to prevent accidentally falling asleep.

"Do you…not get bored watching TV so much?"

Data chuckled like he told a joke. "I've been in hibernation for three centuries. Bored? HA! Preposterous! There's plenty of content to enjoy…and rant about." He swung his mechanical arm around. "I mean, have you seen some of the horror movies I had to sit through?! Good lord, I've never experience such mind-numbing drivel since my school days!"

Julian pinched between his eyes and sighed. "I shouldn't have asked…"

"You don't sound like your usual self, Julian. What's got you down?"

"Do you even remember the conversation we had over the phone earlier?"

"Conversation?" He snapped his mechanical fingers. "Ah yes, that! If you're still worried about those crooks and their weapons, your little Fusion helpers have it covered."

"That's the issue, though. They're _your_ weapons." Julian snagged the remote and muted the TV.

"Hey! I can't read lips, you know! Now how will I know if they find out the sacred jewel is hidden in the sky?!"

Julian set the remote down and leaned forward. "Look, Data, I'm trying to be nice here, but you're walking a thin line with me and it needs to stop. The fact you willingly built-"

" _Designed_ ," he corrected. "I never physically built my original prototypes, only designed.

" _Fine…_ " Julian grumbled through his teeth. "The fact you _designed_ weaponry to begin with doesn't suit the goals of someone who wants to help Fusions. The exact opposite, in fact."

"Well, to be fair, you-"

"MY weapons aren't lethal! They are designed to suppress- ACK, I mean _restrain_ Fusions peacefully! GAH!" Julian gripped his head and seethed with discomfort. "I can't think straight these days, I swear!"

Data reached out and patted his knee. "Now, now, Julian, we can't have you having blowing your brains out."

"I…" Julian sighed and rubbed his eyes. "There's so much about you that doesn't add up. You fight for peace and I admire that, but…why, is the question I keep asking myself? Why?"

Data sighed. "Julian, I'm simply a curious man. All Pokémon are born with a natural curiosity. Is it wrong to point my scientific mind towards new discoveries or ask the big questions? I'm an altruistic man at the end of the day, who just wants what's best for Fusions."

"But why the serum? Why the weapons? It almost seems like you wanted to start a war with Pokémon, not help understand Fusions."

Data scratched his side lightly. "Uh huh…like I said, there are some Fusions that do require some restraint. Fusions need to learn these things just as much and I understand that. I never intended for warfare, but for the same goals you strive for."

"My equipment turns off their natural abilities or directly stuns them," Julian reminded with tense hand gestures. "Do you not see the implications that could have with yours?"

"I'm not from this time, remember? The Rogues were barely a thing and I wasn't in a partnership with someone like Cragtail who makes loopholes with your own laws." Data waved his mechanical hand around. "I was curious and wanted to branch out to what a Fusion's power could become in the right hands. I'm an activist, but I'm still a man of science. You know as much as I do that weaponry shouldn't be used to strike fear into the hearts of others. They're protection against the threats we can't manage on our own. Never should they be used carelessly.

"You saw to a loophole by creating weapons that target a Fusion's abilities rather than their health. For that, you found an easy middle ground. But even you must be curious what the power of a Fusion feels like in your own hands." He gestured at himself. "My curiosity doesn't stop at weapons. Look at me. I've cheated death far beyond my life expectancy. I want to understand a Fusion so that we can make a better world, but the world is too stubborn to forget the past and hardship everyone had to suffer through."

Julian rested his arms in his lap, staring at his floor with a troubled expression. "…but why do you do the things you do?"

"Must I repeat myself? I just want to help Fusions."

"This is supposed to be a partnership, whether I like it or not," Julian reminded him, tapped the side of his cube. "I've told you- or rather, you found out- my life stories and the troubles I had to go through because of the rising conflicts. I have my reasons for wanting to end this. I've experienced those troubles from afar and directly." He glared. "You…You don't have anything outside of 'I just want to help.'"

"What more do you want from me?" Data asked genuinely.

"…a motive. What drove you to…take a chance on Fusions? You were a part of a horrible time in our history where Fusions were killed on the streets and no one would bat an eye. Fusion Trials were a thing…horrible things. How hasn't the world influenced you? What stopped you from hating Fusions to begin with? What made you see a chance at happiness? What?"

Data didn't respond, a long pause stretching out between them as the seconds ticked by. For once, Data was in deep thought, but Julian couldn't tell what he was going through. All the context he got was the rhythmic tapping of his mechanical fingers, trying to pull out an answer for himself. His arm rested on top of the box as he sighed.

"…I'm just doing…what I think is right. I…I just want to stop these hardships…so no more tears can be shed for another lost life…"

Julian's eyes softened immediately, hearing the drop of his tone. "D…Data…"

Data sighed and waved off his concern voice. "Don't…Don't get sappy with me. It's nothing." He picked up the remote, unmuted, and resumed searching through channels. "I've lived a long life asleep. I don't want to spend this awakening with sadness."

Julian sat himself down and held his head. "I…I don't know what to say…"

"It's all in the past, Julian. I just want to focus on helping the future." Data switched to the local news channel. "Take to heart, though, that I'm doing the right thing."

Julian rubbed his head, then stared at the cube with concern. "Data…what happen-?"

"Uh, Julian? You might want to look at this," Data interrupted, pointing to the TV.

"Data, don't change the subject. I-"

"We are now live on a battle taking place atop the rooftops of fifth lane street," a news reporter stated, "as local Gappei Village Fusions battle against three Pokémon. Quite the drastic scene, as it seems these young, but talented Fusions are having some trouble against these potential criminals."

Julian leaned forward. "Wait, what is she talking about?"

"While no context has been given to how these seemingly common thugs are handling themselves against Gappei's Fusions, we have captured an image of an unnatural heat being given off by these crooks."

The moment Julian saw the image of a Swalot with a reddened body and notable steam being produced, his eye started twitching. "That's…Those are…Cragtail's mercenaries."

"Weren't they supposed to be tracking the Rogues instead?" Data asked.

Julian's fists tightened, then he shot off the couch and raced to his room. "I need to make a call, now!" He slammed the door behind him.

Data sighed, waving his hand around. "Poor man doesn't need any more stress."

The phone that often sat next to him suddenly began ringing. Data's hand quickly shot to the device and clicked the call button. He checked to make sure Julian didn't hear the ringing before placing the device against his side. He has been expecting a call from a certain someone, but he had to make sure it was them.

"…what is the true power of a Fusion?" he recited.

"Evolution, adaptation, and potential. The unlimited number."

Data chuckled in satisfaction. "I was wondering when I'd hear back from you. I was lucky to get into contact with you at all. You still been keeping your tracks clean?"

"Yes, sir," the caller answered. "My presence throughout Profectus Inc. has been made untraceable."

"And you've been getting your assignments done, correct?" Data asked. "Have you hacked into the Fusion Hunters' base computers like I asked?"

"Yes, I have. All is going according to plan. Once we set up a proper video feed and you work your silver tongue on Cragtail, you'll have full communication with the imprisoned Fusions."

Data chuckled quietly. "Good…that's good. To think, I'll have the toughest, scariest Fusions from around the world at my beck and call, helping me achieve a new world order. Once they see my side of things, we'll heal this broken world for good."

"And when do we initiate our strike?" the caller asked.

"Patience. We still need the necessary items, and you still need to finish your side mission for me. That, itself, will take time." Data's sides glowed ominously as he hummed in thought. "Time will tell. There are still some…loose ends that need to be dealt with, first."

* * *

Fast and precise, Tamara and the Linoone clashed their speedy attacks with one another in unending flurries, dashing and striking relentlessly. Tamara could barely take the force of the weasel's strikes and had to rely on her Recover to stay in the game for so long. Her main concern was avoiding any of his kicks, which wasn't difficult since Linoone weren't renowned for their kicking abilities, or lack thereof.

It was his speed that proved to be the issue. And that made her blood boil.

Night Slash and Slash pressed against each other as the two locked their attacks. Linoone smirked. "Tell me, cat, how does it feel to be on the weak end of the spectrum?!" He used his powered up hindlegs to push against Tamara's claws.

The ninja cat gritted her and held her position as best she could. "Don't know! Never experience it!" She sidestepped from the attack lock, leading him to stumble forward. She spun on her hand and drove her heel into his back with Aerial Ace.

"AAHH!" The strike was brief, but the pain was lasting. He rolled out of the way of a secondary attack and leaped into the air, soaring high before using his legs to rocket himself straight down. He aimed his kick right for her.

Tamara threw several Water Shuriken, which exploded on contact. Linoone staggered in his fall, but quickly regained position and activated his Fury Cutter, slashing down on Tamara. She blocked with her arms, but tensed up as the force made her feet sink through the concrete roof.

 _D-Dammit! His attacks shouldn't be hurting me this badly, but…his freakin' speed is adding force to the damage!_

Both Tamara and Artemis were having difficulty with their opponents simply for countering their main fighting styles. Juniper, who was fighting the heavy hitter of the three, was handling it with ease, however. Hitmonchan, growing increasingly frustrated with each punch, was having his attacks deflected and countered by the panda's fluid arm movement.

"AGH! Why!" Another punch. "Did!" Deflected. "I!" Punched in the gut. "Get!" He pulled both his fists back. "Stuck with this one?!" He threw both fists and fired a damaging shockwave that would've hurt Juniper hadn't she spun herself out of its way.

Juniper stumbled around, as she did, then slouched over with a sleepy smile. "You seem to be caring a lot of pent up stress. Have you consider taking lots of naps? It's quite relaxing."

Hitmonchan huffed as he loosened his tense shoulders. He glared at the panda angrily. "I'm getting…real sick of your smugness."

"I'm just the better fight. Sorry to disappoint," she apologized with a cheeky, yet tired smile.

Hitmonchan panted a little longer before pulling his fist back. "I thought I could take you one with simple punches, but I guess I was wrong." He charged light blue energy into his fist. "Tell me, can you dodge this?"

Juniper held her hand up to her mouth and yawned. "Your movement speed is lackluster. As long as I stay a little outside your reach, you can't hit me with punches or those shockwaves. You would either need a speed boost or-" The second she focused back on him, she saw the glowing fist approaching inches from her face. Her eyes slowly widened.

 _That's…Mach Punch, isn't it?_

She barely had time to, but she threw her arms up and took the direct blow of the Mach Punch. The punch sent her flying off her feet with unbearable amounts of pain and force and sent her crashing through the adjacent building. She tumbled through walls and doors before crashing into a broom closet.

"Ugh…" she moaned. She tried to push herself up by her arms, but they gave out on her, sending her back on her belly. "Uuuugh…" She would have to wait a moment until Regenerator kicked in. She gritted her teeth and forced her lips to stay in a smile. "W-Well…that…that hurt…" She couldn't help the one tear involuntarily peeking from her left eye.

She felt a fluid soaking her arms. At first, she thought it was blood, but then realized she felt flat, metallic objects in her sleeves. She weakly reached inside and pulled out a crush, flattened can of soda. The top was burst open and soaked in soda. She wiggled her arms gently and dropped more destroyed cans with soda drizzling out.

She blinked slowly. "My…My soda…" She normally relied on reflecting attacks with her hands, while her membrane sleeves could absorb impact shock to protect her precious cans. This…was a first.

Hitmonchan jumped into the building and followed the tunnel of holes before spotting Juniper sitting on the ground. He punched his fists together. "Well, what did you think of that?!"

Juniper stared at her flattened cans while her arms slowly healed up. She blinked again, then stood up. She sighed, then faced him. "What did soda ever do to you?"

"Huh?" he muttered, a bit surprised.

"You just costed me four cans of perfectly good soda. Now the insides of my sleeves are sticky." She sniffed the inside of her right one. "Though, I could get use to the smell of soda in here."

Hitmonchan clenched his teeth. "Is this some sort of joke to you?!"

"No…I never joke about soda." She sighed, then glared at him with a mildly ticked off smile. "Guess I should stop goofing off and actually try to fight."

"Are you serious?!"

Juniper nodded. "Try your Mach Punch again. I have it memorized."

Hitmonchan wasted no time throwing the fast-moving Mach Punches at the smug panda. Juniper glared right at them, then her eyes widened intensely as her arms swung with fluid, quickened movements. A punch aimed for her face was deflected around her. The boxer couldn't believe what he was seeing, nor could he actually see the defensive blocks. The look in her spiral eyes told him she was running off full muscle memory and instinct.

 _What kind of training was she put through?! She's different from the other two!_

Back with Artemis, the Sylveon-Scrafty relentlessly pummeled the Swalot with her Focus Blasts, Moonblasts, and Hyper Voice, all while avoiding his Gunk Shot. She landed all her attacks perfectly, but the poison bag's defensive body made any sort of damage impossible to land. She was steadily losing her patience with him.

"Chohohoho!" Swalot laughed. "Had enough?! I can go at this all day!"

Artemis anchored her feelers into the roof and flung herself right at him. "Iron Head!" Her mohawk transformed into steel, then she bashed her skull into the poison bag's stomach, pushing him towards the roof's edge.

Swalot grunted a bit, then bounced her off. "Chohohoho! Now that's starting to hurt a bit. I'll take care of that. Stockpile!" He inhaled and bloated his body out, increasing his absurd defenses further.

Artemis panted quietly, then clenched her teeth. "I'm getting real sick and tired of that laugh!"

"Are you angry?" he teased.

Artemis smirked furiously. "No…we're far past that!" She sprinted at him and leaped in the air. "High Jump Kick!"

"Stockpile!" He inflated his body further, creating more steam off his body. Artemis collided with him and bounced off. "Chohohoho!"

Artemis regained balance and formed Focus Blast and Moonblast in each of her feelers. "I said enough!" She fired them down with great strength, exploding the edge of the roof with a wall of smoke rising.

A Gunk Shot fired through the smoke and struck her dead on with super effective damage. Artemis cried out in pain as she fell from the air and landed on her back, covered in the poisonous fluid. She rolled onto her stomach and struggled to lift herself. Swalot slid from the smoke and continued to laugh.

"Chohoho! Face it, girly! My body can take your useless attacks forever! You've got nothing!"

Artemis panted with her eyes lowered, staring down the bloated poison bag. _Strategy…isn't my thing. Just fighting. Wish Quinn was here…he's better at that junk than me._ She narrowed her eyes seriously. _Unless…_

The crafty Fusion suddenly got an idea, then grinned cheekily. "I don't need a strategy…I just need to stop treating this like a fight…"

Swalot smirked. "And what does that mean?"

Artemis backed up towards the edge where the alleyway was. "It means I have to do what I do best." She jumped backwards, then winked with an evil smile forming. "Cheat." She fell into the alleyway.

Swalot blinked. "Huh?" He sighed, then grinned slyly. "Really? Swallow!" Taking the two stacks of Stockpile, he 'swallowed' them and deflated his body while regaining the little damage he lost. He slid towards the roof's edge. "Chohohoho…what does she have up her sleeve now?"

Tamara collided Aerial Ace with Linoone's Façade, which had him coated in an orange aura. Without an added speed boost to up his strike, Linoone was forced back by the punch. Tamara performed three flips towards him, then flicker vanished behind him and delivered a swift Aerial Ace kick to his back.

Linoone found his foot and launched himself backwards, headbutting Tamara in the stomach before grappling her body and pinning her arms to her sides. He bent back and suplexed her into the ground, though not as effectively as he thought. Still, before Tamara could recovered, the weasel jumped back, then rocketed himself into Tamara with Slash, sending her flying into the building they started on.

Tamara picked herself up, shaking a bit, and went to use Recover. "Y-You jerk…" However, her concentration was broken for a side slash right past her.

Linoone, who flew to the building, dug his claws in and spun around to repeat the furious Slash attacks with his absurd launch speed. "What was that crap about speed and justice?! HA! I'm too fast for you, kid?!"

Tamara staggered around as he slashed from multiple directions, but she worked up her focus as anger began to boil in her blood. "T-Too fast?" She stomped her foot down and crossed her arms as she took his attacks with a sturdier form. "No one…grr! …is faster…ugh! ...than me!"

Linoone laughed. "Oh really?! Well, prove me wrong or pay with your life!" He switched up to Fury Cutter to rack up damage.

"Water Shuriken!" Fast reflexes and timing, Tamara threw a shuriken between his eyes, blinding him with the water vapor.

"GAH!" He tumbled across the roof before catching himself on his paws. He rubbed his eyes, then squinted around for Tamara. "Dirty trick, cat!"

"Agility…plus Aerial Ace!"

Linoone quickly steered his head towards the direction of her voice, only catching a faint ring of dust. He blinked, then looked around frantically. "Where are you, kid?! I told you! I'm faster! I'm several times faster than any Linoone you'll ever meet-!"

It was fast, yet it felt like an eternity. His active, wildly driven brain tried to register the movements as fast it could, but his body was unable to keep up. He saw the ninja cat appear next to him with her foot empowered by Aerial Ace, with the heel aimed for his cheek. His eyes slowly widened as the kick came closer to hitting his face.

"Tell me," Tamara asked, her words reaching his ears before the kick, in a cold, eerie tone. "Have you ever experienced being kicked at the speed of sound?"

Contact was made…and Linoone practically vanished. He flew into the building next door, smashing through with a near perfect, Linoone-shaped hole.

Tamara lowered her foot, then spat on the ground as she glared at the hole. "Don't ever challenge my speed."

The ninja cat flinched from a sudden ruckus going on inside before spotting Juniper and the Hitmonchan flying out, locked in tight combat. Hitmonchan threw a Fire Punch while Juniper counter with Drain Punch. Sparks flew from the attacks.

Once they landed, Hitmonchan threw a volley of Mach Punches while Juniper continuously deflected them with her unnerving, calm gaze. "What…ARE YOU?!" Hitmonchan screamed.

Juniper narrowed her eyes. "…Consecutive Flow."

Her fluid movements mixed with her fierce palm strikes. She struck him in various places on the body and avoided his attacks with even greater speed and reflexes. Hitmonchan tried to track her movements, but she was too slippery to pin down. All he managed was one punch on her from their whole battle and she STILL had the energy to fight.

"This…isn't…right!" Hitmonchan tried to end her by charging up his final attack.

However, Juniper used her graceful movements to flip onto his head, then gently guided it down with no resistance from the stunned boxer, then smashed his face into the concrete roof with the added force of Force Palm.

Juniper exhaled a long-held breath, then stood up with her hands tucked under her sleeves. "My apologies…but your strength is nothing compared to my superior technique."

Tamara held her hips as she walked over to her. "Okay, I got it. You used to belong to a dojo?"

Juniper glanced to the side, then grinned. "Yes…and no."

Tamara slumped over with a long sigh. "I was afraid you would say that…"

Juniper dug through her sleeves, hoping to find an unharmed can of soda. "This big jerk smashed all my delicious sodas. There's rude, then there's plain evil." As she peeked through her sleeve, Hitmonchan weakly pushed himself up with an aggressive scowl adorning his face with his fist raised, glowing in an intense blue energy.

Tamara's eyes widened. "Uh, Jun-!"

"Focus Punch!" Hitmonchan slammed his punch down on Juniper. The impact with the roof sent the shockwave down all ten or eleven floors. The windows shattered instantly, the walls split up, doors burst off their hinges; the whole building shook under the fists carried energy. Even Tamara was knocked off her feet as the roof crumbled.

However, Hitmonchan shockingly discovered that his fist only nailed the roof. In his rage, Juniper slipped out of his view through a quick pivot on her heel, almost teleporting from the boxer's perspective. "Sucker…Punch." Juniper jabbed her fist into his ribs.

The pain shot through him so fast that he couldn't utter an audible scream, only a breathless one. His eyes glazed over before passing out in the crumbled concrete.

Tamara stood up and rubbed her head. "Yeesh, you know how to take on your baddies."

Juniper smiled her way. "You're too kind. I take it your guy is taken cared of?"

Tamara jabbed her digit at the adjacent building, towards the Linoone-shaped hole. "Oh yeah…he'll be counting stars for a while." The ninja cat looked over the roof and only now discovered the news crew that was hanging out below, along with the police. "Oh dear…we attracted a crowd."

Juniper walked over and posed for the cameras. "Hellllloooooo, Gappei Village! I'm on TV!"

Tamara groaned. "Great…well, let's get these morons into custody." She looked around. "Where's Artemis?"

"Alleyway," Juniper answered as she grabbed the Hitmonchan. She stopped for a moment and narrowed her eyes at the boxer. "You know…I can't help but wonder what did this to them. If either you or Artemis took one of his punches, you'd be out for the count. I was lucky to suppress most of the force on myself."

Tamara held her chin. "Yeah, this doesn't look like a normal trait or move they have. Nothing their species would share in common." She shrugged. "Well, we could have Julian look into it. He's good at this science mumbo-jumbo."

Juniper rubbed her chin. "Hmm…yeah, I guess…" _Or…I could look into this myself._

* * *

Gunk Shot fired over the alleyway as the Swalot tried to find his prey. "Chohohoho! Come on out, little Fusion~." He threw a Shadow Ball, exploding a couple trash cans. "Playing Hide and Seek won't save you~. You might as well surrender. No matter what, I'll take your hits and dish them back far worse! Weren't you going to give me a beating? Have you ran away with your tail between your legs?! Chohohohoho-!"

"Hehehehehe…" Swalot stopped laughing abruptly as a childish, ominous giggling bounced off the walls of the alleyway. He looked around cautiously, prepping himself to retaliate with Gunk Shot. "Silly, silly Swalot…so sad, so stupid."

Swalot narrowed his eyes. "Trying to scare me, kid? I've seen enough horror movies to know what you're trying to pull. Do you have a twin sister, too, so you can both ask me to play some little game?"

"I'm curious," Artemis went on, keeping her voice cool and uncanny. "Your whole body is basically your head and torso. Everything but your arms are impervious to damage, is that right?"

The poison bag smirked. "Figured that out?"

"I've hit you enough times to get the general idea."

"You think breaking my arm will do anything? As you can see from my species, I'm quite flexible. Besides, it'll take more than that to put me out of commission. Try another scare tactic." He heard the rustling of papers and shot Gunk Shot behind him, but no Fusion.

"You Swalot are known for being big eaters, emphasis on big. I have to wonder…whatever gave you this annoying strength to your body, did it give external AND internal changes?"

Swalot started to sweat nervously, turning himself around slowly to keep his blind spots in check. "What are you pulling?"

From Artemis' vantage point, she smirked cunningly in the darkness, then anchored her lower feelers into the walls. "I have to wonder…how durable are your insides?"

"My wha-?" Swalot's eyes widened in horrific realization. "No…no, no, no, no, no!"

"Catch on slow, don't you?!" Swalot couldn't turn himself around in time as Artemis came swinging down while spinning like a yo-yo. She swung near his side, where she grappled her legs around his arm and, using her spinning momentum, twisted his right arm with swift, merciless execution.

The sudden jolt of pain caused Swalot to scream out in agony. "AAAAHHHH!"

The conniving Fusion grinned evilly. "That's right! Keep that jaw wide and open!" She formed a Focus Blast between her feelers. "It's time to take your medicine! Here's the pill!" She threw it down his open mouth, then forced it shut with her feelers.

Swalot tried to force his mouth open, but it was too late. The Focus Blast exploded inside his body, forcing his body to expand from the burst. His eyes watered while smoke seeped through his closed lips. Artemis released his so he could expel the smoke. His eyes were glazed over, but he was still conscious.

Artemis snickered behind her paw. "Oops, guess that was the wrong dose."

Swalot weakly faced the Fusion in stunned pain. "Gah…g-gak…y-you…" Against his will, his body ceased steaming, shutting off his Enhancer Serum.

Artemis backed herself up. "Duality Dance." She danced in place as pink and red light shined around her, switching the two colors on her body with each other. She then stuck her feelers into the walls and backed herself up as much as the appendages would allow. "Don't worry, I know just the cure! A leisurely ride of doom! All aboard the pain train! Next stop, High Jump Kick district!"

Her feelers reeled in and shot the hybrid Eeveelution right for the poison bag, hindleg extended out wrapped in a crimson glow. She smashed into his gut with brutal force, making the Swalot's eyes bulge out and his whiskers stand on end. He blasted off her leg and flew right out of the alleyway, slamming into one of the police cars waiting outside, surprising the cops.

Artemis landed on her feet and, after Duality Dance ended, held her head up high with a smug grin. "You have reached your destination! Thank you for boarding Artemis Pain Express!" She threw her head up and laughed for all to hear.

Tamara and Juniper, the former leaping down while the latter took the emergency fire escape ladder, landed in the alleyway. Tamara held her hip and grinned. "Not too shabby, Artemis."

She crossed her legs and took a bow with grandiose poise. "Why, thank you, my friend."

Juniper looked up and whistled at the damaged they caused on the two buildings. "We sure made a mess."

"I'm sure the cops will understand it was for self-defense." Tamara glared. "What was that all about?"

Artemis shrugged, clearly bored now that the fun is done. "I don't know, maybe they've been lifting."

"Some exercise program," Juniper commented.

Tamara crossed her arms and tapped her fingers against her upper arm. "Grr…first the weapons, now this. How many super powered criminals are running through here?"

Artemis smirked at her. "Super _villains_?"

Tamara sighed. "Don't mock me, Artemis." She waved the girls to follow her. "Come on, we better explain everything to the cops." They followed her with Artemis lassoing the Swalot and dragging him along.

"I hereby declare our girls' night out a success!" she exclaimed.

"It wasn't a night out!" Tamara insisted.

Juniper kept silent as she stared at the unconscious Swalot, then looked ahead, recapping the odd steam that came off their bodies. On the surface, she looked like her natural, lazy self. On the inside, her mind was racing with curious thoughts and questions. All of this resurfaced some old feelings and thoughts she long since shelved. This was…odd, to say the least.

 _Hmm…what is this all about?_

* * *

Cragtail didn't expect the sudden phone call from Julian, but he knew he was in deep shit when Julian got done explaining his reason. Even behind the safety of his phone, he could feel the Machamp's deep scowl beating down on his soul.

Cragtail set his cigar down on an ashtray, then reclined back in his chair, taping against the arm rest. "…okay, so…even _I_ can make mistakes-"

"They attacked the wrong Fusions, you dolt!" Julian shouted through the phone, only keeping his voice moderately low so not to disturb his neighbors. "What did you expect a group of criminals to do?! Play nice?!"

"Agh!" Cragtail grunted before waving his hand around. "Look, I'm sorry, I mean it! The last guy did what he was told just fine! How was I supposed to know those three morons would turn their backs on me?!"

"Money doesn't always guarantee satisfaction and compliance!" Julian growled. "Criminals aren't trained professionals hired by contract! You hired thugs who were given the one opportunity to satisfy their sick desires, such as getting rid of the one force that would suppress _their_ activities!"

Cragtail jumped up from his seat and shouted back, "Hey, don't go acting like this is my fault!"

"You hired them!"

" _You_ didn't give me an option!" he fired back. "Need I remind you it was your idiotic law that forced me to seek risky measures? No Fusion Hunters, you said! If you'd just let that law slide, I could have handled this with better care."

"For the last time, no!" Julian shouted. "No Fusion Hunters!"

"Why?! Because the ape told you so?!" Cragtail argued.

Julian nearly shouted back, but caught himself and settled for gritting his teeth. He wanted to argue back, but…what was there to argue?

Cragtail continued to berate him, "For Arceus' sake, Roteman, think for yourself! That ape isn't in control of you! You helped make the village, you support its growth! He has nothing on you! Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing for the right reason! This whole issue with the Rogues could have been solved years ago if you just got over yourself and let my men settle the problem! Instead, you let the threat of that ape and possible retaliation stand in the way! Why?! What does he have against you?!"

Julian remained silent.

"They don't control you! None of them do! You gave them that second chance act and I disagree with it, even if the circumstances were hard on them!" Cragtail placed his hand against his chest. "I don't like Fusions, yet I do the things I do to keep order in this damn world! I'm not in this for some sick desire to make Fusions suffer! I genuinely want to help this world! You need to get that through your thick skull!"

"…how?"

"By letting go of your damn cowardice! The ape doesn't control you! I don't know what your deal is with him or _why_ you're scared of him…but you need to forget all of that and remember the reason why you started your company in the first place!"

"I…"

"Either you grow a spine or I'm taking my chances!" Cragtail huffed a deep sigh, letting out the last of his frustration. "I'll do better background checks on whoever I hire, _but you_ need to stand up for yourself and do something!" Cragtail then hung up, leaving the Machamp speechless.

The phone slipped out of his hand as he gripped his face, seething through his teeth. His fingers curled up against his skin while his jaw tightened. A chill crawled up his spine as the air became dreadfully colder. So much going on and he didn't know what to do anymore.

"I…" He dropped his hands into his lap and fell backwards into his bed with a wide eyed, perplexed stare aimed at his ceiling. "What…am I doing anymore?"


	39. Arrival of Cheers and Omens

"Class…commence training routine, now!"

It was a brisk afternoon in the village, with activity taking place outside the school hut. Hawkins was watching over the kids with Dakota by his side, patiently waiting to see the results of Hawkins' tutelage with the children. After he gave the order, the kids focused on a dummy set up for each of them.

Willy and Matthew fired Dragon Breath and Flamethrower at their dummies with decent accuracy, landing direct hits on the chest. Wantanabe slammed his Dragon Tail across his target's head with well-applied force. Poppy and Caleb attacked theirs with their additional limbs, striking with her spider legs and slashing it with his wings respectively.

Dakota held her chin and smiled at the kids fondly. "Well…would you look at that? I hardly remember Day 1 of training day." She smirked at Hawkins and nudged his side with her elbow. "Not bad, Hawkins. They've certainly improved."

"Hmph." He folded his arms behind his back and straightened up. "Rudimentary teaching, at best. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"I don't remember you saying that the last time," she teased.

Hawkins sighed. "I don't hold your same regards to humor, Ms. Dakota."

"Is the formality necessary?"

"We are teachers as of now, so yes."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She held her chin and resumed smiling at the kids. "Still, I'm glad you and the children are connecting better. And look at them, they're having so much fun."

"Destroy!" Harper yelled as she pounced her dummy to the ground, then sunk her teeth into the head and gnawed on it.

Dakota continued to smile, even with her sweat-drop. "Um…great enthusiasm, sweetie!"

Hawkins held his face and sighed. "How annoying. Training isn't meant to be fun and games."

"Hawkins, we discussed this. They're kids, not soldiers."

"I don't see the others playing games. They take their training seriously."

Dakota raised her brow and smirked dryly. "Uh huh…does that also include our resident, lazy martial artist?"

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "I rather not result to hypocrisy saying she doesn't need training. She _could_ learn to present herself with a bit more dignity." He walked over to Harper and plucked her off the dummy by her blob mane. "Stop chewing on the equipment."

Harper raised her paws and grinned brightly with a cheerful wag of her tail. "Sorry!"

Dakota chuckled. "Come on, Hawkins, even you must have had some fun and games with your training."

"I was trained under the best teachers my parents could acquire. Money was no object for us. My skills were all that was important." He set Harper down. "The younglings will have to learn that for themselves."

Dakota shook her head, smiling wryly. "Give me a break. I bet there's some part of you that wished you could have a do-over with your childhood. You know, a part of you that wanted to throw caution to the wind and just have some good ol', mindless fun."

Hawkins scoffed. "Can't say I do."

"Suuuure…"

Harper got in front of Hawkins and wagged her tail, grinning excitedly. "Can I fight a Snorlax, next?! I want to fight a big guy!"

Hawkins glared. "Absolutely not…for a number of reasons."

Harper's ears flopped down as she pouted. "Boo…"

Dakota knelt down and scratched behind the shapeshifting fox's ear. "You're still in basic training, sweetie. You'll get to have a real fight in no time. Until then, just stick to the training dummies."

Harper groaned. "Fiiinnne." She faced the downed dummy, wagged her tail, then pounced back on it to resume gnawing at its head.

Hawkins facepalmed while Dakota giggled behind her hand. "Stop…Stop gnawing on the…never mind."

A familiar laugh crossed their ears, leading them to face the approaching ninja cat as she made her way over, arms folded behind her back. "I see training's going well. Is this a new intimidation tactic you're teaching them?"

Hawkins pinched between his eyes and groaned inwardly. "I'd be lying if I said yes…"

Tamara knelt down and patted the hyperactive Eevee Fusion's head, which she purred into affectionately. "I've been watching their progress lately. Nice to see you and they found a nice middle ground to work with." She smirked. "And here I thought you were terrible with kids."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "If I wanted to be insulted, I'd be hanging around Asadi or Artemis."

"Speaking of Artemis," Dakota started up, "how are you two and Juniper doing? We saw what happened on the news last night."

Tamara shrugged. "Eh, we're doing alright. Artemis didn't take much damage and Jun and I could heal ourselves up." She sighed and scratched her cheek with a minor sweat-drop forming. "Though, pretty sure Jun was more beat up about her soda getting destroyed than the actual fight."

"Huh…she does love her soda," Dakota muttered to herself. She held her hips. "I guess they're resting for today."

Tamara smirked. "Pretty much. Juniper's doing her usual thing while Artemis practically begged Quinn to play videogames with her all day." She shook her head. "That boy is too nice to her, I swear." She scratched her chin. "Wash was pretty distressed when he heard the news, too. I think he went to check in on Juniper when I left."

Dakota giggled. "Figures."

Harper stood on her hindlegs and looked up at Tamara with admiring eyes. "I saw the news, too! You were so cool, Tammy!" She wagged her tail and beamed. "Was it tough?" She giggled and fell on her back before breaking out into childish laughter. "Hehehehe! No, it wasn't, because you're super strong! And SUPER fast!"

Tamara smiled boldly, holding her head up high. "Darn right, I am!" She faced the young adult Fusions with a serious glare, however. "Though, I have to admit, they caught me off guard."

"They caught us all off guard," Dakota stated.

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Exactly what were you fighting? It wouldn't be abnormal for certain other Pokémon to achieve those kinds of feats, but I don't recall Linoone being able to exceed half the speed of sound, maybe further than that."

"Or Hitmonchan smashing up an entire building in a single punch. I know they can punch through concrete just fine, but…that last punch, even with the added power of Focus Punch, delivered far more kinetic energy than anything I've ever seen from their species."

Tamara crossed her arms and closed her eyes, shaping them into a concentrated glare. "They weren't Fusions, but they definitely weren't normal Pokémon. It was weird. They shouldn't have been that strong." She sighed and held her hips. "Can't complain too much. They were still normal thugs, so they didn't have the finesse for battle like we did."

Hawkins sighed. "With the Rogues' weapon dealing and now this…what the hell is going on these days?"

"I wish I had the answer myself…"

They heard wing flaps descending down on them. They turned and were greeted by Ulysses, looking as timid and soft as ever. "Um…h-hey, guys."

As the older Fusions waved at him, the children ran over and jumped around Ulysses. "Hi Ulysses!" they greeted cheerily.

"Are you here for story time?" Willy asked politely. Ulysses never felt nervous around children, even being comfortable talking with them. He had a habit of reading stories to the kids.

He smiled kindly and rubbed the rainbow dragon's head. "Not today, little buddy. I actually need to speak with these guys."

Hawkins jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "You heard him, you all. Now, get back to training and work on your takeoff speed."

They bowed respectfully. "Yes, Mr. Hawkins!" They ran back onto the training field and got to work on their assignment.

Dakota smiled at the large, yet gentle cellular avian, arms folded behind her back. "What brings you over here, Ulysses? Just wanted to see how the kids were doing?"

"Oh…n-no. I was just…flying around when I o-overheard the council speaking in the open. N-Not that I was e-eavesdropping! O-Oh, I hope I-I didn't come off as rude-"

"Will you get on with it?!" Hawkins shouted impatiently.

"Eep!" the shy Fusion squeaked, covering his face behind his gelatinous wings. "Um…M-Mr. Cade and the o-others are returning today…"

Dakota smiled. "Really? That's great!" She held her hips and laughed. "I can't wait to hear all about the fun they had. Must have been nice visiting Sinnoh."

Tamara raised her brow at her roommate curiously. "Why's that getting you all jittery?"

"Um, well…th-there's more, actually." He tapped his stubby hands together and avoided their gazes. "I…a-also heard we're getting new visitors. P-Permanent visitors…"

Dakota gasped for joy. "Wait! You mean…new villagers?!"

"Y-Yes…"

Tamara grinned. "Really?! That's great! New villagers are always good news!"

Hawkins shrugged his shoulder in indifference. "Meh…"

Dakota nudged her elbow into his side. "Oh, don't be so crude. Maybe you can make a new friend."

"I prefer if I didn't. I get enough of a headache babysitting the kids and dealing with you."

"Hey!" the children and Dakota exclaimed in offense.

Dakota poked his cheek and pouted. "Don't make me have these kids dogpile you!"

"Personal space…" he grumbled.

Tamara rolled her eyes at their banter, then smiled at Ulysses. "Well, we better spread the word so everyone has a heads-up."

"R-Right…I-I'll get right on th-that…" Ulysses offered as he turned around and prepared to take off, only for his confidence to melt once more. "U-Unless, of course, e-everyone's busy…I c-could try later…"

Tamara, however, shoved him forward, motivating him to take flight. "No, none of that! Fly and spread the word, bucko!"

"Ah! Okay!" Ulysses flew off to inform the village.

Hawkins crossed his arms and glared to the side. "While you're at it, take some time to improve your confidence." He flinched after taking a jab to the side from Dakota. "Sorry, sorry…"

Tamara sighed and held her chin. "Well, he's not wrong. Uly needs to work on his confidence more. You told me he fought well back in the labs, Hawkins. He just needs more of that drive." She shook her head, eyes closed. "Can't say there's much to help him with that."

Dakota smiled sweetly. "Oh, let him be. He'll find his confidence on his own." She grinned at the children. "You kids want to meet the new villagers when they get here?"

"I do, I do!" Harper exclaimed.

"I-I-I don't…" Willy admitted nervously.

Wantanabe nudged his side. "Don't say that, Willy! I bet they'll be cool!" Willy whimpered quietly, but his best friend just patted his head in comfort. "I'll be by your side if you're too shy."

"Thank you…"

The other kids were on board with the three, leading Dakota to grin. "Great! Make sure to look sharp and give them a warm greeting!"

"Okay!" The kids ran ahead to the main gate in excitement.

Dakota shrieked and ran after them. "Wait, not now! We still have class to finish!" Tamara laughed while Hawkins hid an amused smirk behind his hand.

* * *

Sometime later, after Ulysses got the news around the village, the council were given confirmation that Cade was on his way back with the other Fusions, newcomers included. They were making their way to the main gate while listening to some passing conversations. A few were actively talking about the arrival of the newcomers.

Gracelyn beamed happily. "Oh, how wonderful to see everyone getting excited for new Fusions. I can't wait to hear how the trip was. I sure hope Emily enjoyed herself. She certainly needed it."

Lewis closed his eyes. "Focus, Grace. Main focus is the newcomers."

"I know that, dearie. I'm looking forward to seeing what type of Fusions they are."

Peregrine grunted, with his leek laying over his shoulder. "I honestly don't care, but they better not be more troublemakers like the rest of these younglings."

"You say that about everyone, my friend," Abraham pointed out. "Try not to be too hard on them. You have a tendency to leave a lasting…uncomfortable first impression."

"I do not!"

Gracelyn smiled wearily. "Perry, do you know how many times you've hit someone on the head with your leek?"

"Don't know, lost count. It has become a reflex by now."

Liam shook his head with mild laughter. "Worry not, Peregrine. Cade told me quite a bit about them. He said they're very lovely folk."

"He says that about everyone, the jolly oaf!"

"Even so…" However, the godly ape was cut off when the ground shook rhythmically, bouncing unsuspecting Fusions on their feet and knocking them over. Liam retained his balance, supporting his weight on his staff. "What in heaven's name is going on?!"

Abraham, who used his tails as a cushion, grinned with interest. "Those are footsteps. I can hear them. I think Cade forgot to mention something to us about one of them."

Peregrine raised his brow. "What, did they bring a building with them?"

They stopped before the gate and waited as the footsteps grew closer. Despite the gate's high walls, they saw, from the chest up, the large Golurk-Torterra walking towards them before stopping before the gate.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes dryly. "My mistake…they brought a forest with them…"

The gates undid themselves from outside and flew open, curtesy of Cade's Psychic. The phantom panda stepped through first with his arms spread out and a jolly smile accompanying his happy demeanor. "Gappei Village! I am BACK!" he exclaimed for all to hear.

The council smiled and laughed aloud, with Lewis stepping forward to welcome back his best friend. "Good to see you in high spirits, my friend."

Cade laughed and, much to Lewis' slight dismay, brought him into a tight hug. "Oh, my friend, it's good to see you, too! I enjoyed my time on the farm, but I missed you all so much!"

"G…Great…" Lewis wheezed. Cade took the hint and dropped him, allowing air to fill his lungs.

Liam smiled as Dez, Charlie, and Emily stepped forward. He bowed his head and greeted them, "Welcome back, you three. I hope the trip was to your liking."

Charlie grinned. "I'll say! Being surrounded by delicious berries everyone! It was my new paradise!"

Dez closed his eyes and chuckled as he gave the Munchlax-Lilligant a pat on his head flower. "We…had to keep him from eating all their berries a couple times."

"It was torture!" he moaned sadly.

Liam laughed heartily before looking down at Emily, appearing less stoic than he last saw her. He knelt down and smiled fatherly at the cold spirit. "Did the trip help relieve you of stress, Ms. Skull?"

Emily averted his gaze for a moment, then faced him again with soft eyes. "…Yes, it did. It was…very therapeutic, you could say."

He accepted the answer as he gave her a gentle pat on the head. "I'm proud of you, Emily."

"Thank you, sir…"

Liam picked himself up and tucked one arm behind his back. "Now then, I already see one of the Fusions you promised, Cade. Where are the other two-?"

"WOOOW!" The council flinched as a Ledian-Decidueye jumped out from behind Cade and broke out into mad squealing. Her eyes shimmered like the sun reflecting off water, as her arms flailed like an excitable child. "Gappei Village! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I'm actually here! It's a dream come true! AAAHHH!"

Peregrine, after recovering from his shock, shot a glare at Cade. "…you _HAD_ to bring a screaming child with you?"

Cade smiled awkwardly. "Um…well, she wasn't like this on the plane."

Vivi zipped around near the gate, eyeing every Fusion and hut in her immediate sight. "Pinch me! I don't want this to be a dream! Look at all the Fusions! Look how big this place is! Eddie, this is so cool!"

The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion stepped out from behind Cade and grabbed Vivi by the cowl, holding her in the air as she kicked her legs. "Kid, control yourself."

"I can't help it! It's so BEAUTIFUL!" She held her cheeks as tears of joy drizzled down her face. "I'm finally HOME!"

Eddie sighed, then looked at the council with an apologetic stare. "My apologies for her chipper attitude…she's less annoying than this, trust me."

Gracelyn giggle behind her hand. "Oh, no trouble. We are used to all sorts of Fusions popping up around here."

"I'm not," Peregrine grumbled, earning a bonk on the head from Gracelyn. "Ow…"

Liam smiled at the duo. "We are no strangers to excitable Fusions around here. I see she has been looking for to coming."

"You don't know the half of it," Eddie muttered under his breath.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you three. Cade's told us quite a bit about your help around the farm. You've been doing travel around Sinnoh, correct?"

"It sort of became an unfortunate lifestyle, you could say." Eddie dropped Vivi and dusted his hands off. "This annoying brat dragged me into it. Then again, I guess I dragged myself into it as well."

Liam chuckled. "We forge our own paths through unseemly circumstances." He held his hand out. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you properly to Gappei Village. I am Chief Liam, head of the village and of the Fusion Council."

Eddie shook his hand, briefly overwhelmed by his own being completely wrapped in the ape's much larger hand. "Eddie. My name's Eddie. A pleasure to meet you, sir."

Vivi didn't take time for introductions, though, as she immediately rose off the ground and bolted off deeper into the village. "I'll catch up with you later, Eddie!"

"GAH! What about the-?!" he tried to call out, but she cut him off.

"Later! I want to check this place out, first! See ya!" She kicked her heels together before dashing off in a green and brown blur.

"But-!" The flame kicker stopped and groaned inwardly, holding his tired face. "Just…let it go, Ed. Let her have her fun, first."

Cade bellowed with laughter and slapped the middle-aged Fusion across the back. "Quite the lively one, she is!" He faced the council. "That one there was Vivi." He pointed over his shoulder at Bartleby, who stood silently at the front of the gate. "Big guy there is Bartleby." Bartleby raised his hand and waved down at them, making old creaks in the joints.

"I do enjoy meeting eccentric Fusions," Abraham commented. He smiled reassuringly at the flame kicker. "Do not worry of her. A look around the village herself won't hurt anyone. If you care to, we would be more than welcomed to give you our own tour of the village."

Eddie blinked, then looked to Cade. The brief exchange they shared was brief, though the phantom panda knew what he was asking. The…other matter that needed to be attended to. Cade closed his eyes and smiled. "We have time. No rush. We want you to get acquainted with your new home."

Eddie blinked again, then sighed. "Fine…no point if the kid's running off on her own." He looked over his shoulder and shouted, "Hey, big guy, try not to step on anyone, okay?!"

Bartleby nodded in understanding, then looked at the wall curiously. He scratched his head, trying to figure out the best way of getting through without breaking anything. The walls were a bit too high to throw his leg over and he didn't see him crawling through the gate with ease.

Eddie narrowed his eyes and groaned irritably. "Ugh…right, I forgot." He looked at the council while pointing at Bartleby. "Where exactly could he stay?"

Liam chuckled with bemusement. "Heh…a good question."

* * *

"WOW, WOW, WOW!" Vivi cheered as she zipped past every hut in sight, admiring the different designs and features added to the exterior, such as porches, skylights, and rooftop decks. "Does this mean I can make my own hut?! That's AWESOME! I need to make a floorplan and everything! Ooh, and an indoor pool! And an indoor slide!"

Fusions who came out of their homes and were outside stared in befuddlement as the archer zipped around the village with possibly more energy than their local time mouse, which was quite the achievement on its own. She seemed too lost in her fantasies to acknowledge their presence, dashing past them with a cloud of dust kicked up behind her.

So true, in fact, that she didn't notice the Heliolisk-Haxorus walking down the dirt path, attention drawn to the paperwork he had in his hands. York shuffled through the papers, reading over his notes, when the two unexpectedly collided into each other.

"GAH!" they both cried out as York was dropped onto his back, papers scattering in the air, while Vivi tumbled across the ground and faceplanted into the grass.

Her antenna twitched attentively before pushing herself up and, finally, clearing her head. "Huh? Did I hit something?" She looked over her shoulder, then grinned excitedly as York rose to his feet.

"Ugh…where'd that come from?" He reached down and started gathering scattered papers.

"HIYA!" Vivi yelled from behind.

"AH!" York threw the papers over his head and turned on his heel to face the archer, then was brought into a friendly, yet vigorous handshake with his arm flying up and down like a water pump.

"Hi, I'm Vivi! I'm new here!" She squealed through her teeth. "Are we friends now?! YAY, new friend!"

York was, understandably, baffled by the archer's cheery demeanor. Still, as a show of kindness, he smiled a bit and relaxed his posture. "Oh, uh…nice to meet you, Vivi. I heard some rumors about new Fusions joining the village. I'm York Krie. I'm the village counselor."

"Wow! That's awesome!" She released his hand and bounced on her toes excitedly. "Just three minutes in and I've already made another friend outside of Dez, Emily, and Charlie! Hehehehe!"

York gripped his throbbing hand to ease the discomfort. "Um…I see."

Before he could be bombarded with anymore of her cheering, Tamara jumped onto one of the hut roofs and spotted the two. She held her chin and smirked. "I was wondering where all that cheering came from."

Hawkins, Dakota, and Ulysses came out from around the corner of a pathway and walked over. Hawkins crossed his arms and huffed. "Sounds more like a banshee screeching in broad daylight."

Tamara flipped off the roof and landed on her hands and feet. "So, you're the newbie?"

Vivi grinned and waved all four hands at them. "That's right! I'm the newbie!"

York chuckled dryly at the small group. "As you can see, she's…elated to be here." After massaging his hand, he went back to picking up scattered papers. "She's certainly the bounciest of the last group of newcomers over the month."

"Should I be worried?" Hawkins asked, earning another jab to the side from Dakota. "Agh…cut that out, it's starting bruise," he growled quietly, rubbing his side.

Vivi snickered and folded her upper arms behind her head. "Sorry, couldn't help myself! You have no idea how long I've been dreaming about coming to Gappei Village! The advertisements I saw over the TV! The stories I heard in passing! It's everything I've ever wanted and more!" She spread her arms out and gazed up at the sky with a blissful air. "Lord Arceus has answered my prayers! He has brought a miracle upon me! Thank you, Arceus!"

Dakota smiled with a light chuckle. "That much, huh?"

"The heavens have never failed me before!" she exclaimed before finally reigning in her excitement and teetering on her heels. "Anywho, who are you?"

Tamara stepped forward and performed some of her heroic poses to the archer. "If you must know, you are in the presence of the hero of Gappei Village! The server of justice! The defender of the innocent! When evil howls in the night, a blue wind will soar above and strike down the enemy with the force of a hurricane! For every innocent soul-!"

"Her name's Tamara," Hawkins interrupted listlessly, earning him an infuriated glare from said ninja cat. "Don't get upset with me. I saved her three hours of nonsense." Tamara turned her back to him and huffed, but he didn't care. He held his hip and said, "Hawkins. Basic combat instructor."

Dakota bowed to Vivi with an inviting smile. "I am Dakota, one of the head teachers for our youngest Fusions."

Vivi's enthusiasm returned. "Aww! They're kids here?!"

"Playful little ones. I'm sure they would love to meet you." Vivi clapped in approval.

Tamara, composing herself, gestured to the cellular avian beside Dakota. "And this here is my hut mate." She awaited Ulysses to introduce himself to the archer, but was met with silence. She glanced oddly at the larger Fusion. "Uh…Uly?"

Ulysses was completely paralyzed as he stared at Vivi. This would come off as normal to those who knew the cellular avian, as he was shy around new folks, but never this badly. However, aside from Vivi, everyone noticed Ulysses' outer layer was shivering while he sweated from the face. And while Vivi was unaware due to the blue coloration of his avian shaped, gelatinous layer, the group noticed the shade of purple around his face. Or rather, a shade of red.

 _Oh…boy._ Tamara never saw this look from her friend.

York took initiative and snapped his fingers in front of Ulysses. "Hey, Uly. You okay in there?"

The snapping registered into Ulysses, causing him to jump back into reality with panic in his eyes. "WHO?! WHERE?! I WASN'T STARING!" He instinctively covered himself under his wings and whimpered fearfully, shivering far more feverishly.

Vivi held her hand up to her mouth and laughed. "Aww, he's a little shy."

 _And you're a little dense._ Hawkins sighed and crossed his arms as he stared at Ulysses. _I've never seen him in such a pitiful state, even back in the desert._

Vivi stepped up to the quivering Fusion and gave him a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you, Uly! I'm Vivi!"

Ulysses blinked twice at her, stiff as a tree. "…AAAAHHHH!" Ulysses bolted off into the sky and ducked behind a hut.

Vivi wasn't even remotely fazed by his abrupt exit, merely laughing it off. "Okay, great talking to you!" She faced the others, still laughing. "Wow, he's pretty cool. And pretty fast for a big guy."

The group sweat-dropped at her casual demeanor. "Yeah…sure…" they muttered slowly.

York rubbed the back of his head. "See, he's not normally that jumpy. Shy, yes, but that was a bit more…panicky."

Vivi waved it off. "I hardly noticed. I can talk to him later if he's up for it."

 _I might want to have a word with him myself._ Tamara sighed, then tried to smile at the archer while shrugged off her hut mate's spastic behavior. "You said your name's Vivi, right?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Vivi enthusiastically replied with a salute.

Tamara gave a light bow. "Well, let me just say that we look forward to getting to know you. You'll find that our community has a policy about being family. Blood or not, we try to act like one here."

That just made Vivi happier. "That's what I always wanted…" She held her cheeks as her eyes shimmered.

Dakota grinned. "And, if you want, you can talk to the council about getting a job."

All happiness suddenly washed away. "…job?" she repeated in a dry, uninterested tone.

"It's been a policy of ours to run things on our own since this is a somewhat isolated community. I'm a teacher, Tamara is one of the gate guards, Hawkins is a combat instructor/gardener, York's a counselor for personal issues and things like that…you get the gist."

"Ugh!" Vivi groaned. "More work? Darn…" She breathed in, then sighed before puffing her chest out. "Hmph! Well, this is my new home, so I'll give my best!" She saluted proudly to them.

Tamara looked at the other three and grinned. "I like her attitude. She's got pride!"

Hawkins rolled his eyes while Dakota and York chuckled. The teacher then asked, "So, mind telling us where you come from?"

"Gladly!" Vivi cleared her throat, then gesticulated as she told her story. "I come from the good land of Johto. I was but a small ladybug archer living on the cruel streets of the unforgiving…"

While she chattered away, Tamara stepped back and went in search of her missing hut mate, with York tagging along as it was his job as a counselor to help his fellow Fusions. Thankfully, it didn't take all too long to find the whimpering Fusion hiding a few huts down from where the conversation took place.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…why did I do that?!" he scolded himself, lightly thwacking his head in frustration. He felt two pairs of eyes looming over him, suddenly bringing back his nervousness. "O-Oh…I-I'm s-s-sorry if I-I w-worried you…"

Tamara sighed, then leaned against the hut with a stern expression. "So…that was quite the first impression you left there." Ulysses wrapped his wings around himself. "Be thankful she didn't take it the wrong way."

York stood in front of Ulysses before crouching down to eye level with his slouch form. "I've never seen you like this, Ulysses. You usually shy away from new folks, yet this time you were legitimately scared."

"I…I'm sorry…" he apologized needlessly.

He patted the cellular avian's wing. "Were you scared of her for some reason? Perhaps a fear of Ledian or Decidueye?" He smiled knowingly. "Or…was this the first experience of admiration?"

The blush returned to the shy Fusion's face at full force. "I-I-I-I d-d-don't know what y-y-y-you're t-talking about!"

"Give it a rest, Uly," Tamara groaned. "It's written all over your face. Your heart…or whatever Reuniclus have for hearts, started beating the moment you saw her."

"…maybe…" Ulysses muttered, admitting his behavior more openly. He didn't want to make Tamara angry denying his actions further. "She…sounds really nice…and looks…nice…"

"You don't know, do you?" York asked.

"I…yeah…" He clenched his eyes shut. "I don't know what came over me back there. I've never acted like that in front of Tamara, Juniper, or any other girl I met!"

"How many female bird Pokémon or Fusions have you met?" York asked.

"…not that many."

"Any you ever found attractive?"

"…some close to my age, but…I never actually spoke to them."

York sighed. "Uly, I think it's possibly your Braviary-side caused that little reaction. Despite your Reuniclus-half, that other part of your DNA makes you subconsciously attracted to other bird Pokémon and Fusions. And she…is part Decidueye." He crossed his arms. "Though, I don't want to say it's only for that reason…"

Ulysses stared at him before looking down at the ground. "…she sounds nice…"

"You already said that," Tamara said.

"…I…also like how…open she is." Ulysses sighed. "I come from a very spiritual family of Reuniclus. We lived in seclusion until it was decided I had to go out into the world to find my own path. For a long time, all I've known was my family. I…never got to meet a lot of cute girls…"

York smiled caringly. "Aw…you're just experiencing your first crush, that's all." Ulysses whimpered sadly. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, she seemed interested in you, too…not in the same way, but still."

Tamara knelt down and patted her friend. "Uly, maybe you could use this. You want to work on your confidence, right?"

"…yeah…"

"Don't treat this like a 'love at first sight' deal. Try and get to know Vivi on your own time and, you know, see if these little feelings you have stick. It'll help your confidence and, hey, maybe she'll take some interest in you."

"…I can't…"

Tamara scoffed. "Oh please! It's not like you can avoid her if she's going to live here! At least make the effort to talk to her before you scream like a lunatic!"

"Eep!" Ulysses covered himself again, shivering.

Tamara sighed and reached through his outer layer to pat his head. "There, there, Uly…" She smiled softly. "Seriously, just give it a shot. At least try to be her friend. She obviously wanted something to call a family. Make the effort for her."

"…" Ulysses gently lowered his wings and looked straight at them. He nervously tapped them together, giving her advice some thought, before closing his eyes. "I'll…t-try…"

"That's all I ask." She pulled her hand out and, after shaking her hand clean of goop, stood up. "Better make sure Vivi hasn't talk Dakota and Hawkins' ears off." York followed her back to the others while Ulysses was left with his own thoughts.

… _she is…kind of cute…I guess…stupid feelings._ He collapsed onto his side and hugged himself.

Tamara and York rejoined the pair of teachers, though Hawkins was obviously uncomfortable as he listened to the archer chatter her mouth off without end. "…so, I got payback by dunking his head in the toilet. My parents had to call a plumber, though, because I also jammed his horn into the pipes. Got ground, but totally worth it!" Vivi snickered mischievously.

Dakota, despite being more tolerate than her colleague, was rather put off by her past bullying habits, to family and neighbors. "You have a…colorful history, Vivi."

"Yeah, real colorful…" Hawkins immediately spotted the approaching ninja cat and shoved her in front of Vivi. "Get her away from me," he subtly growled through his teeth.

Tamara chuckled a bit before facing the beaming archer. "Well, if conversing is over, perhaps a tour of the village? A proper tour?"

"I would love that," Vivi accepted. "By the way, when do I get my own hut?!" she asked impatiently, clearly wanting to make her own home as soon as possible.

Tamara hooked her arm around her and guided her with the others (Hawkins, begrudgingly) in tow. "Heh…you certainly want to get set up quickly."

* * *

While Vivi was being given a tour, Eddie's tour was going well as the council showed him the specific huts and locations in the village while also asking about the Hitmonlee-Typhlosion's personal life, which he didn't particularly mind as long as they don't get _too_ personal.

Liam glanced down at Eddie after he finished answering his recent question. "You never considered coming here on your own?"

Eddie shook his head. "I've lived on my own for many, many years. Didn't have a lot of friends, save for the regulars that pop up in my bar." He scratched his head and sighed. "Guess it became routine up until I met the brat…"

"How have you not gone insane around here?" Peregrine asked.

"Mental fortitude," he answered instantly. "When I'm not up to my knees in terror, I know how to keep a leveled head once I've adjusted to things. Like I said, became routine."

Gracelyn smiled. "What possessed you to travel with Ms. Vivi, if I may ask? You two seem particularly close."

Eddie glared softly. "Circumstances…and me getting into business that had nothing to do with me." He pinched between his eyes. "Getting this across: my misadventures with that kid brought my second experience of Hell."

"Second?" Lewis questioned.

"I've…had a rough life. Middle-aged as I am, I've seen a lot of shit over the years. Didn't like what I saw." He sighed. "Past is behind me, I suppose, though times still sting."

This brought on a curious stare from Liam. "By chance…are you referring to…?" He stopped talking and shook his head, feeling painful memories resurface. "N-Never mind…"

Abraham waved his hand around. "The village is a place to let go of those pasts. Helping Fusions is our goal."

"I've heard enough from the advertisements," Eddie joked dryly. He narrowed his eyes. "Which, uh…brings up something else."

The council stopped and faced the flame kicker, though curiously saw the serious expression in Cade's eyes. The phantom panda sighed, then crossed his arms as he glared at his fellow councilmen. "I brought them here for a dual purpose. My job as a councilman to escort Fusions to the village…and to have the rest of you hear out some…peculiar findings of theirs."

Peregrine glared. "Findings?"

Lewis narrowed his eyes as he stared into the flame kicker's aura. "I can sense fluctuations in his aura. A distressing matter?"

Eddie sighed tiredly and held his hips. "Severely. And it's not something I want to blathered out to the public, especially your village. I don't think anyone would take this news well."

"And what news do you refer to?" Lewis questioned.

Cade answered for the flame kicker, "It seems that have dangerous information regarding the Unovian labs and their creator."

Liam's eyes instantly sharpened into a serious glare. He pointed his staff at Lewis. "…retrieve Ms. Vivi immediately and escort her to the council hut."

"Affirmative." Lewis raced off for the archer.

Liam stepped close to the newcomer and glared down at him. "How much do you know?" he asked gravely.

Eddie, unfazed, raised an almost joking brow with his usual dryness. "Heh…call it a hyperbole, but that kid dragged me into a hell I never knew existed."

* * *

Moments later, Vivi was plucked from her group and brought back to the council hut hastily, where she and Eddie were seated before the six councilmen and ordered to divulge all they knew about the labs and Data. The news itself…was rather horrifying, to say the least.

"…that's pretty much everything we have," Vivi finished, showing a rare seriousness in her demeanor.

The council was rightfully stunned with the new branch of information regarding Data. Lewis rubbed his eyes to make sure he was awake. "That…I don't even know what to say…"

"I do!" Peregrine shouted, whacking his leek across the table. "You seriously broke into a military base?! How haven't you been arrested yet?!"

Vivi held her hands up defensively. "Hey, we didn't kill anyone! We made it clear we just wanted Bartleby!"

"All we know is that they determined us as non-threatening!" Eddie added. "For all we know, we're on the Fusion Hunters wanted list, not an international wanted list."

Gracelyn looked across the table at Peregrine and narrowed her eyes. "Perry dear, aren't you overlooking that minor issue regarding a doomsday machine?"

"Of course not, I'm not an idiot! I just didn't expect a clearly insane child to tell me!"

Vivi slammed her hands down. "I'll have you know I'm only twenty percent crazy, thank you very much!" She flailed her arms. "And I am a teenager, not a child!"

"That's even worse!" Peregrine shouted.

"Enough! Both of you!" Lewis growled, forcing them to cease their bickering. He sat himself down and rubbed his temples. "A…doomsday device. A freakin' doomsday device! You can't be serious!"

"It's not a technical doomsday device," Vivi corrected, "but in can be in execution. It theoretically requires a lot of power to fire, so the planet's core will be the source for it."

"Doing that could disrupt the planet's magnetic field," Gracelyn analyzed aloud. "Without that, we would be exposed to the elements of space. That could cause a literal catastrophe for all life that isn't naturally adapted to such elements."

Peregrine scowled. "And this asshole thinks comradery is just going to spring out of nowhere in order to retain pokemanity?! I never figured the world would suffer from a mad scientist!"

Cade tightened his fists and growled quietly. "How do you think I felt when I first heard the news? If something like that actually exists…my family…"

Vivi frowned. "Yeah…from my ancestor's notes, the rapid unstable evolution would be incredibly painful. Worst case scenario, death from pain overload. Best case, tough it out. I don't see a lot folks with that kind of willpower. Nothing says the change is instant."

Gracelyn closed her eyes and folded her arms over the table. "This is a rather big claim you're making, Ms. Vivi. Are you sure this doomsday device is more than fiction?"

"Like I said, Bartleby's all the proof I need," she explained. "He can't talk, but he knows exactly who Data is and about the machine. He showed us himself."

Eddie nodded. "Kid's right. It's a pretty huge coincidence to be written off."

Gracelyn opened her eyes and nodded. "Then this is needs to be dealt with swiftly."

Abraham leaned back in his chair. "We're not in a huge rush, though. If it's been hidden for three centuries, no one has come closer to finding it than we have. Plus, if what you said of Bartleby's memory is true, Data would be the only one who knows the whereabouts of the tower and this orb you mentioned. Though, chances of him surviving for this long…"

"I KNOW he's still alive!" Vivi shouted firmly. "I can FEEL it in my soul! I trust my shoddy intuition for what it is! I know for a fact Data disappeared long after his old lab was destroyed."

"An old lab, huh?" Abraham rubbed his chin. "I'll seek out some of my history books to find out more about that."

Vivi continued, "Along with the tower and orby thing, Bartleby also made sure to mention four words and Fusions. The four words, 'Data, Evolve, Future, Revenge,' and images of Fusions."

"Perhaps the Fusions allude to the machine's after effects," Lewis suggested.

"We considered that, too," Eddie brought up, "but Bartleby knew we knew how it worked. We didn't see a point to bringing it up. No, I think he was trying to tell us Data's plan involves Fusions of birth."

"How peculiar," Abraham commented.

Cade tapped his claws against the table. "We don't have any knowledge on this 'Data' aside from, what is assumed to be, an alias. No confirmation on his species, no details on his lifespan, his means of carrying this plan out, or even if this plan is still a reality."

"I know the kid's crazy," Eddie brought up, "but she's dead set on believing Data's still alive. Trust me, for as nutty as she is, she has a way of making the craziest claims sound plausible. She's been at this for years, trying to keep a doomed world from becoming real."

"That's a very noble task to take on, young lady," Liam praised. "Utterly foolish to do on your own, but noble."

Vivi grinned. "It was nothing. Better than staying with my family."

"So, here's the real problem: finding the machine." Abraham closed his eyes. "A tower hidden in the mountains and an orb hidden underground. Because we don't know Data's reach across the world centuries back, we don't know what he had access to or how many lands he has visited. Either object could be anywhere. And if Vivi's fantastical claims about Data's survivability are true, then he needs to be dealt with swiftly. If we don't know what species he is, what is he capable of in the shadows?"

Cade closed his eyes and thought over everything for a moment, then looked at Liam. "Roteman."

"Huh?"

"Julian Roteman. He's been on the case regarding Data. The sources he has gathered might lead us to a probable conclusion."

Liam glared down at the table and gritted his teeth. "…I suppose so."

"Is there a problem?" Vivi asked.

"It's nothing, dearie," Gracelyn assured. "Liam and Mr. Roteman have…um…"

"…complicated history," Liam finished. He sighed. "I try to give Julian the benefit of the doubt, but lately I feel like I can't trust him…then again, I lost all trust in him years and years ago…"

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "So, we've been told…" He sneered at the chief. "Get over yourself, Liam. Like it or not, he's our only ally in this mess. A doomsday device and he's our one shot of finding and destroying it. Don't try playing passive again. Gero left us because of your pride. Don't turn Julian away because you can't get over it."

Liam curled his fingers into the table, digging through the wood. "…you have a way with words, Peregrine…" Begrudgingly, Liam stood up and walked out the hut. "I'll make the call now. Wrap up without me. I'll be a while."

Once the godly ape left, Abraham resumed the meeting on a slightly lighter note. "And with that, we will need someone to lead this little project of ours. Julian's a good start, probably our best source of information, but we need someone who has been studying every angle of this Data with what little she had."

"She…?" Vivi mumbled, before throwing her hands up to her mouth and gasping. "Wait, you mean…?!"

"Vivi, how would you like to be the head of this investigation? I'm sure your dedication and unorthodox analyzing may come in handy. Studying the very psychology of Data's motives and using the resources we have to assist you."

Vivi's eyes shimmered gratefully while a quiet squeal escaped her open mouth. "Oh my Arceus…I get to be a conspiracy theorist…"

Eddie held his head. "Good grief…just what we needed? You and conspiracies."

"I'll have a select few Fusions notified of what's going on," Abraham brought up. "We can't let the whole village in on this until we have confirmation on the device and Data."

"We could probably spruce up a small space for you and Eddie to stay in while you work," Cade offered.

Vivi rubbed her hands together and snickered. "Sweet! I'm looking forward to my assignment!" She threw her hands up and laughed. "Best day ever! Haha!"

As the meeting came to a close, Gracelyn's gaze wandered out the hut in concern for the village chief. The tension between Liam and Julian was palpable, even distances apart. The only saving grace was Julian's patience with Liam and Liam's virtues keeping him from doing anything rash…

…for now.

* * *

Julian was in his office, typing up some reports while also recovering from the late-night shocker dumped on him. He was still pretty ticked at both Data and Cragtail since they seemed to be following their own agendas while he was trying to keep the peace. Now he was being asked to examine the three thugs who were apprehended last night and their unnatural abilities.

Shouldn't take him too long since he _made_ the damn serum himself!

He pulled back from the computer and rubbed his temples, stressed out from the chaos. "Ugh…things would be so much easier if I had more authority over everything…none of this would be happening if I just let the Fusion Hunters…" He stopped talking and just lay his head against the back of his chair.

Something about Data was clearly off, but he kept a tight lip. If only he had a bit more insight into his motivations, maybe the Machamp could better understand his experimenting. For now, he just had too many issues on his plate and he couldn't deal with anymore.

 _I can't handle any more bad news…I just can't…_

Before considering resting his eyes, his desk phone sounded. He straightened back up and picked it up to his ear. "Hello, this is Julian Roteman of Profectus Inc. How may I help you today?"

"Julian, it's me…"

The Machamp's eyes widened. "Oh…Liam. What a surprise. I wasn't expecting you to…you know what, you probably heard the news last night, so I was expecting you to ask about that…"

"The enhanced thugs from last night? It was an issue I wanted to address with you, but something came up…"

 _Just my luck, more bad news._ Julian groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Listen Liam, I've got a pretty tight schedule to keep. We can talk about this another time."

"No. You've been keeping us out of this Data conspiracy for long enough, now we've got something for you."

Julian would've hung up then and there, regardless of impoliteness, but the mention of Data struck a chord of interest. "What…What about him?"

"We've recently accepted a new group of Fusions into the village, only…they seem to be uncovering Data's secrets as well. Seems they found some…disturbing information regarding his history."

An anxious chill crept up the businessman's stiff spine. "How…so?"

"If what they said is indeed true…we may be dealing with apocalyptic matters in the future." He heard the heavy sigh over the phone. "Julian, this'll be hard to hear, but this Data character seemed to have constructed a doomsday device."

Julian shot out from his chair and slammed his three free hands down on the desk. "What?!"

"Sounds hard to believe, I know, but there is a staggering bit of evidence given what we've seen and heard so far. With the Rogues' weapon dealing, the enhanced criminals, and now this, we're seeing a rise in trouble."

Liam didn't even know how much this news struck Julian. Thank goodness, they weren't doing a video chat or in person meeting. Julian wouldn't be able to hide the shaking in his legs and nervous sweat dripping down his forehead. "I…a…a doomsday device? L-Liam…you can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't. From what the young lady told us, the machine is designed to extract energy from the planet's core and send a DNA scrambling wave across the planet's surface, activating all inactive Mewgenetic Codes. All Pokémon…will be forcibly turned into Fusions…and the process will leave behind a dying planet."

Julian's legs gave out and dropped him into his chair. His eyes were blank, then stunned with horror, then anger filling up. So many conflicting emotions processing that he didn't know which to stick with. All this time…it…it couldn't be true. Was he actually assisting a madman into complete world annihilation? Is that it?!

"Julian?" the godly ape spoke up after a moment.

Julian gritted his teeth, pressing his fingers into the armrests of his chair. "Liam…t…tell me everything I need to know." _No more games, Data. Like it or not, I'm getting the truth out of you. What is this all about, you mad scientist?_


	40. Ominous Truth

It wasn't immediately apparent to all, nor was in of any importance to the uninformed, but following day felt…tenser for some. Ever since the arrival of Vivi, Eddie, and Bartleby, a chain of events has been set into motion. A chain that will continue to unwind until it reaches the very end of its length.

This couldn't be anymore true for Julian Roteman.

In the businessman's unusual absence as of last night, Data has been preoccupying himself as usual with the television, hoping to find some way to quell his growing boredom. He flickered randomly through dozens of channels, finding movies or shows he has either already seen or garbage movies that didn't even warrant his criticisms. Too tired to make snarky jokes, it seems.

"Ugh…millions of years, since the first creature to comprehend abstract thought, Pokémon have been developing all sorts of entertainment through the infinite possibilities of the imagination," he grunted to himself. "So, why is that I can't find anything good on? I passed by five or six different movies with basically the same plot!" His mechanical arm slumped. "These accursed…reruns, I believe they're called, are truly bothersome."

He eventually stopped his mindless flickering, his mind wandering to the real reason he was so bored. He would usually have a companion to rant about his adventures through the television, who would begrudgingly listen just to keep him quiet. And yet, there was no sign of said companion.

"Julian hasn't returned from work since yesterday. Hasn't returned my calls, either. How worrying…I do hope he's okay." The cube eventually waved it off with a gentle flick of his mechanical wrist. "Oh, you worry too much, you old genius. Julian probably just passed out in his office. Poor man should really consider a vacation. Think I saw a nice advertisement for the Alola region…"

Through his rambling, though, his worries were ended by the sudden swing and crash of the suite door banging into the wall. The Machamp stood before the entrance with his hand outstretched, clutching a briefcase firmly in one hand. His eyes were covered in a dark shade, though Data didn't seem to notice this.

"Data…" Julian started quietly.

Data waved his attached limb around in his usual jubilant manner. "Oh, my dear friend, thank heavens you are alright. I tried to call you to make sure you were unharmed. Was work in the office too taxing? You should really consider-"

"Shut…up…"

That caught Data off guard. "Oh…my, that's the first time I've heard you speak so boldly to me, Julian. Are you feeling alright?"

Julian gripped the door and slammed it shut behind him before shouting, "You have a lot to explain, you conniving madman!"

Understandably, Data wasn't immediately aware of the source of his anger. He gingerly pointed to the TV in his brief silence. "If…this is about me ranting over the TV, I've toned it down last night."

Julian snatched the remote and shut the television off, then threw the remote onto the couch. "I don't care about that! I want you to explain…THIS!" He undid his suitcase and slammed a file down on the coffee table, which threw out a list of notes for the cube to see with his optics.

Data's sensors blinked a couple times as he analyzed the notes, skimming through the inconsistent handwriting, from neat to sloppy as if written in a massage chair. Even then, Data clearly saw what was written on the papers and understood the source of his friend's explosive anger. His reaction?

Disappointment in himself.

"Oh…dear. Julian, I must apologize. I was hoping to explain _this_ under better circumstances."

The Machamp's foot stamping down on the floor told him that didn't go over well. "Better circumstances?! Oh yes, I would've loved to see how you could've explain something as simple as _global catastrophe_!"

Data sighed. "Julian, I assure you, I kept this to myself for the better. This might hard to believe, but a lot of people just wouldn't be able to grasp my vision."

"Grasp your- did those three hundred years of hibernation make you senile?!" Julian yelled as he picked up one of the notes. "You're so RIGHT! Why wouldn't anyone be able to understand your vision! It's just a machine that WIPES OUT THE EARTH!"

Data held up his hand, lifting a finger. "Okay, one, you're exaggerating a tiny bit. My machine does not promise the destruction of the planet…the physical planet, at least. My machine would simply kill off the planet, not obliterate it into space dust."

Julian's lips curled up into an angry smile. "Oh yes, how silly of me! That makes it SSSSOOOO much better!"

"Where did you even acquire this knowledge?" Data asked curiously. "I made sure to make no records of this project."

"I _would_ tell you, but I'm suddenly talking to a genocidal maniac!"

Data's lights glowed dimly as he pointed to the wall. "Weren't you giving me lip about the noise? I don't think your neighbors would appreciate you screaming world annihilation."

Julian's eyes dipped into a deep glare. "Which brings me to my other point: you built a machine designed to forcibly change Pokémon into Fusions. _Forcibly!_ " he emphasized deeply.

Data placed his hand over the front of his cube. "My reasoning for such a design was to create a necessary, if slightly forced worldview of cooperation onto the less compliant and bigoted of our world. Perhaps even reach a new understanding of the Fusions."

Julian crossed his arms. "Is that so? Then answer me this. Aside from the backlash to the planet, is your machine even safe on Pokémon?"

The fact Data didn't immediately answer said something in of itself. "…well…slight _discomfort_ is unavoidable-"

"Discomfort?! It's forced, unnatural evolution! Everyone that isn't an unborn infant will suffer! Pokémon are naturally capable of changing form with growth, but that's already coded into their DNA! What you're doing, however, is rewriting their DNA and forcing rapid changes that they haven't adapted to! Do you know overstimulation of PAIN can actually kill someone?!"

"I'm aware."

"Then WHY?!"

Data waved his hand around nonchalantly. "It's rather grim, I know, but sacrifices need to be made in order to achieve peace. Yes, the changes won't be instant. In fact, I'd wager it would even take a week for the effects to fully settle. However, in the end, this is all for the greater good. Sacrifices for the greater good." His metal hand tensed up into a fist. "…or, in some cases, murder for the greater good."

While his anger didn't diminish, Julian raised a curious brow at the sudden tone shift. "Huh?"

Data sighed. "Death…I've seen a lot of it in my time, from spite and prejudice. Fusions were seen as unnatural monsters. Pokémon were seen as bigoted purists who didn't want change. There was no middle ground for anyone…and if there was, no middle ground was accepted." His metal arm rested on top of his cube. "Pokémon…Fusions…I had enough of the fighting. I've reached the edge of my patience with this war a long time ago. Nothing's changed. We're still warring with each other because we can't just accept how the world for what it has become. If no one likes it, then I guess someone has to force change."

Julian clenched his fists as he glared down at the box, trying to find some reasoning to his insane dream. But none could be found. Regardless of his intentions, Data still sounded like a madman who's looking for global destruction just to appease the hostility.

"All of this…because you're sick of the fighting?" he asked quietly.

Data's sensors blinked. "Some people have complex explanations for their madness…I'm just done with it all."

Julian stepped forward and pointed down on him accusingly. "You do realize I can't let this slide, right? I looked past the Enhancer Serum and the weapons, but this…if you intend to reactivate that machine, that's not happening." The Machamp huffed. "I'm cutting off your plans."

Data drummed his fingers against his edge. "I admire your loyalty to your world, Julian, but I'm afraid you misunderstand. I have set my plan into motion three hundred years ago. Because you have unearthed me, my plans are being seen into fruition."

"What are you talking about?"

"Even before I've met you, before you were even born, I've been pulling the strings in the past. Do you believe I could accomplish my goals in my current state without any sort of outside help? I made sure to entrust my research to an entrusted colleague." Data gesticulated with his hand as he spoke. "His descendants were entrusted to see my plans through, until now. A time where my technology an be made with greater access to resources. My partner…they have been working in the shadows, right under your nose. Someone who snuck past you and planted my file. It was only a matter of luck and manipulation to get you to unearth me. They're still at it, making sure everything is set for the unveiling of my weapon."

Julian nearly stepped back in disbelief, but he had to maintain composure. Instead, he chose to grit his teeth and scowl at the cube. "You bastard…you're just using me?"

"Don't think of it like that, my friend. I wanted you to see this to the end with me. I was hoping, truly, that we could be partners. We both want to change this world for the better, keep it safe. Me, though? I just want to take a more direct approach."

Julian stamped his foot down, fists clenched up. "My goal is to create a safer world, where the innocents are protected and the criminals are punished!"

"And yet, your partnership with Liam dictates the biased, yet 'fair' treatment of Fusions," Data reminded. "I would like to remind you, a good chunk of those villagers has killed."

"Out of self-defense, at least!" Julian fired back. "None of them would do it again! They were scared children who just wanted to be loved! Even though I don't approve of the policy, I can make an exception with mistreated children!"

"A problem that will never go away, no matter how hard you try. Regardless if the problem dies down entirely, the bigoted will still remain. There are billions of lifeforms living on this floating space rock. Not everyone will accept your policies. The majority, likely, but the problem will never end."

"At least I'm not _forcing_ a complete change of worldview!" Julian retorted. "As long as another Fusion doesn't get abused, I don't care about anyone's hatred for Fusions! Liam wants Fusions to finally find their deserved peace! I want to help them seek better lives! Regardless of our different opinions, we want what's best for them, from the youngest villager to the oldest!" Julian glared. "You, however, are crossing a line."

Data's sensors blinked a couple of times in thought. "…and how do you intend to stop me?"

Julian grabbed him with all four hands and lifted him in the air. "What's stopping me from crushing this containment unit and _you_ along with it?"

"Do you fully commit to killing me?" Data asked curiously.

Julian closed his eyes and grunted. "I've lived on the harsh streets of Kanto since I was a boy. Trust me…this means nothing to me." Taking a deep breath, he started putting pressure on the cube, struggling to crush into scrap.

The cube was incredibly sturdy, but Data could feel the edges gradually caving in on him. And yet, he still remained calm. "Julian…look at the bigger picture. Think of all we could accomplish."

"I'm…not…like…you," Julian grunted as he kept squeezing the cube together, faintly hearing the sound of creaking metal.

"Yes, you are." Suddenly, Data's sensors started blinking their usual red, green, and yellow, except they came off more…mesmerizing. "You want to accomplish much more. You just suppress that ambitious side of yours."

Julian's eyes widened before dropping the cube back on the table. He backed away and gripped his face. "What the…?" He started feeling lightheaded, unable to turn his eyes away from the blinking colors.

"I question your relationship with that godly ape," Data brought up as the lights pierced into Julian's subconscious. "You both seek similar, but utterly different goals. You, a safer world. Him, absolute peace. Both reasonable goals, but only one seems plausible. And yet, you take orders from him."

"I…y-yes, but…" Julian groaned, feeling like the room was spinning.

"You both want the same thing as I do. No more wars. No more bloodshed. A world where everyone can live in harmony. I seek a similar path from the best of both your worlds."

Julian gripped down on his head tighter. "AGH! But…But you-!"

"My actions have their consequences," Data interrupted in a serious tone. "I intend to accept them, whether it be death or banishment from this planet. My vision…isn't perfect, but at least there will be greater ease. A world that bands together to keep their home planet from dying…now that's what I call ultimate cooperation."

Julian loosened the grip he had over his head. It was faint, but there was a red glow in his eyes as he began to calm down. "I…I…didn't…think of it like that…"

Data pointed at the confused Machamp. "Liam's holding you back."

"Huh?"

"He won't approve of your methods. He forces you to abide by his own."

Julian narrowed one eye. "Wha…but he's my friend…"

"Is he?" Data asked.

"I…y-yes?" He didn't sound convinced himself.

Data, however, didn't press on any further. "Say what you will, but at least take time to consider my vision." Data reached over to the couch, his fingers just out of reach with the remote. "Ambition is said to be dangerous in high quantities…but I like to think too much ambition opens the doors to greater possibilities. We just need to strive for them." His tone then turned somber. "…Sacrifices need to be made. It'll hurt…a lot, but at least the future generation won't have to deal with the death of a loved one through violent acts of bigotry."

Julian seemed to be swayed by the gloomy atmosphere around the cube. "I…suppose some…casualties must be made to ensure a safer tomorrow."

Data sounded much happier after he said that. "I'm glad you agree. Together, my friend, we can bring these warring sides together as one. For the greater good." Data ceased his mesmerizing light show, which allowed Julian's eyes to revert to normal.

"R…Right…" Julian felt himself stumbling around, a wave of exhaustion passing over him. _Ugh…I don't feel so good…_

"I'm sorry I kept such secrets from you, my friend. I didn't intend to bring you discomfort."

Julian held his head and gave a shaky sigh. "W…Whatever. Just…promise me you'll at least find…a way to make the…transformation procedure less…insufferable. Messing with DNA carelessly leads to danger…"

"You have my word," Data promised sincerely. "Now…why don't you get some rest? All that working seems to have made you ill."

"Y-Yeah…I probably should." Julian limped over to his room, feeling his eyes drooping.

However, Data raised his finger suddenly. "Oh! One last thing." Julian gripped his bedroom door and faced him. "If it isn't too much trouble, I request a laptop."

The request caused Julian to deadpan with exasperation. "…well, I was wondering when you wanted access to the internet."

"I feel I'd be better entertained than having to torture myself with nonstop dribble on your television." Data outstretched his hand once more and finally got his fingers around the remote enough to pull it towards him. "Besides, best to keep track of our work. Cragtail wants an update on the improved batch you're working on."

Julian sighed and pinched between his eyes. "…I'm still working on it, but I think I've made progress on removing the negative side effects of your prototype batch. I planning on sending him a shipment of the stuff by next week."

"Ah, perfect!" Data cheered. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Yeah, yeah…I'll get you your laptop tomorrow…" Julian collapsed against his doorway, but kept himself from falling over. "I really need to…sleep…"

"Sleep well, Julian," Data got out just before the door closed behind the Machamp.

Julian limped towards his bed and collapsed face first into it. "Ugh…my head…what happened just now?" He weakly removed his suit, leaving on just his buttoned shirt, and pressed his head into a pillow. "Ugh…got to…tough it out…" He pulled his covers over himself. "Can't deal…with any more bad news…especially from Liam…"

He felt himself tense up saying the ape's name. It felt…wrong, somehow. Julian couldn't explain the feeling, but he couldn't stop his eyes from lowering in a glare as he thought about his…'friend.' "Liam…" he muttered bitterly, then shook his head in mild surprise. "Where did that come from…?"

Feeling he desperately needed sleep, Julian rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. Whatever that brief mood shift was, he was sure it'll go away once he got some rest.

* * *

Vivi and Eddie stared at the empty space before them with blank eyes, blinking a couple of times as the seconds ticked by. They were standing inside a dusty, withered hut, completely empty of furniture and other commodities, save for the few wall shelves.

Abraham was alongside them, hands behind his back with a whimsical smile on his face. "Well, what do you think?"

"It's, uh…" Vivi tapped her foot as she searched for a response. "It…certainly has character…"

Eddie was less dodgy with his feelings. "This place is a dump."

Abraham took no offense to his honesty and laughed it off. "Yes, I suppose it is. What you see was once our village dojo, where our more combat oriented villagers could fight their hearts out. Course, once we started expanding the village and utilizing space better, this place was basically abandoned. We only kept it around for convenience. We were hoping to find a suitable use for the old place."

Eddie crossed his arms. "Definitely needs some work…don't tell me we have to live here, too."

"This is merely a temporary situation until our builders work out a building plan with you and start on your hut's construction. A little cleaning and you'll hardly notice the wear and tear."

Vivi huffed and punched her fists together. "Fine by me! We're not concerned with the hut, anyway! Our mission is to research and locate Data and his weapon!"

Eddie leaned against the wall with narrowed eyes. "Not sure how much help I'll be in this. I haven't been as invested in this for as long as the kid."

Abraham waved it off. "Not to worry, I promised to have one of the villagers lend their assistance. You'll find his help to be much useful."

Vivi saluted to the councilman. "And we appreciate his cooperation! So, where is the lucky fella?"

Her call has been answered as a streak of electricity flew through the front entrance and zipped around the room. Vivi and Eddie covered their heads as the streak zipped around them quickly before stopping in front of Vivi. She blinked in awe as she locked eyes with the ever-observing Codex, staring intently at the archer.

Eddie eased up and let his arms fall limp. "Um…that's quite the entrance."

Codex backed up a bit from Vivi and bowed his head. "Greetings, Ledian-Decidueye Fusion referred to as Vivi Rollins. I am Codex."

Vivi's mouth was 'o' shaped as she stared at the computer ghost. "Woooow…" She then giggled through her teeth. "You sound like a robot!"

Codex continued, "I shall lend my technological advantages to discern the source of this doomsday machine and its connections to the one classified as 'Data.'"

"Quick, do the robot dance!" Vivi requested with a bright grin.

She received a swift bonk on the head from Eddie, who had his arms crossed with an irked expression. "Kid, focus!"

Vivi pushed his foot off and rubbed her sore head. "Aww, but he's a robot!" She beamed suddenly. "Ooh, or maybe a computer! Are you a computer instead?!"

"Kid!"

Codex, however, promptly answered her question. "I have collected from all around the world and compiled them into my databanks. Collecting knowledge is what one would call a close passion of mine."

"Ooh…so you must be really smart!" Vivi tapped her chin, then grinned mischievously. "In that case…what's the square root of 737,881?!" she threw out quickly.

"859," Codex answered immediately.

"Which is bigger, Nidoking and Nidoqueen?!"

"Nidoking."

"Can anything escape a blackhole?!"

"Not unless it's a superheated quasar."

"What's 2354 times 3198?!"

"7,528,092."

Eddie and Abraham silently watched as the two went back and forth with each other. It amazed Eddie that Codex didn't look visibly annoyed with Vivi's unending stream of pointless and, at some point, stupid questions. In fact, the digital ghost might be enjoying the fast-paced questioning.

Eddie sighed and scratched his head. "Well…at least she's entertained…"

Abraham chuckled, then turned towards the door. "Well, I better go check on your friend. He has caused quite a bit of a stir recently."

Eddie raised his brow. "What did he do?"

Abraham held his chin. "Um…nothing intentional, but…"

 _*FLASHBACK*_

 _Abraham was being led by Dakota towards the school hut. "My dear, is something the matter?"_

" _Willy's…a little uncomfortable around Bartleby," she briefly stated._

" _How uncomfortable are we talking?"_

" _AAAAHHHH!" Their eyes widened as Willy slid past them with a terrified face. "DON'T LET HIM STEP ON ME!"_

" _Willy, wait!" They watched as Spaz and Wantanabe were running after him. "He's not going to step on you! He was just trying to sit down!"_

" _Willy, buddy!" Wantanabe cried out. "Come on! He's friendly!"_

 _Dakota and Abraham blinked, then looked up and spotted the seated golem, who had his head down in shame, likely because he scared a child unintentionally._

 _*FLASHBACK ENDS*_

Eddie facepalmed and groaned inwardly. "I…am so sorry."

Abraham laughed it off. "Oh…the other kids love him. Willy's just…shy around new folk. Hehehe…I should be off. You all take care!" He let himself out.

Eddie shook his head, then faced the other two again as they kept going on with their questions. "Alright, here's a tough one! How old is Eddie?!"

"52."

Eddie's eyes widened, raising a inquiring finger. "How the…hell did you know that?"

"Quite simple. I scanned your body and vitals, then estimated the probable age range of your body type by comparing it to previous data of Hitmonlee I have acquired and determined the quality of Typhlosion fur with age, then proceeded to make millions of calculations a second before compiling the likely outcome-"

"You know what," Eddie interrupted, raising his hand. "I don't care anymore…"

"Oh, very well." Codex faced Vivi, who continued beaming at him. "I must say, Ms. Rollins, I have met very few creatures who could come up with as many questions as you can in such a short span of time." He tilted his head. "Truly curious…do you also possess an ARC-8 Processor Unit for a brain?"

Vivi giggled with a wide grin. "I have NO idea what that is!"

"You're a fascinating and odd young lady."

"Aww, thank you!"

"Ahem!" Eddie interjected, clapping his hands to further gain their attention. "Glad you two have bonded, but we should really get focusing on why we're here. Since I'm pretty much useless for this, I'll handle getting whatever you need for your research."

Codex nodded. "A fine alternative to lend your usefulness. Ms. Rollins, you are head of this project. You may take the lead on this."

"Thank you, Code Dude!" Vivi tapped her chin, compiling a list of potential items. "Okay…I need a whiteboard on one of those wheel stands that spins the board, a camera, and some red twine to connect evidence!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes and sighed. "You're…taking this conspiracy theorist thing rather seriously."

"Hehe, I know! I've always wanted to be one!"

Eddie raised his brow. "You don't say? Can't say I'm surprised."

"Well, it wasn't always my first dream." Vivi pointed at the crumbling ceiling. "My first dream was to become a professional kickball player! I dominated the field with my mad kicking skills! I'd kick the ball over the fence…then kick the opposing players when they weren't looking! Then I get thrown out because I don't go to that school…" She glanced at Eddie's baffled eye twitches. "…yeah, I kind of snuck onto school campuses a lot."

Eddie sighed dryly and pinched between his eyes. "Should've figured with you…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the training fields, Wash was out practicing his strikes on the wooden post, throwing kicks and punches periodically. However, he didn't seem to carry a lot of kinetic energy with his strikes. He didn't seem entirely focused on his training, as if his mind was preoccupied with something else that nagged at the back of his skull.

Landing a kick and pressing the sole of his foot against the post, Wash paused for a moment before pulling back and holding his head. "Ugh…" He shook his head lightly and tried to keep focus. Things felt a little hazy for him. "Keep it together, Wash…" he told himself. He raised his fists to the post and jabbed it a couple times.

"Oh Washster~!"

Wash flinched a bit from the sudden ringing voice, but he smiled nonetheless as a certain, delightful panda walked towards him with her usual beaming expression that momentarily lifted his crummy mood. "Hey, Jun…how are you doing?"

With a flick of her wrist, Juniper threw out and caught a can on soda into her hand before opening it. "Restocked and refreshed! Just the way I like it!" She tiled her head back and took a couple gulps of her favorite drink, then wiped her lips clean as she pointed at the ghost frog with a wry smirk. "What's all this here? Training without me?" She held her hand to her forehead and whined. "Dear Wash, how could you? I thought we had something special!"

Wash shook his head and looked back at the post. "I'm not really up for the dramatics, Jun."

Juniper shook her can around. "Aww, but you love when I act silly."

Wash shrugged. "I just…feel like training alone today."

The sleepy panda tilted her head to the side and blinked twice. "…alright, what's bugging you?"

He leaned against the post and shrugged. "N-Nothing…it's fine."

"Hmm…nope!" Juniper skipped forward and hooked her arm around his neck. "No, no, there's definitely something wrong."

"I don't want to talk about it," he insisted, facing away from her.

"Don't be like that, Washy." She pressed her can against his cheek and gave him a little nudge. "Come on~! You can tell your good ol' pal, Juniper~! We are friends, right~?"

Wash looked down and rubbed his arm. "…Juniper…seriously, I'm not in the mood today…"

Juniper's smile shrank a bit. It was obvious something was upsetting him, but she wasn't leaving until she helped him. So, after gulping down the rest of her soda and tucking the can back into her sleeve, she grabbed Wash by wrists and pulled himself off the training ground. "Alright, come on."

The Frogadier-Banette nearly tripped over his feet as he was being dragged. "Ah! Where are you taking me?"

"To two people who clearly know your troubles better than me!"

* * *

Back at Wash's hut, his hut mates were relaxing on the first floor and going about their day. Sheila was in the kitchen, doing a little baking in their personal kitchen. York invited Casey to come over since she had some free time on her hands, which they were both grateful for. Though, it was clear the female Charmeleon was exhausted with her day.

Leaning back into their couch with her hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, she let out an exasperated sigh. "You don't know how good it feels to get some time off. I swear, my manager won't leave me at peace for even a moment."

York rubbed his head with a sympathetic smile. "Come on, Casey, it can't be that bad."

She rolled her eyes. "He insists I can't go around in public without bodyguards watching me. I managed to convince him not to."

York bit his lip and stared forward at their TV. "Yeesh…a bit overprotective, isn't he?"

Sheila bent down and checked on her cookies in the oven. "I'm sure he means well…in his own overbearing way…" she added with a tone that even made her question if she believed it herself.

Casey shook her head. "No, he's just paranoid. Ever since the Rogues tried to attack me years back, he wants constant updates on my location." She sighed and leaned her head over the back of the couch. "He doesn't trust Fusions at all…"

"Then how are you allowed to see me?" York asked.

Casey smirked. "Wellll…that's assuming he knows where I am right now."

York grinned. "You tricky little Charmeleon…"

Casey chuckled and sat herself up. "Nothing would stop me from seeing you." She looked away and blushed a bit. "You're a pretty cool guy, York."

The Helioptile-Haxorus blushed as well. "Oh…well, thanks." York held his cheek and turned away to hide it. "I'm a bit surprise the general ease of the public hasn't convinced your manager we're not bad people."

Casey closed her eyes. "He's too stubborn on his beliefs."

Sheila slipped on some oven mitts and pulled out her cookies. "Give it some time. He might change his mind."

"Wishful thinking…"

"Well, how about a treat to go with those wishes? The cookies are done." As she set them down on the stove and took off her mitts, their front door unexpectedly swung open, surprising them.

Juniper walked in with Wash being dragged behind. "Hello, everyone!"

Sheila smiled. "Oh…hello Juniper." She then raised her brow in confusion. "And, uh…Wash? Weren't you training?"

"I was…" he grumbled, having given up on resisting the panda's stubbornness and let himself be dragged around with her.

Juniper went over to the couch. "Hello, Casey. Always good to see you." She swung the ghost frog onto the couch before plopping herself down next to him. She pulled her empty can out and flung it over the couch, landing it in their recycling bin. She waved her arms at Wash as she looked at the others. "Mind lending me a hand?"

"What's wrong?" York asked.

"Poor ol' Washy's acting moody today."

"I am NOT!" he insisted firmly. "I just wanted to train alone today! I'm not upset or anything!"

He froze up when Juniper grabbed him by the cheeks and locked eyes with him. "Yes…Yes, you are."

"Juniper…personal space…" The ghost frog felt his cheeks heating up.

"I know emotions, mister. I know a fake face when I see one. That is not a happy face. This…is a sad face trying to be hidden."

"I…" Wash tried to say.

York raised his brow at the two. "I'm not one to doubt Juniper. She does have a thing for bugging people who are upset." York narrowed his eyes. "Wash, are you sure you're okay?"

Wash gently pulled Juniper's hands off. "Nothing! Nothing at all! I just…" He looked around at all four sets of eyes staring at him, making him a bit uncomfortable. He let go of Juniper's hands and rested his arms in his lap. "I've…just been…" He muttered incoherent words under his breath.

"We didn't catch that," Casey pointed out. "What?"

Wash grimaced before sighed in defeat. "I've…been having…small relapses…in Barbatos…"

York and Sheila gasped while Juniper remained straight-faced. Casey, understandably, didn't know what they were talking about. "Um…relapses? And who is…Barbatos?"

York held Casey's shoulder with a nervous look. "Have…we ever told you about Wash's history before the village?" Casey offered a simple shrug.

Sheila came over and rested her arms on the back of the couch. "A lot of Fusions get abused in the wrong parts of the world. Wash is no exception. He went through a lot of trouble at a young age. The…abuse affected him deeply. All that…anger took on a physical form inside of Wash, one he rarely has knowledge of. Barbatos is a separate personality of Wash's that formed in his horrible childhood."

York nodded. "Basically, the living personification of his anger. A maniac who attacks any and all on sight."

Juniper nodded. "It's true. We've actually seen Barbatos once before. He left…quite the impression. A bad one, in fact."

Casey's hands flew up to her mouth. "Oh man! That's terrible!"

"Juniper was the one who confronted Barbatos before he went on a similar rampage when he first surfaced. I think _she_ may have left a bad impression on him." York crossed his arms. "Wash has been trying to keep that part of himself suppressed. So far, things have been fine." York raised his brow. "But…if you're starting to have small relapses…"

Wash held his head and groaned. "I've…been trying to keep myself under control."

"You look a little worn out," Juniper pointed out.

"Being part Ghost-Type gives me some control over my spirit and mind…maybe if I was a Psychic-Type, I could be handling this better." Wash closed his eyes. "I'm note entirely sure what triggers the change. Violence…maybe stress…I don't know…"

Sheila rubbed his head. "Wash…you should have told us."

"I didn't want you getting involved with my issues."

York shook his head. "Sorry Wash, but meddling in people's personal issues is my job. If this is something to do with stress, maybe you should be taking it easy from now on. I don't want to say you're a danger, but you can hurt someone as Barbatos. He is your personified rage."

Casey nodded. "Yeah, York's right. I know what it's like to feel stressed out. Comes with my line of work."

Wash looked down, then closed his eyes. "How can I? I already feel worn out thinking about it."

He felt a nudge against his shoulder, prompting him to look to his left and spot the sleepy panda leaning against him with her warm smile. "How about spending a day in my shoes? After all, I'm still half asleep and I feel stress free."

Wash raised his brow. "You…want to help me?"

"Relaxation is my specialty!" Juniper paused for a moment, then sat up. "No, wait, being a lazy goof is my specialty. But hey, a close second."

Wash shook his head. "I-I wouldn't want to take up your time."

"I make my own time! My schedule consists of me napping, sleeping, dozing off, daydreaming-!"

"Those are all practically the same thing," Casey pointed out.

Juniper grinned. "Not for me!" She smiled warmly at Wash. "Besides, I owe you one for trying to help me train. I figure I could return the favor this way." She giggled behind her sleeve. "Just means we get to hang out more." She tapped his nose. "Boop."

York grinned. "You know, that's a great idea. Wash, if you need to lose some stress, hanging around Juniper might be your best bet." He then smirked. "Well…so long as you don't become _as_ lax as her." Juniper stuck her tongue out at him.

Wash rubbed the back of his head with a little less doubt. "Well…if you don't mind-"

"Not at all!" the sleepy panda cheered excitedly.

"-then, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try."

"Great!" York exclaimed before grabbing them both by the wrists, pulling them off the couch, and pushing them out the door. "You can get started now! Remember to not do any strenuous training or anything too aggravating!" Once he got them out the door, he flashed them a knowing smile. "You two have fun together!"

Wash spun around and shouted, "Wait, I didn't know you meant now-!" The door slammed shut in his face. His shoulders slumped. "Okay…"

Juniper giggled, then wrapped her hand into his and dragged him away. "Come on, we're burning daylight!"

"Why does everyone keeping pulling me around today?!" Wash complained, nearly tripping over his feet. "And where are you taking me?"

"Back to my place. I'm going to teach you the fine art of sleeping in a hammock…on the roof!" she added cheerily.

Wash sweat-dropped. "That…doesn't sound safe…"

"Sure, it is!" she insisted. "I do it all the time and I've turned out great, haven't I?"

He wasn't sure if that was a legitimate question or a joke. His eyes darted around silently. "Um…riiiiight…"

"Oh, hush up, you silly ghost frog!" She picked up the pace, pulling him faster and nearly knocking him over.

Wash quickly held his face, unaware his eyes briefly glowed purple. _This is ridiculous…never expected myself to be forced to relax._ He mentally sighed, then looked at the back of Juniper's head. He smiled lightly with a blush growing on his cheeks. _Well…at least I get to spend time with her._

Unknown to Wash, Juniper was having the same thoughts, with a similar smile and blush on her face. She giggled quietly behind her free hand, acting more chipper and fluttery than usual.

* * *

The repeated pounding of a sandbag could be heard deep in the Rogue hideout, where things were notably more tense than usual after the attack committed against them in the black market. And, as usual, Norris was the most pissed out of everyone.

He took his aggression out against a sandbag, punching it furiously as he snarled through his clenched teeth. Though, his arms gave out after a few minutes, forcing him to stop and massage them. "Ugh…" His arms, torso, and practically everything that wasn't his face was covered in gauze. He had a small adhesive bandage below the nostrils of his beak. "Everything…every part of me feels like crap…"

He wasn't the only one feeling crummy. Zoey and Sullivan were laying on blankets and cushions they had laying around, also covered in gauze. They weren't able to move around as freely as Norris, even though he should be more injured than them. They were thankfully expected to make a full recovery. They also had Sunny to tend to them.

Speaking of whom, the cotton fairy fluttered in, holding a large tray over her head. She carefully set it down, then placed two bowls of soup between the two. "There you go! Yummy, healthy soup to make your insides all warm and fuzzy!"

Zoey twitched a bit in pain, then smiled weakly at the fairy. "Ugh…you're a good kid, Sun."

The fairy beamed in appreciation. "Aww! You're welcome!" She grabbed the spoon from the bowl and started feeding her first.

Sullivan grunted, shifting his head around. "I hate feeling so…broken." He looked off to the side and spotted Mikayla, who was monitoring Norris because he was too stubborn to get some rest. "Have…we found out what the hell was with that Poliwrath?"

Mikayla shook her head. "Eli hasn't found anything yet. He made some theories…perhaps bionics or maybe a drug…"

Zoey snorted a dry laugh. "I've been on the rough parts of the street…no drug I've ever heard of."

Sullivan growled. "Can't believe someone like that got the drop on us…forcing us to hide like cowards…"

"Better to hide and live another day than be fools pretending to be invincible." They saw Eli walk in with his arms hidden inside his feathers cloak. "If I wasn't so concerned with saving our skins, I would have considered getting a sample of that freaks blood for Cyrox to examine." He sighed. "Such a shame, really. Still, there's no evidence it was based off our products."

Mikayla sighed and looked at Norris as he returned to punching the sandbag. "We were lucky to have Norris and Augustus when we did. Things could have ended up worse for us. You both did a huge number on that Poliwrath."

Norris didn't seem proud of his accomplishment, responding with a sneer. "Whatever." He flexed his claws, then tore the sandbag open with a large gash. Sand poured out like a waterfall.

Sullivan turned and looked at Norris. "Yeah…where did that kid learn to fight? I've never seen him throw more than a punch."

Norris gripped his throbbing arm. "Don't know. Just knew about his trigger phrase." He glared. "Found out the hard way because I'm a curious bastard." He closed his eyes, then scowled. "Someone's asking for a death wish. I don't know who, but I intend to grant their demand."

Mikayla nodded. "I agree, but not now. You still need to recover from your injuries."

Norris snarled through his clenched teeth. "When I find the joker who sent him after us, I'll break their kneecaps and-!"

"Before you finish that," Eli interrupted as he dug through his feathered cloak, "I need to show you all something." He pulled out a newspaper and tossed it on the ground. "We've been laying low for the last few days. Seems we missed out on quite a bit."

"What do you mean?" Sunny asked as Norris picked up the paper and looked at the front headline.

"Seems our little Gappei friends ran into a similar spot of trouble," Eli replied with a devious grin.

Norris gripped tightly on the paper and lowered it to glare at Eli. "What is this?"

"Superpowered Pokémon go after three villagers of Gappei Village, who did nothing to provoke an attack. It seems these particular mercenaries were fickle about who should be on their hit list." Eli glared. "This wasn't just a one-time thing. Something weird is going on around here."

Sullivan, after struggling to sit up, caught a glance at the headline before gasping in disbelief. "Wait! That says three Gappei Wimps took on three of those freaks! And they WON?! HOW?!"

"We got our asses kicked by one guy," Zoey muttered bitterly.

Eli, however, smirked at their complaints. "According to statements from those girls, they each exhibited different master of their power output: strength, speed, and durability. Seems we got the short end of the stick and dealt with a muscle head."

Norris nearly tore the paper in half, but maintained enough self-control to hand it off to Mikayla. "And they still won? How did they take out the stronger guy?"

"They each took on a fighter on their own. The speed and durability enhanced two shouldn't have been much different to a regular fight, if only with minor complications. However, it seems their strongest fighter went up against Gappei's strongest fight." He walked over and tapped on the picture of the three females. "This one, to be exact."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "Yeah…I think I've seen that one before."

"She's an abnormally skilled fighter, far superior to her own allies and even us. She seems like someone who has had years of training under their belt." Eli held his chin. "She's the oddest of them all."

Norris raised his brow. "How so?"

"I've been keeping track of every Fusion who has had a mission for this city, making personal profiles for each of them. Best way to beat your enemy is to know how they think." He glared. "However, I can't get an accurate reading on her. She seems genuinely happy about everything…and yet, it feels like an act, too. She's a living contradiction. She just…makes no sense."

"What's your point?"

Eli smirked. "She's a mystery. There's something about that one that intrigues me. It's like she knows things, but prefers to stay in the dark. I want to find out what she is for myself. After all, with knowledge comes power. You learn the wrong thing about someone and it could set off trouble."

Zoey smirked. "What? You want to…do a research project on her?"

"If there comes a time where we do need to fight Gappei Village, I rather not be at a disadvantage with their most skilled fighter. Best to know how to eliminate her before such a time comes."

Mikayla held her chin. "Huh…that's not a bad idea, actually. But still, how do you intend on finding anything on her?"

"Cyrox is a wanted criminal throughout multiple regions for a reason. If anyone can find the information I need, it's him. I want to know more about this Spinda-Mienfoo and what makes her tick. If we could somehow replicate her skills, we might be unstoppable ourselves."

Sullivan smirked. "That's brilliant…"

"But how do you intend to draw her out?" Zoey questioned.

Eli shrugged. "Can't. We just need to get lucky and hope she gets another mission soon. Besides…we have more pressing matters to intend to." He paced around the room. "Braith has been keeping a watchful eye on Roteman. He's been making frequent shipments to some unnamed client. Anything from Profectus Inc. is an instant goldmine for us. Perhaps something to help improve our Fusion Arsenals."

Norris glared at Eli. "You're suggesting we intercept his shipments?" He narrowed his glare. "Well…I suppose it's for the best. We've been in hiding for long enough. Do you have a team in mind?"

Eli chuckled, rubbing his chin. "I'm glad you asked, because I do. Though, you might not like it."

That warranted suspicion from the irritated duck. "Why?" he asked cautiously.

Eli smirked, then said, "Perhaps…Augustus should come do more field work with us from now on."


	41. Conflicting Personalities

A week had passed since Wash was forced to partake in much needed time off. Obviously, he was against lazing around for no reason other than the sake of lazing around, so it was an adjustment period he had to adapt to. Thankfully, the experience has been surprisingly wonderful, thanks to the assistance of his lazy friend, Juniper.

Currently, the two were lounging outside, each with a hammock hooked up to the trees, lightly swinging side to side. Juniper had one hand behind her head with a soda in the other. She lightly swirled the can around, glancing to her left with a relaxed grin. "How you feeling, Washy?"

Wash had his arms resting on his stomach as he looked up at the leaves. "Feeling…great, actually. Thanks, Jun."

She grinned. "You're welcome." She sipped her soda, then sighed in content. "Everyone calls me lazy, but I don't mind. This is how I spend my days. Just letting my mind drift off and being happy in the moment. What's the point in struggling when I can just let the time slip away?"

Wash glanced at her with a light smile. "You know 'taking it easy' doesn't get anything done, right?"

"Maybe as an adult. Now? I'm a simple teenager looking for peace of mind." She sipped her soda again. "Stress doesn't look good on me. Can you imagine me being angry or sad?"

"For as long as I've known, it would seem unusual."

"I've built up who I am and I'm keeping it like that!" she exclaimed before taking another sip of her drink.

Wash chuckled, then clasped his hands together, twiddling his thumbs. A though came to him now…actually, a though he developed over the last few days. It wasn't something he wanted to ask Juniper any other day, but…spending time with her boosted his courage a bit. "Say…Juniper?"

"Juniper!" she exclaimed, laughing out loud. "Hehehe…yeah, Washy?"

His cheeks heated up a bit. "We…hang out a lot, even before our…relaxation sessions. Do you…enjoy spending time with me?"

Juniper giggled. "That's a silly question, and I know silly. The answer should be obvious, you doofus."

"I know, I know, but…I don't know, really. Aside from York and Sheila, connecting with the others was difficult." He sighed. "When Barbatos came out and rampaged, everyone was hesitant to come near me, like I was a ticking time bomb that could be set off at any instant." He closed his eyes. "It's hard of them…and even worse on me. Controlling that inner rage of mine…a part of me so foreign to who I am.

"But then _you_ came into my life. A friendly face to meet when I first came here…and the one who put a leash on my other half." Wash rolled onto his side and looked directly at Juniper. "Even though everyone else was scared of what I could do, you…never fled. You just…kept smiling. It was, still is, infectious. It's like nothing gets to you. You could have the worst day ever and you'll just sleep it off with your smile." He narrowed his eyes. "You've…brought me out of my troubles just from being yourself."

Juniper shrugged. "It's how I was taught. Someone very close and important to me taught me the value of friends. He had a saying he went by: 'Understand your troubles, accept your regret. If you learn to forgive yourself, give the world your best smile and shine.'"

"Wow…" Wash mumbled in awe. He sat up. "I guess that's why I like you so much. You're just…such an amazing person."

Juniper sat up and beamed his way. "Aww, thanks!"

"I…can't even describe exactly how amazing you are. You're sweet, funny, friendly, caring…and supportive. You're one of the greatest friends that has ever entered my life."

Juniper held her reddened cheek and giggled. "Oh…stop it, you!"

"I'm serious." Wash looked down with nervous, but determined eyes. "I…I want to repay you for your kindness. For being here for me."

Juniper smiled kindly, waving his offer off. "You don't have to."

"No, I _want_ to." Wash looked directly at Juniper, with his cheeks blooming with heat. "I'm not sure how to say this, but…I've put a lot of time into my choice. So…if it's alright with you, I…would you like to…um…perhaps…join me on a…d…d…?"

Juniper felt her cheeks heating up as well, understanding the stuttering implication behind his request and…another, more embarrassing reason. "Um…Wash?" She nodded her head to her right.

Wash looked to his left, then his face exploded with heat when he saw they weren't alone. Standing a few paces away from them was Rebecca, who awkwardly kicked at the ground with her head down. She felt both pairs of eyes land on her, making her jump up and stand at attention.

"Oh, um…h-hey, you two!" she exclaimed with her usual bubbly grin, though there was clear awkwardness and guilt mixed in. "Um…Peregrine told me to…get you two. The three of us have a job from Mr. Roteman…"

Wash covered his face to hide his reddened cheeks, nearly mortified with horror. "Um… _right…_ " he practically squeaked with a quiet voice.

Juniper, while feeling her own face glowing red, retained her normal composure and laughed it off. "Thanks, Rebecca! We'll be over in a moment!"

Rebecca gave them the thumbs-up as she slowly backed away. "Cool, cool…can't wait to work with you both." She turned her back and…began hitting her head and scolding herself for her unplanned rudeness.

Juniper smiled sheepishly at a rather downhearted Wash. "Heh…sorry. We'll get back to this later, I promise."

Wash sighed. "Yeah…sure…" They got up and headed towards the council hut, with the ghost frog holding his face and groaning inwardly. _It'll take a miracle to build my confidence back up after THAT._

* * *

Once they were given all the info they needed on their new assignment, Juniper, Wash, and Rebecca headed out to the local shipping yard of Grandis City. While not connected to the immediate ocean, Grandis City had a water channel that led straight towards it. The boats were docked out in a large contained body of water with multiple exit gates to us.

They came up to the fenced off shipping yard and Rebecca started over the fence as she went over their assignment for reference. "Mr. Roteman is planning on shipping important contents to a business partner. With everything going on with the Rogues recently…"

"He's worried they'll steal his supplies and use them in their fancy weaponry," Juniper finished. She shrugged. "Sounds about right. Still, why are we sneaking in if the workers know we're coming?"

"We stand out like sore thumbs," Rebecca blatantly pointed out. "The workers will know our faces and won't raise alarm, but it's better that we lay low should the Rogues try anything, otherwise we might scare them off." She glared. "The idea is to quickly detain and arrest them." She hopped off the top of the fence and landed on her hands and feet.

Wash took a single leap over the fence and landed next to her. "And I'm assuming the large ship docked out front is what we're defending?" he asked, pointing out the large vessel in their immediate sight.

"Bingo," Rebecca confirmed.

"Great!" Juniper cheered as she pulled herself over the fence and fell over…landing on her face and belly. "…this'll be a piece of cake! …also, ow."

Wash narrowed his eyes and took a cautionary look around. "We know a good chunk of their members, but not the one's we should keep our guards against, outside of Norris and Eli."

Rebecca pulled out her twig and spun it between her fingers. "With any luck, they sent one guy." She paused, then flinched. "Then again, if one guy is all they need, that just raises more concerns…"

Juniper laughed. "That just makes it all the more fun. Let me tell you, I've been itching for a proper fight since the last few baddies I've danced with. Those fights made me all sleepy."

Wash raised his brow. "Jun…you're always sleepy."

She grinned cheekily. "And your point is…?"

Wash rolled his eyes with a dry smile forming. "Never mind."

Rebecca pointed around the dock as she said, "Probably best if we split up. We don't know how or where the Rogues are coming from."

Juniper reached into her sleeve and retrieved a soda. "Good call." She opened the can and sipped on it as she walked off in stumbling steps. "I'll go sleep over there."

Rebecca chuckled, scratching her cheek with a minor sweat-drop. "Right-o! Do what you do best, I suppose." She saw Wash preparing to break off, but she caught up to them and grabbed him by the shoulder. "Hey, uh, Wash? Can we talk?"

Wash turned around and faced her with a raised brow. "About what?"

She sighed and bowed before him apologetically. "I'm really, really sorry for disturbing you and Juniper earlier! If I knew you two, uh, wanted to be alone, I would've waited! But Peregrine was rushing me and I didn't want to be yelled at and hit on the head again, so I was a bit…frazzled. Hehe…"

Wash held his hip with narrowed eyes, making her feel uncomfortable for a moment, but he sighed and waved it off. "It's not a big deal, don't worry."

Rebecca sighed. "Oh, thank goodness!" She folded her arms behind her back and looked around with clear curiosity in her supposedly neutral expression. "Sssooo, what were you two talking about? You…looked like you had something important to ask her."

Wash made sure to keep his reddened cheeks hidden. "Um…well, before you showed up, I was just telling Juniper how much I appreciated her friendship. She's been a big help in getting me back on my feet. So, I was actually trying to…ask her out…" he finished quietly.

Not quiet enough, though, as he was bombarded with excited squeals from the Braixen-Lucario. "Really?! Aww, that's so sweet!" She grinned brightly. "Haha! I knew you always had a thing for her-!" The ghost frog's hand slapped over her mouth, silencing her excited outburst.

"And I would prefer if you didn't announce it out loud," he warned through his teeth, face bright red. He removed his hand and sighed. "Sorry, it's just…this is a little new to me, so I'm just trying to get my confidence together so I can try again later…hopefully."

Rebecca nodded in understanding. "Of course, of course." She grinned and nudged his side with a playful smirk. "Still, one can't deny you two look so cute together. When I heard she roped you into her lazy lifestyle the whole week, I thought you'd take the first chance you get to skedaddle. But you looked like you were having the time of your life."

Wash rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "It was strange for me, but I did need the stress relief. Juniper's been a big help with that."

Rebecca giggled. "Aww, it's like being with Juniper melts away your worries."

Wash blinked in legitimate surprise, then looked towards the sky with a sudden epiphany. Juniper's mere presence seemed to have that effect on him. Whenever he felt tense, all he needed was her warm smile and silly demeanor to cool off. It's like she gave off a lethargic, yet calming aura that affected everyone close to her. It's done wonders for him.

"Huh…guess you're right…"

Rebecca grinned. "I think you found your soulmate, Wash."

Wash smiled lightly. "Maybe I did…"

Rebecca chuckled, then sighed in frustration before looking to the side, hands on her hips, with a huffy pout. "Now, if only Ren wouldn't be so dense and got a clue with my hint drops…" Wash chuckled under his breath.

* * *

While the Gappei Fusions were getting themselves set up for a stakeout, their intended targets were closer than they thought. Three dark figures swam through the river channel and made their way towards the cargo vessel. Coming up on its side, out of view from the dock, they emerged: a team consisting of Norris, Eli, and Augustus, the non-Water-Types wearing rebreathers.

Norris glared up the side of the ship before raising his hand out of the water and sinking his claws into the hull. He flexed his other set of claws and dug them in, scaling the side with Eli and Augustus clinging on to him.

"Stealth is the objective," Eli reminded.

"I know, I know," Norris grumbled, having heard him for the fifteenth time or so. "Don't keep reminding me."

"Well, I have to given your impulsive tendencies," Eli replied with a bold smirk.

"I will literally bash your head into this ship and exploded you if you don't shut," Norris growled through his teeth, trying to keep his temper under control. Augustus awkwardly averted his gaze from the two, still trying to get used to these field missions and the less the stellar…'banter' between them.

Norris reached the edge of the ship and, after a quick scan for any patrolling crewman before heaving Eli and Augustus onto the deck and pulling himself over. Eli kept low as he examined the layout of the ship, before silently gesturing the two to follow. They quickly and quietly ran across the ship.

They snuck past the attentive eyes of the crewman before reaching an access point into the lower half of the ship. They opened the hatch and descended the ladder down a chute before reaching their objective: the cargo hold.

Crates and boxes of varying sizes strapped down to the ship to prevent tipping over. Not all were being shipped out from Profectus Inc., so that made searching for them just a bit harder.

Augustus' eyes were wide in awe. "That's a lot of boxes…"

"It sure is." Eli snatched a flashlight from inside his cloak and shined it across the hold. "It'll take us a while to find what we're looking for. If we're lucky, we could snatch some food they're shipping out."

Norris glared. "We didn't come here for food. We're already fully stocked. We just want whatever dumb gizmo Roteman's working on and to flee before the cops find out we're here."

Eli rolled his eyes. "Fair is fair." He shined the light around the hold. "Well, see anything that sticks out."

"Boxes?" Norris grumbled apathetically.

"Not what I was going for, but a good start."

Norris groaned and looked around at the myriad of boxes. "This is ridiculous…are we supposed to open every single one of these?"

Eli shook his head. "No, that'll take too long. We need to find the right one first before we think of pulling crates apar-"

"Um…Mr. Norris? Mr. Eli?" Augustus meekly interjected, raising his hand. He pointed to his right. "Is this it?"

The two turned their heads and spotted the box in question. A red and white 'PI' was spray painted onto the side, the signature logo of Profectus Inc. And it was sitting right next to them.

"Huh…that was easy," Norris mumbled.

Eli patted Augustus' head with a proud smile. "Well, look who's turning into an expert criminal already?" Augustus smiled humbly and hid his face. Eli rubbed his hands together. "Holiday's came early, boys. Let's open our gifts." He dug his claw under the lid and pried it off.

Norris leaned against a box, cheek pressed against the side. "What's inside?"

"Ooh, some fancy equipment for the…ages?" Eli's tone of confusion raised a brow from Norris as he reached inside. The dark poisoner pulled out a small, metal container. Opening that one, he revealed a racked of vials with red liquid inside. "Vials? The hell is this?"

"Punch?" Augustus suggested.

"Stupid science liquid," Norris growled.

Eli searched through the other containers and discovered the same vials of liquid. "How unusual. I don't recall Roteman fancying himself a chemist. When did he start shipping chemicals out?"

Norris held his face and groaned. "What a waste of time. We came all the way out here just to find useless chemicals."

"Maybe not…" Eli placed the container back in its crate. "Roteman doesn't work without a reason. I say we take this crate and see what he's got cooking in his lab now."

"Dining and dashing without staying for dessert?" The three Rogues' eyes widened, then they spun around in defensive stances. Much to their shock, but Eli's delight, they were greeted by the resident lazy panda of Gappei Village, sipping her soda while sitting atop a crate. She waved her drink to the criminals and grinned. "Talk about rude."

"You!" Norris growled, showing some restraint from blindly attacking as he vigilantly scanned the hold. "Where's the rest of them?"

"Oh…they're outside. Probably don't know I'm in here." Juniper sipped her drink again and belched. "Oops…hehe, excuse me." She hopped off the box and sauntered towards them. "I don't believe we've formally met." She grinned. "How about 20 Q's? Always a great conversation starter!"

Norris' face fell into an annoyed, grumpy scowl. "I hate you already…"

Her response was a cheeky smile. "I get that a lot!"

Eli pushed Norris back and smirked with intrigue at the lazy panda. "The top fighter of Gappei Village…I've been hoping to meet you for some time."

Juniper held her drink up and laughed. "Care for an autograph?"

Eli held his chin and snickered. "I've heard about your fight with those superpowered Pokémon the other week. Power like that could have severely injured anyone, even a Fusion, yet sources tell me you handled yourself with no trouble. How…fascinating."

Juniper shrugged. "Oh, it was nothing. I have my quirks and skills…though, that jerk still owes me new soda." She threw her head back and laughed.

Eli crossed his arms. "Clearly…fighting you as you are would be foolish."

Norris grabbed Eli and reeled him back. "Don't rope me into this, you idiot!" He snarled at the panda and cracked his knuckles. "I can take her myself."

Juniper grinned. "You're more than welcomed to try. I want my besties to take it easy today until this ship sails off later." She narrowed her eyes playfully. "I can spare kicking both your butts." She then noticed Augustus and grinned, scaring him into hiding behind Eli. "And who's this? Is it 'Bring Your Kid On a Heist' Day?"

Norris' eye twitched as sparks flew off his wrist orb. "She's pissing me off…" he growled.

"Don't let her get to you," Eli advised.

"Too late…" Norris stamped his foot down and raised his sparking fists. "Now, get lost or I'm blasting your sorry face to the moon!"

Juniper snickered behind her hand. "Will that be a roundtrip?"

Norris nearly lunged himself to tear her apart, but Eli caught and hooked him under the arms. The mad duck kicked his feet in protest. "Let me go so I can destroy her!"

"You know she's just going to kick your ass," Eli reminded.

"No, she won't! I can take her! No one will get in my way!"

Eli tapped him on the forehead. "Then stop thinking like an idiot. We've been waiting to encounter this weirdo. Why else would we bring our wild card?"

Norris stopped struggling and went limp in Eli's hold. He glared over his shoulder and faced the dark poisoner. "You know I don't like using the kid like this."

Eli glared back with a coldness. "Do you want to risk going to jail fighting her? I told you, she's a walking mystery. There's no point predicting how she'll fight."

"Uh, hello?" Juniper called out, waving to them. "Still here! What's this about a wild card?" She pointed at Augustus. "You talking about this little fella?" She narrowed her eyes. _Something about this feels wrong._

Norris ripped himself out of Eli's hold and rubbed his arms. He looked down at Augustus, who shared a timid, but sure manner. "Mr. Norris…?"

Norris' glare softened at the child. He closed his eyes and huffed a deep sigh. "I won't make you do something you're uncomfortable with…do you have any objections?"

Augustus was hesitant, as there was a vague glimpse of the last time everything went dark for him. However, he trusted his mentor with his life. He wanted to be useful to the Rogues, even if it meant his timidity had to take a drastic change. He gave a stiff, but firm nod of consent before stepping forward and facing Juniper with a nervous glare.

Juniper finished off her soda and stuffed the empty can back into her sleeve. "What's up? Got something up your sleeve?" She grinned. "Because I do! Get it?!"

Norris ignored her and closed his eyes. "I hate doing this…" He cleared his throat, then glared straight at Juniper. "Augustus…would you care to partake in another informative game?"

Juniper's ears twitched. _That's an odd sounding phrase. Something's not right._ Juniper chuckled. "So, we are playing a game now? Which one? Checkers? Boat racing? Trivia? Hacky Sack? Or how about a rousing game…of…uh…" Her eyes widened as the room grew darker, with the shadows of eerie hands rising out from the chinchilla and staring into his piercing, glowing red eyes. Juniper grinned awkwardly. "Hehe…I _really_ need to learn to shut up…"

* * *

"Come on!" Rebecca whined quietly as she tugged on Wash's arm. "At least tell me where you're taking her! A first date needs to be special!"

Wash has his focus split between her and his surroundings. He narrowed his eyes. "Becca, we should be focusing on work. Besides, I haven't decided yet. It was a spur of the moment for me. I was more concerned with actually asking her out."

Rebecca pouted. "You didn't even think of where you wanted the date first?"

"I'm new to this stuff, alright?" He pinched between his eyes. "I really don't care, I just want to do something with Juniper that I know she would love. Maybe go out to the theater, or maybe grab dinner at a nice restaurant. I want to make a night with her special, so I can't just…" Wash paused, then stood up suddenly. He looked around with wide eyes.

Rebecca immediately understood the look and stood up with her twig in hand. "What's wrong?"

"Something's not right…" He had a sudden thought and looked around frantically. "Wait, where's Juniper?!"

Rebecca pointed towards the dock station. "I think she said she was sleeping over there…I mean, where else could she be-?"

Their eyes shot towards the ship suddenly as the top deck exploded open, raining debris onto the dock and into the water. They ran towards the ship and gasped at the sight of Juniper flipping out of the smoke and landing on the boat's edge, demonstrating remarkable balance.

Despite being in danger, Juniper couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Woo! Kid knows how to fight!"

"Juniper!" Wash called out in panic.

"Huh?!" She looked down and smiled. "Oh, hey Washy! Hey Becca! Don't mind me, I got this under-!" She stopped as she felt a shadow hand rising up from behind her. "…on second thought, mind me all you want!" She avoided the hand as it swung down for her, flipping off the ship and landing safely by Wash and Rebecca.

Rebecca formed an Aura Sphere at the tip of her twig. "What's going on up there?!"

"Oh, you know, Rogues," Juniper casually answered.

Appearing out of the smoke and glaring over the edge were Norris and Eli. Norris sneered. "There's the rest of them," he grumbled. "Can't avoid a fight with them." He punched his fist into his palm. "Not that I give a damn!" He roared and fired Signal Beam from his forehead gem.

The three dodged the attack, with Wash immediately racing towards the ship and leaping up to them. He glared at Eli. "I remember you all too well!" He formed two Cut blades and slashed them at the two, who jumped in opposite directions and landed on the edge.

Wash set his sights on Eli, but avoided a sudden Explosion from Norris. The detonation didn't faze him, though. Norris sneered. _He's part Ghost-Type, eh? Explosion won't work on him._ He turned himself around and raised his sparking orbs. "But this will!" He threw his hands out and jettisoned a storm of Discharge straight for the ghost frog.

Wash evaded the Discharge to the best of his ability, jumping and flipping through the bolts. "Juniper! Is this all of them?!"

"Um, no!" Juniper shouted. "There's one more!"

"Who-?!" A rogue shadow hand grabbed him from below deck and slammed him into the walls of the ship. "AGH!" His eyes were forced shut from the impact, but, when he opened them, he spotted a horrific sight before him.

Augustus lifted himself out of the cargo hold with his arms crossed and two of his shadow hands walking him out. With his mask over his face, all Wash could see was the menacing red eyes set on him with cold fury. Eyes without definite emotion, only a lust for destruction.

"What…What is…?" Wash felt a sharp ringing in his head and scrunched up. He gripped his head and growled, feeling mental pain flaring up within him. "AGH!"

"Wash!" Rebecca leaped onto the boxes on the dock and fired a Psychic beam at the coffin chinchilla. "I got you!"

However, the beam was intercepted by Eli, who felt no harm to the Psychic-Type move. He smirked wickedly at the girls and showed off his claws. "Oh no…we can't have you making things unfair. That's _our_ job."

Rebecca glared, then fired two Aura Spheres at the smug poisoner. He countered them with a swift Poison Jab, clouded the smoke of the explosion. Juniper kept her attention solely on Wash as she noticed the pain he seemed to be in.

Norris noticed this as well, glaring at the ghost frog as he seethed in his confinement. "The hell's with you?" He lit up his forehead gem for another Signal Beam. "Already cowering in fear?"

Wash growled, his face hidden in the darkness of his hood, with only his eyes to be seen, fading in and out of an eerie purple glow. "This kid's…setting off Barbatos…can't let him…out!" He fired a Shadow Ball down on the shadow hand, forcing it off and blasting up a wall of smoke, before fleeing as far down the ship as he can with his stressful headache.

Norris narrowed his eyes seriously and pointed ahead. "Augustus…hunt." Augustus glared, then darted through the smoke in pursuit of the ghost frog.

Rebecca tried to intervene and blast the coffin chinchilla with Aura Sphere, merely to slow him down since the move won't have any effect, but Eli intervened by raining shots of Venoshock down on her and Juniper. The Venoshock had no effect on Rebecca, but the attack made firing Aura Sphere next to impossible. Juniper weaved through the poison shower with ease, but she might have trouble finding her way back up the ship with the constant poison shower.

Eli smirked villainously. "You lovely ladies are itching for a fight, yes? Allow me to make this direct!" He sprung off the ship and shot right at Rebecca, slashing her with his Night Slash.

"AGH!" Rebecca cried out as she was thrown back. She landed on her feet, then blocked a second Night Slash in her hand. "Aura Sphere!" She slammed the orb into his chest and sent him flying.

Thanks to his Fighting-Type resistance, he withstood the attack and bounced back with a Foul Play, grabbing Rebecca by the arm and slamming her onto her back. He pressed his foot on her stomach and pinned her, holding Night Slash over her face. "Try not to move too much," he threatened with his sinister smirk.

Rebecca glared. "Don't count on it! Close Combat!" She swung her foot back and struck him in the back, knocking him over before rapidly punching him in the torso and knocking him back with a sharp kick.

Wash dashed to the end of the ship, running of the path to run along. He looked over his shoulder, eyes still pulsing in and out of purple, and saw Augustus dashing right after him with Shadow Balls forming in his shadow hands. Wash formed his own Shadow Ball and threw it right into the chinchilla's face, exploding on impact.

Wash kneeled down and clutched his head, feeling the searing pain bubbling to the surface. _I won't…I can't…let him out! I won't let Barbatos hurt anyone ever again!_

The ghost frog couldn't think straight, made even more apparent when Augustus stepped out of the smoke with no trace of an injury from the Shadow Ball. Wash narrowed his eyes. "Right…Ghost _and_ Normal-Type…"

Augustus flung his own Shadow Balls at Wash. The frog worked up the concentration to activate Cut and bat the Shadow Balls out of the way. Augustus dashed right at him and widened his eyes with a brilliant shine, blasting white light that transformed into an array of rainbow colors that struck the ghost frog dead on.

Wash crossed his arms as the light seared his skin, briefly stunned by it. Peeking through his shielded eyelids, he barely caught the sight of a shadow fist punching him square in the face and knocking him onto his back. Augustus floated over him, supported by his shadow extensions, and readied a Shadow Ball.

Juniper narrowed her eyes, then shouted, "Rebecca, give me a boost!" She ran straight for the boat.

Rebecca deflected Eli's Night Slashes, pushed him back, then aimed her twig at Juniper. "Psychic!" She flicked the stick up.

Juniper was thrown off the ground and shot directly between Wash and Augustus just as the child fired the blast. Juniper struck the Shadow Ball with her palm and spiked it into the ship's floor.

Wash weakly opened his eyes and looked at Juniper. "J…Jun…?"

She turned and smiled with her tongue sticking out. "That's me! You alright, Wash?"

"Not…really…look out!"

Juniper quickly evaded the barrage of fists coming her way. Augustus formed dark rings between his hands and fired Dark Pulse. Juniper countered with Force Palm, destabilizing the attack and knocking Augustus back from the explosion. The coffin chinchilla waved the smoke away and glared at the panda, before getting a surprise Ice Punch to the stomach. The icy energy wrapped around him and his shadow hands, encasing them in ice.

Juniper waved her hand of icy mist before helping Wash to his feet. "Stay calm, buddy, I got you."

Wash held his head. "That kid's…like me…"

"Err…I'm willing to bet against that. I don't think that kid has two voices in his noggin." Juniper's eyes widened as she heard the ice cracking behind her. "Though, he is tough, I'll give you that."

Norris rushed past Augustus and threw his explosive fist at Juniper. "Damn you!"

Juniper set Wash down and met Norris halfway. She tilted her head to the side, letting the fist fly just barely out of reach of her face, then grabbed him by the arm. "You have a lot of tension in you!" Juniper spun on her foot and flailed Norris around. "This'll help you unwind some!" She slammed the mad duck hard on his back.

Norris gasped out in pain, but forced himself to recover quickly and flipped backwards to land two kicks, but Juniper jumped out of the way. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you! Augustus, attack!"

The ice around the shadow appendages broke off, allowing them to lunge for the panda and frog like snakes on the hunt. Juniper scooped Wash up and leaped off the ship. The hands formed and fired Dark Pulse at them.

Rebecca aimed her twig at them. "I got you!" Wrapping them in Psychic, she flung them away from the Dark Pulse and into a pile of tarps laying near the dock office. She put her twig in her tail, then ran to the ship. "Extreme Speed!" She vanished in a gust of wind and dashed up the side of the ship, meeting Norris on his level. "Flame Charge!" She blazed with fire and landed a sharp kick against the mad duck, who blocked with his arms.

Norris growled and gripped her ankle. "Out of my way, you pathetic fox!" He swung her over his head and bashed her into the floor.

"GAH!" Rebecca cried out. She saw the Water Pulse spiraling into his hand and scrambled to her feet. "Extreme Speed!" She flicker-vanished right before Norris fired the Water Pulse. She sped around him and landed quick and strong punches that he couldn't counter or predict.

"D-Damn you!" he growled.

Rebecca would keep going until Extreme Speed wore off, but a Venoshock struck the ground and corroded the floor, making a small hole for the aura fox to catch her foot in and trip over herself. She slid across the floor and nearly fell through the hole into the cargo hold, barely catching herself by the edge.

Eli landed back on the ship and smirked. "She's more troublesome than I anticipated. Allow me to handle her."

Norris sneered and marched down the ship. "Whatever…" He cracked his knuckles, snarling deeply. "That damn panda and the frog are mine…"

Back with Juniper and Wash, they had their arms wrapped around each other during the freefall. Nothing was broken thanks to the pile of tarps they were thrown into. Juniper sat herself up and sighed. "Geez…she could have gave us a head's up before sending us on the deluxe, no parachute skydive."

Wash sat up, too, and clutched his head tightly, briefly heavily. "Not…feeling…so well…"

Juniper smiled sympathetically and rubbed his back. "There, there, Wash…you're fine. The bad things are gone-"

Augustus' shadow fists slammed down on the tarps from out of nowhere. The Minccino-Cofagrigus glared, then punched down ferociously on the tarps, unware they had escaped. Juniper dodged at the last second with Wash and slipped behind the shipyard shack in the dust.

"Well, they _were_ gone…" she mumbled. She pushed Wash down and sat him against the wall. "Wait here. I'll be back in a moment." She walked towards the corner, but Wash ceased by the wrist. "Hmm?"

"No…let me help…"

The lazy panda smiled apologetically. "Wash, while that's noble of you, you should really be resting."

"Screw…resting!" he growled as he heaved himself up against the wall. "I'm not letting my friends do this alone! Complain all you want, but I'm helping!"

"You're not exactly mentally sound at the moment," she pointed out.

Wash shook his head and peeled open his eyelid. "Look at my eyes, Juniper! I'm fine! I'm not letting him out! I can control myself! If you're fighting, _we're_ fighting _together_!"

Juniper blinked, then held her chin as she thought it over. "Hmm…" She smiled and looked back at Wash. "Hey Wash, want to play a game?"

"Wha…a game?" Wash repeated in bafflement. "Juniper, this isn't the time for nonsense! We need to-!"

"No, I mean…" She grinned wholeheartedly. "Let's have some fun. It'll take your mind off the stress."

"What are you…?" His eyes widened. Take his mind off the stress…of course! "Ooohhh…"

Norris fired Discharge all across the dock to force Juniper and Wash out of hiding. "Where are they?!" Augustus landed on the shack and shrugged. Norris climbed up onto a metal shipment crate and growled. "You two better come out or you'll be sorry!"

Just then, two Shadow Balls lobbed were lobbed in the air and crashed down on Augustus, blinding him in a sudden smokescreen. Norris nearly rushed over to him, but dodged a volley of Shadow Balls exploding against the crate, also covering him in a thick smoke.

"You think playing mind games with me will work?! Be as stealthy as you want! I'll still find you!" he threatened angrily.

"We playing Hide and Seek now?" a chipper voice asked him from behind.

Norris' quickly spun on his heel and prepared to throw a punch at his enemy, but, as he had his beak wide open roaring, a splash of soda flew into his mouth. He coughed on beverage, accidentally swallowing in down the wrong pipe. He beat his chest to get his breathing under control, all while scowling at Juniper as she sipped her drink.

"I don't normally share my soda, but I want to be a good sport," she teased with her happy grin that utterly infuriated Norris.

"Go to Hell!" Norris roared, lunging for her.

Juniper sidestepped casually, leaving Norris flying through the air as a shadow appeared over him. "Hey there!" the voice of the ghost frog exclaimed before slamming two Shadow Balls down on Norris and blasting him into the ground.

Norris groaned, then ripped himself from the Golduck shaped hole. "Miserable creatures…who do you think you are?!" He fired Signal Beam atop the crate, but Juniper and Wash avoided the blast and landed next to each other. "Damn…YOU!" He fired Discharge at them.

Wash grabbed Juniper's hand and, in a move that Norris didn't expect, performed some impromptu dance with her as they avoided the electricity. The way they moved told him they were deliberately dodging, but to do it in such a nonsensical, easygoing manner made his blood boil to dangerous temperatures.

Wash twirled Juniper and spun her into Norris, where the sleepy panda used Bounce to flip over the mad duck and kick him in the back of the head. Norris stumbled forward, then gasped as he took an Aerial Ace kick to the chin from Wash, sending him flying straight up.

Wash formed a Water Pulse and tossed it to Juniper. "How about a little volleyball?"

Juniper caught and spun the water orb in her hands. "I don't know, I can get pretty rough playing!" Icy energy from her Ice Punch wrapped around the orb before she tossed it up and slammed it with the combine force of her Force Palm.

Norris couldn't dodge in the air and took the solid sphere of ice to the chest with stunning impact. Norris coughed up spit and felt the air rushing from his lungs. Anger boiled inside him with greater ferocity. He clutched the icy sphere between his hands and, with brutal strength, crushed it into crystal powder and shards.

"Don't play game with me! You don't know how dangerous I am!" He rained down Discharge, leading the two to dodge again. Norris fell back to the ground, then whistled sharply. "Augustus! Attack!"

Juniper and Wash saw the coffin chinchilla leap high above them, then assaulted them with a rain of Shadow Balls aimed for Wash and bursts of Echoed Voice for Juniper. Since the attacks were more focused and less wildly thrown, the two put more effort into avoiding them. Even so, they demonstrated their remarkable evasive skills

 _All that training with Juniper is paying off._ Wash has spent so much time training alongside Juniper, he picked up a few tricks when it came to dodging. It was a natural talent of hers. She did it all the time with conversations, too.

And yet, Juniper still wasn't taking anything seriously. "Woo, yeah! Dance off, Wash!"

Norris hopped onto the destroyed crate for a vantage point and fired Signal Beam at her. "You dare mock me?!"

"Mock?! Ha, no way! I'm just having fun!" She slid to the left as she shook her hips, clearly enjoying herself as she avoided Echoed Voice and Signal Beam. "Helps when you don't think about it too much!" Norris snarled and fired a more potent Signal Beam at her, which Juniper simply twirled around as the ground got incinerated.

Back up with Rebecca and Eli, they traded blows with each other, demonstrating competent close quarters fighting prowess. However, it was obvious from his distracted look that Eli was keeping his eyes on Juniper. He smirked. "Fascinating, isn't she? I've hardly met anyone with such a unique, yet confusing personality and skill. She's incredibly gifted. What secrets lie under there?"

Rebecca dodged his right hook and kicked him in the side, the blow cushioned against the cloak. She glared angrily. "Are you even paying attention to me?!"

"Hmm?" Eli chuckled and raised his fists to her. "Oh, of course. However, I have no concern over small fry like you when there's bigger game to be focusing on."

Rebecca gritted her teeth. "Not tough enough for you, huh?" She bent down. "Let me change that! Extreme Speed!" She flicker-vanished and sped around him in a flurry of afterimages.

Eli snickered evilly and jabbed his legs. "Acupressure." Feeling a much needed speed boost, he jumped up and avoided an expected kick from the aura fox, then then came down on her with Night Slash, pinning her to the floor. "Yield and I might not hurt you further."

Rebecca glared up at him. "Oh, I'm SO going to enjoy kicking your butt!" She swung her leg back and struck him in the back, then flipped herself around until she faced the sky and rapidly punched the dark poisoner in the stomach with Close Combat. She spun on her hands and kicked him into the ship interior.

Eli shook off the impact and dusted his wings off. He smirked her way. "So, you do offer more exhilarating combat abilities? Got anything else you'd like to share?"

Rebecca grinned tauntingly. "Yeah…back-up." She held her stick up and closed her eyes. "Aura Spell." Aura blazed to life around her, heightening her handle over aura and her stats. She glared at the dark poisoner with glowing blue eyes. "Aura Sphere." She formed the concentrated attack and threw it with surprising force.

Eli countered with Poison Jab, but found himself caught off guard by the force it carried. He almost set it off, but managed to deflect it into the sky before it exploded. He sighed, then raised his smoking claws as he activated Night Slash. "A power boost? Is that all?"

Rebecca dashed straight at him. "Not quite!" She clapped her hands and, in another surprising twist, forged a clone of aura right by her side. They both activated Flame Charge, the clone's blazing in blue, and threw their fists right against Eli.

He barely blocked the combined force with his cloak. _So, she can create a clone, too? What a unique Fusion Move!_

It was a good thing Eli didn't know anything about the move, otherwise he would capitalize on its drawback: the move is incredibly draining. The longer she used it, the more her stamina will deplete. She panted under her breath. _Just end this quickly! Lewis trained you himself! Don't let him down!_ "Close Combat!"

Rebecca and her clone struck Eli, who blocked with Night Slash. "Acupressure!" He jabbed his arms and increased his attacking power before colliding against both opponents.

Back below, Norris was losing his patience as Juniper and Wash toyed with him. He slammed his fist down at Juniper, blasting with Explosion, only to received a tag team switch off and a Cut straight to the chest. Norris dug his claws into the concrete ground and snarled with feral intent in his eyes.

"Foresight!" His eyes glowed blue, then he rushed down Juniper. "Explosion!" His wrist orb glowed as he pulled his fist back.

Juniper smirked and rushed for him, too. "Oh please, doesn't matter if you can see through how I move! I can still counter!"

Norris, for the first time all day, smirked. "I know…"

Explosion and Force Palm collided in a blinding flash. Juniper held her own against the blast just fine, but discovered Norris wasn't focusing on the punch. Facing her, he puffed his cheeks and blasted a shot of water into her face, catching her off guard.

"AGH! Gross!" She wiped her face, unaware of the blue sheen shining over her, but her body's muscle memory responded to the second Explosion punch from Norris. She flipped back and landed next to Wash. "How rude!" She grinned and shrugged. "Eh, I did splash him with soda, so I guess we're even."

Norris relaxed his posture and glared. "You want to play games? Here's one for you! Augustus, now!"

Augustus' eyes flashed purple, then he pressed his shadow hands against the ground. They stretched out into a black fog that covered a large part of the dock. The fog went up to about Wash's knees as he stood full height, while Juniper found part of her lower half obscured under the fog.

Norris crossed his arms and huffed. "Spirit Graveyard."

Wash and Juniper blinked in confusion. "Is this…a terrain move?" Wash muttered aloud.

Juniper smiled wryly. "Oh no, it's all foggy and spooky. You going to tell us a scary story?"

Norris sneered and raised his hand high in a dramatic matter. "What you stand in is Augustus' Fusion Move, Spirit Graveyard! A terrain based move that increases the power of all Ghost-Type moves by 30 percent!" He glared. "And, much like the ghosts of any graveyard, the spirits will not rest until they find their prey. In other words…" Augustus formed Shadow Balls in all four of his raised shadow hands. "You can't dodge any Ghost-Type moves!"

Augustus flung the Shadow Balls right for the two, which blazed in a potent spiritual energy from the black fog. Juniper grinned lazily and held her hand out. "Hey Bomb Duck, I think you forgot those little tricks don't work on me."

Norris smirked. "Oh, they will."

Juniper was skilled, but she was too absentminded for her own good. A Shadow Ball came in contact with her and, no warning, exploded and sent her flying backwards in a cloud of smoke.

"Juniper!" Wash cried out.

Juniper caught herself and saw the other three chasing her down. She narrowed her eyes and waited for them to get close. Once they were within range, she used her Consecutive Flow and destroyed them before they met their mark. As the smoke surround her, she glanced at Norris. "…you used Soak, didn't you?"

Norris chuckled darkly. "Not as stupid as you act, girly."

Wash formed his Cut blades and held them defensively. _This is bad. Juniper can't dodge any Ghost-Type moves and I'm weak to them. Got to act fast._

 _ **If you want to guarantee victory, you could let me take the wheel.**_

Wash's eyes widened. _No…_

 _ **Come on, Wash. Let that rage out.**_

Wash gripped his head and growled at himself. _Get out of my head, Barbatos! I told you, you're never coming out ever again!_

 _ **That kid and the idiot duck will be the end of you. You need my determination to win. You know that. After all, your little girlfriend's in danger now. You don't want anything bad to happen to her.**_

Wash growled. _Juniper is an incredibly capable fighter! You just want out to get revenge for beating you back inside my head!_

Barbatos laughed inside his head. _**Either way…you can't beat a monster without another monster. You can't win without your rage.**_

Wash shook his head. _I refuse!_

… _ **You don't have a choice.**_

The ghost frog snapped himself back into reality, just in time to see Shadow Balls flying right at him. "Crap!" He formed Cut and slashed right at it, but the Shadow Ball curved around his sword. "What?!" He activated Kuroi Mizu and shielded himself with the black water orbs, taking the explosion.

Norris set his hands down as his orbs sparked. "Is this enough pressure for you? Let's turn the dial to an eleven!" He surged the ground with Discharge while Augustus blasted at the two with Ominous Wind, taking the shape of two twisters aimed for each of them.

Wash wrapped Kuroi Mizu around his blades and leaped in the air, avoiding the Discharge and clashed with the Ominous Wind. Juniper slammed her fist down with Ice Punch and created an ice wall around herself that blocked the Discharge.

Norris rushed towards the wall and jumped over it with Explosion ready. "Now DIE!" He swung down, but Juniper slipped out of his way and punched his side with Sucker Punch. He caught himself on the ice and lunged back down, with Juniper hopping back and taking her dizzying fighting stance. Norris scowled and dashed with sparking hands.

Wash was blasted into the ground, but kept himself up by the knees as the Ominous Wind pressed down on him. He glared through the dark winds as Augustus advanced closer. The stress inside the ghost frog started building back up again as his eyes flickered in a purple glow. "No…no…"

Augustus glared, then blasted his unprotected torso with Dark Pulse, which eased up his guard and left him wide open for both attacks to push him through the concrete dock. Wash slammed into a metal crate and nearly passed, keeping his bearings mostly in check. He leaped up as Augustus tried to smash him with his hands.

As the ghost frog land, he saw Juniper and Norris fighting and gasped just as Norris used an Explosion on the ground and blasted Juniper back with the blast wave. She landed just fine, but got blasted with a Signal Beam that she had to block with her hands.

"Juniper! I need help-" He tried to call out to her, but he was grabbed from behind and tossed straight into the air. His eyes widened as Augustus jumped to his level with a condensed Shadow Ball powering between his two main hands. The light of the purple and black orb and the Minccino-Cofagrigus' red piercing eyes reflected off Wash's horrified, purple flickering eyes. He could hear the ominous laughter of Barbatos in the back of his mind. Fear raced through his mind.

"No…no, no, no, nononononono-!"

Both sides ceased their battling as they were treated to the sight of a large explosion in the air, with a smoking cloud streaking downward and plunging straight into the water. Rebecca, who had the upper level view of the ship, gasped and covered her mouth in shock while Eli just smirked.

"Heh…that's one down," he commented to himself.

Augustus landed and waved his smoking hands off. Norris sighed and crossed his arms. "Nice work, kid. Make sure the rest of them are taken down." He glared at Juniper. "Remember that carefully, girly…I told you I don't do games."

Juniper didn't listen to him. She stared blankly at the water with wide eyes, before rushing towards the edge of the dock. Augustus tensed up and prepared to attack, but Norris held his hand up and silently told him to stand down for the moment. He wanted the panda didn't understand he wasn't to be trifled with.

She leaned over the dock and plunged her head in the water. She couldn't see Wash anywhere. The water was too deep. He must have sunk all the way to the bottom. She wasn't sure if she could swing down quick enough to secure him without losing air, but at least he could breathe down there for a little.

Juniper stood up and faced Norris and Augustus, who closed in on her with slow, intimidating steps. Juniper crossed her arms and sighed. "I do not appreciate what you did to my friend." She spread her arms out and took her fighting stance. "Either I'm going to make you carry him back up or we're going to have some problems here."

Norris scowled and punched his fists together. "I take no orders from Gappei Wimps." His wrist orbs sparked wildly. "Now, what's say we finish this?"

Just as Juniper was about to comply, she felt a strange, almost unnerving presence behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw an eerie, purple smoke piercing the surface of the water. The presence could be felt by everyone, as they, too, noticed the odd smoke.

Rebecca deactivated Aura Spell and, with her ability to sense aura, stumbled back with wide, horrified eyes while Eli narrowed his curiously. _The hell…?_

Juniper blinked, then sighed. "Darn it…not again." She walked backwards, placing distance between her and the water.

Norris glared. "Again? What do you mean again?"

The surface of the water bubbled with activity as a dark figure rose to the surface. Said figure rocketed from the water with the purple smoke trailing behind as it landed on dry land. The purple smoke around it cleared, revealing the once submerged Wash…only, it wasn't Wash.

His face was hidden inside his hood as he chuckled in a disturbing, downright creepy manner. A single, glowing purple eye pierced through the darkness of his hood and looked around at the five potential targets around him. His haunting snickers echoed with excitement.

Norris felt the uncomfortable presence coming off the ghost frog. "What the…?"

Eli sat down on the ship's edge and held his chin with an intrigued grin. "Well…now this is interesting."

Water dripped off 'Wash' as he set his sights on Norris and Augustus. Augustus didn't react, merely keeping himself straight-faced, while Norris took the predictable approach of walking towards the ghost frog. "I'm surprised you took that last Shadow Ball and are still standing." He snarled and dashed right at 'Wash' with his arms sparking. "We can't have that now, can we?!" He fired Discharge as he ran.

'Wash' formed Cut and dashed through the Discharge, dodging the lightning bolts, then came within range of Norris, swinging the blade towards his neck, much to his annoyed shock. Norris caught the blade in his hand and reached for the ghost frog's head with his other to blast him with Discharge, but 'Wash' delivered an amped up Shadow Ball to his torso, powered by the effects of Spirit Graveyard.

Juniper stepped out of the way and flinched as Norris crashed into the hull of the ship, a smoking mark in the center of his chest. The sleepy panda blinked, then narrowed her eyes at the aggressive ghost frog. "…Barbo. It's been a while."

The personality known as Barbatos faced the panda, showing his eerie glowing eyes and sinister grin as he snickered through his teeth. "It's been too long…the last attack was just the push I needed to take over. I've been waited for so long to start shit up again."

Juniper's usual smile fell into a neutral state. He sounded like Wash, sure, but his mannerisms were nothing like the frog she befriended. "That's not happening."

"I didn't ask for your permission, sweetheart!" Barbatos taunted as he laughed boldly. "Your little tricks won't surprise me this time!" He glared up at the boat. "But right now…I want to play with my new prey first!"

Eli narrowed his eyes. "Some sort of split personality…and a rather aggressive one."

Barbatos crouched down and laughed menacingly. "I'm going to tear you limb from limb, poison freak!" He sprung towards the ship and, once he drew close to Eli, slashed him with Cut.

Eli blocked with Night Slash and pushed him away. They stood apart from each other, balanced on the edge. Eli narrowed his eyes and smirked. "Personality or not, you have the same limits as the other one. You're not invincible." He kicked off and flew into Barbatos with Poison Jab, who quickly counter with Cut.

Barbatos' grin turned evil. "Wrong, freak! I'm more than that weakling! I'm newer and improved! And I shall be your end!"

Eli smirked back evilly as well. "My only concern is studying that panda, not you." He pushed his back and fired Venoshock.

Barbatos slashed through the shots of poison and kicked off at him. "Then allow me to teach you a lesson: you're nothing but trash!" He slammed his foot into Eli's stomach with Aerial Ace, then flicker-vanished above and performed an Aerial Ace axe kick down on his head.

Eli grunted, then grabbed his leg. "Foul Play!" He spun Barbatos around and threw him to the ground.

However, the aggressive ghost frog caught himself by his hands and spun around, kicking Eli across the face with Aerial Ace. "What was that about me being the same as Washington?! HA! You don't know shit about me!" He formed both Cut blades and slashed down on Eli, fast and strong.

Eli went strictly on the defensive as he blocked and redirected his strikes with Night Slash. _Grr…damn Fusion. This side of his personality is more prone to direct combat! He doesn't have a guard or anything! He's just wildly attacking and leaving himself open! And it's working!_

He smirked uneasily. "Perhaps…we can…" A Cut strike pushed him back forcibly. "Heh…perhaps we can reach an understanding. Someone like you would be perfect for the Rogues."

Barbatos snickered and rushed him. "Tempting, but not interested! All I want is to see everything around me burn!" Eli threw a Poison Jab, but Barbatos ducked under it and slashed Eli across the side, then irritated the pain further with an Aerial Ace punch.

"AGH!" Eli slammed onto the other side of the ship. He gripped his side and seethed with discomfort. He supported himself on the ship's side and lifted himself to his feet. Panting, he stated, "Guess…I'll have to…even the playing field."

Barbatos closed the distance and kicked his legs out from under him, pinning him to the floor with the end of Cut jabbing against his shoulder. His unsettling grin and aura nearly made Eli lose his own composure. "And what are you going to do about it?" He twisted the Cut, digging into the dark poisoner's shoulder.

Eli growled in pain, but managed a dark chuckle. "Like I said…alternate personality or not…" A bubble of black toxins formed in his hand. "It's still you. And I've done this once to you already." He slapped Barbatos across the side with Toxic Bane, exploding in a cloud of dark poison.

"GAH!" Barbatos stumbled back and gripped his side. Purple sparks coursed over his body as the poison took immediate effects. He felt the noticeable pain in his body. Unlike Wash, though, this wasn't going to stop Barbatos. He smirked at the dark poisoner. "Heh…a little pain won't stop me…"

Eli sat himself up and panted. "You won't be saying that…once you've reached your limit."

Barbatos held up his Cut blade. "Then I'll have to silence you for good." He nearly pounced the poisoner, but Rebecca grabbed him from behind and held him in place. "Huh?!"

"Wash, stop!" she shouted in distress. "Get a hold of yourself! You might kill them!"

Barbatos snickered through his teeth. "Well, I'm glad we're on the same page, my dear." He drew his hand back, then blasted her with a Water Pulse, sending her flying off the boat.

"AAHH!" Rebecca fell to the ground, but lightened her fall with Psychic. Once she had a moment's rest on solid ground, she yelled, "Is he insane?!"

"Possibly," Juniper mumbled.

Barbatos reached down and held Eli up by the cloak. "Now…where should we start first?" he asked menacingly, pressing the blade against Eli's arm.

Norris growled, then whistled sharply. "Augusuts…DESTROY!"

"Huh?" Barbatos looked over his shoulder and was greeted by the coffin chinchilla, who punched him between the head with his shadow fists. Barbatos dropped Eli and stumbled around in disorientation , then was grappled before being flung in the air and slammed into the concrete dock, followed by a shower of Shadow Balls on top of him.

Augustus landed with Norris standing a little way's behind him. The coffin chinchilla crossed his arms and leered at the ghost frog as he picked himself up.

His injuries looked worse than when he first took over, yet he was still moving like he was in prime condition. "Hahaha…oh, that was great!" He smirked at Augustus. "I like you, kid! You're a real monster! A true demon! I like that!" He glared. "You don't actually want to take orders from that loser, do you? Come on…let loose and destroy everyone. Show you're at the top."

Augustus blinked, then faced Norris with a raised brow. Norris scowled and pointed at the ghost frog. "I've had enough of your nonsense. Augustus…destroy him."

Barbatos laughed. "Oh come now, you don't really want to listen to that hotheaded-" One of the shadow hands blindsided him and smashed him into the boat.

Augustus retracted the hand as Norris scoffed. "Unlike you, Augustus isn't a wild monster. He listens to me." He glared. "Now Augustus, change of plans. Focus all your strength on that freak and rip him apart!"

Augustus dashed straight at the boat and rapidly punched into its side. The boat moaned from the stress. However, Barbatos wasn't having it. He formed Shadow Ball and blasted the hands off him. He pried himself off the boat, got his bearings in order, then smirked. "Fine…this should be fun." He laughed psychotically and ran in with Water Pulse.

He swung and threw the Water Pulses at close range, which Augustus defensively blocked with his shadow extensions. The Minccino Fusion blasted down a Shadow Ball to push Barbatos back, then fried him with the glow of Dazzling Gleam. Barbatos flew back from the rays, then landed on his hand and sprung in the air.

"Water Pulse!" He fired the water orb, which Augustus countered with Shadow Ball. Using the smoke as cover, Barbatos flew threw and slammed his fist against the chinchilla's mask. "Aerial Ace!" He didn't stop there. He pinned the child down and viciously pummeled him in the face. "Come on! That can't be all you-!" One of the hands drove into his back and punched him off.

Augustus lifted himself up and blasted Ominous Wind to throw the ghost frog around in the air. He formed two Shadow Balls and threw them into the wind, where they spun around before reaching the center and exploding between Barbatos.

The coffin chinchilla glared curiously at the smoke, then was surprised with a barrage of Water Pulses that blasted down on him. Barbatos laughed evilly as he landed, continuing his relentless assault of Water Pulse. "Come on, you stupid brat! Give me more!" Between his injuries and the Toxic Bane surging through his system, he shouldn't even be standing.

The secondary effect of Water Pulse was taking affect, as Augustus felt his vision blurring from the water. Focusing through the mist around him and his fuzzy vision, he shined Dazzling Gleam and scored a direct hit on the frog, burning him with the rainbow light. Augustus stumbled around, but flung himself forward and blasted him with a combination of Ominous Wind and Shadow Balls orbiting around it.

Barbatos just laughed and laughed as his body flared with pain. He felt the strain on his limbs, but he fought the urge to lose consciousness. He wasn't resting until he destroyed everyone. "Kuroi Mizu!" The black water orbs formed around him, then slithered through the winds and wrapped around Augustus.

The coffin chinchilla struggled against the binds as he fell to the ground. He used his shadow hands and blasted Barbatos with Dark Pulse, who charged through with Cut. Augustus attempted to block an Aerial Ace kick, but the Kuroi Mizu was slowing his movement and reaction speed considerably. He bashed into the side of the boat.

Barbatos laughed, jumping up and sticking to the walls, and pinned Augustus to the side. He pulled back for another punch. "Let's see those pearly whites break!" Augustus glared and slammed his hands into his chest, blasting him straight down with Dark Pulse.

Rebecca flinched, then shouted, "This is crazy! They're going to kill each other if we don't do something!"

Juniper narrowed her eyes. "I can get Barbatos under control. Not so much the kid."

Rebecca faced Norris and shouted, "Look, I know we're enemies and all that, but you need to call that kid off before he gets killed!"

Norris growled. "I don't take orders from Gappei Wimps!"

He turned his attention back to the battle as Augustus took a Water Pulse and an Aerial Ace to the stomach. The chinchilla stumbled back in pain while Barbatos lunged with two Water Pulses. Augustus stretched out his shadow hands and smashed two Shadow Balls between the insane frog and shot Dark Pulse against him.

Juniper held her hips. "Don't listen to us if you want. Even if this ends in a stalemate, that kid's still going to sustain serious injuries when this is all over." She glanced at Norris curiously. "You wouldn't like that, would you?"

Norris sneered at the panda, but he casted a worried glance towards Augustus as he took more brutal hits from Wash, trying to block as much as he could with the shadow arms. _Augustus…_

He felt Eli land next to him. "Norris, it may be best to retreat."

"But we-!" Norris tried to protest, but Eli went on.

"Despite his hidden talent for battle, Augustus is still a kid. He can't take as much punishment as you." Norris' face fell, showing genuine concern under his angry features. "Besides," he went on in a low tone, "we got what we want." He opened his cloak a bit and revealed two vials of the serum. "This is enough to work with."

Juniper raised her brow at the two and their quiet conversation. _Hmm…_

"Wash!" Rebecca shouted. "Cut it out and wake up!"

"Wash isn't home at the moment!" Barbatos yelled back playfully. "Just your resident demon here to make your day worse-!" He caught a Shadow Ball aimed for his face and threw it away before grabbing Augustus by the neck. "This is getting REAL old!" He punted Augustus with Aerial Ace and sent him flying into Norris, who easily caught him.

He held the injured Minccino Fusion in his arms with a wrathful fury in his eyes. "You…bastard."

Eli grabbed his shoulder. "Enough waiting! We're leaving right now-!" He was cut off as a surprise punch was thrown from Juniper, which he dodged.

Juniper narrowed her eyes and smiled cheekily. "Just because I'm playing nice doesn't mean you can leave early!" She struck her pal against Eli's chest with surprising force and quickness.

He slid back against the ground, but stood strong. He laughed. "Have fun taming that your monster! Norris, now!"

Norris growled. "Right…Augustus, Haze."

Augustus nodded and wrapped them in his shadow arms as they turned into a thick black fog. The black fog on the ground disappeared, ending Spirit Graveyard. The thick smoke surrounded everyone on the dock. They coughed on the smoke before in vanished as fast as it formed, with the Rogues nowhere in sight.

Juniper glared and looked around. _No sign of them anywhere. Darn._

"Wash!" She turned around and saw Rebecca pinning the out of control ghost frog to the ground as he struggled against her hold. "Seriously, wake up! The fight's over! Wake UP!"

Barbatos scowled at her. "Oh, just shut up, you annoying bitch!" Barbatos' shadow stretched out and struck the aura fox from behind with Shadow Sneak. He spun on his hands and kicked her across the face with Aerial Ace.

"AGH!" Rebecca held her cheek and stumbled, but she kept her resolve. She glared and raised her fists to him. "I don't want to hurt you, Wash!"

Barbatos raised his Aerial Ace charged fists. "I'm not Wash. And you're wasting your time."

"Alright Barbo, that's enough." Barbatos and Rebecca dropped their fists and faced Juniper as she walked towards them, arms folded behind her back. Rebecca ran her way to get away from the unstable frog and watched as she slowly advanced towards him. Her smile was calm, unassuming. "Now, why don't you go back into the dark recesses of Wash's mind and we can all have a good laugh about this in the future?"

Barbatos smirked and retook his stance at her. "Oh…I've been waiting ages to kick your butt." He walked towards her slowly as well. "It was supposed to be a grand ol' time. That rush of anger swelling through Wash…I wanted to take out all that bottled up hatred on every living thing that moved. Then _you_ had to come along and ruin the fun." He glared seriously. "Not this time. I know your tricks. I won't fall to you again."

Her smiled widened. "As much as I would love to throw down, Wash's injuries look pretty bad. It's a miracle you're still standing." She chuckled. "If you had Wash's heart and he had your ambition, I'd say this Frogadier-Banette can become a talented fighter, too."

Barbatos sneered. "I don't need Wash. He's deadweight to me. I just want to carry out my desire to destroy everyone. And I'll start by getting rid of the one thorn in my side that always comes back to be an absolute pain in the ass: you."

Juniper narrowed her eyes. "A cute thought, but…no, you can't." She shrugged innocently. "Try all you want, but…I'm still better than you."

The ghost frog laughed. "BAH! Now who's getting cocky?" He cracked his knuckles and smirked. "What makes you better than me?!"

Juniper smirked back as she gradually quickened her pace. "You tell me."

Her steps were quick, even, and fluid. Her speed doubled with each stride, yet appeared still as nothing more than a simple walk. Her form blurred with the odd steady movement as she drew closer…before practically vanishing with the wind.

Barbatos' eyes widened as he felt a breeze cut past him, then felt the presence of Juniper standing right behind him. She stared at his back, arms behind her own, with her usual cheery grin, but her eyes masked in shadows.

Rebecca stepped back, gaping in shock. "Wha…?"

Barbatos felt legitimately tense in that second, but got over as he spun around with Aerial Ace. "How did you-GAAAAH!" Barely moving a muscle on her body, Juniper struck him in the gut with Sucker Punch multiple times in the span of a second before calmly returning her arm behind her back. The movement was so swift, it appeared as if air pummeled him.

Juniper tilted her head up, wiping away the mask of darkness and showing off her usual silly demeanor. "Hehe! Whoops, sorry. Got carried away there."

Barbatos gasped for air as his legs slowly gave out. His eyes flickered as he was losing consciousness. "What…kind of…monster…were you…? Gak…" He gave out and collapsed, caught in Juniper's readily position arm before he could hit the ground.

She closed her swirly eyes and smiled peacefully. "Get some rest, Wash."

She held the unconscious frog in her arms while Rebecca cautiously approached her. "Juniper…that was…what was that? I'd expect Tamara or Spaz to move like that, but…wow."

Juniper chuckled sheepishly. "Apologies if I scared you. I honestly didn't want to hurt him, but this was the only option that didn't involve a prolonged fight."

"Where did you learn to do that?" the aura fox asked.

Juniper shrugged. "Oh, you…here and there."

Rebecca was visibly unsatisfied. "Not the answer I wanted, but the one I expected…" She blinked in realization. "By the way, I thought I heard Barbatos say something before he passed out. He sounded…kind of shocked, if I'm being honest."

Juniper grinned. "Oh, just some generic threat like he usually does." She looked down at Wash. "Poor Wash…he looks really bad."

Rebecca glared off to the side. "Think we can still catch the Rogues if we run?"

"They're long gone by now. Besides, I should get Wash back to the village. You stay here and keep watch in case they come back."

Rebecca nodded. "Right. I'll go and…uh, apologize for the damages." She ran off to find one of the workers.

Juniper watched her dash off before looking down at Wash's sleeping form. She blinked, then smiled with a bit of pink in her cheeks. "He's pretty cute when he's asleep…and when he's not on a rampage." She narrowed her eyes seriously and looked at her left sleeve.

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled out a small vial with the mysterious red liquid inside. During that attack on Eli, she snatched one of the vials off him for herself. The unknown cargo commissioned by Julian Roteman to an unnamed client. That alone raised some questions for her curious mind.

 _What could he be transporting that wasn't worth a valid explanation for us?_ She looked ahead, then tapped the vial back into her sleeve before heading to the gate. _I don't know…but I know someone worldly enough who could lend a hand._ She sighed, then smiled to herself. _Heh…been a while since I called him. Hope he's doing well._


	42. A Real Oddity

An hour after returning to the village, Wash was immediately brought into the medical hut for treatment for his injuries and Eli's Toxic Bane that still flowed through his system. Juniper sat by his bedside as Gracelyn did her job. Wash, despite the heavy damage taken over his body, slept peacefully in bed, which brought a relieved smile to Juniper, knowing he had some comfort after his stressful day.

Rebecca was still back at the docks, having been reassigned two other Fusions to help assist with guarding the cargo while the workers got to work sealing the damage closed. There still wasn't any sign of the Rogues making a second attempt on the boat, but they knew not to take that as a window of rest, even with the damage they suffered, too.

Juniper kicked her feet to pass the time and sipped on her soda. She shook the can lightly and asked, "Sssooo…how is he?"

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes, then stood up and wiped her brow. "Well, certainly not the worst I've seen, but Washington took sever damage in his fight. He should have passed out sooner than this."

Juniper shrugged. "I mean, yeah, but…Wash wasn't the one who took those injuries, so…"

Gracelyn sighed and held her face. "I honestly wish there was a way to help him. If Barbatos were to vanish, Wash's mind could finally rest."

Juniper tilted her head. "Couldn't we just have a psychologist look at him?"

"It's not my preferred field to study the aspects of the mind, but this isn't like most split personalities. His is an extreme case, perhaps much more extreme than any case of his condition." She walked up to her counter to deposited used syringes into designated receptacle. "Deconstructing both sides of the mind until they become one is an option, or medicine to help ease himself. Tampering with the mind directly, while an option, has potentially dangerous risks."

Juniper raised her brow. "What did you mean by this being an extreme case?"

"I have my theories. Perhaps this could be the effects of his Banette DNA." Gracelyn turned herself around and faced the panda, leaning back against the counter. "How to explain…well, as you know from the history of Pokémon when they were first made, Banette were once dolls who were brought back to life through resentment and abandonment. In Wash's particular case…resentment. It's a stretch, but perhaps this 'Barbatos' is Wash's mind adopting a second personality after the…unfortunate treatment brought upon him."

Juniper gazed down on Wash and gently reached out to him, petting his head. "He suffered enough hardship. Poor thing…I wouldn't want to know what goes on through his head." She narrowed her eyes. "How long do you think he'll be out for?"

"Hard to say. The painkillers I gave him will numb his injuries, though he's not in the best condition to be walking on his own. I'll have to have him stay overnight so I can keep an eye on him."

Juniper grinned tiredly. "Heh…fine by me. He deserves some rest, both from battle and from stressful activity."

Gracelyn smiled. "I've been watching you two over the week. I have noticed Wash acting much…looser than I normally see." She chuckled. "You are a good influence on him, Juniper. Perhaps I should designate you towards keeping a better eye on his activities."

Juniper saluted with a silly grin and her tongue poking out. "Can do, ma'am!" She giggled. "But seriously, you don't need to ask. I love hanging out with Wash. He's…" Her cheeks bloomed with pink. "Well…he's a pretty great guy that I…feel I connect well with."

Gracelyn smiled knowingly, averting her gaze from the panda. "Oh, I can tell. Still, try not to bring up what happened to Washington too brashly. We wouldn't want him feeling bad about himself again."

Juniper nodded. "I understand." She blinked as she felt shifting by her side. Glancing down, she beamed with joy as Wash began to stir from his slumber. "Ooh, Gracelyn, he's waking up!"

It took Wash a moment to open his eyes, wincing from the light overhead. His eyes fluttered weakly before opening up to a half-closed state. "Ugh…buh…huh?" His eyes slowly looked around, trying to process what happened before everything went dark. "Wha…?"

Juniper leaned into his view and smiled down at him with her giddy grin shining brighter now that he was awake. "Hello, Wash! Wakey, wakey!"

"I…Juniper?" He moved his head around and saw he was in the med hut. "I…what…what happened?" His head slouched to the side. "I feel groggy…"

"Those would be the painkillers," Gracelyn pointed out as she went to his side.

"Painkillers…?" Wash mumbled. "What…happened? Everything seemed to…go dark. I…remember that kid blasting me into the water…now I'm here…" Wash racked through his dizzied mind before rounding up the immediate conclusion. "Don't tell me…Barbatos got loose…"

Juniper grinned awkwardly. "Yeeeeah…kind of did."

Wash closed his eyes and groaned. He would've worked up a bit more concern, but he felt too tired to express bursting emotion. "What…did he do, now?"

Juniper waved her soda can around. "Oh, you know, just…contributed to vandalism of the dock…attacked the Rogues…attacked Rebecca… _tried_ to attack me…"

"Tried, huh?" Wash looked up at his friend. "You got him under control, didn't you?"

She nodded sharply. "You bet I did!" Her smile then turned sheepish and apologetic as she rubbed the back of her head. "FYI, there _might_ be a big bruise on your stomach. Hehe…sorry."

Wash lifted his covers and, indeed, saw the purplish contusion on the front of his torso. Pretty dark one, too. Juniper must have hit Barbatos pretty hard to do that. "It's…fine. Bruises heal, right?" He laughed weakly, then pressed his head deeper into the pillow. "Ugh…I feel terrible…"

Juniper pressed her hands together and gave her best smile for the ghost frog. "Aww, don't be like that! You'll be better before you know it! I'll even bring ice cream to cheer you up!"

Her smiles were so infectious when she was in a good mood…which was _all the time._ Wash shook his head and tried to raise himself up. "A considerate thought, but…ugh!" His arms felt too weak, giving out on him and plopping him back down on the mattress.

Gracelyn shook her head. "No you don't, mister. You're staying in that bed until I deem you well enough to walk. Barbatos pushed your body near pass its limit. Definitely no training for a while."

Not the news he wanted to hear. Wash groaned and pushed his head back into the pillow. "Confined to a bed all day? Greeeeat…"

Juniper giggled. "I know, right? I could just sleep in bed all day!" She glanced to the side and tapped her chin. "Ironic, considering that's the one thing I've never done. Hmm…I have slept for a whole day in the bathtub…" Wash chuckled.

Gracelyn hid her perceptive grin behind her hand, silently laughing under her breath. _Well, I wouldn't want to intrude any longer._ Gracelyn finished organizing her cabinets and shut them before heading out the door. "I…just remembered, I have to speak with the council about Wash's recovery. I'll be sure to give your incomplete report for them. I trust you can keep Wash company in my absence, dearie?"

Juniper beamed in agreed. "Of course! No problem at all!"

The Bewear-Regigigas smiled their way, then let herself out. "I'll be back soon…or later." She closed the door behind her.

Wash blinked. "O…kay…"

Juniper chuckled quietly. "What suspicious sounding tones we heard."

Wash shook his head and pulled his covers over himself. "Never thought I'd end up here again…at least from another Barbatos outbreak." He narrowed his eyes sadly. "I thought I had control over him…I thought I could keep myself from letting go." He clenched his eyes shut. "Why can't I just be normal…"

Juniper nudged him in the cheek. "Aww, don't feel glum, chum. Think positively."

Wash opened his eyes a bit, but still kept the covers partly over his head. "I…suppose I'm glad he didn't hurt you or Rebecca…or any innocents for that matter." He sighed. "Still…I should've said something. I knew I wasn't feeling well, yet I didn't back out of the assignment."

Juniper shrugged. "Hey, I should've said something, too. I know how much this hurts you inside. That's why I wanted to help you relax." She looked up with a thoughtful gaze. "It's funny…that he's still technically you. A part of you born from your anger." She closed her eyes. "It's…kind of like seeing a different side of yourself. A side you never knew could exist. You think you know everything about that person, yet…" She clenched her fist. "There's something about them you would've never expected…"

Wash looked over his shoulder and saw her clenched fist. "Juniper…?"

Her fist relaxed, then she smiled at him. "But I know who you are. You're a great guy. Maybe a little bit of a buzzkill-"

"Heeey," Wash whined quietly.

She snickered before continuing, "but still a considerate guy who values life and his friends."

Wash narrowed his eyes glumly and lay on his back. "Yet I feel like I'm a danger to those values…"

Juniper leaned up against the bed and smiled at him. "Wash, don't be silly, that's my job." She poked him in the nose. "You've got your friends and me to pull you out of that slump. No matter how many times Barbatos ruins your day, we'll be there to brighten it back up."

The ghost frog looked her in the eyes. "Why…are you so dedicated to helping me?"

"That's what friends do, remember?" She grinned. "I told you before, I feel a connection with your past. We both hide a part of ourselves that we don't want to be judged as. You don't want Barbatos to be an example of who you are as a person. And what I see…is a sweet, considerate guy who just want his friends to respect him."

Wash blinked in awe. "Do you…really mean that?"

Juniper nodded firmly. "You're a cool, sweet, kind, and amazing friend, Wash. I mean every word."

Wash, for a moment, was stunned by her kindness. His cheeks glowed red as his lips curled into a soft smile. "And…you have one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen. You're an…amazing, sweet, funny…silly panda who loves to bring smiles to everyone."

Juniper giggled behind her hand. "D'aww, you charmer…"

Wash got a little too loose with his words, though, as he followed it up with, "It's like I keep finding new reasons for why I love you…" His eyes widened, realizing what he just said.

And Juniper heard him clearly. She was pretty surprised by his unintentional confession, but it brought a wider smile to her face. "Heh…love, huh? What a…specific choice of words for you to use. Hiding something from me, ol' Washy?"

Wash's faced glowed red in embarrassment. "Um…well, you see…I-I mean love, as in…I…well, I…" If he had his confidence from earlier, he could get a word out just fine.

Thankfully, Juniper got the message…and shared in the confession by planting a kiss upon his cheek.

A moment of pause went over Wash as he felt her tender lips press against his cheek. It lasted about three seconds before the panda pulled herself away, blushing brightly with a gleeful grin stretching over her face. "I know what you mean. And the feeling is mutual."

Wash stared at her in awe before smiling with genuine happiness in his eyes. "You don't know how happy I am to have met you."

"Same." Juniper leaned in and wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled her cheek against his, which he readily returned. She giggled. "I…had a feeling you felt the same way I did."

"Why didn't you say anything? Someone as bold as you should be immune to embarrassment."

"And miss out on your adorable confession?" she teased. "Heck no!"

Wash smirked with a playful exasperation. "Of course…" He smiled and hugged her closer. "Silly panda…"

She giggled, then smirked playfully as she pulled back a bit. "You know, you…never did finish asking me that question earlier. And we're definitely alone this time."

"Oh! Right…" He smiled meekly. "Well…I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me…sometime. Maybe, you know, a date. Well…right after I get out of here, of course."

Juniper smiled and kissed his cheek again. "I'd love to."

"Great!" Wash then groaned and let go of Juniper, leaning back into his bed. "Wish I could just leave now, though. Good stuff happens to me and I suffer for it…"

Juniper giggled behind her hand. "Well, how about this? A little date night in the med room before our real date? I could bring a TV and movies, desserts, pizza; all that good stuff. We can watch movies all night until we pass out!"

Wash raised his brow at her. "And you think Gracelyn is just going to let us do that?"

She shrugged. "Eh, who knows?" She nudged him with her elbow with a witty grin. "But hey, it's me! I'm sure I can convince her to let me stay here overnight. If she refuses, you'll be getting an overnight roommate anyway!"

Wash narrowed his eyes. "If you so much as say you're going to purposely sprain your leg or something, no date night for you."

Juniper blinked with a blank smile. "…not at _all_ what I was thinking. Haha…ha…" She held her hips and laughed genuinely. "Ah, I'm just messing with you! But seriously, Gracelyn's understanding. She said you could use my attention~!" she teased with a playful wink.

Wash blushed with a roll of his eyes. "Uh huh…" He smiled her way. "Fine…date night tonight."

The sleepy panda was seen restraining herself from bursting with glee, evident from her smile that looked ready to burst open. "Hehehehe! My heart's fluttering with excitement!" She leaned in and nuzzled him some more, which he gratefully accepted. "Hee! Heh…oh, I could just go to sleep right here and now, but I can't."

Wash raised his brow with a playful smirk. "What's this? _The_ Juniper is refusing to go to sleep for once? You aren't the real Juniper!"

Juniper laughed and poked his nose. "Don't be cute with me, bucko. Hate to dash, but I should probably fill the others in on your condition. They looked pretty frazzled when they saw me carrying you back. Plus…" She darted her eyes around, then leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I have…important business to attend to."

Wash blinked with curiosity. "Important business, huh?"

"Yeah, top secret stuff," she said in a quieter voice.

"And that is…?" Wash urged her to continue.

Juniper leaned in closer with her serious face, opened her mouth, then stated, "…buying new pillows." Wash faltered in his bed while Juniper shot up and laughed her head off. "Yep! New, extra soft pillows that you just sink into!"

Wash sweat-dropped with a baffled expression. "Jun, don't you have enough pillows? There's a literal mountain of them on your bed."

She poked his nose. "Hush, you! You can never have enough pillows! Just like you can never have enough soda!"

Wash smirked playfully. "Pretty sure you can."

"Oh!" Juniper exclaimed, throwing her arms up. "I _will_ challenge you on that, _mister_!"

Wash laughed and shooed her off. "Just get out of here already."

Juniper grinned and gave him one last hug and nuzzle before darting for the door. "I'll be back for our movie night! Prepare yourself for laughs, screams, and whatever genre I can think of off the top of my head!" She ducked out of the room with one last wave.

The Frogadier-Banette smiled at the door, then tipped his hood over his eyes to block the light and relaxed into his bed. He sighed in content. "That panda is going to drive me crazy…yet, I've never been happier…"

* * *

Moments after leaving the medical hut, Juniper gathered her closest friends who were available and retold her earlier experiences. Their responses?

"He did what?!" Tamara yelled in alarm.

"He's your what?!" Artemis yelled as well, but with glee sparkling in her eyes.

Juniper grinned at the two, plus Asadi, as she sat with them at one of the outdoor picnic tables. "Yep and yep! A couple of other Fusions left to help Rebecca complete the rest of the assignment after I brought Wash back."

Tamara groaned and held her face. "Freakin' Barbatos…you've got to be kidding me! I thought Wash had that monstrous side of his under control!"

"He seemed pretty convinced himself," Juniper mentioned before sighing in mock disappointment. "And he was doing so well all week, too. All that rest and relaxation for naught."

Asadi had her elbows on the table, holding her chin in her hands. "A one-time fluke. You're the master of destressification!"

"That's not even a word," Tamara muttered.

"Doesn't invalidate my point!" she exclaimed proudly.

Juniper held her hands up. "Yeah, so, mind not bringing this up with Wash? I wouldn't want him getting any unnecessary attention from this."

Artemis nodded with a teasing grin. "Oh, we won't say a word. We wouldn't want to upset your _boyfriend_ ~!" Juniper rolled her eyes with a wry grin, but clear pink blooming in her cheeks. Artemis shifted towards her side and nudged her side. "Let's get to the real juicy stuff. You sort of glossed over that whole 'date' he asked you out on."

Juniper closed her eyes and played along with her teasing friend. "Now Artemis, Wash isn't my boyfriend…officially. That answer will come after a successful date." She glanced to the side. "Or…maybe the movie night we're having while he's recovery. Whichever comes sooner."

Artemis giggled and wrapped her feelers and forelegs around Juniper and hugged her against her side. "Oh, I've been waiting for you two to get together for so long! Haha! Our little Juniper is growing up!" She pinched her cheeks, partly out of glee and partly to incite some embarrassment from the panda for her own pleasure. Juniper remained as straight-faced as before.

Asadi wagged her tail with a cheery grin. "Ah yes, how romantic. Confessing your feelings while he's recovering in the medical hut."

Tamara sighed and leaned on her elbow, but smiled for her hut mate. "Well…I can't deny I've been expecting this, too. You always seemed fixated on him after that first fight you two had."

Juniper raised her brow. "What? Were my feelings that obvious?"

"You can hide many emotions, Juniper, but your romantic side is as bright as a Flash in a dark cave."

Juniper crossed her arms and pouted. "I am _not_ that obvious." She held the face for a moment, then broke down in hysterical chuckles. "Hehehehe! Okay, maybe a little!"

Artemis pulled back and snickered behind her paw. "You and I are _totally_ doing double dates in the future. Team bowling, perhaps?"

Juniper shrugged. "Fine by me."

Asadi stretched her tail over the table and poked Juniper in the forehead. "If you need recommendations for movies, I've got a few I can lend you."

Juniper held her cheeks and grinned. "D'aww! You're the best, Asadi!"

Tamara rubbed her temple tiredly. "You're even more chipper than usual…"

"Better get used to it! Hahahaha!"

Asadi chuckled. "It's odd. Wash seems to be livelier with you around. You two are perfect for each other."

Juniper waved her hand around. "Well…maybe. I don't like seeing him distressed." She smiled warmly. "I want to be there for him so he can be as happy as he can be. Just like how I want everyone to be happy."

Asadi giggled behind her tail. "Aww, how considerate of you. I say we celebrate with some lunch!"

Juniper politely declined her offer with a wave of her hand. "Sounds great, but I actually need to head back to my room. I'm going to be busy."

Tamara raised her brow. "You? Busy?"

The panda held her hips and nodded firmly. "I do stuff."

Artemis patted her back. "Alright, we'll see you later." She smirked. "But I want _all_ the details about your movie date in the morning!"

Juniper chuckled and slid out of her seat. "Fine, fine. See you girls later!" She waved as she walked herself home.

Tamara scratched her head as she watched the panda leave. She looked around the table and asked, "Since when is Juniper busy? She doesn't even have her night shift today."

Artemis rolled her eyes with a light smile. "Oh, you know her, probably buying more pillows for her bed."

Tamara groaned at the dreaded thought. Juniper's room was indeed a paradise of relaxation, but she goes a little nuts with the pillows. "Not again…"

Asadi crossed her arms and leaned back. "Wash walked himself into a pretty crazy relationship." She laughed under her breath. "Oh, that poor boy…I can see Juniper giving him a bunch of her pillows as gifts."

Artemis snickered. "Agreed. Juniper may look lazy, but she's a lot to manage."

* * *

Juniper skipped towards her hut, humming a melodic tune as she waved to all the passing Fusions on her way. She hopped up the deck steps and let herself in. After shutting the door behind her, she called out, "Ulysses? Yoohoo! You here, buddy?"

No answer. Ulysses must have been hanging out with some friends. Which means, until Tamara comes back, she has the hut to herself.

Juniper smiled. "Good." She dashed off to her room and locked it behind her.

She walked up to her bed, surrounded by a mountain of pillows in varying shapes and sizes. With the way they were rearranged, it looked like an elaborate pillow fort. She pulled one pillow out and crawled through the opening before resealing the entrance. The inside of the fort was remarkably stable, stacked in a way to make it difficult to tip over without the aid of excessive force. The very center of it had blankets spread out with a ring of pillows surrounding it. The area of her fort she slept in.

She poked at the walls, checking for a weak spot in her fort. "Now…where did I put that one…AHA!" She pulled out a pillow in the wall and reached into an opening, retrieving a small round pillow with the design of a clock. She smiled fondly. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

She reached for the zipper on the top and undid it before reaching into the stuffing. After a few seconds of searching, she wrapped her hand around a small device. She pulled out a small, circular speaker device. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out two batteries she snagged when she brought Wash back to the village. She inserted them into the back of the device before pressing a button and setting it down in front of her.

Nothing but static came through, though she expected this. It wasn't like _he_ was waiting for her call after four years. She often wondered where he got these gizmos, given she never took him for a genius. Eh, must be from a friend.

A couple minutes passed as she patiently waited, then the static cleared up and a voice came through. "…hehehehe. After four years, you finally decided to call me."

Juniper squealed and waved to the device, even if it was pointless. "Hi, Pappy!"

The man chuckled tiredly. "How's my drowsy little sweetheart doing?"

"I'm doing great!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Oh man, you were right! Gappei Village is incredible! I've been making so many new friends! This place is the best thing that's ever happened to me!" She blinked, then chuckled awkwardly. "Hehehe… _not_ that I didn't appreciate everything you've done for me."

"Heh, don't be so nervous, Juniper. I get what you mean. I'm glad you're making friends with kids your age. That's good, very good."

Juniper giggled behind her hand as she felt her cheeks warm up. "Weeellll, I've got other good news. Hehehe…I've got a date tonight!"

"…what?" His tone was blank and perhaps a little stunned.

"Hehe, yeah! But don't worry, he's a nice guy and treats me well!"

"Um…" The man sighed and laughed with a hoarse tone. "Good grief, you're growing up. I can't blame this young man for his interests. You are a darling young girl. Just make sure he treats you good or I might just march down there and give him a good walloping!"

Juniper giggled. "I will, Pappy! Promise!" She blinked, then tilted her head. "You sound tired. Like…extra tried. Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, I was fixing some tiles on the roof when I…ahem, dozed off." He paused for a yawn. "Kinnnnnd of glad you called when you did. I was a foot away from slipping off the roof."

Juniper chuckled. "Remember when I did that?"

"You were a handful to deal with, even for an eight-year-old at the time." The man chuckled nostalgically. "May have been for five years, but I miss raising you like you were my own daughter. How old are you now? Seventeen?"

Juniper shrugged. "I'll be turning eighteen in a few months."

"Good grief, I'm just in my mid-thirties and you're making me feel old."

Juniper laughed and waved it off. "Nah! You're as hip as ever, Pap!" She folded her arms in her lap. "That reminds me, you said you would be doing some world traveling after I left. How's that going?"

"It's amazing what the world can offer you when you see it up close. I've met some interesting Fusions with big dreams as well."

"None that want to come to the village?"

"They have their place where they are. Besides, my own opinion on the village is…debatable, given their past methods. I only recommended you go there because it would suit someone like you. Now I'm hearing that last several months have been dedicated to helping your city."

Juniper nodded. "This little world of lax and leisure turned a little more serious."

"Well…at least Liam is putting in some active effort for a change." The man groaned. "Always wanted to handle everything indirectly…not willing to take the risks."

Juniper scratched her cheek. "Yeah, well, he didn't have much choice when he came to that decision. Rogues and stuff…" She narrowed her eyes. "Actually Pappy…I didn't call you just to reflect on old times."

"I had a feeling you had a reason for calling me out of the blue. What is it?"

Juniper pulled the red vial from her sleeve and held it up. "You know who Julian Roteman is, yes?"

"Met the man myself a long time ago."

"A lot of weird stuff is going on in Grandis City. He had my friends and me protect his cargo from the Rogues, but we weren't told what we were protecting. All we do know is that someone is doing shady dealings within his company, but we don't know who. The Rogues tried to steal this vial of science liquid, but…I'm the only one who knows this exists. I wanted to tell the council or our conspiracy theorist, but…well, I feel more comfortable telling you since this…brings up some uncomfortable memories I rather not revisit."

"…alright, I trust your judgment," he agreed. "I'll have a colleague look into it. Just mail me the serum and I'll have her look into it."

Juniper grinned. "You're the best, Pappy!"

"Eh, it's whatever…wait, did you just say 'conspiracy theorist?'"

"Uh…" Juniper chuckled lightly. "Told you there were some…crazy things happening around here lately…"

"…well, now that you brought it up, I've been growing rather suspicious myself."

"You have?"

"Yeah…" he replied with a hoarse voice. "Can't describe it, but…it's one of those feelings you get when you know something big is coming. Felt the same thing when I discovered you."

Juniper narrowed her eyes. "Something bad?"

"Pray to Arceus that isn't the case. Look, I'll look into the serum, but don't keep this a secret from the council forever." He got silence from Juniper, making him sigh. "I understand if this makes you uncomfortable. Your history was…unlike most. If what's been going on has been bringing back some memories you rather keep to yourself…just remember my advice: understand your troubles, accept your regret. If you learn to forgive yourself…"

"…give the world your best smile and shine," Juniper finished with her lips stretching into a heartfelt grin. "…thanks, Pappy."

* * *

Vivi paced around her work hut, arms folded behind her back as she muttered incoherent words to herself, while Eddie sat off to the side with his arms crossed. Their hut was coming along nicely, now set up with workstations, a whiteboard with hand drawn pictures over it, papers trying to connect clues, etc. Just about everything they needed to crack the case…

…except actual evidence towards Data.

"Hmm…perhaps Data's actually…no, that wouldn't make any sense," she grumbled to herself. She tapped her chin. "Oh, maybe…! No wait, that's even stupider!" She gripped her head and growled. "Ugh! No evidence, nothing to work with!"

Eddie raised his brow. "Kid, maybe you should take a break."

"No breaks!" she shouted with a swing of her arms. "I've been digging into every possible lead we've got and I think I'm onto something!"

"And that is…?"

"…I don't knooooow!" Vivi wailed, dropping to her knees and pulling on her antennas. "AGH! This is so difficult! Not even the files Roteman gave us are enough! Nothing but useless facts about the lab, and still nothing on Data himself!"

"What about that digital ghost that's been helping you? Code…Dex, was it?"

"Codex, and no! He's still doing his own private research!" She bopped herself on the head repeatedly. "This is so difficult!"

Eddie scratched his cheek. "I'm no scientist, but I wouldn't want nosy brats like you snoopy on my work. He obviously doesn't want someone peeking around at his work unless he wants to."

"And yet, we DO know there's someone within Profectus Inc. who's working for Data! Not even the president of their company knows anything about them!" She slouched into her chair and groaned. "I'm having Codex run checks all over the building, but nothing suspicious has turned up…"

Eddie scratched his chin. "Odd…"

Vivi groaned. "Why does Data have to be so darn smart?"

Eddie shrugged. "Lighten up. Nothing bad has happened yet. We still have time. You just need to use that brain of yours and make the necessary connections." He crossed his legs and leaned back. "Course, can't do that if you're dead tired. Your brain is already a muddled mess as it is."

Vivi pouted and fell onto her side, hugging herself. "…yeah…"

Eddie shook his head and stood up. "It's getting late. How about I grab us a late lunch?" He headed for the door and grabbed the doorknob. "Any requests? I believe they're serving-" He turned the knob, but immediately jumped back as it swung open on its own. Ulysses slipped forward and dropped in front of his feet. "What the?!"

Vivi shrieked and sprung from her slump. "Ulysses!" She dashed around the room, stuffing away papers and throwing a tarp over the whiteboard. She stopped by the table and leaned on it with her elbows nonchalantly. "Uly! Hey! What a surprise!"

Ulysses scrambled to his feet and hid his reddened face behind his wings. "S-S-Sorry! I-I heard you shouting outside and…! Well, you sounded upset...so, I c-came to check o-on you…"

Vivi smiled. "D'aww, really? That's so sweet of you."

Eddie raised his brow. "You were eavesdropping?"

Ulysses tapped his wings together. "I-I-I d-don't like m-making it a habit-"

"How much did you hear?" Eddie asked sharply.

The cellular avian could've fainted on the spot under his piercing gaze. "N-Nothing! I swear!"

Eddie dropped the glare once he saw the evident shaking in his posture. He sighed and patted his outer layer's head. "Take it easy, kid. You did nothing wrong, but you should've knocked first. Your council made this into a hush-hush thing for a reason."

Ulysses' eyes widened. "W-Why?!"

Vivi dashed over to try and calm him. "No reason! Just…boring stuff, that's all!"

Ulysses froze up as her cloak brushed up against his outer layer, paralyzing him with fear…or embarrassment. Maybe both. _Eep!_

Eddie shook his head. "Look, I'm going to get some lunch for the both of us. If you're going to stay, make it quick. And don't go snooping around the room…" His eyes glowed with heat. "Or _else_."

Ulysses sweated from the face with panicked eyes. "P- _Promise,_ " he squeaked in a soft voice.

Eddie patted his back, then headed out the door. "I won't be long." The door shut behind him.

Vivi huffed, then strolled around the hut, picking up files and sticking them away in filing cabinets. Ulysses kept himself in the center of the room, avoiding making eye contact with her work…and the archer herself. "Y-You…sure l-look busy…"

Vivi threw her head back and groaned. "Yep! Let me tell you- actually, I can't, but still- this is EXHAUSTING!" She shook her head and puffed her chest out. "But I gave my word to the council and this village that I would complete my assignment by any means necessary! I WILL see this to the end!"

Ulysses gulped with timidly narrowed eyes. "Y-You're…v-very confident…"

She pounded her chest. "You need confidence to stay ahead in the game! Never give up! Never surrender! Never-!" Her stomach cut her off with a low, grumbling growl. She groaned and held her stomach. "Never skip lunch…" She collapsed into a chair and leaned back.

Ulysses frowned. "Wish I was confident…" He looked around quietly. "…I-I would l-like to h-help, but…oh, I-I-I'd probably be a bother…"

Vivi shrugged as she sat herself up. "Don't beat yourself up. Eddie, Cody, and I are…doing okay on our own." She glared at the covered whiteboard and grumbled, "Shame I can't find anything useful about Data's unknown lackey…"

"W-What was that?"

"Nothing!"

Ulysses tapped his wings together again, then headed for the door. "I-I should probably leave…I-I don't want to d-disturb you any l-longer…" He reached out for the handle.

"Oh, Uly, wait!" He froze up and stiffly turned his head around. Vivi waved at him with a friendly smile. "If you aren't busy later, want to do dinner tonight?"

Ulysses' face exploded with heat. _Dinner?!_

"I'm eating with some new friends I made and…well, I never got a chance to talk to you since you flew off. Never got to give a proper greet," she finished with a teasing tone.

Ulysses felt the tension unwind in him. _Oh…s-she just meant…oh thank goodness._ "S-Sorry…" He clasped his hands together and stared down at them. "I'll…I'll c-consider joining you…th-thank you…"

Vivi waved it off. "No sweat."

Ulysses smiled timidly, then reached for the door again when another thought occurred to him. "Oh…w-where's Codex, a-anyway? Y-You said you t-two were working t-together…"

Vivi shrugged. "I asked him to run security checks all over Profectus Inc., but he hasn't turned up with anything useful as of yet."

"Oh…" Ulysses looked at the door. "B-Between the Rogues' weapon dealing and…m-my friends getting ambushed by super strong thugs…i-it's like there's a lot of s-strange things going on…"

Vivi chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose there…is?" She blinked, then tapped her chin. "…huh." _Hmm…maybe I should broaden my searches a bit._ She shook her head and smiled at Ulysses. "Well, I'll see you later."

Ulysses nodded rigidly. "Y-Yes…g-goodbye…" He let himself out and quietly shut the door behind him. He turned his back to the hut, inhaled deeply, then exhaled a stressful breath. _Oh dear Arceus, I thought my heart was going to explode back there! Why is talking to a girl so difficult?!_

* * *

After returning to their secret hideout, Augustus was given treatment for his injuries and was resting on a mattress, snoozing soundly. Watching over him were Norris and Mikayla, the former scowling as he sat by the child's bedside. His fists were clenched tightly, threatening to draw blood with how hard his claws dug into his palm.

"Damn Gappei Fusions…damn them all…thinking they're better than us…"

Mikayla looked up at him with a nurturing expression. "Norris, you should really rest, too-"

"I don't need any damn bedrest, so shut up!" Norris growled, but immediately bit on his tongue when he saw Augustus shifting in bed. Thankfully, he resumed his peaceful slumber. Norris sighed, then moved his tongue around before groaning in annoyance. "Drew blood on that one…"

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "I never expected Gappei Village to house a Fusion just as…unstable as Augustus."

"He was nothing like Augustus. That thing was an out-of-control beast." Norris sneered furiously. "Makes my blood boil…thinking someone like that would have the nerve to best me…" His wrist orbs sparked. "I'll show them all who they're messing with."

A low, yet irritating chuckled echoed through the room, doing its job to incite annoyance in the mad duck. Norris and Mikayla faced the approaching newcomer, not surprised to see it was Eli. "Yeeeeah, that's not happening. After what happened, we can't deal with anymore unwanted surprises from Gappei's eclectic roster of troubled hybrids. We've got a sweet gig going on here and we can't have you botching it up with one of your tantrums."

Norris scowled and stood up, holding out his fists. "You want to turn this into a brawl?"

"I'm using logic, friend. To them, we're the butt of their jokes. We're just the criminals they think need to be locked away because what we do is 'wrong.' They'll stop at nothing to ruin our plans and keep us from our goals. If we go on the offensive, we'll lose what we've got. Our standing in the criminal underworld is making us progress. Why screw all our hard work up for some revenge?"

Mikayla glanced at Norris. "I'd hate to agree, but he's right. You nearly costed our previous hideout when York abandoned us. You let your anger fly off the handle and raised hell."

Norris growled. "We're still in hiding, aren't we? Don't bring up stupid shit from the past!" He pointed at Eli angrily. "This is all your fault, too!"

Eli raised his brow. "Oh?"

"You made me bring Augustus on those last few heists just so you could do your stupid and pointless analysis on that idiot panda! Now look what happened to him!"

Eli closed his eyes. "The pot calling the kettle black."

"Huh?!"

Eli kept a narrow-eyed look on the mad duck. "In my defense, I was looking out for his safety, despite my less the reputable actions. You, however, are in no position to criticize my deeds when, in your temperamental episode, you almost insisted on Augustus continuing to fight. So, I guess we were both at fault."

Norris nearly pounced on the dark poisoner, but Mikayla grabbed him under the arms. "Why you little…!" he growled, slashing the air just inches from Eli's face, who remained perfectly calm.

"No fighting, you two!" Mikayla scolded. "Augustus still needs to rest!"

At the mention of the coffin chinchilla, Norris relaxed almost immediately. He still kept a heated glare on Eli as he shoved Mikayla off. "Bastard…"

Eli closed his eyes. "My goal is to help the Rogues and their leader thrive. That's my purpose in this community of ours. I take it seriously. That's why, I say the production of Fusion Arsenals takes center stage." He smirked. "With enough resources required, the Gappei Wimps will have an even tougher time trying to locate us, for we will no longer reside in this wonderful starting ground of ours."

Norris blinked with wide eyes. "Wait…huh?"

"Relocating, my friend, relocating. It'll take time and planning, of course, perhaps a few months before we set things into action, but the plan is already in motion. Ditching this city that has caused us nothing but strife and starting anew where we can let our new rise to power shine brightest." Eli laughed darkly. "Our influence is spreading farther than I anticipated. Do you know how many crooks would pay an arm and a leg to get their hands on our weapons? We're getting the respect we deserve and more."

Norris narrowed his eyes. "You're actually suggesting…leaving Grandis City and starting anew? Somewhere we can continue our deeds and stay out of the authority's reach?"

Eli chuckled through his smirk. "I do what's best for my allies. You have my word."

The mad duck looked away, feeling unsure about such a promising future. "So much more than I ever wanted…I didn't form the Rogues to become a mob boss. All I ever wanted was…" Norris glared and clenched his fists.

Eli paced around the room, waving his finger around. "I've already spoken with Cyrox about this. He'll have a remote location set up for us. We'll be invisible to the world as we control order and chaos. We'll be hailed as legends for the wicked! It'll be glorious!" Eli laughed evilly as he rubbed his hands together. "We will be the masterminds of the criminal world."

Mikayla smiled at Norris. "See, Norris? We have a pretty good future set up for us. Isn't that great?"

"…yeah…great…"

Eli turned his back to them and held his head high. "I'll get back to you with the finer details, Norris. We'll want to make sure everyone's ready for our big step up." He narrowed his eyes. "Until then, I best continue my research on the panda."

Norris glared at him. "Why do you care so much about her history? What does it matter? Just to program her skills into a new weapon?"

"No…it's much more than that." His serious tone raised suspicion from Norris and Mikayla. He faced them once more and held up the red serum. "Something can be written off as coincidence once or twice, but I draw the line at three. Our mysterious fortune in the Unova lab, those thugs that jumped us and Gappei Village, that panda…and now we have this odd chemical here. I'd say things aren't what they seem."

Mikayla raised her brow. "What…do you mean?"

Eli spun the vial in his fingers. "With the internet these days, it's not hard to find one of those Gappei villagers standing out in old photos leaked over the web. York's no exception. But, the Spinda-Mienfoo? Nothing about her before she came to that village. Not even Cyrox has found sufficient information about her."

"So?" Norris asked.

Eli presented the vial again. "She snagged one of these off me. Didn't utter a peep about it. Didn't seem like she knew exactly what was so valuable she needed to guard it. Question's still out if she told her teammates before we retreated, but…it's odd." He glared. "Call me crazy, but something about her raises red flags. She has that kind of face…the one where you're hiding important information."

Mikayla scratched her head. "Are you assuming she's connected in all of this?"

"Too little data to come to a conclusion. All I know is that she's another string of mysteries that have been popping up recently." He smirked. "Who knows? Maybe something down the line will lead us to bigger and better opportunities."

Mikayla sighed and held her hips. "Well…if you think so, do what you do. What should we do about relocating?"

"We'll discuss more over dinner," Eli promised. "We've got the time." He turned his back to them and walked away, spinning the vial between his fingers. "Trust me, you two, I'll lead the Rogues to good fortune. All the horrible crap we suffered through will be rectified with a vengeance."

Mikayla shook her head as he walked out. "I'll never understand that guy." She smiled at Norris and rubbed his back. "But hey, try and smile, Norris. If Eli pulls this off, we'll be leading better lives than ever." She went back over to Augustus to check on him.

Norris stared at the ground with a blank stare, then raised his fist. It was…shaking. Fear? Anxiousness? Uncertainty? He didn't know. His mood soured as his arm went limp by his side. _And yet…I don't feel happy._


	43. Anger Born From Nothing

Some time had passed since the incident at the shipyard. For the most part, things have settled down, in terms of Rogue activity. Crime was still rampant at night, with Pokémon and the occasional Fusion robbing stores and banks with their newly supplied weaponry. Gappei Village and the police were still working hard to keep crime under control.

Out on patrol tonight were Tamara and Spaz. As of now, they were resting on the edge of the roof, keeping diligent eyes out for distress on the streets. Spaz has been easing up with his nervous behavior around Tamara, though still gets a little fidgety when they accidentally brush up against each other.

Tamara glared at the street, eyes dull with boredom. "Only two attempted robberies and they were nothing but small fry." She sighed. "Guess our baddies are being extra cautious this time around."

Spaz smiled in relief. "That's good, my feet could use a rest."

Tamara punched her palm. "Ugh! I want the city to be safe, but I don't want to die of boredom while doing it!"

The time mouse raised his brow at her. "Uh…have you considered taking a break? You and stress don't mix well."

"I get stressed when I'm not punching criminals!" She shot up and cracked her knuckles. "I can't just take a break, not when there's injustice to still be cleansed from this city-!"

Spaz grabbed her shoulders and sat her back down. "Maaaaybe we could take this time to just sit and…talk?"

The ninja cat blinked at him, then rolled her eyes before pouting at the street grumpily. "Fine…"

Spaz sighed in relief. He knew how antsy she could get. Training and working out as top priority, with rest and relaxation coming at second. Besides, he wanted to talk to her more. He does eventually want to confess his feelings to her, though he wouldn't be able to do that without at least bonding with his crush.

The time mouse twiddled his thumbs and kicked his feet over the edge. "Sssooo…Juniper and Wash seem to be doing well."

Tamara shrugged her shoulders. "They've certainly…perked up after Wash's little rampage out in the shipyard." She sighed and leaned back. "I was expecting Wash to be miserable, but…I've never seen him happier."

Spaz smiled brightly. "I think it's nice they got together. I always thought they'd make a good couple." He snickered. "Juniper's skipping around more so than usual lately. I usually see her sleeping in some random area, but now she's practically at Wash's hut all day."

"It's definitely a change in mood," the ninja cat admitted. "I've never seen her so active in a while." She shrugged. "But hey, I'm happy for them."

Spaz snickered impishly. "How long until Wash gets a full dose of Juniper's company?"

Tamara smirked playfully. "Oh…he already did. Jun's enjoying herself."

* * *

 _Juniper guided Wash to his room, with his eyes closed. He felt around the air with his free arm. "Uh, Jun, where the heck are we?"_

" _In your room, silly!" she exclaimed. "I got a surprise for you!"_

" _Oh Jun, you didn't have to get me anything."_

" _Too late!" She giggled excitedly before shouting, "Okay, you can open your eyes! Surprise!"_

 _Wash opened his eyes, which instantly widened upon spotting his…gifts. And by gifts, he meant a mountain of pillows stacked atop his bed. Nowhere near as many as his girlfriend's (a term he is still getting used to saying), but definitely a sizable stack. Colorful looking pillows of different shapes and fun designs._

 _Juniper grinned at his stunned face. "I bought myself some extra pillows, but I decided to give some of mine to you! York was nice enough to help me bring them in!"_

 _Wash's eyes twitched for a moment, then he gave her a genuinely kind, yet baffled smile. "Uh…wow, um…thank you so much, Jun."_

 _Juniper giggled and nuzzled into his neck. He wrapped his arm around her with a light smile, but then, once he saw York passing by with a glass of water, shot a glare at the armored lizard. York blinked a couple times, then snickered before walking away._

* * *

Tamara sighed while Spaz fell over on his back and laughed his tail off. "He's too nice to her," she said with a smirk.

"Yeah, no k-kidding!" Spaz got out through his laughter. He sat back up and snickered. "Good grief, is he actually planning on keeping them?"

Tamara shrugged. "I think he might keep a few just because." She shook her head. "One of these days, I need to have a serious talk with her about that mountain of hers."

"And here I thought she was obsessed with just soda!" Spaz joked. He leaned back and rested on his back, arms folded behind his head. "But, all joking aside, I'm glad those two found someone in their lives they can love. They've got something that looks like it'll last." Spaz glanced at Tamara, then looked away as his face glowed pink. "Must be nice being in a relationship…with someone you truly like."

Tamara leaned back as well and shrugged. "Meh. I'm not one for relationships." She waved her hand around. "Or, as Juniper likes to tease, I just haven't found Mr. Right yet, whatever _that_ means. I swear, she gives me these odd looks whenever the subject comes up."

Spaz knew those looks well. They were always directed at him whenever he and the cat were in the general vicinity. Oh, how that would leave him embarrassed. He shook his head. "Hehe…yeah, real weird." He smiled awkwardly. "Eh, let's just…be glad they're happy and leave it at that."

Tamara shrugged. "True."

Spaz brought his hands together and rested them on his chest. "And…s-s-speaking of which…I…was wondering if…you wanted to…maybe…do something sometime? I saw this cool obstacle course during one of my runs. Maybe we can have a competition through it-?"

"Hold on a second," Tamara suddenly interrupted, sitting up and twitching her ears attentively.

"O-O-Okay, I get it, a public obstacle course isn't exactly your style. Maybe there's a gym that has-!"

"No, I mean be quiet," she shushed as she cupped her hand around her ear.

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Another break in?"

"No, but…I definitely hear someone…it's coming from nearby…around our level."

"Civilian or an ambush?"

"No, just some talking…possibly to themselves. And they…sound pretty bitter, too."

Spaz raised his brow. "Should we be concerned about that?"

"Well, it's something. Might as well make sure whoever they are is alright. Come on." She sprung to her feet and dashed across the roofs with Spaz following right on her heels.

Tamara listened closely for the bitter chatter, relying mostly on her hearing. The closer they got to the source of said chatter, the…more familiar it sounded. Not a voice she personally heard herself, but rather a voice she imagined through description.

Spaz, on the other hand, seemed to recognize the chatter himself. "Wait…I know that angry tone…" His eyes widened. "It can't be…"

They landed on the roof Tamara pinpointed the chatter. They hid behind the rooftop stairway entrance, remembering to keep silent, and peeked around the corner. They narrowed their eyes around the space before spotting an unusual sight to be out alone this late.

"Norris?!" they both gasped in hushed tones.

Indeed, it was the mad duck leader of the Rogues, sulking over the edge of the roof with his head low. Now much closer, they heard his grumbles with greater clarity. Though, it did nothing to provide context.

"Why are good things happening to me? Why? Is this a sign?" he growled. "Is this a set up?" He gripped tightly on the roof's edge, digging his claws in. "Did nothing and I get rewarded…no, no, this is all mixed up…nothing… _nothing!_ "

Spaz looked at Tamara, just as confused as her. "Do…you have any idea what he's going on about?"

Tamara glared. "York mentioned how Norris is an unstable hothead…but this almost sounds like self-loathing."

"Nothing makes sense anymore," Norris went on with his rant. "Did anything make sense? BAH! All pointless!" He hugged his legs, close to his chest, and glared down at the street. "I didn't start the Rogues for something much more…I never wanted to be the big bad criminal in control. I just wanted to be feared…I wanted to…get rid of this anger that won't leave me…"

The two Gappei Fusions hid back behind the roof entrance. "Well, he's certainly speaking in crazy," Spaz mumbled. "Any suggestions?"

Tamara glared, then unsheathed her claws. "Norris is on the top of our list. He's one of the most dangerous of the Rogues. We won't get a better chance of capturing him than now. I'll restrain him while you get ready to stun him with your Chrono Shock."

Spaz held up his hand, sending green sparks through it. "On it."

The ninja cat tiptoed out from cover and approached Norris with complete silence in her steps. She extended both sets of claws as she crept, all the while paying attention to his demeanor and rant. She couldn't help but pick out the clear tension he exhibited with his posture. He almost looked in pain.

"…is this even the next step for me? Even for a moment…should I be happy that good things are coming my way?" He clenched his fists. "Lies…all lies…nothing good ever happens to me…because they just stomp over my happiness…like I am trash…" He closed his eyes, both shut tightly with matching tension. "Paranoia…that fear…that damn fear of failure and despair…like I'm cursed to be given happiness, then someone decides I'm destined to suffer for being happy…" He growled in a low, grumbling tone. "Nothing I do means anything…that's how the world has set up my fate…"

Tamara was halfway towards Norris when she froze up and caught her breath, aghast by Norris as he grabbed his head and roared at the sky. Her best guess? It was a mix of emotional pain and anger.

"All the mockery! All the hatred! All the blame they casted on me! All of them acting like they can step on me like trash! All of you!" He gripped his head tightly and roared once more. "And that damn, damn, damn, _damn, damn_ ROOM! That shitty, damn room _she_ threw me into for hours! Punishment! Nothingness! Madness!"

Tamara, against her better nature, nearly stepped back in caution of the mad duck's violent temper. She looked back to her partner, who was equally stunned by Norris' erratic behavior. They both thought in agreement.

 _What on earth happened to this guy?!_

Tamara gulped, then bared her claws once again and continued with her sneaking. She couldn't miss a prime opportunity to apprehend one of their biggest threats.

Norris continued screaming his head off. "You thought you could drive me mad, didn't you?! All of you shitty Pokémon! I didn't want to become a mob boss! All of you must pay! But if this is how it must be! None of you can escape!"

The longer he went on, the less sense he made. It was like he was stringing two completely different rants into one sentence. Tamara steeled her nerves and raised her claws, getting just behind Norris and in prime striking position.

The mad duck ceased his screaming and panted in exhaustion, letting his arms fall into his lap. "...but if that's how it must be...then they will pay for this. I will not be ridiculed again. No one will step over me again. Not them...not her..." His eyes fixed into a glare, shooting a look through his peripherals. "And certainly not you shitty Fusions!"

Tamara's reflexes saved her as Norris swung his Explosion charged fist at her. She kicked his fist into the ground, separating him in a cloud of smoke. She jumped back and shouted, "Spaz, now!"

"Chrono Shock!" Spaz aimed his finger and fired a bolt of green lightning.

However, through the smoke, an array of lightning fired out and blocked the Chrono Shock like a protective curtain. The Discharge spread rapidly across the roof, forcing the two speedsters to jump onto the adjacent building. Their eyes widened as Norris sprinted from the smoke and charged right for them, letting loose a malicious roar.

"ALL OF YOU! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!"

Spaz gritted his teeth. "Might I suggest a tactical retreat?!"

"Not my style, but I'll make an exception!" Tamara shouted before they ran away from their pursuer, hopping between the rooftops.

Norris growled and fired Signal Beam at them. They dodged the rainbow beams easily. "Don't you DARE run away, cowards!"

Tamara threw her Water Shuriken in an attempt to slow him down. "Don't stop, Spaz! We can easily outrun him!"

"How are we going to catch him now?!" Spaz shouted.

"We may have to try a different approach, but we can't worry about-!" As Tamara threw another set of Water Shuriken, she noticed the blue glow in Norris' eyes. "What the…?"

Spaz looked back with a confused look. "Um, which move is that again?"

Norris inhaled and puffed his cheeks out, preparing to fire another attack. Tamara and Spaz readied themselves just before he fired the shots of Soak. They moved out of the way, but were taken off guard by a second round fired in their current trajectory. The Soak shots landed direct hits and soaked them in water.

"AGH!" Spaz groaned. "How did he hit us?!"

"Foresight!" Tamara shouted, remembering the mad duck's work around for slippery opponents.

After scoring direct hits and changing their types, Norris leaped into the air and threw his arms up, with Foresight still in effect. "NONE OF YOU ARE STEPPING OVER ME EVER AGAIN!" He roared and unleashed a downpour of Discharge on them.

The two Fusion twisted and screamed in pain as their bodies lit up in the blinding electricity, illuminating the night sky. They were momentarily suspended in the air before the attack ended and dropped them atop a roof. Their bodies smoked from the super-effective damage they received. They tried to pick themselves back up, but Norris crashed down on top of them and pinned their heads to the ground.

A feral growl grumbled through his clenched teeth. "No. More. Crap." His wrist orbs sparked wildly with electricity. "All the suffering…all the pain…"

Tamara unsheathed her claws for Night Slash while Spaz channeled Psychic through his arm, readying for a psychic blast. They exchanged glares with their enemy and prepared to unleash everything they had on him…then their eyes widened as Norris let them go and backed away.

He turned his back to them and grumbled. All the fight in him seemed to die out in a moment. With heavy pants, he looked up at the sky. "Happiness…what does that term mean anymore? Nothing but a word synonymous with chance...and despair."

Tamara and Spaz picked themselves up and used their Recover to heal off the damage they took. As the white glow around them restored their stamina, Spaz asked, "Should…we try restraining him again?"

Tamara narrowed her eyes. She was all for finally capturing Norris, but…something about the way he just gave up left a bad taste in her mouth. "I…I don't know…"

Spaz looked at his crush in concern. The fact she wasn't acting as heroic as she would in front of a 'villain' raised some worries. He looked back at Norris. "He…doesn't look well. What should we do?"

The ninja cat wished she had an exact answer for him. She sighed, then glared at the mad duck. "I don't know…but we have a job to do." She stepped up and pointed boldly at Norris. "Norris, leader of the Rogues! For your crimes against Grandis City and the illegal distribution of dangerous weaponry, I'm placing you under arrest! You have the right to remain silent!"

"…" Norris glared over his shoulder, periodically clenching his fists. He resumed looking forward, then said, "…is this just some stupid game to you?"

Tamara glared back at him. "This is no game! You have caused widespread trouble as of late! You will be tried for your crimes!"

Norris turned himself around and faced her with a scowl. "You're not funny, cat. Get lost…or else."

Spaz stepped up by Tamara's side with a matching glare. "Hey, don't talk to her like that! If you don't cooperate, you're in for it, buster!"

Norris closed his eyes. "Do you honestly think I will take your threats with any ounce of seriousness? What do you take me for, some spineless fool?" His own question seemed to trigger an annoyed growl from him. "That's exactly what you're thinking, is it?"

"You're a criminal!" Tamara shouted. "You've actively harassed innocent civilians and dealt in the black market! You've gone too far in this game of yours! Whether you like it or not, you're going to jail!"

Norris glared for a moment at the ninja cat, then closed his eyes. "Criminal...a term for the immoral. Immorality...a term for evil. Evil..." He scoffed angrily and glared directly at them. "A term that's lost all meaning. I'm no more evil than every shitty Pokémon on this damn planet..."

Spaz crossed his arms. "You're not any kind of saint, you know. Not all Pokémon are as vile and despicable as you make them out to be."

"I hear that shit all the time…it means nothing to me." Norris sneered to himself. "Nothing…" He suddenly gripped his head and growled in pain. "Nothing…Nothing…NOTHING!" He huffed angry breaths as he clutched down tighter on his skull. "Nothing…makes me angry!" He grinded his teeth together. "And you Gappei jerks just drive the nail in deeper! The searing agony…of hatred…burning through my skull…"

Tamara and Spaz took a cautious step away from him as the mad duck bent over and snarled a monstrous growl. His eye twitched. "It's like…there's no consequence to the unjustly, so long as they're Pokémon. I did…I did nothing wrong…and I'm _punished_ for it!" He threw his head back and howled a violent scream.

Spaz pulled Tamara close and whispered, "I'm…not even making a joke here. Is he actually alright? He almost seems…broken." Tamara gave a slight nod of agreement, still focusing on the duck.

Norris stomped the roof, then punched it as he dropped to one knee. "Nothing…ever goes my way! I try to set an example to these monsters that I am NOT to be trifled with! What do I get?! Kicked around and stepped over! Even that jackass, York, went and left, all for some stupid girl!"

Tamara glared. "Don't act like you were performing divine justice! I still remember what you did that day!"

"Same here!" Spaz agreed. "You attacked Casey, even though she did nothing wrong to you guys! The exact opposite, in fact!"

Norris glared at them. "If you want to get a point across, you need to tear down what others love. Sends a pretty clear message about destroying dreams!"

"You're the one advocating for mayhem!" Spaz yelled. "You think attacking an innocent bystander will make you any less hated?!"

Norris stood up and huffed in dry amusement. "Funny how that logic works when it's turned on its head. Rogues attack an innocent? We get punished. A ghost frog with a violent personality actively tries to attack everyone? Praised for his services." Tamara and Spaz noticed the tears brimming from the corner of his eyes. "A Psyduck-Electrode living in an orphanage behaves himself and does nothing remotely wrong? Suddenly he deserves to be tortured because 'Oh, he's a scummy Fusion! Let's ruin his life, because that's trending!'"

"T…Tortured?" Spaz muttered.

Norris clenched his fists and growled again. "It's the same song and dance this world likes to play! Nothing changes! NOTHING! I'm always the butt of everyone's joke because I'M THE MONSTER! That's what this stupid world sees us as! MONSTERS! I'm NEVER right, because I'm the MONSTER! NOTHING'S FAIR! I get punished, you get rewarded! I suffer, you thrive! All because these IDIOTS want what they want! They don't like it?! BETTER DESTROY EVEYRTHING!"

He panted after going off his angry rant. He felt increasingly exhausted with each burst of anger, yet he kept going. He took a deep breath, then grunted indifferently. "Why should I care about anyone? It's how your stupid story always ends. In the end, I'm the one who suffers."

Tamara glared. "Norris…being a criminal won't solve anything."

"Nothing changes. Nothing…Nothing…" He raised his fist to her. "I'm the monster to these jerks…yet the most black-hearted among them are willing to hurt a child for their own sadistic means." He flexed his claws. "Once you go too far…you can't escape the nightmares. This…is forever _my_ nightmare."

* * *

While Tamara and Spaz were busy confronting Norris, Gappei Village was going about their business, unaware of the altercation. One area of interest was in Ren's hunt, where the frog knight was preparing dinner for him and Rebecca, who he invited over. Naturally, the aura fox couldn't refuse, always looking forward to spending time with him, especially since they had the hut to themselves.

Ren walked over to the dining table and set a plate down in front of her, which held a sandwich. "Here you go!" he served with a smile.

Rebecca giggled. "Thanks for inviting me over, Ren. This is so thoughtful of you."

He sat down next to her and laughed. "Hey, I did say we should hang out more often. I had a lot of fun with you."

Rebecca held her cheek as she blushed. "Aww, Ren!" She looked at the hut's living room space. "By the way, where are Quinn and Artemis?"

Ren shrugged. "I have NO idea. For all I know, they're cuddling and making out somewhere." He grabbed his sandwich and took a bite from it. "But hey…it's kind of nice having the place to myself sometimes."

Rebecca grinned. "Yeah, I get that." She grabbed her sandwich, but stared at it for a moment. "Gee, I feel like we've all been busy lately. The council sends us out on more patrols than usual, ever since the weapon trading that's been going around."

"Oh, trust me, I know how that feels," the frog knight laughed. "Have you tried training with Peregrine for more than an hour? Hawkins and I can't catch a break around that guy, I swear. And there's also helping out around the village, helping everyone with their chores and stuff, and my own patrols with some of the other Fusions."

The aura fox chuckled under her breath. "Geez, do you have any time for yourself?"

"Hey, I love helping people!" he whined. "But yes, I _do_ have my free time!" He took another bite of his sandwich. "I've been catching up on some more of my reading."

"Reading?" Rebecca tapped her chin for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "Oh right, you've been reading about that activist fellow. Ivan Faust, right?"

"Yeah, him."

She smiled dryly. "You still haven't gotten bored about reading up on him?"

"I can't help it! It's actually really inspiring to hear that there _were_ Pokémon back then that tried to give Fusions like us a chance. Before I came to the village, I was nothing but beaming optimism!"

"You still are."

"Yeah, but with much more hope in my heart!" He set his sandwich down. "Truth be told, I never thought the world was indifferent to Fusions. Everything I knew was from my mom and dad. Honestly, I was pretty confused why they sent me here in the first place." He scratched his cheek. "Times change, I suppose."

Rebecca giggled. "Well, at least you found something of a role model to look up to. Was he really that impressive?"

"He's one of the more prominent activists, that's for sure. Though, aside from his numerous good deeds and inspiring moments, not much was known about the guy. Heck, I still haven't found a legitimate source about his species yet. He could be a flippin' Gyrados for all I know." He smiled. "Still, it really is interesting hearing about the attempted progress made in darker times. It shows that generations can change with perception." Ren looked down with narrowed eyes. They almost looked sad. "Though…it can get disturbing, too…"

Rebecca blinked. "Ren, are you okay?"

He smiled awkwardly and waved it off. "Who, me? I'm fine! D…Don't worry. Just…enjoy your sandwich." He took a small nibble out of his, showing far less enthusiasm.

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. "I'm not taking that as an answer. Come on, something's bugging you."

Ren glanced around, then sighed in defeat. "Well…for as great as every Mr. Faust has done, it…doesn't change the fact that times were…tough on a lot of Fusions." He closed his eyes. "It still happens today, but…far, far less openly and…accepted, even by some bigots against Fusions." He looked at his sandwich sadly. "Mob rallies…hunts for Fusions…the dreaded Fusion Trials…"

Rebecca felt a shiver run up her spine. "Ugh…yeah, I can see how that would get under someone's skin. That was a horrible practice. I know there are those who still hate us, but I doubt anyone would agree to execution by mobs."

Ren shrugged. "You'd be surprise…Emily's history speaks for itself." He crossed his arms and lay his head in them. "That's from textbooks, though. Basic knowledge. Reading about someone who directly witnessed them…it feels too real. Mr. Faust really hated Fusion Trials…he went into uncomfortable detail about how they were done…and how much he despised it."

Rebecca rubbed his back. "Those times are long behind us."

"Even so, it…reflects how some of the world still doesn't care for our existence. Faust has gone on record saying…a world full of mistrust and hate can drive a man crazy. Crazy enough to do things he would never do in his lifetime. Some might go as far as to…change history by their own hands."

Rebecca smiled caringly. "Kind of like what we're doing?"

"Yeah, but…without the crazy part." He sighed. "Beginnings formed from fear, escalated into centuries of mistrust that brought both sides at war with each other. Their fault…all fault…all of us fanned the flames." He tilted his head around. "Makes me feel lucky. I can't imagine my parents hating me. They've been nothing but warm and sweet and…just supportive of me."

Rebecca smiled sadly. "I know what you mean. My folks helped me get through some tough times, too." She patted his head to try and cheer him up. "But hey, there's no reason to be so glum. We're doing good by just being us. We may never be able to get everyone's respect, but we're making progress changing their negative view on us. In return, we're helping Fusions trust in pokemanity again."

This did bring a small smile to Ren's face. "Yeah…we are doing some good in our little part of the world…" This brought a thought to Ren's mind. He sat up and looked his friend in the eye. "Hey, Becca…can I get your opinion on something?"

"Of course. What?"

Ren crossed his arms and lay them on the table. "Answer me this…how far do you think someone would go…to incite change? Actual change?"

The aura fox tilted her head. "Why are you asking?"

"It's something I read up about Mr. Faust. It's a question he apparently asked himself once." He shrugged. "Does raise some questions. Like…just how far do you have to go to make a difference?"

Rebecca leaned back and looked at the ceiling, putting some thought into his question. "Huh…let me think." She stuck her tongue out. "Depends on who you're talking about. I could see you as someone who would persistently go out of their way to persuade others to give peace a chance. You would take the active route of bringing change through kind gestures and promises for a better future.

"But…let's say someone who was through with the fighting. That all depends on what kind of risks you're willing to take and the lengths you're willing to go to. Extreme action is one of those possibilities. To them, it's the probable solution. To others, it's a plan wrapped in consequences."

Ren sighed. "A well-intentioned extremist, then. That sounds like a nightmare."

Rebecca shrugged. "Hardly any extreme measures ever go well."

"Makes me wonder what kind of lengths Mr. Faust would go through in order bring peace. I wonder what went on in his head the further time went on."

Rebecca patted his shoulder. "Everyone's been through a lot. Sometimes a friend can change that. Sometimes it takes self-realization to change. I think anyone who has been to Gappei Village knows that well."

Ren nodded, then grabbed his sandwich. "Yeah…I can't imagine being in that kind of pain…"

* * *

"…it's a real pain, you know," Norris grumbled as he scowled at Tamara and Spaz. "You have big dreams set for yourself, then everyone turns against you because you're the freak in their nightmares." He closed his eyes. "They're like predators. Stalking you…taunting you…waiting for you to be at your weakest, before striking and tearing you apart…" He clenched his violently shaking fists. "Why…Why did I have to suffer? I did nothing wrong…and I suffered for it…"

Tamara wasn't one to sympathize with criminals, and she was still adamant on turning Norris in, but she did find herself sympathizing with Norris. She still doesn't know what he went through, but his personality was a clear sign it affected him deeply. Spaz was in silent agreement with the cat, but mostly because he was getting uncomfortable with Norris' unnerving behavior.

Norris seethed through his teeth, with his shaking calming a bit. "You can go on about how _wonderful_ everything is…and I'll just be sitting in my little corner with the other rejects casted away!" He covered his face, beginning to sound stressed. "So much hate…so much pain…" He glared through his hands. "So much…so much nothingness…"

Spaz raised his brow hesitantly. "You…keep using that word. A lot."

Norris panted, eyes half-closed. "It's…a word. Nothingness…takes on a whole new meaning…when you experience the insanity it brings you." He growled and clutched his head again. "That damn room…that damn room she made me sit in to _punish_ me…"

Tamara was getting an uncomfortable image in her mind. "Room? Nothingness?"

Spaz whispered, "Is any of this making sense to you?"

"Not sure," she admitted. "But there's definitely something wrong with him. You might be right. It's like he is broken inside. I don't think he trusts anyone…he just goes along with those who he sees as rejects like him. Almost like there's no happy ending for anyone."

Norris crouched down, continuing to clutch his head. "All my life…it's been Pokémon who made me miserable…who punched me…who taunted me…who threatened me…" He glared angrily at the ground. "I was just some stupid Psyduck with Electrode extensions on his arms. I didn't understand what was wrong…I didn't understand why everyone was afraid of me! Why everyone _hated_ me!

"Always acting like they're better than me. _They_ caused the trouble… _they_ placed the blame on _me_ … _SHE_ always took their side! I…was blamed for everything! EVERYTHING!" He growled through heavy breaths, venting through his teeth.

Spaz held his hand out cautiously. "Hey man…maybe you should sit down and take it easy-"

He jumped back when Norris snapped his teeth in his direction, snarling like a territorial beast. "HELP?! That's what you think I need! I don't need HELP!" He stood up. "None of us! None of us will be satisfied! I will never be satisfied! Everything…" His face heated up as his blood boiled. "Everything…hurts! Burning…my head is burning! Fury…Anger…Nothingness!"

Tamara held her hand out boldly. "Look, maybe if you turn yourself and the Rogues in, we can vouge for a lenient sentence."

Norris sneered. "Why…should we? As Rogue leader, I've heard enough shit from everyone! Eli…a kid who got mixed up in the black market when he just wanted to go into show business! Mikayla…she _wanted_ to make friends, but everyone rejected her! Sullivan…grew up fighting his way to the top when no one else could! Zoey…manipulated by others and taken advantage of as some pretty face, so _she_ had to survive! Sunny…abandoned as a baby with NO ONE until Zoey found her! Braith…some delusion brat that no one paid attention to! She just wanted to have fun! Gordon…constantly being bothered by Pokémon when he just wanted to be left alone!"

"You…remember all that?" Tamara asked in shock.

"Just because I'm an unstable mess doesn't mean I don't listen!" He growled. "Every other Fusion that sought refuge in the Rogues…I've heard their stories! Every last one of them! Burned into my memory! Every Rogue! Even York, for as much as I hate him!"

"You…actually do care about them," Spaz stated with a soft voice.

Norris huffed angry breaths. "I remember every one of them…because, no matter how small or insignificant, _they_ remind me too much of my own nightmares." He let out one final frustrated breath, then stood straight with an emotionless expression, somehow coming off as more unnerving than when he was rambling. "Have you ever been so scarred by a single day…that the memory would be forever burned into your memory?"

A brief flash of a Persian being stabbed through the throat breezed through Tamara's mind. She grimaced. "I…suppose…"

Norris raised his fist and looked at it with dull eyes. "I remember my bad day all too well. It was my breaking point, where I was at my weakest…then reborn with a new vision…"

* * *

 _It was a normal day outside a large brick building, with a sign that indicated said building as an orphanage. All seemed quiet for the moment…until a loud crash shattered the silence._

 _Inside the building's kitchen area were a group of children, but one stood out among the rest. A Psyduck-Electrode with Electrode shaped orbs on his wrists, rather small ones, and a white and red coloration division over his body. They all stood in front of a fallen cabinet that once contained perfectly intact china plates. The shards of china and glass from the cabinet were spread across the floor, with Norris staring at them in horror._

 _A young Numel smiled mischievously at Norris. "Oooooh~! You're in so much trouble~!"_

"You don't know how many times that old excuse was used," _Present Norris spoke over the memory._ "I never did anything…but the kids knew that didn't matter."

 _The young Fusion shivered in fear, his hands trembling against his chest. Tears welled up in his eyes. "B-B-But…I-I-I didn't do anything…" He froze up as he heard the marching of footsteps coming their way. "Oh no…"_

 _A female Noivern marched into the kitchen and snarled at the children. "What happened in here?!" She glared at the mess. "And what happened to my china collection?!"_

 _A Seedot bounced around Norris. "It was him, Ms. Sevier! Norris broke your china!"_

" _No, I didn't!" he insisted with wide eyes._

 _The Noivern, however, wasn't having it. She pinched between her eyes and groaned. "Why am I even asking? What else should I expect from a troublemaking Fusion?"_

 _The Psyduck-Electrode quivered and shied away, stepping over on some glass. "B-B-But…they did it! Not me! They were messing around with your cabinet! I didn't do-!"_

" _Shut UP!" Sevier roared, causing Norris to clamp his beak shut. "I won't hear anymore of your lies and your whining!"_

" _I…didn't d-do anything…" he insisted with teary eyes._

" _What did I say about lying?" Sevier threatened in a dark tone. She lowered her head and huffed through her nostrils. "This is the fifth time I've caught you making a mess in the kitchen."_

" _I-I never did any of that-!"_

" _Vandalizing the building, breaking the other children's toys, stealing after curfew…you are proving to be a difficult pest." She glowered with disdain. "I've dealt with your kind in my youth. Always trying to make others like me miserable. What else to expect from a filthy Fusion?"_

"All of it…everything that woman spat was another filthy lie, just to find some excuse to take out her grudges against Fusions."

 _Norris backed away with a fearful look in his eyes. "Please, Ms. Sevier! I never did any of those thin-!"_

" _I said ENOUGH!" Sevier growled, her voice booming through the kitchen and rattling the fallen cabinet glass and windows. "Why else would no one adopt a troublesome brat like you? No one wants some monster in their home, causing them strife and misery. You need a timeout for this unacceptable behavior of yours." She glared. "You're going into…the Room."_

 _Just like that, real fear and terror was brought out within the young duck, like he was meeting his own end right before his eyes. "No…NO!" He dove under the table and scrambled under it. "NONONONONONO!" he screamed, panic flooding his senses. Sevier grabbed him by the ankle and dragged him across the floor, with Norris making a vain attempt at digging his digits into the floorboards. "NOT THE ROOM! NOT THE ROOM!"_

" _Accept your punishment with some dignity, you brat!" she growled._

"That room… _the_ Room…was a nightmare I experienced every single day of my life. A place of complete isolation from everyone…and everything. A place for us to think about our misdeeds."

"That doesn't sound too bad," _Tamara spoke up through the flashback._

"What's so bad about it?" _Spaz asked._

"I hated that room so much…I remembered the exact term for it. Tell me…do you know what an anechoic chamber is?"

" _PLEASE! I'M SORRY! I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN! I PROMISE!" Norris begged as he desperately clawed at the floorboards, praying he could evade another stay in that nightmare of a room._

" _Then maybe another hour in the room will teach you some respect." They came upon a hatch in the ground, sealed tight by a mechanical locking mechanism. She twisted the crank as the locks retracted, pulled it open, then dumped the crying duck inside. "I'll be back in an hour. I expect you to change that attitude of yours when I get back." She shut the hatch and locked it back up._

 _Norris saw nothing but darkness…and it sent him into a panicked frenzy as he swung around as he banged on the walls. "NO! PLEASE! LET ME OUT!" His fists made no sound against the walls. The room itself was absorbing his cries and panic, rendering the room devoid of background noise._

"That woman should've been thrown in jail if the authorities knew what she was hiding. Anechoic chambers are used to absorb sound…incredibly useful for scientific purposes, but not for me. They say silence is bliss…but that room, designed by her, was meant to break you. Absorbing all background noise…everything becomes silent. Eventually, you start to hear every beat of your heart. Every breath you draw. Even the very pumping of your blood through your veins. It was pitch black in there…it was making lose my mind."

 _Half an hour passed and Norris was flat on his stomach, staring off into the void with a wide-eyed look. Without the background noise, his sense of equilibrium was lost. He felt weak-kneed…powerless…nauseas…_

"I was a damn child…do you know how suffocating that was? I was a kid…afraid of the dark…afraid of nothing…literally, nothing…and then my mind began to wander. The voices would taunt me…"

" _Haha! What a loser!"_

" _That's what those lousy Fusions get!"_

" _Just watch! He's going to come out crying again! Ms. Sevier will probably put him back in to make him stop!"_

" _That kid is such a pathetic wimp. No wonder no one cares about him."_

 _Norris looked around in the darkness and saw the ghostly images of his fellow orphans, pointing and laughing at him, as though his misery brought them joy. His eyes widened under the scolding gaze of Ms. Sevier, growling at the defenseless child._

"Their laughing…that silence…it ticked away at whatever rationality I had left…I felt like I was losing my mind…"

 _Their laughing continued to pierce through Norris' fragile mind as he started hyperventilating. He felt like the foam walls were closing in on him, yet he couldn't see them. The darkness looked like it was imploding in on him. His eyes shook frantically as everyone kept laughing and laughing at him._

"They wanted to laugh at the freak…so I gave them a monster."

 _Norris panted heavily and quickly as their laughter grew louder. He closed his eyes and, in a sudden burst of energy, screamed at the top of his lungs as he body exploded in a white light, wiping away the darkness and ghostly imagery in seconds._

 _Back above on the main floor, a couple of the kids were walking by the hatch when the Seedot stopped. He walked over to it and tilted his head. "The heck?"_

" _What's wrong?" Numel asked._

 _Seedot narrowed his eyes. "Does…anyone else hear that screaming?"_

" _Screaming?" a Sentret questions. "In a sound canceling chamber?"_

 _Suddenly, light poured through the hatch before exploding up in a fiery blaze, blasting the children off their feet and slamming them into the wall. They groaned dizzily, but regained their senses in horror as flames spread out from the chamber and wrapped around the hallway in seconds. They found themselves surrounded in the fire._

 _As if things couldn't get any worse, but their hopes were proven wrong. Their eyes widened as a hand reached from the hatch and slammed against the floor. The kids huddled up to each other and shivered as the previous trapped Fusion emerged from the flames. Even though darkened behind them, they saw the change to their tormented target._

 _Rising high above them…a full grown Golduck-Electrode, his form shadowed within the flames. His eyes burned with fury against the cowering trio._

 _He stomped his foot forward and growled. "What's the matter?" he asked angrily, his voice deep and menacing. "Aren't you going to laugh at the freak?!" He bared his teeth. "Come on, you little brat!" He roared into their faces, "LAUGH!"_

 _The kids screamed and bolted through the flames in terror. Norris snarled at the fleeting trio, then roared with a fury that rattled the inside of the orphanage as the flames spread._

 _Seconds turned to minutes. Everyone inside the orphanage screamed and panicked, running towards the exit as the flames consumed the building in a manner of minutes. Miraculously, all the children escaped with only minor injury. They screamed as explosions went off inside the building._

 _Sevier finally got out after evacuating all the kids. She nearly reached the street when the top half of the building exploded open. A flaming body crashed into and pinned her to the ground, clutching down on her neck. The Noivern's eyes widened in horror. "Norris!"_

 _The Golduck-Electrode snarled at her. "What's the matter, Ms. Sevier?! You said you wanted me to change my attitude! Just like YOU WANTED!"_

" _Norris…no, don't do this!" she pleaded. "You're better than that!"_

" _Not so funny now, is it?!" He raised his fist, glowering with contempt. "Let's see how you like begging for mercy!" He threw his fist down, leaving the kids a screaming mess at the ensuing explosion._

* * *

Tamara and Spaz covered their mouths in horror, utterly appalled by his story and from how eerily calm he told it. He kept his arms crossed with a firm scowl over his face. Spaz dropped his hands and, hesitantly, asked, "Don't tell me…you actually…"

Norris grunted. "I was angry…but not completely unhinged. I _wanted_ her to suffer. I wanted all of them to suffer. I made my point when the police and fire department retrieved her. As far as I'm concerned, she'll never harm another Fusion ever again. Back then, even with the state I was in, I refused to cross that line."

His face softened a bit, then he sighed. "I wandered and wandered, labeled as some maniac who put 'innocent' lives in danger. Made me sick what these people made me out as, yet I accepted it. I was done with hope." He glared at the two. "I'm not exactly sure how I did it…but the Rogues just sort of formed under my leadership. Every Fusion who had enough with their treatment served to work under me in exchange for revenge. Who was I to deny such a request?"

He tightened his fists. "Nothing…makes me angry…nothingness…drives me crazy…all I wanted was a peaceful existence. What is there left to gain after going too far?"

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "Norris…"

Norris looked away from them. "Maybe Eli has a point…maybe it's time to grow up and take opportunity by the horns." He walked towards the roof's edge. "I'm done with this shit…I'm done with everyone stepping over me like I'm trash."

Spaz glared lightly. "Now, hold on a second. I don't know what you mean by that, but you still need to answer for everything you've done. You can't possibly believe going this far will change anything. Even if you don't like people 'stepping over you,' that's not going to change your criminal records. If you keep going about this, the Rogues will suffer for it. Is that really what you want?"

Tamara nodded in agreement. "After all, you obviously care about their wellbeing. Why go this far when you know hardship will occur at any moment?"

Norris narrowed his eyes. "…we're not going to fail anymore. The Rogues have been through too much. We will be feared and respected. If this is my only chance to finally get some Arceus damn peace, then I'll take any risk I can! And no one is getting in my way!" He raised his sparking fist. "Especially you Gappei Wimps!"

Tamara raised her fists. "You won't get away with this!"

"That's some big talk…" He growled as his pupils shrank. "You don't know how deep my hatred for Pokémon kind runs. I'm done with it all…I refuse to be some joke! I refuse to let anymore Pokémon torture me!"

"Norris, you can't mean that!" Spaz insisted. "Come on, not all Pokémon are like that-!"

"Shut UP! Just…SHUT UP! Stop saying stupid shit like I'm supposed to CARE!" He clenched his fists tightly. "I've had ENOUGH of the bullshit this stupid world put me through! All the ridicule, the punishment, EVERYTHING!" His muscles tensed up as he let out a vicious snarl. "All this time, I just wanted to feel normal, then those stupid POKEMON had to ruin EVERYTHING! What did I do?! NOTHING! What did I get?! PUNISHMENT! FOR EXISTING! All of you...all of you have to play the hero...while guys like me suffer for nothing!"

Tamara and Spaz got ready to neutralize him, but stopped and gasped at the unusual sight around Norris. He was emitting a dense red aura of some kind. And look strikingly familiar to them. They kept their ground, tensing up apprehensively as Norris shook in rage.

"That is why…I'll always…HATE…ALL OF YOOOOOOUUUUUU!" Norris screamed at the top of his lungs.

His red aura expanded out in a thick haze around the two, practically suffocating from it. However, now within the aura, they realized why it felt so familiar. The aura gave off a bitter and spiteful feeling, created through years of pent up aggression from the mad duck.

Spaz's jaw dropped. "His regret…don't tell me this is…"

Tamara clenched her teeth. "…an…incomplete Fusion Mode…"

Norris stomped towards them in haunting steps, growling as all rationale was suppressed, only his feral mind remaining. The two were paralyzed by the weight of his regret pouring over them. They could feel the hate and anger seeping out of him. His pupils were the size of pinpricks, practically nonexistent. Sparks generated in his wrists orbs as he inched closer to them. He raised his fists and prepared for the lunge. Tamara and Spaz tensed their muscles with firm, yet nervous expressions.

Norris went for the lunge and…

"NORRIS!"

Tamara and Spaz's eyes shrank as his fists came inches from their faces. Almost instantly, his regret faded and the anger swelled up inside him poured out like steam in one long exhale. The two were allowed to breathe, but refused to move after facing such vile aggression. Waves of relief came over their panicked expressions.

The mad duck moved away from them and lowered his arms. He exhaled once more, then glared over his shoulder. On the roof behind him was Eli, who sat on the edge with a pensive glare shooting right at the duck.

"…come on…we need to head back to base."

"…fine." No resistance or complaint. All the anger he expelled has left him too drained to do so. He shot one last glare at Tamara and Spaz before jumping over to the roof with Eli.

The dark poisoner took a glance back at them, then guided Norris away. The last image the two Gappei Fusions saw was Eli giving a comforting pat on the back with the duck slumped over.

With them now gone, Tamara fell back and exhaled a held breath. "Oh man…" She wasn't to admit to being terrified, but…it was certainly disconcerting.

Spaz held his forehead and breathed out. He felt his heart easing up after the scare it was given. "I can't believe what I just saw…"

"No kidding…Norris has learned how to use the Fusion Mode…" Tamara stated quietly. "Only…an incomplete process of it…all of that was his negative side…" She held her head. "Freakin' Mew, that was tense…"

"…should we follow after them?" Spaz asked. "We can still catch up to them."

Tamara was tempted to say yes, but…she didn't feel motivated after hearing Norris' past. She looked up with narrowed eyes. "For once…maybe we shouldn't. Norris is dangerous. We can't risk setting him on a rampage."

Spaz could hear in her tone that she was still recovering from the brief scare they were given. It left him still shook as well. He grabbed her arm and yanked her onto her feet. "C-Come on…" he said with a light blush. "W-We should…continue with patrol…"

"…right…"

Without their usual vigor, they hopped across the roofs, opposite to where Norris and Eli left. There was, once again, silence in the air, now with an added tension filling it. And it would only get tenser, for the show wasn't without an audience.

Hovering in the sky was a sky drone, which was zoomed in on the action that took place moments ago. It captured everything, from visuals to audio, all being transmitted to the control source: a laptop being manned by a cube shaped observer.

Data sat within the comforts of Julian's living room, as usual, with his new laptop and spy drone at his disposal. With Julian's newfound 'cooperation,' Data was able to get a few necessary supplies to further his endeavors. He had big plans coming up soon, and even bigger plans later on.

"It's amazing what a little persuasion can do for you," Data hummed to himself. He opened up the video file and fast forward through the confrontation with Norris before pausing it right up when Eli intervened. He zoomed in on the two. "So, these are the infamous Rogues?"

He pressed down on a key and ordered the drone to fly off where the Rogues left. He felt nothing but sympathy for them, especially Norris. He understood they must have been in a lot of physical and mental trauma to turn to a life of crime. How he pitied their sad lives. He'll seek to correct these misfortunes.

"They are the ones who have been engineering from my blueprints. I'm impressed with their progress. Perhaps there's a potential link I can use to further my plans. Hmm…yes, yes, they're perfect. I need a wild group like them to assist me." He chuckled. "Yes…they'll appreciate my ideals in due time.

"Rogues, today you are the villains of this city…but soon, you will be the heroes of this dysfunctional world. Through your unbeknown assistance, we shall bring order to Pokémon and Fusion kind. I guarantee it."


	44. The Bonds We Make

Within the isolated, snowy mountains lay the remote Fusion Hunter HQ. As always, the Fusion Hunter guards were attending to the prisoners and keeping special attention to any who thought of causing mischief. Thankfully, most of the Fusions were cooperative, as some legitimately want to be freed and start better lives for themselves. So, hardly was there ever any scheming going around in the base.

Though, some were too paranoid to believe such a thing.

Currently, it was dinner time for the Fusions. Rows of seats and tables lined up all around, with groups of incarcerated hybrids sitting together and chatting normally. Just because it was a prison doesn't mean all was bad. The main priority of the Fusion Hunters is to capture and reform criminal Fusions for the better. Their treasure trove of secrets made their activities appear shady to the public, but that never stopped them from continuing with their endeavors.

Anyway, Fusions grabbed their food from the line and sat amongst themselves. Not so surprisingly, one group consisted of the 'problem' Fusions of the base: Syndony, Gideon, Alasdair, and Cruella. Due to their reputation for trouble and poor relationship with the Fusion Hunter General, they've been put under special watch as ordered by Cragtail. Though, the guards never saw them causing trouble, so they just went about business as usual.

Cragtail, however, was not so easily swayed.

Despite being a busy man, the Golem took to the unhealthy routine of spying on them with scrupulous attention. He eyed them from the cafeteria catwalk, which was used by guard to keep an eye on the prisoners from a vantage point. He leaned over the railing and stared at the group with an unblinking stink eye.

"I got my eye on you lousy punks…" he muttered under his breath.

Dario, who was present with his boss, rolled his eyes at his obsessive behavior. "Sir, this is getting ridiculous. You do realize there are a dozen, expertly trained guards keeping watch of everyone, right?"

Cragtail grunted. "It's those four I'm concerned about."

Dario sighed. "Here we go…"

"I don't trust them. They're always muttering behind my back, plotting something sinister." He tapped his fingers against the railing. "They're up to something."

Dario glanced off to the side. _Sir, everyone talks behind your back…even Maddock._ He shook his head and attempted reason with the general. "Sir, I don't see what's got you so on edge. They've been acting as normal as before."

"No…they're not. They've been calm lately." He glared suspiciously. " _Too_ calm."

Dario rolled his eyes. "Oh the horror…"

"Do not fall for their placid attitudes!" Cragtail growled. "They make look innocent, but I see through their deceptive faces! And I'll be the one to ruin their day!"

"You are overreacting," Dario stated bluntly. "What do you expect them to do, start a riot?" He tapped his neck, saying, "Should I remind you they can't even do anything with those collars around their necks? They're more likely to get themselves injured than breakout."

Cragtail clenched the railing tightly. "Then why are they being so… _devious_?"

Dario facepalmed and sighed. "You are unbelievable sometimes. Are you sure you're not just angry because of the delay on your serum?"

The Golem sneered. Julian informed him some time ago about that. Turned out that some of the serum got destroyed due to a scuffle between the Rogues and the Gappei villagers. He didn't get the exact quota he was hoping for, so it got him riled up. It had nothing to do with his paranoia against the four Fusions, but it added fuel to the ever-burning fire.

"I'll never understand why that fancy, suit wearing businessman insists on employing those Fusions, when we can get the job done more efficiently!" Cragtail complained.

Dario counted off his fingers. "To boost Fusion reputation, decrease Fusion related crimes based off moral example, cheaper service compared to us, less unstable leader-"

"Who are you calling unstable?!" Cragtail growled with bared teeth.

"Exactly." Dario crossed his arms and glared down at him. "Besides, you can't stay here forever. Mr. Roteman and you have a video conference to attend to later. You wanted to discuss the delay and the process going into improving your serum."

Cragtail glared back at the cafeteria. "But…those four-!"

"-are detained, utterly powerless, and unable to breakout with those collars on." Dario shook his head. "Relax…they have no chance of escaping."

Cragtail's fire snuffed out. He grunted in defeat, knowing full well they'll just keep going in circles before they get anywhere. "…fine…what time was our meeting again?"

Dario escorted Cragtail out of the cafeteria. The moment they left, Syndony casted a glance at the catwalk before letting out a sigh of relief. "Ugh, finally…"

Gideon slurped up his bowl of noodles, then set his fork down. "He's been getting on our case more these days." He reached under the table and felt around on the underside. "That Data guy is putting us through a lot of trouble if we get caught."

Alasdair grunted. "Yes. It was much easier to just to threaten the evil one. Now we are doing the dirty work of another mad man."

"Who knows? This madman might reward us with promise." Gideon pulled out what they were given. Four tablets for each other them. "His mole certainly gets work done. Access to Fusion Hunter HQ is a high honor." He smirked. "Cragtail needs to do better security checks on everyone."

Cruella clapped her hands excitedly, showing off her wide, creepy grin. "Oh goodie! Are we playing games?! Let's play 'Angry Spearow!'" Syndony bonked her on top of the head. "Yaaay, I win…" She fell face first into her tray.

Syndony sighed, then glared at Gideon. "This better be important."

Gideon grabbed some napkins and started packaging the tablets together. "He promised big things last time he was here. Let's see if this is more than just words." After safely wrapped the tablets, he handed it over to Alasdair. "Don't swallow this."

Alasdair huffed. "I am more than capable of carrying out such a simple deed." Once they saw the guards were solely focused on them, Gideon lay the bunched-up tablets on the Bastiodon-Rampardos' tongue. He carefully closed his tongue and grunted at the disgusting taste of the napkins.

Syndony smirked. "Well, either way, he's our meal ticket out of this dump. Might as well go along with it."

Cruella pulled out of her noodle bowl and cheered. "Riot! Riot! Riot! Rio-!" Syndony bonked her on the head once more. "Ow…"

"What are you doing?" the ominous leopard asked.

"I was hoping we could start a riot when we break out!" she exclaimed.

Gideon shook his head. "No…no riots." Cruella pouted, but cheered up when the teleporter Fusion followed it up with, "Not until we get these stupid contraptions off our necks. After that, go crazy."

Cruella rubbed her hands together and laughed. "Kekekekeke! Excellent~!"

* * *

Once dinner was over, the Fusion Hunters escorted the prisoners back to their cells. The four stuck pretty close to each other before they had to split off. Making sure the guards weren't looking, Gideon quickly passed out the tablets to his allies before darting off to his cell. Thankfully, no one noticed.

All the Fusions were back in their cells, signaling a guard to shout, "Lights out!" to the control board. The lights went out in a snap, with the only source of light being the dimly lit monitoring station, where nightshift guards could keep an eye on them. Though, that was only if they somehow broke out, so the four Fusions had some privacy to work with.

They retreated to the back of their cells and switched the tablets on. When Data first spoke to them, he offered a secret message that contained the password to the tablets. Syndony grinned. _The cube thinks ahead._ They punched in the passwords, then connected to the internet.

Static came through first, but they were able to patch into a signal. No video, but there was indication the tablets would offer five-way communication. They waited, laying or sitting on the ground, for the cube to respond.

They were thankfully spared the wait, as a voice came through soon after. "…ah, brilliant. It seems my spy wormed their way through their defenses as promised. This'll make communication much easier."

Gideon held the tablet up. "So, these calls are completely private? What if the guards swing by to check our cells?"

Data chuckled. "Planning. My associate found each of the Fusion Hunters' schedules, allowing me to know who was running what shift so I could… 'bribe' them into not saying a peep. I am a very persuasive man. And we'll have total silence from the warden, too."

Cruella smirked. "Impressive! You think you can persuade the lunch boys to get us better food?! They serve these really bland noodles and I'm getting sick of them! At least give us some flavor! It's like eating wet cardboard!"

Data laughed carefreely at the nutty Fusion's complaints. "Oh, dear Fusion, I offer more than just a simple change to your cafeteria food. What I offer is so, _so_ much more than any of you can imagine."

"Free pizza?!" she cheered.

"Not food."

"Boo!" she protested.

Alasdair shook his head. "She is…normally like this, do not pay her any mind. We, on the other hand, have been patiently waiting for your return message. You promised us so much in your time here."

"I'm a man of my word," Data reassured. "You will not be disappointed with what I offer. Now, shall we discuss my vision?"

"Hehehe…slow your roll, box head," Syndony suddenly interjected. She folded her forelegs and nestled her head into them as she lay down. She smirked cunningly. "While we would be more than happy to bust out of this joint, why should we be taking orders from some talking cube?"

"Hmm…trust issues with me?"

Syndony snickered. "Oh sure, you've tantalized our interests, but we need the full course to please our weary palettes. Why should we put our trust in you?"

Alasdair nodded in agreement. "Indeed. You, yourself, are not the honest man you play as. So, what do we get out of this partnership?"

Data laughed wholeheartedly at their suspicion. "Oh, very well. You all deserve some honest truth to the matter. You are right to be cautious around me. I do carry myself as a man of my word with genuine intentions. I do make it a point not to fill in potential partners in the big picture. I believe a certain level of trust needs to be earned along the way. Patience meets the rewards, though. My ambitions revolve around relieving Fusions of societal pressures casted over them.

"My goals are to change this world for the better."

There was silence among them, intrigued by the vague promise this sentient cube carried with him. Cruella tapped her head, then grinned. "Wait a minute…change the world…societal pressures…"

Data chuckled a bit. "Do my promises fancy you, Ms. Cruella?"

Cruella shot up from the floor and pointed at the tablet. "AHA! I know exactly what's going on here! You're an alien coming to destroy the planet after seeing the poor state of our world!" She threw her head back and laughed. "And they said I was crazy! Oh please! CRAZY PEOPLE DON'T WEAR TINFOIL HATS TO BED!"

Dead silence between them. Really, really dead silence.

Syndony cleared her throat and said, "I…apologize for her behavior."

"It is quite alright," Data acknowledged, though he too was a little stunned from the outburst. "Ahem, um…thank you for your input, Ms. Cruella, but I have not intention of blowing up the planet…mostly."

Gideon raised a brow. "Mostly? Don't tell me she's right."

"My intentions are far more extensive than others will lead you to believe. Fact of the matter is, I come from a time where I've dealt with Fusions being oppressed by the Pokémon. I went out of my way to help them, time after time. Times back then were horrible. No laws to stop the executions done by the boldest of bigots. The hatred I've seen made me question if peace was achievable. In my hopes, I placed myself into stasis and was awaken into your time. I had hoped this problem would put an end to itself, but it seems my plans are required for a better world.

"Imagine that. A new age for all of Fusion kind. No more Pokémon. No more oppression. All the hate spawned from discrimination wiped away in an instant. _That_ is my vision. And I have the means to get it done."

Syndony smiled slyly and leaned closer to the tablet. "Oho…now you've got our attention. What's this big plan of yours?"

"Consider this…a world that was once populated by Pokémon and Fusions. A world in strife from the mistrust in each other. Nothing can be agreed upon. Cooperation between the two species is nonexistent. There is just no seeing eye to eye with them. I always found the Fusions to be beneficial, though. Combining the aspects of two different Pokémon into one leads to many interesting and potentially powerful combinations. It's been the head of my research, trying to uncover the secrets that lie within these thousands of combinations.

"I studied the Mewgenetic Code for years. Research has shown that it can only activate as a random mutation upon birth, yet this code still exists in all Pokémon, just in a dormant state. So, I proposed the question 'Is it possible to reactivate the Mewgenetic Code and turn a Pokémon into a Fusion?' With research, I found the suitable conclusion."

Gideon narrowed his eyes. "Wait…you're actually saying…"

"Yes, I am. I shall use this planet's internal core as a battery for my greatest invention. With the death of this planet will come a rebirth of Fusions. I intend to affect every single Pokémon on this planet with the equivalent of a genetic bomb. The wave it'll create will reactivate the Mewgenetic Code in all Pokémon and permanently alter their DNA. In my succession, I shall turn everyone into a Fusion."

Alasdair raised his brow. "You cannot be serious. What you are proposing is utter nonsense."

Gideon glared. "To do something like that would require an insane amount of energy. The core of the planet would possibly make a suitable battery. Even so, I'm with Alasdair on this one. That sounds way too fantastical to be plausible."

Data hummed in agreement. "I cannot fault you on your disbelief. I'd likely think the same thing if I were in your place. However, I can assure you, this is not the work of science fiction. This is the culmination of scientific investigation and testing for a single goal. My promise is real."

Syndony grinned. "You're actually suggesting the complete annihilation of the planet just to make us get along? I think I like the cut of your jib."

Gideon sighed and leaned back into the corner of his cell. "Alright…for the sake of fairness, I'll believe your claims. With that said, when do we start?"

"In the meantime, nothing. I still have finishing touches to get through. My current state doesn't allow for much to get done. Thankfully, I made sure an old friend of mine kept his word. My spy is his descendant, who also has a fascination with the Fusions and wishes to see this plan through. Their cooperation in manipulating the actions within Profectus Inc. have been most beneficial."

Cruella tilted her head. "Then what's the point in us? Are you just bragging or something?!"

Syndony glared. "Are you just planning on breaking us out once this little plan of yours sets in motion? You wouldn't need our trust just to do that."

"You four, along with the rest of your fellow prisoners, play a special role in all of this. I do ask for your undying loyalty and cooperation, of course."

"And what do we get out of it?" Alasdair asked. "Freedom is a worthy prize, but there must be more you can offer us than just that."

Data chuckled. "You get a lot out of this, actually. Let's just get this out of the way. Once my plan is set in motion, I shall be freed from this prison of mine and carry on with setting up my machine. I will be the only Pokémon unaffected by the blast. Only I shall remain. After my plan is carried out, I will put myself into self-exile. My only purpose is to rewrite the wrongs carried out by our dark history. With the world then dying, the combine efforts of the Fusions will be able to keep the world from withering away. They will remake the world in their image. A glorious history to look back on for future generations, wouldn't you say?"

Syndony nodded. "I see. And this involves us because…?"

"Well, the new and old Fusions will need someone to guide them to this vision. Someone needs to help organize the planet to fix the damage. Keep the earth from falling apart, remake the magnetic field, possibly remake the core…all that. You four can make some use out of their initial panic. They need strong leaders once everything collapses. If you manage to gather the entire planet into a single unit, you can make change. Not only would you be respected, but you'll go down history as legends. You will be remembered as the saviors of this world when all was lost, and the start of the brand-new age. Fusion children will sing songs about your heroics and how you helped make the world into what it is. Isn't that what you all want? To be respected?"

The idea sounded ludicrous and unbelievable to them at first, but they gave it some thought. The more the rolled the idea around in their heads, the more tempting it sounded. They could become true legends. To have that kind of honor handed to you throughout the rest of time…it was like becoming a mortal god.

Gideon smiled and held his knees. "Okay then…I think you got yourself a deal."

Syndony snickered. "Yes…to have all that power to ourselves. I could live the rest of my life in luxury."

Alasdair huffed. "I am with you there."

Cruella laughed and clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, this is so great! I get to become a king!"

Gideon looked up at the cell across from him. "Cruella, you can't become a king."

"Yes, I can!" she exclaimed. "My leadership, my rules! I will finally be the king of Alola!" She cackled evilly.

"No, I mean that kings are…ugh, never mind." There was no point in reasoning with the crazy.

Alasdair rolled his eyes. "It seems that we are all in agreement. Hence forth, we shall be loyal to you and no one else." The four bowed their heads to the tablets, making Data laugh with satisfaction.

"I'm glad you four finally see things my way. Make sure that the rest of your fellow prisoners are ready to attack. We need a strong army."

Syndony tapped her chin. "We definitely need that one Fusion in special containment. The Hypno-Malamar. I've heard the guards talking about him near the cells. He has an interesting set of skills that would be useful to amass an expendable army."

"Then make sure he's on board with us. He will also prove to be useful."

Cruella rocked back and forth excitedly. "So, what do we need to do first, boss?"

"Well, once I get some things situated, our first move is retrieving my hidden equipment. I had to store them away in secret locations to prevent them from being discovered. Though…one of them is actually hidden under a populated area." He paused for a moment. "Tell me…do you know about Gappei Village?"

Syndony licked the fur across her foreleg. "Dinky little village out in Kanto? Heard it in passing. Not my thing. Why?"

"They…are an issue that needs to be address. So far, they are the one thing that might put a dent into my ambitions. Their village elders have gotten wind of my plans, though don't know of my current state. They won't conform to my ideals. And if they do, they'll put an end to them quickly."

Alasdair glared. "So, you wish for us to keep them from interfering?"

"More than that. I need to get rid of them. Off that land, especially." He directed his attention to Gideon, stating, "And you might be my best shot of doing it."

Gideon narrowed his eyes. "I've been hearing a lot about them. How exactly do you plan on us taking on an entire village of training Fusions? If we try to invade, we would likely fail."

"I have incentive against them," Data reassured. "Just be ready for my signal when given. Still, fair bit of warning, do not take them lightly."

Syndony laughed. "Please…it's us they shouldn't underestimate. We gave the Fusion Hunters a tough time for a reason."

Gideon nodded. "Yes. It was due to prior misfortune that they even caught us."

That raised curiosity in Data. "Oh? So it wasn't just the Fusion Hunters who caused you trouble?"

"You'd be surprise," Syndony said. "Gappei Village isn't the only place in the world that has heroic Fusions laying around." She then grumbled, "Truth be told, I was only caught because I wasn't at a hundred percent. Got myself into a bit of a scuffle with another Fusion." She growled. "Living fine, causing all the mayhem I wanted, then some bitch walks in on my turf and kicks me out. That geeky cat ruined my fun."

Gideon nodded. "Agreed. I wasn't at full strength myself. I don't even know what happened, but I was just messing with some shops and teleporting their shit to random locations. Next thing I know, I hear someone speaking in rhyme, something clonks me on the head, and I wake up in a prison cell with an ice pack. Luckily for me, the cops forgot to put that stupid collar on my neck." He rubbed his head, groaning as he remembered the sore spot. "Felt like someone chucked a rock at my head…or a small boulder."

This fascinated Data. He heard a lot about Gappei Village's band of morally driven Fusions, but neglected the same for other Fusions out on their own. "So…Fusions still have some sense of honor to them."

Syndony rolled her eyes. "Please…just a bunch of goodie-goodies with nothing better to do than kill our fun."

Alasdair growled. "Though, it would be nice to leave this prison and track them down. I still have score to settle with that puny ant who made a mockery out of me. She will pay dearly for burying me under the ground…"

"Hmm…" Data shifted his attention over to Cruella. "Ms. Cruella, do you have anything to share?"

The Kirlia-Mismagius giggled with an unnerving eye twitch. "Oh yes, I had one of those _lovely_ run-ins myself. Stole some stuff, vandalized some property…then my ex-boyfriend ratted me out to the Fusion Hunters." She held her hips and scoffed. "Geez, if he wanted to breakup with me that badly, he could've done the more sensible thing and gave me a head's up! The chase wasn't nearly as fun as I hoped-!"

"Wait, wait, wait, back the hell up!" Gideon interrupted before pointing at the cell. " _You_ had a boyfriend?"

Syndony raised her brow. "Someone actually dated you? Really?"

Cruella blushed in embarrassment and giggled to herself. "Kekekekeke! I know! Crazy, right?! Oh, but he was such a sweetheart! He let me stay with him in his little dump of an alleyway!" She clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh, now I definitely want to breakout of here! I can't wait to see him! Lots of hugs and vengeful payback!" She cackled madly at the top of her lungs.

Her three friends were rightfully put off by her apparent love life, though didn't show much reaction for the…threat? Yeah, definitely a threat. Data broke the awkwardness and said, "Right…hmm, are any of them affiliated with Gappei Village?"

"Not that we know of," Syndony answered.

"Then they aren't the problem for now. But I will allow you the chance to take your revenge on these Fusions who have wronged you. It's against my judgment as a person, but I'm already committing too many sins to stop now."

Alasdair nodded. "Then…we will definitely assist you with removing those village Fusions from the picture." He glared around the hundreds of cells. "Though, you are going to need to perform miracle to bust us out of this place."

Data chuckled. "Give it some time. I still have loose ends to tie up before any of you can enact the plan. Make sure to dispose of these tablets soon. Communication is no longer required. You'll know when it's time to strike. Once you are released, we'll be meeting each other _very_ soon."

Gideon nodded. "You can count on us…sir."

"I look forward to working with you all properly." Data prepared to end the five-way call, but not before adding, "We'll have a lot of work to do. Getting rid of the Fusions is just the one step. But who I really need to get rid of…is that Slaking-Arceus Fusion. At all costs."

* * *

Meanwhile, while Data was busy with the four prisoners, Julian was having a video conference with Cragtail. Part of the reason was to discuss the Enhancer Serum as usual, though Data also asked to keep the Golem distracted until he was done. Fortunately, Julian had a lot to discuss about the serum.

"As you can see from my notes, we've put the serum through rigorous tests and improvements. Time is the only hinderance on us currently, but I'm making progress. I might have a working batch prepared in the coming months. Eventually, I should be able to remove the serum's negative side effects." Julian held up the formula sheet for the serum. "Though, more willing test subjects are needed."

"You let me handle that, Roteman," Cragtail assured as he puffed smoke from his cigar. "You just make sure that the new batches get here on time." He glowered. "Seriously, I wasn't happy about that little incident a couple weeks ago at the docks. How do you expect me to take out strong criminal Fusions if I don't have the added muscle power to do it?"

Julian sighed. "I'm sorry. It was an unforeseen accident, but I promise it won't happen a second time." He leaned back in his seat. "I'm doing the best I can under the cover of secrecy. You may be able to keep your secrets airtight, but I'm not so lucky." He waved the files around. "This serum is supposed to bring us miracles."

Cragtail smirked. "That flashy cube was the best thing to come out of this deal. I can already feel the order in my grasp." He raised his fists. "We'll finally put an end to all those criminal hybrids and bring back the order we've sorely lacked all these years."

Julian rolled his eyes. "Of…course." He heard his phone buzz. He looked at the screen and saw it was a text from Data, telling him he was finished with his business. Julian glared, then looked back at the screen. "Anyway, that was all I really had to share with you today. I'll make sure to give you a proper update on the Enhancer Serum."

Cragtail pointed at him. "And I expect a fresh shipment of that stuff soon. I've already got a few Fusion Hunters willing to test it on themselves. Every second we waste is another life being destroyed by chaos."

Julian held his hands up. "I'll get to it eventually. Perhaps a couple weeks from now. I'm sure to have a finished batch by then."

Cragtail nodded. "Good. And I'll make sure to hire some more…reliable goons to hunt down your Rogues. They still causing problems?"

Julian shook his head. "Just regular criminals with those weapons of theirs, but no direct activity from them lately." He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Quite odd, actually."

"Bah! Whatever the case, I'll have them flushed out!" Cragtail hovered his finger over the exit key. "Good day, Roteman." He ended the video chat.

Julian sighed and rubbed his face in exhaustion. "Finally…" He pinched between his eyes and shook his head. "Ugh…feeling another migraine…" He has been getting a lot of them lately for some reason. He believed they started up after he agreed to help Data with his true goals, though he wasn't sure if that had anything to do with them. "May have to cancel some meetings later…"

He reached for his phone and picked it up. However, he felt a sudden weariness in his wrist and dropped it. He retracted his hand and clenched it, then felt himself getting hotter. His migraine acted up as well, pounding against the inside of his skull like a drum. He glared at the desk as his eyes flashed red.

 _Liam's holding you back._

 _He won't approve of your methods. He forces you to abide by his own._

Julian has been getting a lot of those types of thoughts in his head. He wasn't sure if they were own or being parroted by what Data told him. Either way, it's been on his mind a lot. He couldn't stop thinking about all the sacrifices and exceptions he had to make just so Liam could do things with some care rather than using direct force. He may have been fine with it than, but now? He wasn't sure anymore.

Julian dug his fingers into the desk, growling through his teeth. _He's holding you back, Julian. Liam doesn't care about what you want for the Fusions. He thinks he knows what's best. You both have been through so much, so what makes his case so special? Bend over and let ALL criminals get away with doing the wrong thing? There's no such thing as a second chance when you go too far._

"Sir?"

Just like that, the hateful thoughts and voices disappeared like a puff of smoke. He looked up, eyes returned to normal, and met eyes with his secretary, who floated before him with straight, yet concerned eyes. He sat up, his suit slightly disheveled. "Oh…Brea, I…didn't see you there."

"Pardon my bluntness and unprofessional behavior, sir, but you look like crap," she stated dryly. "Have you been sleeping well?"

Julian straightened his tie and adjusted his suit. "Oh, yes, yes, perfectly fine. Just a little under the weather, that's all. I've been feeling quite weary as of late."

"You could've informed me," she reminded. "I'm more than willing to handle your share of the work if it's dragging you down."

Julian smiled lightly. "You're a great assistant, Brea, but I have this under control. A little sickness won't stop me from getting work done."

The Musharna rolled her eyes, then groaned. "I, at least, implore you to get some rest. I've seen you when you get exhausted. It's not a pretty sight."

Julian shook his head. "I will, I will…soon. I just need to get some things done."

Brea glared a bit, then just sighed in defeat. "Whatever…well, are you busy now?"

Julian looked around at his desk. "Not particularly at the moment."

"Good. I've been meaning to talk to you regarding Gappei Village."

"Hmm? The village? What about it?"

Brea crossed her arms. "Where to begin? Well, first off, this partnerships between you and the village for the last SEVERAL months has been going…well, I should say. Really well. I honestly believed this plan of yours would go up in smoke, no offense." She closed her eyes. "I know I never had the best impression of Fusions from the beginning, but…I can see why you did it. It's really been having a positive impact on the community."

Julian nodded. "That was the general idea. Showing everyone that Fusions are capable of aiding us and being our fellow neighbors."

Brea nodded. "Yes…it seems you and Liam have put together quite the little miracle here in Grandis. Maybe even to other cities and regions."

The mention of Liam's name briefly brought back those hateful feelings from earlier, but Julian shook his head and suppressed them back to the pit of his stomach. "Uh…yes. We were hoping the Gappei villagers would serve as proper role models to other Fusions. I've heard they've gotten newcomers solely because of the positive message they were spreading."

"With all that said, it got me thinking." She faced Julian with a curious brow. "It's about the status of their living conditions."

Julian raised his brow at her in confusion. "What about it? Is there something wrong with the forest?"

"It's not something wrong with the forest, it's the village itself." She sighed and took her glasses off to wipe the lenses. "How to say this? You're spreading this message about how Fusions are our fellow neighbors and stuff like that. A forest is hardly what I would call a neighborhood, you know. Sure, they get along greatly there, but…I think a bit more could be done about it."

She rolled her eyes, then continued, "I mean, let's be real for a moment. Because I work closely with the Gappei Village Project, I have a detailed record of every recorded resident of the village. A good portion of those villagers are children, teenagers, and young adults. Some are even reaching their sixties. Others have already started families. Do you know the village have a few weddings each year for their villagers? It's their own little community, after all. All their best memories are in that one village.

"For the time it was conceived, this project was a great idea and now this newly formed agreement has been improving approval ratings of Fusions. So…recently, I hired some people who needed work to pass out a survey under your name."

Julian raised his brow. "When did you do this?"

"You've been rather busy lately. I did it without your approval." She placed her glasses back on her face. "I got the results back and…there was an astounding number of Pokémon who agree that the Fusions shouldn't have to be confined to a single space the rest of their lives. After all, these are living creatures with hopes and dreams. Some want to see the world one day."

Julian held his chin. "That is true…"

"Protests have stopped, the atmosphere feels genuinely kinder…some Pokémon even lent a hand for your Fusions when they were doing labor as menial as collecting litter. It's a real and clear change. So clear that I think it's time to…let the Fusions move on."

Julian's eyes widened. "You're suggesting…"

She nodded. "Perhaps it is best to finally let our Fusions go. Maybe it's finally time for them to live out on their own, in real neighborhoods. They can finally live the lives they've dreamed of."

Julian looked down at his desk. He felt…confused? Sad? Concerned? A lot was going on in his mind, and not just the migraines. "I…" He didn't know what to say.

Brea shrugged. "I understand if it's an absurd idea. Amongst themselves, they wouldn't have enough money to support themselves. They do have the proper education from the looks of it. It would be expensive setting up promising futures for hundreds of Fusions, but…given how much you've already poured into the village, well…it's ultimately _your_ decision."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "If change needs to happen, letting Fusions and Pokémon interact more freely is the right start. We rarely see more than five Fusions out at once. That isn't what I call true change from the norm."

Julian slumped his head over, eyes filled with stunned silence. "I…I don't…"

Brea floated over and patted his shoulder. "It's your decision. No one else's." She moved back. "This was a collaborative effort between you and Liam. Maybe it's time to finally put that effort to good use. Maybe wonder what _they_ want for their futures." She floated towards the office door.

She turned back and saw the Machamp slumped over on his desk. She sighed, then pushed the door open. "Regardless of what history you had with Liam, you both want the same thing." With that, she closed the door behind her, leaving the businessman to himself.

Julian leaned back into his chair, then held his throbbing head while resting his lower arms on the armrests. It was certainly a big idea, but…was he willing to go that far for them? Despite some trouble seeing eye to eye, he always considered Gappei Village as a secondary family to him. It…would be difficult to let them go.

But that was the thing.

 _Let them go off on their own._ All the effort he put into that village…now he gets to see them run off to become their own person. It was…mindboggling to think of. To see them achieving their dreams.

It conflicted so much with what Data wanted. What's a perfect future when the world will be killed off in time? Even if Data was right about everyone cooperating to save their world, how long would that take? World peace…or helping in the now?

 _Save the world? Or help their futures?_

Julian narrowed his eyes sadly, then looked over at his computer screen. Staring at it for a moment, he moved the mouse over to a file and opened up some pictures. Searching through the file, he pulled up one, then sighed sadly.

It was of him and Liam shaking hands and looking towards the camera. It was taken the day the village was officially opened up to the Fusions. The day they started this big project of theirs. The project…they wanted from the beginning.

Julian clenched his teeth, but not in anger this time. Whatever those voices were telling him, they couldn't alter the friendship he once had with the godly ape. And right now, he felt…regret.

 _Liam…_

* * *

 _A young Machop trekked through the empty streets on a particularly windy day. He wore ragged clothes and windbreaker to keep himself warm against the elements. It was a bitter cold wind that sliced his face, making his skin tingle uncomfortably. The air felt dry._

 _The town he walked through also felt…ruined. Shattered windows, graffitied walls, and lots of damage from all scale battling. It was a common occurrence around these parts, so he learned to stray away from the danger and keep to his own business._

 _Julian tugged on his hat as an extra cold breeze blew into his face. "Brr…" Thankfully, he wouldn't have to trek for much longer. He made it to a store, where he let himself in and warm up in relief. He patted his cold cheeks to warm them up._

 _A Heatmor running the counter and messing with the cash register looked up when he heard the store bell ring. He saw Julian walking up to the counter and glared, taking note of the amount of clothing he wore. "Halt!" Julian froze and held his hands up high. "Pokémon or Fusion?"_

" _P-P-Pokémon! I swear!" To prove himself, he unzipped his jacket and pulled his shirt up. Normal Machop coloration and no extra features the Heatmor could make out. He noticed he looked a little more blue than normal, but guessed it was just due to the cold._

 _The Heatmor sighed and motioned him to relax. "S-Sorry, kid. Never seen you out here before."_

" _My pa's usually the one who does the shopping, but he's a little sick today."_

 _Heatmor crossed his arms and nodded. "Sorry for the scare. Nearly got ransacked by some Fusions the other day. Can't be too careful with all the gang fights going on."_

 _Julian waved it off. "I-It's fine. I'm just getting groceries and I'll be on my way, sir."_

 _Heatmor nodded. "Well, don't take too long. Wouldn't want you getting sick on the way back. Or worse, getting caught up in another gang fight."_

 _Julian walked around the store, double checking his father's list and picking out the food they needed. A few bags of berries, some juice, vegetables, all the essentials. And, just because he volunteered to do this rather than being told to, his father allowed him to get a candy bar for himself. It was one of those rare treats he was rewarded._

 _He brought the shopping basket to the counter and let the Heatmor ring him up. After adding up the total and tax, he said, "Alright, that'll be 25 dollars."_

 _Julian dug through his pockets and sighed with relief when he pulled out the money. Not much, but… "Just enough." He placed it on the counter. After getting them bagged, he headed for the door. "Thank you, mister."_

 _He waved the Machop off. "No problem, kid. And hey!" Julian stopped and looked back at him. "Be careful out there, alright?"_

 _Julian nodded firmly. "I will." He pulled the door open, then once again stepped into the unforgiving winds._

 _The little time in the store gave him much needed warmth before being bombarded with another dose of skin-slicing winds. His teeth chattered, but he kept himself together. "Ugh…w-w-wish w-we had b-b-better winter c-c-clothes…" He gripped the bags tightly and started his march back home, hoping to make it back in time before the winds claim his energy._

 _However, his trek home was put on pause when he caught a faint whimpering nearby. "Huh…what?" Julian looked around and listened out for the sound, filtering out the sound of the wind. Closer inspection allowed him to pinpoint the sad sound, coming from around the store he was just at._

 _He walked towards the wide gap between the store and the building next to it. Though, he didn't see anything of significance upon first viewing. Trash cans were tipped over and littered was scattered about carelessly. Like the rest of the street, there was graffiti on the walls. Seeing that there was nothing, Julian shrugged it off as just being the wind and turned to leave._

 _Then the whimpering started up again._

 _He looked back with a raised brow, then silently gasped when he saw a shivering blanket sitting next to one of the trash cans. Without a doubt, the crying was coming from the figure under it. Julian looked around cautiously before tiptoeing over to the weeping figure._

" _Um…hello?" The figure froze up, pretending not to be there. Julian wasn't perturbed and kept walking down the alleyway, keeping himself low to not come off as intimidating. "Hey…it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."_

 _The figure sniffled, then continued to shiver. "…g-g-go…a-aw-away…" He sounded young, but not that young. Possible around Julian's age. Maybe nine or ten._

 _Julian reached out to him. "You look cold. What are you doing out here? It's freezing." The covered child scooted away. Julian sighed. "Look, I promise, I won't hurt you."_

 _He could hear the strain in the kid's voice. "N-No…y-you'll hate me…"_

 _Julian narrowed his eyes. "That's ridiculous, I just met you. Why would I…?" His eyes widened in realization. "Oh…oh, you're a…" A stilted nod confirmed his suspicion. "Oh, I see…"_

 _The kid raised his hands and pressed them against his eyes as he wept. "W-W-What d-did I do? I did n-nothing wrong…why d-does everyone hate me?"_

 _Julian's eyes dipped down sadly. "Well…with all the gang wars going on, everyone's just scared." He reached out again, slowly. "But…I promise, I won't hate you."_

" _Liar…"_

 _The Machop shook his head. "No, I'm serious. I won't hurt you…and you won't hurt me…right?"_

 _This was enough to convince the kid to turn around and face this stranger. He sniffled sadly, still cowering under his blanket. Though, he could see the warmness in the Machop's eyes. He didn't sense any threat from him._

 _Julian smiled kindly. "It's okay. I'm your friend."_

 _The child stayed silent for a moment, then dropped the blanket off his body. Julian's eyes widened at what he saw. A Slakoth-Arceus Fusion. White fur with yellow in certain areas, gray face and underbelly, and red eyes and green sclera. He had the signature cross wheel on his back._

 _The Machop was definitely stunned by this revelation. "Sweet Mew…you're half-Arceus…"_

 _The Fusion sniffled, then looked down sadly. "I was born with the DNA of a god…that's why everyone hates me. T-T-They think I…might be a menace with such p-power…" He clenched his eyes shut. "I've seen what…other Fusions with Legendary blood can do…m-maybe they're right…"_

 _Julian gritted his teeth and grabbed the Fusion's shoulders. "Don't say that!" he unintentionally shouted. It scared the godly sloth, so he lowered his tone. "You can't let them get to you. You aren't like those other Fusions, I'm sure." He narrowed his eyes. "Are you…lost?"_

 _The Fusion's jaw tightened. "Y-Yes…"_

" _Well…where are your parents?" His eyes widened as the Fusion immediately looked like he was about to tear up. "Oh no…"_

 _Tears dripped down his cheeks as he gritted his teeth. "I…I don't have…have any…p-parents…they…they…" He busted out into tears and threw himself into the Machop's shoulder, sobbing his eyes out. "T-They were so sick! We needed medicine! We…I couldn't get any…in time! They…They…" He gripped the fabric and cried in utter hysteria._

 _Julian stared off into space, thrown for a loop after listening. He came to his senses, then narrowed his eyes sympathetically. He wrapped his arms around the godly sloth and pulled him close. "You poor thing…" He patted his back and gently shushed. "It's okay…it's okay…"_

 _He wasn't sure how much time passed, but his best guess was five minutes. He comforted the sloth until he finally calmed down. He still sniffled from time to time, but it sounded like he got all that sadness out of his system. The Fusion pulled himself away and wiped his teary eyes._

" _S-Sorry…"_

 _Julian shook his head and smiled. "Don't be." This made the Fusion smile back a bit, but then they both tensed up as a sharp breeze cut through the alleyway. Julian hugged his arms and shivered. "Good grief, I need to get home before this gets any worse…"_

 _However, concern raised when he remembered the Fusion in front of him didn't have a home to return to. Even with his fur, he didn't expect the sloth to survive out in the elements for very long. If he had Multitype and an Icicle Plate, maybe, but those things were expensive. There's not way he could live out here for long…unless…_

 _Julian beamed when an idea came to him. "Hey…if you have nowhere else to go, you can stay with my pa and me."_

 _The offer caught the Fusion off guard. "What?" He then shied away with doubt. "I-I-I don't…"_

 _Julian waved it off. "If you're worried about Pa, don't worry yourself." He rolled his eyes. "I mean, sure, the man's a little strict and probably would be peeved having to feed two kids…" He then winked playfully. "Buuuut, an extra bottle of booze will get him to think otherwise."_

 _The Fusion narrowed his eyes in disbelief, yet hope. "You…would really let me stay with you?"_

 _Julian grinned. "It'd be rude to let a new friend freeze out in the cold, right?"_

" _Friend? We're…We're friends?" he asked. Julian nodded wholeheartedly. The Fusion looked down for a moment, then smiled gratefully. "Well…if it isn't any trouble-"_

" _That's the spirit!" He hauled the sloth up and led him out of the alleyway. "Come on! We better get going if we want to get through this wind!" He rushed out._

" _AH! Wait up!" The sloth chased after to keep up._

 _They made it out onto the street and hurriedly walked down the sidewalk. Julian laughed. "Man, oh man, I hope Pa lets you stay with us. We could be brothers! Won't that be awesome?"_

 _The Fusion smiled timidly. "Y-Yeah…it would…" He rubbed the back of his head. "H-Hey…I never got your name…"_

" _Huh…didn't get yours, either." The Machop flashed a friendly grin. "Name's Julian Roteman! Pa calls me the innovator of the household! Always brimming with new ideas!" He gestured to his new friend. "And you?"_

 _The Fusion chuckled lightly. "Nothing fancy for me…I'm just…plain ol' Liam."_

" _Liam, huh?" Julian hooked his arm around him and laughed. "Well Liam, be prepared for a treat when we get home! I bet you're hungry!"_

" _Sure am…" Liam felt something being placed in his hand. He looked up and blinked, seeing it was a chocolate bar. "What's…this?"_

" _It_ was _my candy bar for getting the groceries. We don't get a lot of treats at my place since money's tight. But…you look like you could use some cheering up anyway."_

 _Liam blinked at his gratefulness and looked back at the bar. "Marshmallow Choco Delight…" He peeled off the wrapped and stared at the white and chocolate brown bar. He smiled and broke the piece in half. "It'd be unfair to have it all to myself." He handed the one half to Julian._

" _Aww! Thanks!" Julian snagged the half, then held it up to him. "To friendship and brotherhood!"_

 _Liam grinned and tapped his half against his. "Friendship and brotherhood!"_

 _They munched on the gooey confection and laughed as they marched along the street. From that day on, Julian gained a new friend and someone he would forever acknowledge as a brother. And Liam…he found a new family to help him get back on his feet._


	45. What Does the Future Hold For You?

It was noon in Gappei Village. Just about everyone was out and about, doing their chores, jobs, or training, or simply hanging out per usual. The same could be said for Liam, who took to eating in his hut with lunch, a fresh pot of coffee, and the daily paper for the news and his daily puzzles.

Liam grabbed his coffee and sipped it, then placed it down to focus on the paper. The headlines caught his attention since they involved the crimes as of late. They weren't exactly what he wanted, but some surprises came from them.

"Crimes related to those weapons have barely dwindled," Liam muttered to himself. "Many injured in the crossfire…" He narrowed his eyes. "All of this, yet activity involving the Rogues has dropped significantly."

That was the thing that bugged the village. The Rogues, who were practically a rival group to their village, haven't been committing any crimes lately. From experience, that meant something fishy was going on with them. However, because their whereabouts were still unknown knowledge, there was nothing they could do about it.

Liam sighed and reached for his coffee. "Let's hope it's nothing serious…" He neared his morning drink, but stopped as his phone rang next to the mug. He narrowed his eyes, then snatched up the phone. Setting the paper to the side, he placed the device up to his ear. "Chief Liam speaking."

"Liam…"

Liam frowned. "Oh…hello, Julian."

"We need to talk. Can we…do this over video chat?"

Liam grunted, but complied. He held the phone out and switched over to the video screen. However, once the Machamp came up, he raised his brow in surprise when he saw the businessman's appearance. He looked…dead, almost. "You look…unwell."

Julian yawned and scratched his side. "Rough night's sleep…"

"Are you doing okay? You stressed out or something?"

"I have no idea how to explain it, but my head just feels…ugh, I just feel mostly dead."

"Perhaps some medicine?"

"That's what I've been doing, but…eh, I'll figure it out." Julian pinched between his eyes. "Look, I'm not calling to talk about my insomnia. I'm calling about a recent matter that has been brought up to me."

Liam glared. "Anything serious?"

"Not in the way you're thinking." Julian sighed. "Nothing bad, but…interesting. An idea was brought to my attention some days ago and I've been thinking it over. With some thought, it's…honestly not that bad of an idea."

"What is it?"

"Well, ask yourself this," Julian prompted. "Do you see Gappei Village lasting for…generations?"

Liam raised his brow in confusion, but shrugged. "Well…sure, I guess. The whole point of this village was to give Fusions a place to feel safe and welcomed. A sanctuary, if you will."

"Yes, yes, and it was a brilliant idea when you proposed it to my company. I enjoyed collaborating with this village to help it thrive." Julian brought his hands together. "But, as you know, things are…changing around here. With the recent events between our partnership, we've been helping build a newfound respect for the Fusions and even trust between the community. We still have a long way to go for the rest of the world, but…starting small has made a big difference.

"But that's where the question is prompted. Ask yourself…do you see futures for these Fusions? As in, outside the walls of your village?"

Liam blinked. "I…what?"

"I'm talking about lives outside the village. Now, I'm not suggesting having them thrown into random cities. Grandis City is the best starting point. It's like watching your kid take his first steps into college. It's that moment where you have to let them go and be free. That's the idea I'm suggesting here. Allowing the Fusions to finally leave the village and pursue lives outside the village."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "You're suggesting they…move out?"

"Liam, you can't deny that it's a good first step in the right direction. The point of this village from the beginning was to establish some peace for our fellow Fusions. Gappei Village is a beacon of hope, to find some solace from a dark past, present, and even future. However, while this idea worked for the time, maybe it's time to make change of our own.

"Yes, with the crime rates lately, that could pose an issue. However, surprisingly, it's not a surplus of Fusion related crimes. They've practically even out." Julian waved his hand around and added, "Granted, these recent crimes have been started because of the Rogues' dealings, but you get the picture."

Liam looked down, still unsure. "Julian, I…I don't know…this seems so sudden…"

Julian held his hands up and nodded. "And I understand. Trust me, it never occurred to me either. I am fine with funding the village. But…they are growing up. Some will be at that age soon, and…some of your villagers are already in their adult years. Some with families. And if we want to push this act of trust further, we can't spend the rest of the future basically forcing them to reside in this one area. You and I both know there are some bright, shining minds among their numbers. A bright new future to mold as their own. To shape their own destiny."

Liam scooched back until his back met the backboard. He rested one arm on his raised knee and sighed. "…I like the idea…a lot. Maybe I've scratched at the idea myself, just didn't bother to with how things were. I'm just not sure if I'm willing to got through with it…I know they're safe here…"

"Liam, this isn't a 'now' thing. I can't just force these kids into new homes out of the blue for the sake of a project. These things take time and, if I want to assist in the matter, I would need to see if I can handle getting futures set up for all of them." Julian closed his eyes. "So, here's a suggestion. Interview each of the groups and see what futures they want."

"You think so?"

"It's a big world out there." Julian narrowed his eyes. "We…did imagine a world like this a long time ago." He flinched and held his head, closing one eye. "At least, before we went our separate ways. We did want to bring peace…"

Liam lightened up a bit, then sighed. "…It'll take up my whole day, but I can set up appointments for the whole village tomorrow and see what they want."

Julian smiled. "Excellent. Remember, there's absolutely no rush. We can work on the technical stuff later on. This could be something we could work on next year, or maybe some months from now. Just…see if you think they're ready."

Liam nodded. "Alright…take care, Julian." He hung up and set the phone back on his nightstand. He looked down and narrowed his eyes seriously. He gripped tightly on the paper. "…what does the future hold for us?"

* * *

 _The Next Day…_

Lunchtime had arrived and the mess hall was filled with Fusions grabbing their lunch and sitting down with their friends. One table in particular consisted of Quinn, Artemis, and some of their friends. They ate their lunch while the Sylveon-Scrafty went on discussing plans for later.

She took a bite into her pizza, munched on it, then swallowed. "Mmm…so, I was thinking of a game night later. Fighting game tournament! Winner gets free desserts of their choice for the whole week!"

Spaz grinned. "You're kidding?!"

"Nope! I always keep my word!" She got suspicious stares from the table. She chuckled lightly. "Um… _Quinn_ makes sure I keep my word."

Quinn rolled his eyes. "Uh huh…" He poked her in the cheek. "Do I get a say in this? Or are you just going to hold me hostage again?"

Artemis giggled and wrapped her feelers around him. "Aww, Spooky, I don't hold you hostage~. I just trap you in an affection snuggle~!" She nuzzled her cheek against his. "But no, you're playing and you will like it!" Quinn rolled his eyes again, but smiled and wrapped his arm around her.

"Fine, I'll come…just so I can see the utter disappointment on your face when I beat you," he teased.

Artemis smirked. "Ooh, you've awakened my competitive side."

Their friends chuckled a bit at their playful banter. Spaz threw his hand up. "Well, I'm down for free desserts!"

Dez nodded. "Same here. I could go for some fun."

Wash shrugged. "I guess I wouldn't mind." He nudged Juniper and asked, "You coming too?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not much of a gamer."

"Oh, come on, Jun!" Dez encouraged. "We'll have loads of fun together! You'll be missing quite the party!"

She looked up and thought it over, then nodded with a bright grin. "Oh, fine, I guess I'll come." She chuckled. "I'll bring my hammock, too."

Quinn facepalmed and sighed. "I think you're missing the point of a game night."

York laughed. "Hey, if she wants to sleep, let her. Less competition for me."

"Oh, now you're getting cocky!" Artemis exclaimed with a villainous grin. "I'm going to have to bring my mad cheatin' skillz!"

Before the conversation could progress farther, they paused as the intercom buzzed on over their heads. The mess hall quieted down as Peregrine made his announcement.

"Attention Gappei Villagers! This is a special announcement from Chief Liam! He is housing appointments in the council hut, starting today at noon." That was an hour from now. "Go check with the bulletin board and find your appointment time with your hut mates! Do not be late or I will hunt you down!" The speaker cut off.

York narrowed his eyes. "I…hope he doesn't mean that seriously."

"I'm not tempting fate," Wash stated. He looked at the others. "Which brings me to my next question: did anyone else no about this?" All he got were confused shrugs.

"Maybe we're being offered special assignments," Spaz suggested.

Artemis drummed her digits against the table and groaned. "I really hope it isn't about the Ghastly pepper stew I made for dinner tonight…"

York raised his brow. "Uh…didn't this week's menu say you were making plain ol' berry stew?"

Artemis' eyes widened. She straightened her posture and stated a bit loudly, "Uh, yeah! I meant _berry_ stew! Definitely not a stew with Ghastly peppers!" She sucked her lips in, darted her eyes around, then slowly sank under the table to hide away.

Juniper chuckled a bit, then stood up. "Well, how about we finish lunch and go see what the fuss is about." The group nodded, as did Artemis, who raised her balled up feeler and bobbed it up and down.

* * *

Everyone got their lunch done quickly and ran to the bulletin board before it got swamped by the rest of the village. With some difficulty, everyone was able to find their appointment times for later. Fifteen-minute sessions with Chief Liam regarding…well, whatever it was he wanted to talk about.

First group: Quinn, Ren, and Artemis.

The three let themselves into the council hut and took up three chairs at the very end of the long table. From there, they faced the village chief, who sat at the other end of the table with his chin resting on his folded hands. His stare was neutral and almost unmoving. A casual demeanor that showed refined seriousness.

Liam inhaled lightly, then spoke, "Thank you for coming. I understand all of this came as short notice. Rest assured, this won't take up too much of your time."

"Yeeeah, uh…" Quinn started with an awkward head scratch. "Why exactly are we here? You weren't very clear about it."

Liam closed his eyes. "Why…I called you in to talk about you three." More confusion arose on their faces, so the godly ape went on to explain. "I got a call from Mr. Roteman the other day. A bit of a surprise, but he proposed another potential project for the villagers to take part in."

Artemis groaned. "Ugh…I swear, it better not be more manual labor. I can only handle picking up litter, trash and thugs off the streets for so long." She then snickered behind her feeler. "Well…except the thugs, of course. The only kind of trash I love to clean off the streets."

Liam shook his head. "Nothing work related. Actually, something a little more personal towards you three and everyone else. An idea that'll benefit the village…no, an idea that'll benefit you all as individuals. Roteman wants to give you all the chance to start new lives. Start your own futures."

"Wait, WHAT?!" the three exclaimed.

"Start our futures?! As in…living on our own?!" Artemis shouted.

Liam raised his brow. "That isn't an issue, is it?"

Ren waved his hands and said, "Oh no, absolutely not, sir! We're just surprised, is all!" He let his arms go limp, then narrowed his eyes in awe. "He's…actually giving us the opportunity to start brand new lives?"

"Given the good you've all been doing, I'd say this'll turn out to be a propitious path." Liam folded his arms onto the table. "You are apart of something great, but you're still individuals with your own dreams to live out. There's only so much you can do in this village."

He sighed sadly and looked off to the side. "This project between Julian and me was to protect you kids from danger, so that you could live out your futures here." He shook his head. "But…I never counted on change to happen. With things going well for us here, there's just no need for a safe haven to protect you anymore. There's so much more options out there."

Ren's eyes started watering. "But…Gappei Village is our home! I can't just part with it!"

Liam smiled warmly. "I'm not kicking you three out. I'm not kicking anyone out. This is your choice. Your loyalty to the village is astronomical, my boy, but now you have the choice to be your own man. Your own you." He met eyes with Quinn and Artemis, too. "You kids can do so much more than you can now."

Quinn looked down with wonder dancing in his eyes. "I could actually have my own place...something more than just a small hut…"

Liam nodded, then went on. "Now, to be fair, none of you have turned eighteen yet compared to some of your friends. That's when you can legally own your own homes. But…until then, it's something worth thinking about. I'm sure you three have dreams of success, splendor, and home life you've always wanted to live out."

Quinn glanced down thoughtfully. "Well…to tell you the truth, I don't think we've given it much thought."

"Hah!" Artemis spat out with a prideful grin. "Don't rope me into the same camp as you! I've daydreamed about the perfect paradise my whole life! A nice house on the beachside!"

"Really?" Ren asked curiously.

"Sure. Plenty of sunshine and fun to be had." Artemis tapped her chin. "My years working in the mess hall might have influenced my interests, too. I wouldn't mind going to cooking school and making dishes at a restaurant or something." She flashed a sly grin at Quinn, which made him tense up in suspicion. "I also wouldn't object to starting a family with a certain someone. Wink, wink, Spooks."

Quinn's face lit up bright red. "Uh, well, um…" He grabbed his mane and pulled it over his face. Artemis giggled at his misery.

Liam chuckled. "You three are one of many others who are having similar thoughts. Before final decisions can be made, I ask that you give it some more thought. It's a big world out there. Lots of opportunity to be had."

"Yes sir."

"Ending a bit early, but you're free to go." They got out of their seats and headed for the door.

Ren jumped around in excitement. "Okay! New goal: find a goal! I'll start by helping everyone I come across!" He gasped and dashed out the door. "I could join a volunteering service! Or _start_ one!"

Artemis laughed. "Classic Ren…" She wrapped a feeler around Quinn's wrist. "Come on, Spooks. I bet there's something you've always wanted to do~!"

Quinn looked up and gave it some thought. "Wellll…I suppose I wouldn't mind being a banker…or an accountant…"

"…wow, I must _really_ love you not to find that boring." She giggled and kissed his cheek. He blushed a bit and smiled with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Next in were Tamara, Juniper, and Ulysses. Already, things were getting into personal goals.

"My future? Hah! That should be obvious!" Tamara exclaimed, jumping onto the top of her chair, keeping her balance, and posing with her usual dramatics. "My dream is to become a respected hero for the whole world! My name shall be feared by the criminal underworld! They will cower in fear- _NAY-_ whimper in terror with every gush of wind that blows through the streets!"

"Um…T-Tamara…you're being a little loud-" Ulysses tried to point out, but the cat couldn't hear him.

"I shall be a hero all can look up to! I will be remembered as the Sapphire Tornado Supreme!" she exclaimed, throwing her fists up with a toothy smirk.

Juniper slowly clapped for the ninja cat with narrowed eyes and an amused grin. "Very lofty goal, my friend. But I'm curious. How much do vigilantes get paid by the hour?"

Tamara eased up and blinked as realization set in, then she shouted, "WILL YOU SHUT UP! LET ME ENJOY MY DREAMS!" Juniper threw her head back and laughed.

Liam smiled at the Meowth-Accelgor. "Perhaps there's a way you could perform vigilantism as a paid job. You could work with the police."

Tamara hopped down into her seat and rested her arm against the armrest. "Nah! Not my style. Regulations and warrants…just hinders me, you know?"

"Uh…huh…" Liam looked at Juniper. "I have to wonder what you would possibly want for a future."

Juniper crossed her arms and brought them behind her head. "My goals are the same as now. Live a total life of leisure. I say things are working out for me now. Don't see much happening. I mean, what else do I need? I have all the soda I want, a place to sleep, and a cute boyfriend."

Tamara smirked teasingly. "You sure your perfect vision doesn't include wedding bells?"

Juniper closed her eyes and chuckled just as heat arose in her cheeks. "Nnnooo…but if I do end up owning my own space, I wouldn't mind sharing it with him."

Liam chuckled lightly. "You still should think of a career path for yourself. If you want to live on your own…well, houses aren't free."

She waved it off. "That's more of a 'when it happens' sort of problem. I'll get to it when I get to it." She yawned and slouched forward. "Like you said, we don't have to leave until we think we're ready. I'm taking my sweet ol' time."

Liam shook his head with an amused smile. "Uh huh…well, I have no issue with that."

Tamara leaned forward a bit so she could get a better look at Ulysses. "What about you, big guy?" Ulysses froze up nervously. "What's going through your mind?"

"O-Oh, uh…" He tapped his hands and wings together timidly, keeping his eyes on the ground. "T-They're nothing impressive…not worth your time…"

"Dude, Juniper practically admitted she's going to be lazy in her adult years," Tamara stated in a deadpan tone. "Whatever you got will be an upgrade."

Juniper nodded shamelessly. "It's true!"

Ulysses looked at them, then the chief, with unsure eyes. He took a deep breath and sat up straight. "Well…you all know I can be pretty reserved. I…don't like hanging out in big crowds all that much." His gelatinous talons clicked against the chair's legs. "However…I find myself working better around kids…"

Juniper grinned. "They sure do love it when you come down for story time."

He nodded with a smile growing. "Yeah…" He felt himself getting a little bolder, but not by much. With a deep breath, he stated, "I've always…played with the idea of working…at a daycare center."

Tamara raised her brow in mild surprise. "Really?"

He nodded. "Y-Yes. I like taking care of kids…and entertaining them. You know how much little Pokémon and Fusions love to play. They love the attention and…I just never minded their attention on me. I feel more comfortable taking care of children than I do hanging out with big groups of people. N-No offense, though!" he quickly corrected himself.

Tamara shook her head. "No, no, it's fine."

Juniper closed her eyes and grinned happily for him. "D'aww! You big ol' softie! Never change!"

Liam smiled. "I think that's the perfect career path for you, Ulysses." The girls nodded in agreement. The cellular avian blushed from the praise and looked away with a bashful smile.

* * *

York, Wash, and Sheila were next.

"Huh…so much to think about, honestly," Wash admitted. "When I first came here, I always figured this would be my permanent home. Never considered actually living out in the city or neighborhood."

Liam nodded. "I never thought of it myself, but…here we are now." He clasped his hands together. "These are now the times where you want to figure out what you want most from life. Many Pokémon have struggled with the same choice themselves, worried they make take the wrong path."

York leaned back and crossed his arms. "I know how that feels. One moment you get abandoned by your parents, the next you're a thief working for criminal Fusions…" He sighed. "Can't say I had the best start."

Sheila touched his shoulder and smiled. "Oh, don't say that, York. You turned out great, for what it's worth. You're a lot different from when you started out in Gappei. Everyone here, and Casey, had a positive influence on you."

York smiled. "Yeah…I guess they did."

Wash smiled gratefully. "Put me in that camp, too. I've only been here for over a couple years, but I've definitely improved." He frowned. "Not sure if I'm ready for the public, though."

Sheila shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. You'll be fine."

Liam nodded. "She's right. It's subtle, but you've been doing much better recently, young Washington. I believe you're ready to face the public, even if your fears tell you not to."

Wash smiled awkwardly. "If you think so…"

Liam looked between the three. "What do you think an opportunity like this could bring you?"

York held his chin. "Hard to say. Outside of being a counselor, I haven't given much thought into other career options. Though, I just really want to be treated like an equal after all this time. And, ultimately, get the chance to settle down. You know, somewhere nice."

Wash couldn't help himself as his smirk stretched out. "With anyone in particular? I think a certain music artist will suit your fancy."

York shrieked and recoiled back from the ghost frog with a bright red face. "I-I-I-I-WHAT?! I, um, well…!"

Sheila giggled. "Wash, why did you need to go and do that? You got him all flustered."

York retaliated with a jab to the arm. "Oh, like you aren't thinking the same thing! I bet you're already thinking of ways to propose to Juniper!"

Wash's face exploded with heat. "Dude! We've only been together for a little over two weeks!"

"And I'm not even dating Casey!" He smirked proudly. "My point still stands!"

Sheila got her arms between them and pushed them apart. "Okay boys, no fighting."

"What about you, Sheila?" Liam asked. "Anything particular plans for you?"

"Hmm?" The illusion rabbit smiled and perked up considerably. "Well, my parents have always been a big influence on me when it came to cooking. We have our own restaurant where I'm from. Even from then and now, I've always wanted to become a great chef and open up my own restaurant." She blushed in embarrassment, but kept on smiling. "Heh…I want to do them good with the skills they taught me."

Liam chuckled. "Well, keep pushing for that dream. Work hard for it and…it might come true." The godly ape blinked, then looked away with downcast eyes.

* * *

Hawkins, Asadi, and Wantanabe came a little while after, though the Eevee-Salamance wasn't taking the interview as seriously as them.

"When I grow up, I want to be super rich! I want to buy all the treats and sweets that I want!" he exclaimed, waving his paws all happy like. He even wagged his tail to add to the adorableness.

Asadi showed a wry grin as she patted his head. "Yeeeah, you're way too young to be having this discussion."

Hawkins sighed and held his face. "I'm not sure why I have to be here? Why would I need to worry about my future? I'm a talented fighter, I come from an affluential family, my home is a capacious and beautiful mansion…my life's pretty much set."

Liam closed his eyes. "It's true that your background would keep you on your feet. However, that doesn't have to be your only goal in life."

Hawkins raised a brow. "I'm not following."

Asadi nudged his side. "Oh come on, Hawk-o, what do you want to do with your life? Drink expensive wine at the fancy dinner parties? Attend the fabulous galas in your proper tux? Play croquet with the prep school gentlemen?"

"…you're mocking, aren't you?"

Asadi fluttered her eyelids at him. "What makes you say that?" She snickered and poked his side with her tail. "Seriously? There's got to be something you've always wanted to do other than be the rich kid."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "Nothing I can think of…" He glared at her. "Why are you poking into my interests? For all your lazing around, you don't have much of a leg to stand on."

Asadi shrugged. "And you're not wrong. I'd be lying if I said I had my future planned out." She crossed her arms and eased them behind her head. "Then again, this wasn't that big a deal until now. However, if I did want something to tide me over before getting a more stable job, I would work at a tech store. I'm good at fixing up electronics." She tapped her chin curiously. "Wonder if I could mess with people through customer service…"

Wantanabe wagged his tail and pressed his paws against her side, showing off his big grin. "Ooh! If you work at a tech store, does that mean you can get me a free computer?!"

Asadi shrugged with a laxed grin and rubbed his head. "Sure, why not?"

"Don't make promises like that!" Hawkins scolded.

Liam chuckled. "I…take it you two have no interest in continuing to be roommates?"

Hawkins closed his eyes. "Asadi makes for an adequate roommate, I suppose, but I wouldn't consider it a second time."

Asadi, once again, poked him with her tail. This time in the cheek. "You know you love me~," she teased.

He slapped her tail away. "Hardly."

"Can I live with you?" Hawkins glanced down as Wantanabe climbed onto his lap. He wagged his tail, waiting for an answer.

Hawkins frowned, then sighed before giving the dragon Eeveelution a scratch behind the ear. "Consideration will be taken into account…" Wantanabe grinned with acceptance of the answer.

Liam smiled fondly at the three. The older two won't admit it, but they're practically brother and sister with each other. That…actually made Liam a bit sad thinking about. He frowned and looked down, his mind wandering off someplace.

* * *

Spaz, Crawford, and Codex were next.

The time mouse tapped his chin, giving his future some critical thought. "You know, I've always pictured myself living in a nice neighborhood. Definitely different than living out in the open."

Crawford raised his brow. "That doesn't seem like yer style, Spazzy. I took ye more for a city feller than suburban life."

Spaz shrugged. "Hey, just because I have trouble keeping still doesn't mean I'm always on the move."

"I don't even know ye anymore…" the Corphish-Crabrawler muttered quietly.

Spaz rolled his eyes. "Oh, whatever." He grinned and continued, "But, aside from living in a neighborhood, another idea has been tickling in the back of my head. I've…always imagined myself being a private investigator."

Codex's eyes lit up. "Hmm…intriguing career choice, my friend. An adequate, perhaps even suburb, use of your talents."

Spaz chuckled. "I mean…I'm so used to finding and helping Fusions…it seems like the perfect fit. Doing detective and case work, and I can get it done quick and quiet." He leaned back coolly. "Maybe I could wear a snazzy noir style detective uniform to match the look."

Crawford through his head back and laughed. "Ye'd stand out in a crowd dressed like that!" Spaz puffed his cheeks out in annoyance.

Liam smiled. "Well, I think that's a brilliant idea, Spaz. You've certainly helped a lot of Fusions get on the right track…including yours, Crawford," the godly ape added with a bit of a smirk. Crawford stopped laughing, then looked away, muttering under his breath. "You'll do a lot of good in the world, I'm sure."

Spaz grinned. "Thank you, sir!"

Crawford smirked and pounded his chest boldly. "Well, I already know what I'll be doing!"

"I am cataloging a potential list of options," Codex brought up as his eyes lit up with words. "Probable responses include physical labor, occupation revolved around fighting, strength training, bartender, professional alcoholic-"

"That last one better be yer attempt at humor, Cody!" Crawford shouting, waving his pincer. Crawford resumed his previous expression. "But he's not entirely wrong. I would love to take up fighting again! The thrill of beating my opponent down in a well fought match makes my blood pump with excitement!" He then waved his pincer around and added, "Or, ye know, I could become a personal trainer. Whichever comes first."

Liam smiled wearily. "I wouldn't expect less from you." He looked at Codex. "And what of you, Codex?"

Codex closed his eyes. "My intentions are my own, sir, not something I would state aloud. However, I will say this much. In addition to my search for knowledge on pokemanity, I would take up interest and purchasing land to own."

Spaz's eyes widened. "Whoa, really?! That's something I wouldn't expect from you."

Codex nodded. "Your surprise is most warranted. Take it as a personal matter I wish to fulfill."

Liam nodded in understanding. "I understand. You three keep to your goals. They are what drive us to carry on…" Liam subtly gritted his teeth as memories resurfaced.

* * *

Some time later, Shane, Rebecca, and Chris were up.

The aura fox scratched her cheek with a half-nervous, half-excited smile. "Gee, in all the excitement just to come live here, I never considered actually living on my own. I always figured if we had to leave, I'd just go back to living with my parents."

"There is no rush to make any decisions," Liam reminded. "It will be some time from now when you can go out on your own, should you so choose."

"Oh, don't get me wrong, sir! I think this is a great idea! I'm just not entirely sure what I want to do when I'm older!" She brought her hands together and twiddled her thumbs. "Art's something I love, but I'm not sure if I could make it as a professional artist. Some many career paths for it, though. I wouldn't have to be just an artist for museums."

Chris brought up, "Well, there's always animation. Not sure how well that pays, but it could be fun."

"True…" Rebecca blushed. "I've always been a little shy showing off my artwork to people…and I don't do well accepting praise. Makes me all flustered and junk…"

Liam decided to bring up, "If you do wish to take up the arts, I would recommend attending a good art school. Might give you some needed inspiration. And you do well as the art teacher for the kids. Something to think about."

Rebecca considered it, then nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess I could look into that."

Chris shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not as decisive as you. I never gave a full-on career much thought." He stuck his tongue out, then said, "Though, I could give construction a shot. Already doing it here."

Shane sighed. "I'm not sure what I would want. I'm perfectly content here, after all."

Liam smiled. "There is no reason to have you leave the village. All of you get a choice. I'm more than happy to keep you all under the village's care. My goal with these interviews is to see what each of you want in life."

The Gengar-Phione folded his arms over the table. "Not much to work with since I never took up much interest in a job."

Chris suddenly smirked and nudged his side. "You kidding? There's been several times you caught a problem we would've overlook. Or, you know, kept us from running into danger. Heck, I bet with your bad luck detection ability, you would make a killing selling insurance!"

Shane narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't that be deceitful?"

"How's it deceitful? You'd be literally telling people what could happen to them."

"…" Shane looked forward with wide eyes. "…huh…"

Liam chuckled. "I suppose that's the other reason we want to merge Fusions into Pokémon populated districts. Each of you bring unique skills. Incredibly powerful ones or reliably useful. But in the end, I ask you make the most out of your lives." He narrowed his eyes, then looked down. "…many strive for great lives…"

* * *

Dez, Emily, and Charlie came next.

Dez waved his paw around and stated, "Personally, I'm not the kind of guy who wants to worry about his future. What's the hassle? I know I'm pretty smart. I'll just let life run its course until something comes along."

Lima raised his brow. "And you're sure that's the best decision for yourself?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?" Dez shrugged. "But hey, I've turned out great, haven't I?"

Liam sighed with a tired grin. "I suppose so…"

Charlie raised his hand with a cheery smile. "Well, I love to garden, but I'm not sure how much I would want to be a gardener. However, I think I want to do something like Cade's family does. Have my own berry farm here in Kanto. It'd be awesome! I'd get to do what I love and be surrounded in delicious berries twenty-four seven!"

Liam smirked. "Unless you're growing them all for yourself, you might want to get a grip on that eating habit of yours."

"Uh…hehehe," Charlie giggled sheepishly.

Emily glanced away with narrowed eyes. "He's not wrong…I did quite enjoy working on the farm with them…"

Charlie grinned. "Ooh! Maybe we can start a farm together! All three of us!"

Dez hummed in thought. "Not a bad idea."

Emily sighed. "I don't know…"

"Something on your mind, Ms. Skull?" Liam asked.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I want to, but planning for the future just seems…tough. After all I went through, even trying to give Pokémon a second chance, it's…tough. I'm still trying to adjust to accepting Pokémon." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not sure how anyone could handle being near me if they knew what I was capable of as a child."

Liam smiled warmly. "Is that all? Emily, you have nothing to fear. You will always have a place in the village, but hiding away from your troubles won't make them go away. When the time comes, you'll be ready to face the world."

"And…what if Pokémon do look at me like a monster?" she asked.

Liam shook his head. "Despite the controversy against Fusions, there are those who will forgive and accept you as their own. Remember that."

Emily hugged herself, then looked up at the chief. "You really think I can?"

He nodded. "I have trust in all of you to make the right decisions. Besides…" He smiled at Dez and Charlie. "You have two friends who will stick by your side through the rough patches. By their side, you'll feel safe. Soon, you'll find the strength to stand on your own. You've demonstrated that strength in battle. Now's your time to show us how much you've grown."

Dez hooked his foreleg around Emily. "Yeah! We're not going to let anyone bring you down!"

Charlie threw his arms around her. "No matter what, we're a team!"

Emily blinked slowly in stunned silence. She closed her eyes, then formed a small, appreciative smile. "Heh…thanks, you two…"

* * *

One of the few single Fusion interviews of the day, it was Dakota's turn.

The Sandshrew-Glaceon sat up properly and kept her hands in her lap. She had her usual upbeat grin to her face. "I honestly can't think of a future outside of teaching. Mr. Abraham really helped me find my passion in education. If I wanted to get a true teaching job, I'd go into Elementary school." She glanced off to the side and stated in a dry tone, "No way am I dealing with middle or high school students…"

Liam chuckled. "I really shouldn't be that surprised. A teaching job suits you perfectly."

"Thank you!" She sighed happily, then leaned her head back to look at the ceiling. "I've always wanted to craft my own future. Back before I came here, I felt like I didn't have much. Nothing really stood out to me growing up." She grinned. "But coming here opened my eyes. I've made so many wonderful friends and got a job that I absolutely love!" She smirked wryly and added, "Even if one of my coworkers is a bit grumpy."

Liam laughed joyously. "Ah yes, I've been meaning to speak to you about that. Past events showed me you and Hawkins weren't on the best of terms with each other. Present events now say otherwise. Peregrine hasn't once complained to me about you two bickering ever since that battle you two had with him."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't personally call it a battle…"

"And I've been hearing around the village that he's been giving you private fighting lessons."

Dakota groaned. "Self-defense, actually. I'm still against fighting and haven't found a reason to do so as of yet. That…'slaughter fest' with Peregrine, however, did help me realize I should at least be prepared for the worse. Hawkins is a difficult teacher, but I'm progressing slowly."

Liam grinned. "Sounds to me you two have formed a strong friendship."

Dakota chuckled. "He's not as bad as I thought, I'll give you that. Irritating, but tolerable."

He nodded. "Mhmm…and I've seen that Hawkins as taken a more active role in his teachings with the children. I assume that was your influence."

Dakota shrugged. "Maybe a little. Don't want to brag or anything…" she started with a growing smile.

Liam closed his eyes and smiled. "I don't think you see just how much you and Hawkins benefit from each other, Dakota. Deny it all you want, but you two are a lot closer than you believe."

Dakota smirked. "Uh huh…" She gave him a more genuine smile. "But yeah. I guess we both helped each other out where it counts."

* * *

While technically newcomers, Liam felt it only made sense to speak with Vivi and Eddie. Bartleby's lack of communication skills would make things difficult to form a conversation (that and he wouldn't be able to fit inside the hut). However, the interview went off a little differently than he expected…

"So many factors! So many clues!" Vivi screamed, standing atop her chair and pulling on her antennae. "I'm trying my best, I promise, but I just can't make sense of what I've been given! I've been up for nights, piecing clues together! But nothing leads to nothing!" She held her head and growled. "I can't stand not having answers to something! But I will crack Data's masterplan even if it kills me!"

She blinked, then looked around at the council hut. Her arms went limp, then she asked, "Wait, why did you call us in here again?"

Eddie facepalmed and groaned. "This is what I have to deal with now and when we were on the road together."

Liam sighed, then laughed. "Well, I brought you two in to talk about your futures. Though, given how relatively new to the village you are, perhaps there's no point."

Eddie shrugged. "Yeah, I've been down the road my whole life before settling down in my old city. I'm pretty comfortable working in a bar. Been great for me for years. If this joint doesn't work out, I'm fine with heading back and serving drinks again…" His eyes darted around. "Just not…that specific bar anymore…"

Vivi grinned. "Why would I be anywhere else?! Gappei Village has been my dream to visit, ever since I heard about it! And now I'm finally here and living the life! WOO!"

Liam sighed. "Well, I suppose there's no point in going on with thi-"

"Although," Vivi went on, "I wouldn't mind living on the road again! That was fun! I could become a wilderness survivor! I could go camping all over the world! Anywhere I want and I wouldn't need a job or anything!"

Eddie held his hand up and raised fingers as he said, "Food? Water? Shelter? Your terrible sense of direction?"

Vivi pouted and plopped back down into her seat. "Big meanie, ruining my fun…"

"I'm just being real with you, kid." He looked at Liam. "I've dealt with a lot of shit back in my day. Survived on my own, integrated secretly into society, all that fun stuff." He closed his eyes. "I've been through the wear and tear of it all. Childhood wasn't great either. With tensions between Fusions and Pokémon rising, battles and wars broke out. I've seen plenty of Fusion gangs fighting for territory. It was brutal…"

Liam gritted his teeth as more memories resurfaced in his mind. All those things Eddie said…they replayed in his mind on loop. "Yeah…those were some rough times…" Eddie raised his brow suspiciously.

Vivi was off in her own little world, humming out loud. "Hmm…you think I could become a billionaire?"

Eddie shrugged. "Probably not. A runt like you wouldn't get that far."

"Oh! OH!" Vivi stood up and poked him in the head. "I am SO going to prove you wrong then, old timer!"

"I'm NOT that old!"

The two started bickering once more, throwing shouts and fists around. Liam blocked out their arguing and spun his chair around. He looked down with a disheartened expression, then sighed with discontent.

* * *

It took most of the day, and will continue on tomorrow at noon, but Liam got through the interviews without trouble. Exhausted, he hobbled into his hut, supported by his staff, and led himself to his bed.

"So many promising futures…each and every one of them…" he mumbled to himself.

He sat on his bed and set his staff off to the side. He folded his arms onto his lap, then breathed in quietly. "…they're not the same Fusions I took in through the years. They've grown…and matured. I'm happy for them…"

He looked down at his lap, eyes narrowed solemnly. A cold chill ran up his body as he tried to ease his tension. "I wish I had what they have…so much promise and enthusiasm I missed out on…" He closed his eyes. "So much promise before everything changed…back when I was once happy with how things were going…"

* * *

 _A young Liam and Julian, now a few years older since their first meeting, were in their room drawing in sketchpads. Things were mostly quiet until a Machamp stumbled into the room, carrying a green bottle in one hand. He looked unfocused and, very likely, drunk._

" _Hey, you…" He hiccupped and leaned against the doorframe. He sipped from his bottle again, then corked it. "I'm heading out for my night shift. Don't stay up too late."_

 _Liam sat up and nodded. "Sure thing, Dad!"_

 _Julian raised his brow. "Uh, Pa? You want to sober up first before heading out?"_

" _BAH! I'll be fine! I need to be drunk if I want to get through a night with my lousy coworkers!" He went to drink from his bottle, completely forgetting he just sealed it off._

 _Julian glanced off with a deadpan glare._ Does that even make any sense?

 _Liam grinned awkwardly. "Uh, well…you have fun, Dad!"_

" _I'll try! See you kids later!" He walked out of view, allowing the two kids to return to their drawing. They flinched when they heard the Machamp run into something. "Stupid coatrack!" They saw the coatrack fly by their open door. They then heard the front door open and close immediately after._

 _Julian showed his deadpan expression to Liam. "May Arceus have mercy on him…and all the unfortunate souls on the street." Liam snickered childishly, which made Julian grin. He picked up his sketchpad and asked, "So, how's yours coming along?"_

" _I believe I'm done!" He set his pencil down, then spun the pad around to show off a fancy looking city. "I call it 'Fusionopolis!' Where all Fusions are welcomed! It'll have everything! All the best arcades, food, movies-!"_

 _Julian held his hips and smirked. "You put all your effort into coming up with a name, didn't you?"_

" _Nnnooo!" Liam insisted sternly, before grinning brightly. "I worked hard on drawing this city, too!"_

 _Julian rolled his eyes with a light grin. "Well, not to toot my own horn, but my idea has a bit more critical thought put into it." He showed off his drawing, illustrating a dome shaped community with buildings inside. "World of Perfection! An entire civilization composed of the newest and best tech in the world! A place where all are welcomed!"_

 _Now Liam was rolling his eyes and smirking. "You and your techno fantasies."_

 _Julian fired back with his own smirk. "Oh, forgive me for wanting the most technologically advanced city ever! At least mine isn't basically an amusement park!"_

 _Liam stuck his tongue out. "At least MINE is fun!"_

 _They stared at each other silently, then threw their heads back in laughter, collapsing onto their beds. They laughed for a few seconds before reigning in their composure. Julian sat back up and, with some chuckles, said, "What did I do to deserve not only an amazing friend, but also a cool brother like you?"_

 _Liam held his cheeks and smiled. "I'm that charming."_

 _Julian waved his hand in mock denial and stated, "Oh please!" He reached around in his nightstand, then tossed him a candy bar. "Head's up!"_

 _Liam caught it, then squealed with joy. "Marshmallow Choco Delight!"_

 _Julian pulled out his own. "Yep. Our favorite candy bars. I was doing some after school jobs and got enough money to purchase these."_

" _Oh, you shouldn't have…" Liam complained._

" _Too late! Already did!" Julian exclaimed. "Just enjoy!"_

 _Liam looked at the chocolate bar. His hesitance instantly melted as he tore off the wrapper and munched on the chocolatey confection. Julian laughed and leaned back in his bed, calmly taking bites out of his._

" _Hard for young teens to find jobs these days. I was lucky to score a job at the market," he said as he fought through the gooey marshmallow in his mouth._

 _Liam ceased eating for a moment and looked up at the ceiling. "…when do you think the fighting will stop?"_

" _The warring or just in general?"_

" _Uh…both, I guess."_

 _Julian shrugged. "Eh, beats me. If it can go on for centuries, there's no telling how much longer it'll last." He sat up and grinned optimistically. "But that's what we're here for! Trust me! You and I are going places when we get older! Just think! When our ideas become a reality, we'll not only be living it up big time, but we'll work hard to mend the rift between Pokémon and Fusions!"_

 _Liam smiled wearily. "Still seems ambitious for two kids, though."_

" _But as adults, that won't be a problem!" He stood up on his bed and threw his arms up. "Because I plan on getting super rich when I'm older!"_

 _Liam smirked. "Every kid's big dream?"_

" _Yeah, except I WILL make it happen!"_

 _Liam chuckled. "Hey, I'm not one to doubt you. Just seems…you know, a little ambitious."_

" _And what's the problem with ambition?!" Julian leaped off his bed and over to Liam, making the godly sloth bounce. "That didn't stop the guy who invented flight travel for us non-flyers! Or the guy who revolutionized efficiency in construction! Or the guy who made the Marshmallow Choco Delight!"_

 _Liam smiled happily. "Mmm…" He took another bite of his chocolate bar._

 _Julian bounced on the bed, then landed on his rear. "Plus, with you by my side, all will go smoothly."_

 _Liam tapped his chin. "But…what exactly do we do?"_

" _As of now, just think of cool ideas! We're still young and I much rather enjoy staying young! We've got all the time in the would to live our lives and worry about the future later!"_

 _Liam smiled. "I guess you're right."_

 _Julian stepped back, then leaped across the room, making it back to his bed. "The world may be dark now, but it'll get a whole lot brighter when we come around! If we can look past the mistrust and form our brotherhood, anyone can!"_

" _Yeah!" Liam cheered enthusiastically._

" _We'll show them! Just keep faith in each other and we'll show the world we can make a difference!" Julian raised his fist and exclaimed, "Pokémon and Fusions together!"_

 _Liam raised his fist and shouted, "Stronger together!"_

" _A bright future awaits us!"_


	46. Once Friends

A week after the interviews, the village suddenly became a lot livelier than usual. Their talks with Liam regarding personal futures heavily inspired everyone to put some deep thought into their hopes and dreams. The council declared the interviews to be a success from the lasting impressions.

One group, who were playing with a kickball and bouncing it around, was discussing their own ideas and possible obstacles. Artemis bounced the rubber kickball off her head as she asked, "How much would it cost to purchase property on the beach?"

Ren set himself up before leaping and knocking the ball into the air. "Beats me."

Shane bounced on his spike, then rocketed into the sky to spike the ball down at Asadi. "Why do you want to live on the beach, anyway? For the tropical atmosphere? The view?"

"The relief," Artemis answered with a glare. "I lived in a cold desert of a town when I was a kid. Take a wild guess."

Shane landed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Right…gotcha."

Asadi bounced the ball on her tail. "You should _totally_ invite us to your place then. We can have one sweet beach party!"

Artemis held her chin. "Now there's a thought. Can I buy up the entire beach and have it to myself?" She rubbed her paws together and snickered. "Ooh, now if any bratty kids come onto my property, I can have some fun! I can be like a crotchety old man and tell them to 'GET THE HELL OFF MY LAWN, YOU DARN BRATS!'"

Sheila giggled. "You've…certainly put a lot of thought into that."

"Just wait until I get to the traps."

Asadi chuckled. "Traps on a beach? Forget the beach party. Your place would be excellent for Capture the Flag." She bounced the ball up and slapped it. "Heads up, Juniper!"

The Spinda-Mienfoo stood perfectly still as the ball came barreling towards her, then…it struck her square in the face, knocking her onto her back.

Asadi flinched. "Oooh…sorry Juniper! I thought you were-!" Her eyes widened as the martial arts panda let out a loud snore. "…wow, she even fell asleep standing up."

Wash rolled his eyes. "Some things never change with her." He bent down and checked her face to make sure she didn't get a bloody nose. Her pain tolerance will continue to amaze him.

As the ghost frog picked her up and pulled her off to the side, Artemis said, "Well, we already know what she'll be doing with her life. Question is, should we expect her to fall asleep on a boat and wind up in Alola?"

Shane snickered. "Juniper lost in Alola is basically a Munchlax locked in a factory surrounded by food. Paradise."

Ren grinned. "Well, I say let her! She'll be on the adventure of her lifetime!"

"She would be lost-" Wash tried to point out.

"ADVENTURE!" Ren interrupted enthusiastically.

Sheila shook her head, hiding the amused smile behind her hand. "Well, I think we can all agree we like the idea of living on our own. I mean, sure, this place is a start, but we have each other. Actually fending for ourselves in proper civilization is…a great change."

Wash sighed and hugged himself. "I'm honestly not too keen on it. Sure, it sounds great, but…there are still Pokémon who don't like us. I can't handle that kind of pressure, especially after when I rampaged back home."

Shelia bent down and held his shoulder. "Wash, that wasn't you. You have nothing to worry about."

"Doesn't change what I did…"

Juniper walked up and patted his back. "There, there, Wash. No matter what, we know you're a good person."

He sighed. "Thanks Jun." He paused for a second, then jumped back. "AH! Juniper?! Weren't you asleep?!"

She grinned. "Yep!"

Artemis shrugged. "We've all done some horrible things. But if regular Pokémon criminals are allowed a second chance, I think we're allowed the same thing. Besides, does it really matter if anyone likes us or not? Who cares! I'm me and that's all that matters." She tapped her head. "I don't like thinking of my own troubles, so I just forget about it and move on."

Shane smiled sadly. "It is pretty hard to forgive and forget. When I was abandoned and before I stumbled upon this place, I thought I had nothing. I've never been happier to have such amazing friends and neighbors than the village."

Asadi grinned. "Not like we aren't allowed to keep in contact. We've got each other's backs."

Shelia smiled at Wash. "Regardless of how others perceive your wrongdoings, we know you have a good heart. I think that's what should matter: knowing you have your friends by your side."

Wash rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose you're right…"

Shane nodded. "The skies the limit! I'd worry about what _you_ want! If you have a future you want for yourself, go on and take it!"

Juniper picked the ball up and bonked her boyfriend on the head with it. "In other words, quit being a downer and have some fun!" She fluttered her eyes at him. "I'll even stay awake for the whole game! Just for you~!"

Wash grinned, then laughed. "Jun…alright, alright." He swiped the ball from her. "Enough of the sad air. Let's play!" His friends cheered and reformed their ring as the ghost frog made the first shot.

Watching the group play from afar, Liam leaned against the back of a hut with his staff leaning against his shoulder. A somber stare and sad smile were present on his face. It was nice to see everyone enjoyed their time. It made him happy that they could have a place to put their problems behind them.

He sighed and slumped his head forward. "Youth…innocence…so much I envy from them, yet I'm happy they can have it rather than me. Better they don't have to face hardships like I have…"

"I was wondering where you went off to." Liam glanced to the side, spotting Gracelyn peeking around the hut. She walked over and sat herself down next to him. "What are you doing back here?"

Liam narrowed his eyes, then gazed up at the sky. "Just thinking…"

Gracelyn smiled kindly. "Seems a little more than _just_ thinking…" She didn't have his view of the Fusions' game, but she listened closely to their laughter. "This should be a happy moment for you. Just listen to them. I've never seen them this happy in a long time."

Liam nodded. "I've noticed…"

"You and Julian are doing an amazing job repairing the societal divide here in Kanto. Little by little and limited to Grandis City, but still a remarkable change. Pretty soon, Fusions will be able to do the things we couldn't when we were their age."

Liam shook his head. "I am happy for them. Really, I am. It's just…times are bringing back some…nostalgia, you could say." Liam pulled his legs up and hugged his knees. "Julian's gratuitous offers are shaping up the dream we wanted…and it's becoming something more…"

"A childhood fantasy turned into a miracle worker." Gracelyn chuckled. "The ambition of childhood dreams can perform wonders."

"Doesn't change the scars left behind…"

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes. "Given how you act around Julian now…I would've never believed you two were friends."

"Brothers, more so." The godly ape closed his eyes. "A history we both didn't want to return to."

"So why do you still let it affect your relationship with him?"

"I want to move on…but it's hard to forget." Liam grabbed his staff, then lowered it down so he could stare at the cross wheel. "…a single day can change how you look at a person. Julian and I went through one of those days. Started out as normal…at the end of it, I saw a completely different Machoke. Neither of us looked at each other the same when we went our separate ways."

Gracelyn glanced from the corner of her eye at him. "That's when you went into hiding. To perfect your abilities as a Fusion."

Liam nodded softly. "Eighteen years of refining my strengths, collecting the seventeen elemental plates, and fully adapting to my Arceus half." He glared at the grass. "A black stain on an otherwise bright future we planned…but it had to be done.

"He was the only person I knew who could make Gappei Village happen, whether I liked it or not. Once I found you, Gero, and the others, I knew we could make this work. Julian's contributions were what we needed to complete it." He sighed sadly, burying his face into his folded arms. "I appreciate his help…but I just can't find it in my heart to trust him again."

Gracelyn reached out, patted his back, and offered him a warm smile. "You're too stress…"

"Perhaps…haven't found much time to take a break…"

Gracelyn's warm expression turned much bolder. "Well…what you need is something to take your mind off all that." She stood up, then grabbed his wrist.

Liam raised a brow as he was pulled to his feet. "What are you doing?"

"We're going on a short walk through the woods."

"…why?"

"Therapeutic reasons."

"You're not a therapist."

"Oh, hush up."

The Bewear-Regigigas pulled him away from the village and guided him out the village. Their departure didn't go unnoticed, as Eddie happened to be around the area when he overheard the two talking. He raised a curious brow their way, wondering what they were up to. "Hmm…"

As he was in thought, Vivi sped over with papers and markers in her arms. Kicking up dust in her sudden stop, she shouted, "Eddie! Chop, chop! We've got work to do! I think I'm reaching new grounds in my research!" The papers tilted over to one side, but she adjusted her stance to keep that from doing so. "Y-You know, maybe!"

Eddie narrowed his eyes in the direction Liam and Gracelyn went off to, then faced his jittery companion. "Actually kid, I'm…going to take a break. Something…important just came up."

Vivi rolled her eyes. "Sheesh, you don't have to be so secretive about needing to use the bathroom, Ed."

A long silence fell over the flame kicker, who proceeded to slap himself square in the face in exasperation. "Riiiight…" He crossed his arms and gave her a stern look. "You'll be fine without me, right?"

Vivi waved his judgmental look off. "Of course I will! When have I ever gotten in over my head?"

"…I'm not even going to bring up every answer to that." He turned on his heel and walked off. "Don't blow anything up."

* * *

Gracelyn guided Liam through the forest, humming quietly to herself, while the ape found himself getting the tiniest bit agitated for not being filled in on her plan. "Gracelyn…as your superior, I demand to know where you're taking me."

"Give me a second…" she muttered, examining their location. She stopped and crossed her arms. "Hmm…okay, this should be a good enough spot."

"Good for wha-?" The godly ape, quick as a Ninjask, raised his hand and blocked the super strong punch from Gracelyn. The bear's strength was no laughing matter. The shockwave flew past him and spattered the leaves off the ground and a bush, leaving the ground behind Liam completely bare of green. "…Gracelyn?" he asked in a calm, warning tone.

Gracelyn jumped back and raised her fists. "You'll have to forgive me for my rash behavior, but I felt this was the best course of action."

"To ambush me?"

"To spar with you." She gave a few jabs at the air to warm herself up. "We both could use a stress reliever. Do you know what it's like being me? Having to manage everything with the utmost care? I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard." She smirked. "But you aren't cardboard."

Liam blinked, then sighed once he realized what he was dragged into. "You can't be serious."

"That's right! A good ol' fashion battle to lift those spirits!"

Liam shook his head, then glared at her curiously. "This can't be just to cheer me up."

Gracelyn shrugged innocently. "Welllll…I've only ever fought Peregrine and Gero seriously. They've both proven why they take up the top three of our council. Gero was your near equal, from what you've told me." She grinned. "I want to know how much I match up to you."

Liam crossed his arms. "You're absolutely sure about this?"

"Definitely."

"We could destroy the area."

"Oh, this isn't meant to be anything serious…" She smirked. "…yet."

Liam's face was gruff, thinking over her challenge to himself, then lightened up with an amused smirk. "Heh…that's not a face I see from you often." He spun his staff, then struck the pole in the ground. "I accept your challenge."

Gracelyn giggled before getting on her guard. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come at me."

"If you insist. Hidden Power." The cross wheel of his staff lit up in a blue energy. He swung the weapon and fired a volley of light blue orbs.

Gracelyn raised her fist and struck the ground, splitting the earth open and raising a wall of rock. The Hidden Power exploded into the rock, spreading out dust into a dense cloud. The herculean bear ran up the uplifted rock and lunged at the godly ape, spreading her arms out.

"Crush Grip!"

Liam narrowed his eyes, then smiled teasingly. "…Extreme Speed."

Gracelyn flung her arms around him, but he vanished at the last second. Given no time to defend herself, the ape's staff slammed into the back of her head and sent her rolling across the ground. She dug her hands into the ground and halted her momentum.

She stood up and laughed as she dusted the dirt off her hands. "So nice to have an ability like Fluffy to sponge all that nasty damage."

Liam looked over his shoulder and at the destroyed ground. "That was a controlled strike. I see your mastery over your strength is no exaggeration."

"I've been meaning to cut loose." She backed up. "Now then, let's do something about that speed of yours! Aerial Ace!" Wrapped in a luster of white aura, she dashed at the ape at breakneck speeds.

Liam raised his staff, commanding the cross wheel to light up. Seventeen plates sprung from the wheel and orbited around it, then up branched off and absorbed into the ape. His body lit up in a white light.

Gracelyn torqued her body and slammed her arms into the ape's side. Liam countered with a well-timed block, though Gracelyn's strength did knock him away in the shock. The light around Liam vanished, revealing his fur changed color. The yellow fur around his head turned silver and his gray body turned a tinge darker. The cross wheel matched his new silver fur.

Liam rested the staff on his shoulder and smirked lightly. "Eighteen years were spent refining my abilities…including my timing."

Gracelyn grinned. "You've practiced changing your type with as little time as possible. You certainly take to your roots."

Liam spun his staff. "I'm just getting warmed up. Hidden Power!" He fired the volley of energy shots once more.

Gracelyn spun her arms around, then swung into the Hidden Power. "Brutal Swing!" With a violent flailing of her arms, she smashed through the attack and splattered the energy across the air. She lunged at Liam and coated her fist in electricity. "Thunder Punch!"

Liam swapped out his Iron Plate for the Earth Plate. He caught the Thunder Punch and, while unaffected by the electricity, was shoved into the ground by the monstrous strength that carried over with it. Liam endured the force and gripped down on Gracelyn's wrist before chucking her across the woods.

"Aerial Ace!" Using the acute agility of Aerial Ace, she bounced across the trees gracefully and soared back over to Liam. "Crush Grip!"

She got her arms around him like last time, only it didn't go the same way. Instead of speeding out of her attack, Liam stood still as the bear passed through his body and tumbled out on the other side. She sprung up, then sighed with an exasperated grin, seeing that the godly ape had swapped for a Spooky Plate.

"You know, some would call this cheating," Gracelyn joked. She held her hip. "I call it a challenge."

Liam reverted to a Normal-Type and deposited the Spooky Plate back into his staff. "You said this wasn't meant to be a serious brawl."

Gracelyn smirked. "I said we won't get serious yet."

Liam sighed. "I never took you for a brawled, given your upbringing." He spun his staff and aimed the cross wheel at her. "Hyper Beam!" Channeling the energy through the staff, he fired a yellow and orange destructive beam straight at Gracelyn.

Gracelyn crossed her arms and took the attack as it engulfed her. The area behind her was torched in mere seconds by the beam's insane power. Gracelyn peered through the light, then charged through it. An orange aura wrapped around her fists. "Revenge!" She swung her fist as she got through the Hyper Beam, then socked Liam in the chin.

The ape braced himself as he was sent flying off his feet and into the air. He gritted his teeth in pain, but was thoroughly impressed with the bear's strength. His body was locked up from the use of Hyper Beam, allowing Gracelyn to run at him as he fell.

"Aerial Ace!" She jumped in the air and threw a punch at him. He took it without complaint, enduring the second blow to his body.

Liam flew back across the forest, then felt his energy gradually return. He narrowed his eyes, then stopped himself in midair. He floated above around as if he were standing on air. He put one arm behind his back and held his staff up.

"Slack Off." A purple aura washed over his body as he eased up. His injuries disappeared and his stamina returned to him. He took a breath and sighed, before smiling at the head nurse. "That was a wonderful display of strength, Gracelyn."

She curtsied in gratitude. "I aim to please."

He floated down. "Hardly what I expect from someone raised in a monastery of peace."

"I am more than just the village doctor," she playfully retorted. She readied her Thunder Punch. "I learned a lot from the ones who raised me."

Liam charged up Mega Punch. "So you've told me."

Gracelyn chuckled. "I owe a lot to them for raising me."

* * *

 _A young Stufful-Regigigas in a brown cloak carefully walked across a marble room with an open space to a garden that overlooked the ocean. Her task was to make it across the room without breaking the cheap, but delicate vase in her paws. Seemed simple enough…except it wasn't for her._

" _Easy…easy…easy…" Not used to walking on two legs, the small bear stumbled forward accidentally. While she kept herself from falling, the slightest bit of pressure she applied to the vase caused it to break apart right in front of her. The glass wasn't sharp, though, since this was an expected outcome. "…oops," was her only response._

 _Observing her from nearby were an elderly Flygon and Kricketune, with the former letting out a hoarse chuckle as he stood up. "Hehe…that was a good try, my child." He knelt down and patted her on the head. "You made it further than yesterday. And with something more fragile, too."_

 _Kricketune nodded. "You'll get a hold of that strength in no time." He looked at the glass pieces. "Such boundless strength that can undo bonds with little effort. I wasn't aware you could split a log in two with a light hug."_

 _The Flygon picked Gracelyn up. "Soon, you'll have that strength worked out and you'll be able to do anything without fear of failure. I am proud of you, my child."_

 _Gracelyn beamed happily and flailed her legs. "Yay! Oh, I mean…!" She bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you, Elder Brisco."_

 _Brisco laughed, then turned his head away to cough. "No formality, my child. Now is the time for celebration." Gracelyn smiled appreciatively._

" _This was no easy task," the Kricketune pointed out. "It takes a real effort to harness and control that strength. You've learned well in your time here."_

 _Brisco set Gracelyn away from the glass and faced her towards the ocean. "And once you become of age, you will be able to live among the Pokémon in peace."_

 _Gracelyn looked up at him and tilted her head. "Elder Brisco?"_

" _Yes, child?"_

" _Why can't I stay here with you when I'm older?" she asked innocently. "I like living here with you."_

 _Brisco let loose another hoarse laugh, much quieter than the last. "Oh child…" He sat down and gazed out onto the ocean. "I'm getting old. Too old. I've lived a long life and I won't be around forever. Even if with the rest of your elders to carry on in my place, I believe you'll be ready to care for yourself." He scratched behind her ear, which she nuzzled into. "You'll grow up to be a remarkable young woman."_

" _But the Pokémon…"_

" _Don't listen to what you see in the news, Gracelyn." Gracelyn tilted her head. Whenever he started using her name, she knew he was being serious. "Not all Pokémon despise your kind, including us. Some want to see for peace and try their best. Others carry on with a family's ethics, for better or worse._

" _You must understand that the Pokémon who do see you in a negative light are mostly affected from their own tragedy. I don't approve of it…but that doesn't make the actions Fusions have committed any better. Pokémon either despise your kind for their unlawful reputation or fear your potential to become the superior being. Some simply don't want to be thought of as the lesser being, which can have negative repercussions._

" _You can't let that deter you. You'll do well without us." He smiled at her. "Until then, we promise to make your time with us a happy one until you're ready to be off on your own."_

 _Gracelyn smiled with shimmering eyes. "T…Thank you, Elder Brisco."_

 _Brisco stood up and laughed. "Now then, shall we continue? I expect to see less broken glass with your next attempt."_

 _Gracelyn shot up and nodded. "Uh huh!"_

* * *

Mega Punch and Thunder Punch collided with tremendous energy bouncing off, shaking the very earth around the two combatants. The force was strong enough to push them away from each other. The two weren't close to breaking a sweat and remained strong and tall, breathing lightly.

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes. "Don't think I don't see it. The bitter tension between you and Julian."

Liam spun his staff and closed his eyes. "That's all in the past."

She raised a single brow. "Is it?"

"What's there to be tense about? We both got what we wanted, a place for Fusions to live out their lives in peace."

"There's more to this than a dream come true." Gracelyn crossed her arms. "Talk to me, Liam. Why do you get so heated whenever Julian is involved?"

Liam was quiet for a moment, wondering if he should refuse to speak. Arguing with the bear who could probably bench press a mountain seemed to be the unwise decision. He had a lot he had to get off his mind, anyway. Might as well start now and not beat around the bush.

"…you know how Julian and I lived in the same household. We did everything together. We…were an oddity. A rare friendship you don't see in my town." He covered his face. "Though…only we knew that." He closed his eyes. "And it made it harder to be proud of being a Fusion when I hear Pokémon I know talk bad about them…and when I see Fusions become the monsters they hate being called."

Gracelyn tilted her head. "And you two just…drifted apart?"

"It's a little more than that." He paused for a moment. "…Julian was the fighter. I…was not. Someone tries to harass me, Julian was there to help. He gets himself hurt, I'm there to patch the wounds. We thought it would be the same all the way 'til we were adults…guess we were wrong." He shifted his grip on his staff. "…the environment didn't do us any good…but I guess circumstances led us to branch out for different objectives."

He swung his staff around, pacing in a circle. "So…I went into hiding for eighteen years, then reemerged as the miracle worker who gave Fusions their second chance. And I'm grateful for his help…but old wounds won't heal."

Gracelyn stared at him, a soft gaze reflected from her eyes. "You hardly talk about what drove you two apart."

"Forgive me for being vague, but…I can't bring myself to relive that day."

"And yet it's that day that keeps you from trusting Julian again."

"It felt like a wedge was being driven between us, but we constantly fought back and kept it from dividing us. Turns out…a strong enough hammer can get through stubborn resistance." He sighed. "It's hard to trust someone I once called…a friend."

"But there are still times you did trust him, right?"

"I trusted him more than anyone in the entire world. He was my one and only friend. My…My brother." He sighed. "All the way up to our twenties. Did everything together…even got myself a job with him."

Gracelyn raised her brow. "Now _that_ I didn't know about."

"I went out in disguise a lot." He closed his eyes. "Felt like I was a part of society, even though no one but Julian knew what I really was. But…I kept the act up and went about my days." He faced the herculean bear with a tired gaze. "…we had a reputation. Dreamers to make the world better. An impossible dream in a terrible town…but, we kept our optimism.

"…I miss those days dearly."

Gracelyn smiled softly. "Under that stubborn gruff, you do miss your friend?"

Liam sighed. "Things were much simpler…back when we were still so close…"

* * *

 _A young adult Machoke walked into a store, wearing normal winter clothes and a green apron with the store logo on the front. He carried a stack of boxes, mindful of his surroundings. A Vigoroth followed behind, much more heavily clothed than his friend. He wore light tinted glasses to hide his eyes, a thick jacket, and a cap._

 _Julian called out, "Yo, Boss! Shipments just came in!"_

 _A Magnezone floated in with a clipboard magnetized to his magnet. "Well, why are you standing around? Start unloading and restocking the shelves!"_

" _Yes sir!" Julian and Liam exclaimed before dashing off to the back. A moment after getting everything put away in their proper places, they returned wheeling out boxes on a flat cart. They made their way to one of the aisles._

 _Liam pushed his glasses up and rubbed his eyes. "Is it closing time yet?"_

" _It's only noon," Julian pointed out._

"… _is it our lunch break yet?"_

 _Julian smirked. "Shutting down on me already?"_

" _Hey, if I end up passing out from lack of food, it'll be your fault!"_

 _Julian laughed, then stopped the cart. He ripped open one of the boxes and proceeded to stack cans on one shelf while Liam took to restocking the one below. "Well, perhaps this'll take your mind off dying from starvation. Saturday night plans!"_

 _Liam rolled his eyes bitterly. "Not this again…"_

" _No, I'm serious! Just some good ol' fun out on the town!" He knelt down and nudged his side. "I think I can score us some dates, too!"_

 _Liam's face flushed with heat, forcing him to cover his face in his apron. "Ugh, come on…do I have to?"_

 _Julian socked him in the shoulder and laughed. "Oh, you know you want to!" He smirked. "I think that cute waitress at the café had her eye on you!" The teasing sunk Liam further into a pit of despair and chagrin. Julian continued to laugh his head off, but reined in his composure to say, "R-Right, so, I was thinking we go out for dinner first, then check out this sweet party I've been hearing about."_

" _Why can't I just stay home like a normal person?!" Liam complained through his apron._

 _Julian poked his arm. "Hey, if you want to prove Fusions aren't the bane to everyone's existence, might as well show you're a good guy to the public. You always try to wiggle your way out of Saturday night evenings if they involve more than the two of us. You just stay home and play checkers with Pa." He finished restocking the shelf._

 _Liam sighed. "Yeah, but still…"_

 _Julian hooked his arm around him. "Relax! You'll be fine! A little interaction won't kill you! What do you got to lose?"_

" _My dignity?" he whined._

" _That's quitter talk!"_

 _They were pulled away from their conversation from the sound of an odd humming, followed by the flickering of the lights. They stood up and saw that the electronics in the store were acting wonky. One could say the power was dying, but devices were switching on and off and scrambling with functions. They noticed the fluctuations were getting stronger towards the front, so they followed the weakly flickering lights._

 _Magnezone flew out in an outrage. "What the hell is wrong with the power?!"_

" _I-I-I don't know, sir!" an Alolan Sandslash exclaimed as he messed with the cash register. "Everything's going nuts! I can't-!" He let out a horrific scream as electricity engulfed the register, then burst out into the front of the store doors._

 _The electricity took shape of an Arcanine-Rotom. Blue eyes and stripes with electrical plasma coated over his body. He carried the register's tray in his teeth, with a clear view of the money inside. "Later, suckers!" He bolted out the door in a flash._

 _Magnezone glared at the Alolan variant. "Call the police, now!" Sandslash saluted and ran straight for the phone._

 _Liam and Julian got a view of the whole thing, with the godly sloth pulled on his hat frantically. "Not again!" Julian glared, then sprinted for the door without a second thought._

 _The Fusion made it out onto the parking lot and prepared to make his escape, but Julian blindsided the electrical canine and slammed him into the pavement. "That's as far as you're getting!"_

 _The Arcanine-Rotom growled. "Get…OFF!" He turned into electricity and got above the Machoke, then slammed both paws down on the humanoid's back. He wrapped his teeth in Thunder Fang and went down to bite him._

 _Julian quickly spun around and caught him by the maw, flinching from the electricity surging down his arms. "Paws off, Fido!" The canine's response was a garbled retort of anger since he couldn't speak with his maw held open. "I have no idea what you said, but I'll take offense to it!" He slammed his foot into the dog's stomach, then hooked his arms around his neck to suplex him into the ground._

 _The Fusion dispersed into electricity, then reverted to normal to flow a vicious Ominous Wind in the Machoke's face, throwing him across the parking lot. Liam pushed himself up, rubbed his face, then growled before running back into the fray._

 _Liam ran out and gasped as Julian traded blows with the electrical canine. His electrical ghost abilities were making the fight too one-sided in the thief's favor. He could hear the police sirens in the distance, closing in on the store. They still sounded a bit far away and he wasn't certain how long Julian could distract the mutt. Liam racked his brain for solutions, then quickly bolted back into the store._

 _Another Ominous Wind to the chest shoved Julian to the growl, but he quickly rolled back and shot to his feet. He slapped his cheeks to get himself energized, then raised his fist as he powered it with Dynamic Punch. "Is that the best you got?"_

 _Arcanine snarled. "Cocky fool! A Fighting-Type like you is no match for me!" He lunged for the Superpower Pokémon, but was apprehended by a plastic trash can over his head. "Wha-?! HEY!"_

 _Liam swung around as the mutt tried to shake him off. Just as he hoped, the Fusion tried to escape by turning into electricity and fleeing. Liam swung his body down and used his weight and gravity to completely trap the Fusion inside. He pushed down hard as the Fusion tried to break out._

" _Julian!" Liam shouted. "Little help!"_

 _Being the stronger of the two, Julian pressed his hands down on the trash can and completely negated any chance of busting his way out. He let out of a sigh of relief, even more so that the police were nearing the store. He smirked at Liam. "Quick thinking, pal."_

 _Liam grinned sheepishly, but his mood, as well as Julian's, took a full U-turn when they felt the bottom of the can heating up. One thing they neglected in the fuss was that they were still fighting an Arcanine. They tried to flee, but were caught in an explosion of flame and red-hot plastic shooting into them._

 _The Arcanine-Rotom retook his shape, then snarled at Liam in contempt. "Little man…you've got a death wish." He lumbered towards the disguised Fusion, coating his fangs in electricity. Liam nearly froze up, but fought back his fears as he raised his hands and channeled a multi-colored light between them._

 _The Fusion was about to question his plan, but was diverted to the green powder sprinkling over his face. Almost instantly, his legs became weak. "Wha…don't…tell m-me this is…"_

 _Fluttering above him was a Butterfree, wearing a police cap and sprinkling the Sleep Powder on him. "That's quite enough out of you."_

 _Losing the will to stand, the Fusion passed out and slumped onto his stomach, snoozing away. Julian picked himself up, holding his right arm, and hobbled over to check on Liam. The hot plastic left some unfortunate burns on his face and left dark patches on his clothes. Liam got a face full of Flamethrower in the explosion, which partially melted his sunglasses._

 _Julian helped him up. "You alright, pal?"_

 _Liam rubbed his aching shoulders. "More or less…" The two turned their attention to the Butterfree cop floating in front of them._

" _You boys shouldn't have put yourselves in danger like that. Someone could've been seriously injured." He sighed and crossed his arms. "Still, your services were admirable. We've been trying to catch this one for a while now. Slippery fellow." The Arcanine snorted in his sleep and kicked his rear leg._

 _A Solrock officer floated over and lifted the sleeping Fusion with Psychic. "Darn Fusions…feels like a new one keeps popping up every week and starting shit."_

" _Downtown isn't any better," Butterfree pointed out. "We've got entire gangs of Fusions and Pokémon rioting with each other."_

 _Julian brushed some specks of trash can off his shoulder. "Still getting bad down there?"_

" _Very," Solrock answered. "Hopefully we'll be able to put an end to the fights and finally put a rest to them, or this town won't be standing much longer." He nodded. "You boys take care. Don't do any other stupid stuff."_

" _Heh…no promises," Julian joked as the officers returned to the car and drove the robber off to jail. He sighed and fell onto his rear. "Man, I feel awful…"_

 _Magnezone and Sandslash rushed out once they were gone. "Geez! You two alright?! I saw the whole thing!" the Alolan variant exclaimed. He pointed at Julian. "You didn't even hesitate!"_

 _Julian grinned. "Was kind of in the moment, you know?"_

 _Magnezone huffed irritably. "Fusions…there's always one causing trouble. And guys like me have to pay for it."_

 _Liam subtly hid his face under his cap. Julian frowned, then tried to speak up in defense. "T-Technically yes, but just as many Pokémon are to blame. It's not like their actions are any better. You've seen the papers about Fusions being abandoned, right?"_

" _Seen it all. Doesn't change that one trashed my store." He glared to the side. "Though, all he did was knock out the power. Going to have to restart it myself." He sighed. "I don't get why you two keep daydreaming about a 'better' future. With the way things are now and have been for centuries, I don't see that happening. It should've just gotten better with time. Guess either side is too prideful."_

" _We dream because we want all sides to be better," Julian stated. "I get there's a…dark stain in our history and that things have fluctuated with intensity, but someone has to step up and do something about it, right?"_

 _Magnezone glared at the two for a moment, then turned away with a heavy sigh. "Old news to an old, cold heart." He floated over to the store. "I'm giving you two the rest of the day off."_

 _Liam's eyes widened. "Really?"_

" _From the looks of it, you both look scuffed up from fighting that bastard. I'll get the power up and running and call some others in to fill in for you two." He glared. "But I expect you back here bright and early next week. Understand?"_

 _Julian nodded swiftly. "Oh, um, yes! Yes, sir!"_

 _Liam covered his face. "…yeah."_

" _Then get lost before I change my mind!" he barked._

 _Julian and Liam quickly collected their belongings from the back and made their way back home in the cold. Liam looked back for a moment. "…I'm not that bruised up."_

" _You've got charred fur on your face," Julian pointed out. "Besides, speak for yourself. I'm aching from taking those hits." He rubbed his cheek. "Flaming plastic doesn't feel great, either."_

"…" _Liam kept his head low, walking with his hands in his pockets. "…Why does there have to be so much hate?"_

 _Julian rolled his eyes. "Don't get melodramatic on me, Liam. This shouldn't be new to you."_

" _I just don't get why anyone could hate us." He took his sunglasses off. "How are we different?"_

" _It's in your growth." Liam looked up at Julian. "Heh…my science teacher…he said something funny in a conversation brought up. Fusions, for as much as they are despised, seem to be an evolutionary growth in our world. They're almost like the next step. Better physicality, new forms, and the best of two worlds._

" _Think about how Pokémon must've felt back then. Hundreds of years ago, an unnatural creature rises up and comes into our world. Much like the horror stories you hear in fiction, only not as black and white. However…there seems to be another factor to it, which is ironically…unknown."_

" _The…fear of the unknown?" Liam guessed._

" _I wouldn't fear a Magikarp-Dunsparce any day of the week, but what about something…more? Can you imagine a Machamp combined with the power of Palkia? My fists could shatter the dimensional barriers if I wanted to. Or something simple, like…a Forretress-Weezing? As hard as it is to believe, Fusions have the potential to be dangerous. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if our initial reaction wasn't so…frightening."_

 _Liam looked. "So…I guess a…Slakoth-Arceus would be at the top of the list?"_

" _Great physical strength with the power of a creation god…yeah, sounds about right." Julian shook his head. "It's wrong…it really is, but it is a real threat. Even if things weren't the way they are now, Fusions can still be a danger. Maybe even destroy the world if they felt like it. Escalation of intensity removes all rationality and promotes fear…"_

 _Liam slumped his shoulders. "…then why do you care so much?"_

" _Because I was raised right by Pa and Ma, before she died." Julian rubbed the back of his head. "You know how Pa is. He may look like a crotchety geezer waiting to get wasted, but he…just doesn't care about it. He hates everyone equally."_

 _Liam smiled wearily. "So I've seen…"_

" _I don't give up because I want you to do better. That's why you have been so adamant about making this plan of ours come true, right?"_

 _Liam nodded. "Well, of course."_

" _As long as we have each other's backs and trust in each other, we can bring the Pokémon and Fusions together. This silly, yet destructive feud will end by our hands. Nothing will stand in our way."_

 _Liam smiled warmly. "Yeah…" He looked ahead for a moment, then lowered his head. He chuckled quietly. "Hey, uh…Julian?"_

" _Yeah?"_

 _He looked up at his brother and smiled awkwardly. "I…might reconsider coming to that party." Julian smiled back and nudged the sloth in the arm, letting forth a hearty laugh while the Fusion rubbed his sore arm and laughed, too._

* * *

Liam pinched between his eyes and sighed to himself. "…we believed Fusions deserved a second chance. _I_ believe they do."

"And Julian…?" Gracelyn asked.

"…ideals change." Liam closed his eyes, slumping his head forward in an exhaustive manner. "The fighting…changed his perception. I want all Fusions to get that second chance so they can better themselves. Julian doesn't see it that way. He believes different. If it weren't for me, kids like Tamara or Emily could've been thrown into jail even though they had no choice but to defend themselves." He clenched his teeth. "Evidence stacked in their favor, but…the public can be biased."

Gracelyn crossed her arms. "A split in ideals."

"Exactly."

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes sadly. "Liam…have you ever tried talking things out with Julian?"

"I…" He turned away and held his face. "…I can't bring myself to speak with him."

"Well, with all this talk of change, maybe you should take your own advice." Gracelyn walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "The gang wars are over. You and Julian should rekindle what's left of your friendship and put the past behind you."

"I can't…"

Gracelyn glared for a moment, then softened her gaze. "Liam…don't do this. I know you don't like seeing Fusions as the bad guys, but that all had to change when we got involved dealing with the Rogues. A second chance isn't some policy that should be enacted like a law. A Fusion has to make that conscious choice to change. Otherwise, as much as you won't like it, Julian is right that some Fusions should face consequences. Telling someone to stop being a criminal won't make them stop, much like how you can't stop a Pokémon from changing how they feel.

"I'm not saying I would want Tamara, Emily, or anyone who committed violent crimes to be thrown in jail. You're also right, they had to defend themselves. They've owned up to their actions under your guidance. However…you've never handle direct action well and always handled things peacefully. That…doesn't always work."

Liam clenched tightly on his staff, gritting his teeth. He found the willpower to keep from interrupting.

"You drove Gero away from us because he didn't agree with your indirect attitude. Gero may not have been the leader type or taken his responsibilities all that seriously, but he knew where your faults lay better than anyone else. You...never put your foot down and decided if a Fusion needed to truly be tried for their crimes."

She sighed and backed off. "But this isn't about that. Look, I don't care when or how, but you and Julian need to talk eventually. Just to put this all behind you."

"…is it really that simple?" he asked.

"Nothing's ever simple. Only you can make it harder on yourself."

Liam stared at her, then looked away in a downcast. "…I may need some time…to think things over." He glanced back at her. "…seems we didn't finish our battle."

Gracelyn smiled. "We'll call it a draw."

He nodded. "Right…I should be off." He turned his back to her. "Oh, and Gracelyn? Thank you…for your help." He tapped his staff down and vanished with Extreme Speed.

Gracelyn smiled and curtsied to the ring of dust. "My pleasure." She stood up straight, then sighed. She held her hips and looked around the forest before gazing up a tree. "…is this what it was like for you, too?"

Sitting up above in the trees was Eddie. He leaned back against the trunk with his arms crossed and legs stretched out. He opened one eye and looked down at her.

"…no, not really. He had an actual home." He closed his eyes. "Though…I suppose I was on the opposite end of the spectrum. Starting trouble and…running." He looked up with a cold glare. "Things got bad…really bad years ago. Each step I took added another mistake to that long list of regrets that never seemed to stop following me. I assume your chief is going through the same issues."

Gracelyn looked in the direction of the village, eyes narrowed in a somber gaze. "Liam and Julian have their issues with each other. I worry for them, wondering what worse they can do if they don't settle their differences."

"Believe you me, I know how bad that can get." He glared. "What exactly did this Julian do that made the two go their separate ways?"

"He doesn't talk about it. Though…from what he inferred, Julian seemed to be quite different in his younger years."

Eddie sighed. "He made it sound like a crime itself…" He stood up and jumped down from the branches and touched down in front of Gracelyn. "I've seen it from others…and I see it in Data, too."

"How so?"

"All I've learned about him from Vivi tells me he's a man who will do anything to get what he wants, all in the name of justice." He crossed his arms and showed off a dark glare. "Regret and hate can drive a man to do things who would never conceive of performing.

"Liam and Julian aren't Data…but I wonder how far they're willing to go before all ends in tragedy."


	47. Our Desires

Uneventful times filled the halls of the Fusion Hunter HQ. As always, criminal Fusions were brought in and detained like any other day. The hunters went about their business per usual. The Fusions were mostly behaving, from the looks of it. Oddly suspicious for the more paranoid of their ranks (Cragtail), but all but he thought nothing of it.

Cragtail went about his usual patrol route around the base, stuck in his usual crabby mood. It went as normal for the most part, ending his walk near the holding cells. He would've kept walking after that and thought nothing less, but this was Cragtail we are talking about. The second he heard something strange, he was all over it.

Such as chatter in the cells. Particularly loud chatter.

Curious, suspicious, and angry, Cragtail turned back and kicked the doors open, a loud bang bursting through the cell hall. He bellowed an angry, "What is going on in here?!"

All Fusions went silent at the Golem's presence and uncertain glare. He wasted no time marching through, shooting his glare at each of the holding cells. His blood boiled, listening to their private whispers. They hid the smirks on their faces, but he wasn't stupid. He knew they were hiding something. His skin burned in fury, wondering what's got them so chatty.

"What's got you all so chipper?!" Cragtail growled. "Speak up!"

A Granbull-Trubbish snickered behind his hand, but his large maw gave away the cheeky smirk. "Nothing wrong. We're just having a good ol' chat."

"Bullshit!" Cragtail yelled. "I demand the truth!"

His skin crawled when he heard the lazy yawn of the diabolical Liepard-Houndoom, whose cell was directly behind him. He glared over his shoulder and saw her roll onto her side. "He's _telling_ the truth, Craptail. We did nothing wrong."

Cragtail growled and pointed at her. "I'm real sick of that stupid nickname! Either you show respect or no meals for three days!"

Syndony smirked cockily. "Three days? I've worked off worse. Try again."

Cragtail roared with boiling rage and slammed his hands against the glass. Syndony didn't even flinch. "What are you all up to?! And why are you smiling like that?! What do you know?!"

Syndony hid her smirk, though with no effort. "What smile?"

Cragtail narrowed his eyes seriously. "Something isn't right…" He stepped back. "You're all up to something."

Cruella cackled and banged her fists on the glass to get his attention. "Yeah, we're throwing you a surprise party! Lots of fun party games! I made one up called 'Pin the Knife to the Prison Warden!'" Her eye twitch as her wide smile grew. "For some reason, it's not that popular of a game."

Cragtail showed a chary sneer as he looked all around the Fusions, noticing all eyes were on him. Menacing, spiteful eyes with snarling smirks tainted with evil. He patted his head and felt ashamed at the sweat dripping off him. He felt his heart shaking wildly inside his body, twisting and clenching like someone had a death grip over it. "You…You all are up to something!"

Syndony snickered. "We're just in a good mood today, that's all. Almost like… _an unexpected fortune is coming our way_."

Alasdair narrowed his eyes. "You are being paranoid, warden. Perhaps it would be best to sleep."

Cruella pressed her face against the glass, which enhanced her creepy smile. "All tense and wound up. What you need is a nice fluffy bed of _rusty nails_ to comfort that sleepy head of yours."

Cragtail gripped his head and stumbled back through the cells. He breathed in rapid, heavy breaths, eyes switching from one cell to the other, each holding a smirking Fusion glaring down on his pitiful demeanor. "What…What did you do?!"

Gideon showed a slight smirk with his head turned. "Nothing at all. You're the one going crazy, not us."

The Golem's eye twitched in rage. He dug his claws against his rough skin. Teeth bared, seething with hot breath. He trembled in confusion, his mind and body conflicted with several negative emotions, unsure which to release first. And those evil eyes they kept sharing…surrounded by a room of ubiquitous stares…he knew they were doing something, but he couldn't see it. What are they planning?!

Cragtail reeled his head up, sucked in a deep breath, and-

"Yo, boss!" Cragtail exhaled sharply, nearly doubling over. He turned around and was met with a frantic Maddock, who grabbed his wrist in a tight hold. "You need to see something! Now!"

"But they-!" Cragtail tried to explain.

"They're not important! This is!" Maddock dragged him out of the holding cells, much to his refusal.

The doors slammed shut, leaving the Fusions to themselves once more. Syndony showed her wicked smirk to her fellow cellmates. "He's catching on…but he won't know what hit him. The next few days are going to be a breath of fresh air." The others snickered in agreement.

Cruella laughed along with them, then paused abruptly. "…so, _are_ we throwing him a surprise kill party or-?"

"NO!"

* * *

Maddock dragged Cragtail through the halls, while the Golem tried to rip his arm out of the Bisharp's tight grasp. "Release me, Maddock!" He punched the metal man's side, but only harmed his hand instead. He sneered. "Those evil demons are planning something! Search their cells! Raid their belongings! Torture them until they-!"

"We've got more important things than your delusions!" Maddock interrupted.

Cragtail growled. "Disrespectful maggot. What could be more important than securing our safety?!"

"Gee, I don't know! How about…" He stopped at a door and kicked it open before throwing him in. "THAT?!"

Cragtail's eyes widened in disbelief. They were in a meeting room where they showed recent Fusion attacks that required their services. A projection screen and long table with chairs. The issue came from the screen.

Hundreds of blinking red dots were on the screen. And not just one region. All regions on the world map at once. Each representing a Fusion related crime in an area. And there were more than usual.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Cragtail cried out in shock. "What is this?!"

Dario stepped up and pointed to the screen. "We can assure you, this isn't a technical malfunction."

Archie gripped his head. "We're not sure why, but we're getting reports all over about Fusions running rampant all of a sudden!"

"When-what-how-WHAT?!" Cragtail repeated, utterly stupefied.

"We're getting calls by the minute, too," Dario pointed out. "It's so weird. It's like crime rose overnight. Only it's happening everywhere else, too."

Cragtail reeled in his confusion and pointed to Archie. "Do we know how this started?!"

"Again, we don't know!" Archie repeated loudly. "If we weren't so swamped with calls, we would've looked into this immediately!"

Maddock continued, "This is unusual behavior, even for so many Fusions. Some of the calls even came from the parents of some of them. They're confused and horrified that their children started acting out in such manner. It's usually the same: they did nothing wrong, they've always been well-behaved, and never had these violent tendencies until now."

Cragtail glared. "What does that mean?"

Archie crossed his arms. "An unknown force, perhaps? Fusions may have acted out and committed crimes, but some parents insisted their child isn't acting like themselves."

"Some even chanted for the destruction of civilization and that the rise of Fusions shall come of age," Maddock added. "Again, stated to be unnatural behavior."

Dario punched in some numbers on a calculator. "I feel sympathy for the parents and friends of these Fusions, but we can't look too far into this now. First course of action is subduing the Fusions and protecting the innocent. We'll have to inform police to hold them off as best they can until a Fusion Hunter gets on the scene."

However, Archie pointed out, "We can't send everyone! We'll be severely understaffed here! There's like five hundred crimes going on at once!"

Cragtail slammed his hands down and shouted, "Send as many as you can! You let me worry about things here!"

"But the base-!"

"We'll make do with what we have!" Cragtail held up his fist. "We have plenty of hunters! Just a few here will be enough! These freaks can't do much with their collars on, anyway! You worry about securing those other freaks and having them detained! No one's causing trouble while I'm around!"

Dario looked between his teammates, exchanging questioning stares. They silently agreed that something shifty was going on under their noses. No matter which way they looked at it, there's simply no way this many Fusions would suddenly turn violent. Some, maybe, but all of this at once? Not a chance. If what was said by the concerned civilians and parents was true, some of the attacking Fusions weren't of sound mind.

If they had time, they would look into the situation immediately. But now…now was the time for action. The Gallade sighed and glared at Maddock. "Make the call."

The Bisharp shrugged. "Whatever you say." He whipped out a radio from his side and switched it on. "Attention! All personnel into the hangar bay immediately! Five minutes! Emergency dispatch mission! I repeat, emergency dispatch mission!"

Dario started walking out the door. "General, I'll stay behind and look into this."

Cragtail shook his head. "No, you're not! You three are going to!" He pressed his thumb against himself and stated, "I made myself clear! I'll stay put with the remaining hunters and look into this myself!"

There was no time to object. Every second mattered. Dario groaned and shoved the doors open, shouting, "Whatever. We'll take care of this quickly. Archie, Maddock!"

"Right!" They ran after him and left Cragtail to himself.

He gripped down on the table, staring at the screen in baffled rage. Some many red lights going off. So many crimes going on at once. He growled through his teeth. "What's going on? What's causing this?"

* * *

Such a travesty didn't go unnoticed over the web and news. Reports were being made about how Fusions were running widespread chaos all at once. News spread fast, worrying many about the safety of their wellbeing. It seemed like an unnatural motivation, even for the Fusions, to start rallying up and destroying everything in sight.

Unnatural, and definitely planned.

Within the walls of Julian's apartment, he and Data were scrolling through videos and news articles that sprung up about the sudden Fusion attacks. Neither looked surprised by the revelation, though Julian had a solemn look to his face.

"I can't believe this…" he muttered to himself.

Data ceased scrolling and hummed in delight. "I have to say, Julian, I wished you introduced me to the internet far sooner. It's such a lovely place. In my time, it took days to acquire information and news from around the world. Now, all I need is to look at the online articles." He tapped on top of his containment. "I say things are going well."

"I can't believe you actually did this…" Julian muttered once more. He held his face and shuddered. "I…I just can't…"

"A necessary sacrifice to gather the Fusion Hunters' attention. It should take them days to calm things down." He typed into the search bar. "Plenty of time."

"How did you do this…in such little time?"

"I may be a box, but I don't laze around." He waggled his metal finger. "Keeping track of everything going on in the city and using my newly acquired access to the internet is a timely process. Fortunately, sleep is an afterthought these days."

"There's no way you could've convinced this many Fusions to lash out so violently."

"You under estimate my abilities, Julian. I fancy myself a master of persuasion. I won't say the Fusions will be happy when they 'wake up,' but all will appreciate my grand design." Data clenched his metal fist. "And, once the Fusion Hunter base is near empty, we can get to the next step in our plan."

Julian stood up. "All seems like a bit much."

"I don't have years to make intricate, complex plans. I was lucky that my secret assistant has kept up with their ancestor's promise. The second someone catches onto my plans, all will be lost. I need to act now."

Julian crossed his arms. "Then what more is there to do? And what of Gappei Village? Surely they won't sit around and let you succeed."

Data waved his metallic finger. "All I've taken into account, I assure you. I'll need to remove them from the equation very soon. I'll make my next move shortly. For now…you still have a part to play."

Julian raised his brow. "I do?"

"One last obstacle I need you to clear." Data's sensors blinked softly. "The council is a major concern, but disposing of them all is risky and impossible. I can't possibly do away with all of them within the appropriate time. However…the one I fear the most is Liam."

Julian's eyes widened. "Liam?"

"A Slaking-Arceus…I've never seen a Fusion with that of Arceus' power in a long time. He's already marked himself as a dangerous foe. His interference could be troublesome. Despite what you say, you are close to him." He waved his hand around. "So…I request that you get rid of him."

Julian let his arms dropped, then took a step back. "What…do you mean?"

Data spoke in a foreboding tone. "Julian, I'm no fool. Liam is the one thing that could put an end to our world peace. And there's simply nothing I can do about it. No sane or rational being would dare match the likes of a Fusion of his caliber!" He then pointed at Julian. "But you…you would."

Julian threw his hands up in defense. "H-Hold on a second! You can't expect me to do that! Liam's far stronger than me!"

"You can work around that. I know you can."

Julian continued to reject the heinous act. "But…I mean…" He scratched his head. "Can't…Can't we just…is removing the Fusions off their land even necessary?"

Data was beginning to become impatient, evident from the firm tapping against his cube. "Julian, we have a limited window of time here. I need Liam out of the city so I can focus on that village. I need that land cleared and I can't deal with an all-powerful ape."

Julian held his head and backed away in confusion. "No, I…it feels…w-wrong…" His eyes flickered red. "Liam…he did nothing wrong…"

Data lowered his mechanical arm, spying the sign of resistance. _His memories are beginning to unalter. Too many contradictions in his mind. I need to correct this._ "Julian…Liam won't agree with us. He is the enemy."

Julian gritted his teeth. "But…you…you want me to KILL him!"

"Not necessarily. I just need him away for a while. Even so, sacrifices must be made."

Julian stumbled around, nearly losing what little balance he could maintain. "No…I can't…he's my friend!"

" _Was_ your friend. You've made that very, very clear when we met. The world NEEDS to understand that this feuding has gone on for long ENOUGH." Data sounded like he was getting angry. "I don't want to see anyone else lose their loved ones JUST because of this deep mistrust we have for each other. I've seen many give up on everything when they lost their lovers, family, children. I will correct this antiquated abhorrence and make the world a better place!"

Julian pressed down on his head tighter, forcibly trying to reject the altered memories. "I…CAN'T!"

Data started blinking his mesmerizing red, green, and yellow lights at the Machamp. "This goes against my own wishes…but you must forget and remember what's at stake. Both sides will lose lives again and again because of the fighting. Someone needs to lend that guiding hand to redemption."

Julian caught sight of the lights and felt paralyzed as their glow penetrated his fragile mind. "B-But…"

"You…You felt anger once before. Anger…for a Fusion. Such…violent, murderous anger. Blinded by rage. Rage towards the Fusions…once in your life. Where? Where did this rage stem from?"

Julian held his head tightly and stumbled around in a stupor, feeling confused. Something was festering inside his mind, raging to be released. "What…is this? What's going on…?" His eyes glowed red the longer he stared at the lights.

"Yes…I see now. Such hate for Fusions…hate you projected onto Liam once before. You regretted it…a deep scar as a reminder of the blood spilt between you. You've tried to atone for your anger, hoping for forgiveness from one once called friend." Data sighed. "I do not approve of this anger, but…I empathize with you. I sense the hurt you felt…somewhere inside."

Julian pressed both of his left hands against the armchair. The room felt like it was spinning. Felt like the light was melting away into darkness. "I…I…"

"Yet…there's still a part of you from long ago that hasn't forgotten that anger."

Julian gritted his teeth. " _What_ a-are you…?!"

"Remember a time where this anger was born. Remember…that hate that was born inside you…remember…"

Julian's eyes widened, images of the past flying before him, projecting themselves forward into his thoughts.

* * *

 _A late night in the cold town. Streets were empty with flickering lights guiding the way of two delirious brothers who just got done with a party. Dizzy and giddy from their late night fun, they trekked home to thrown themselves into their awaiting beds._

 _Julian held his head and chuckled, taking stumbling steps beside Liam. "Dude…that was a lot of fun."_

 _Liam chuckled. "I think you had a bit too much to drink."_

" _I hope I'm not turning into Pa. I can't handle being drunk all the time."_

" _Are you drunk?"_

" _Maybe a little buzzed."_

 _Liam stretched his arms out. "Well, I'm looking forward to crashing for the night. I have to say, these parties are a lot more fun than I thought." He grinned. "I'm glad you convinced me to tag along."_

 _Julian smiled. "No problem."_

 _Liam looked ahead. "You think Dad might be a little mad we stayed out too late?"_

 _Julian laughed and waved it off. "Please, I'm not worried about that. Just the give the man a bottle of booze and he'll let us off the hook."_

 _Liam smirked. "You'd think he'd eventually stop falling for that same trick."_

" _Unlike me, he prefers to stay drunk. Not sure how he processes life itself as he is, but I'll take what I can get." They both snickered under their breaths._

 _They came up on their house and walked up to the door. Julian reached through his pockets and clutched his house keys. He searched through the keys on the keyring before finding the right one. He went to insert it in…only to discover something off about the doorknob._

 _As in…the doorknob was knocked off the door…and the lock._

 _Liam's eyes widened in surprise. "Did Dad break the lock while we were gone?"_

 _Julian raised his brow. "He's usually not that careless." He pushed the door open, but jumped back when it snapped off its hinges. He narrowed his eyes in sudden concern. "Pa?" He ran into the house._

 _Upon stepping inside, the two were treated to a horrifying sight._

 _The house was in utter disarray. It wasn't abnormal for their father to start fights with inanimate objects and cause a small mess, but this was more than a silly squabble. The living room couch was flipped over, thrown into the kitchen, no less. The dining room table was split in two. The drywall was smashed apart, like someone was thrown repeatedly around the room._

 _Julian breathed worriedly, eyes dilated with disbelief. "This can't be happening…PA?!" He immediately started searching around the room._

 _Liam narrowed his eyes, equally shocked. "I can't believe this…"_

 _Julian ran over to the kitchen and discovered scorched marks smeared over the floor. Some of the chairs were also burned to ash. Liam found family photos of the three smashed over the floor, littered with glass. He picked one up of the three hanging outside the house, with the Machamp's arms around his boys with a big grin._

" _This wasn't just Dad's doing," Liam concluded. "Someone broke into the house. The damage must mean he fought back…but I don't know who won."_

 _Julian was getting worried, especially because their father wasn't acknowledging their return. He shot up and shouted, "PA?! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Julian was about to dash off into the garage when he noticed Liam stand up with a pale look on his face. Eyes stricken with horror, hands trembling, and breath shaking. "…Liam?"_

"…" _He looked over his shoulder, giving the Machoke full view of his terror. "…I smell blood…coming from Dad's room…"_

 _Julian's throat tightened. He dashed out of the kitchen and bolted straight to their father's room, with Liam right on his heels. Ignoring formality, Julian swung his foot into the door and sent it flying off its hinges. "PA?!" His hands shot up to his mouth with a loud gasp. Liam came to his side and made an exact reaction._

 _The old Machamp was slumped against the wall, pressing down on his stomach. There were bite and claw marks all over him, staining his skin in blood. He had a tight hold on his stomach, which was bleeding…badly._

" _PA/DAD!" They ran to his side, dropping down on their knees._

" _Pa, what happened?!" Julian shouted with panic in his voice._

 _Machamp looked up, eyes glazed over. "K…Kids…" He threw his head forward and hacked a troubled cough, spitting blood over himself. "…ugh…buh…arc…fush…"_

 _Julian gritted his teeth, then glared at Liam. "Get the first aid kit! Call an ambulance! HURRY!" Liam nodded and hurriedly ran off to the kitchen. Julian looked back at the injured Machamp and held his shoulder gently. "Pa, what happened? Who did this to you?!"_

 _Machamp grunted, pain flaring up every time he tried to move a limb. "Fuh…shin…arc…ine…"_

 _Julian's heart sank at the lowly state of his father. He turned to the door as Liam scrambled back in with the first aid kit. He took it from the Fusion, shouting, "Well?!"_

" _They'll be here as soon as possible!" Liam promised. "We need to keep Dad comfortable and awake!"_

 _Julian nodded. He ripped the kit open, not wasting time to undo it, and pulled out the gauze. He ripped some off, then moved the Machamp's hands away to put pressure on the wound with it. "Just hang in there, Pa! Don't fall asleep on us!"_

 _Their father gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his eyes open. "Fuh…shin…arc…ine…"_

 _Julian clenched his teeth, tears brimming from his eyes. "Pa, I can't understand what you're saying! Who did this?!"_

 _He looked like he was really struggling to speak. A low growl grumbled in his throat, forcibly trying to clear himself out. He gulped audibly, then enunciated as hard as he could, "Fuh…shin…Fu…sion…Arc…a…ine…"_

 _Liam mumbled the words under his breath, "Fusion…Arc…a…ine. Fusion…Arcanine?" he guessed aloud. Machamp nodded slowly. Liam narrowed his eyes. "Why would an Arcanine Fusion attack you of all people? Who would…?" Liam's heart skipped a beat. Sweat dripped from his forehead. Teeth clench up tightly. "N…No…"_

 _Julian stared at him oddly for just a second, then his blood turned cold. "…An Arcanine…Rotom?" Machamp nodded again. "…No…No…No, no, no, no…it can't be…the same one from two weeks ago?!"_

" _He's out of jail?!" Liam screamed. "Already?! When did he breakout?!"_

 _Julian looked down at his suffering father, eyes shrunk with fear. "You mean…if we…if we were home right now…he…wasn't after Pa…he actually…he…"_

 _Julian and Liam barely caught the sound of the distant ambulance sirens approaching the house. They could see the faint red and blue lights flashing through the blinds._

 _A weak cough drew their attention back to the Machamp. Eyes filled with tears, they stared at the man, who gave them a light frown and tearful eyes of his own. "S…Sorry, kids…guess I'm…not as tough as…I-I used to be…"_

 _Hot streams of fluid slid down Julian's cheeks like a waterfall. "NO! Stop talking nonsense! Y-You'll be find! You have to be! You can't…You're not going to die, Pa! Just stay with us! Please!"_

 _Machamp smiled sadly. "…you both…stay true…and stick…together…family needs to…stick together…"_

 _Liam choked with sobs, throwing off his sunglasses, showing his watery eyes. "No…Dad, you…c-c-can't…n-no…"_

" _Can't…s-say I was…t-too happy bringing you in…from the b-beginning…" The Machamp wheezed through his chuckles. "But…I-I don't…r-regret it…"_

 _Julian gripped his shoulders. "Stop talking! You're not dying! GET A GRIP!" Tears flooded his eyes, blinding him from his father's pained face._

 _Machamp rolled his head back and slumped it against the wall, breathing slowly. "…I…had a good life, I guess…plenty of booze…and two wonderful kids…" He sighed. "What a way…to go out…"_

" _PA! NO! STOP! PLEASE!" Julian screamed, hurting his throat. "I'M BEGGING YOU! DON'T LEAVE US! YOU CAN'T DIE! PA! PA!"_

 _Both young adults went cold, watching the Machamp's arms go limp, sliding off his body, and hitting the floor with a muffled thud. A thud that pierced the somber atmosphere like a hot knife._

 _Julian sat on the ground, frozen, blank-faced, with tears streaming unendingly. Liam was silent for a moment, then gradually broke out into cries, growing louder by the minute._

 _They heard hustle through their house, but didn't look away. Medics came into the room and ran over to the Machamp. They pulled Julian and Liam away to tend to the fallen Pokémon properly._

 _Julian broke from his trance when Liam threw himself into the Machoke and sobbed into his jacket. His cries were like that of a child in pain. He dug his claws into the fabric, ripping it only slightly, but Julian paid no mind to it._

 _The Machoke closed his eyes, then wrapped his arms around the Fusion, silently rubbing his back. He, too, cried in silence, but he stared off into space, refusing to believe reality. Eyes glazed in confusion, with thoughts storming for answers._

 _The light in his eyes dimmed. He clutched his brother's jacket tightly. Barely a muscle twitched in his face, with only his eyes dipping down into a fixed stare._

 _A cold, dark, unforgiving glare._

* * *

"AAAHHHH!" Julian screamed, clutching down on his head and throwing himself onto the couch. He squirmed in agony. "NO, NO, NNNOOO!"

Data sighed with somber emotion. "I…am sorry…that you lost someone close to you. Indeed, this feuding has claimed many lives over selfish desire, even in that of a Fusion. Tell me, Julian, what did you feel?"

"SAD!" Julian screamed. "LOST! A…ANGRY!" Tears brimmed from his shut eyes.

"…anger…such a ruthless emotion. Unrelenting when released without restraint. It led you down the unforgiving path…affecting those around you…such as one you once called 'brother.' Is this where the divide between you and Liam started?"

"AAAAAGH!" was all Julian could say, contorting on the couch in anguish.

Data's sensors blinked softly. "There is more to this memory that you wish not to remember…you don't want to relive _that_ memory, do you? A memory where you were at your worst." Julian's screams gradually died down, now left as sharp pants as he endured the burning in his mind. "Such a sad life we live in. I wonder where this anger took you both."

Data blinked his sensors again. "This is what we want to prevent. Do you wish a second fate to befall another? You want to stop this pain? Then you must do what is right. Rid us of Liam so that we can make our hopes and dreams come true. All shall become Fusions…and we will force this world to accept peace."

The burning in Julian's head stopped. The memories stopped flooding into his mind. He panted, exhausted and weary. He held his face, covering the tears in his eyes. Data hummed quietly. "…still have any hesitance against the plan?"

Julian sat up, breathed quietly for a moment, then glanced at the cube with reddened, tearful eyes, flashing a low red glow. "…no…"

"Then you know what must be done. Do what is right for the good of the world."

"…right."

* * *

Back in Gappei Village, in the conspiracy hut, Vivi was hard at work uncovering the whereabouts of the doomsday machine and Data.

…okay, she wasn't. She was actually passed at her desk, drooling on top of some papers. Her elytra (the wing casings hidden under her feathered cloak) opened periodically with a light buzz of her wings. "…numbers…Data…clues…" she muttered sleepily.

The hut doors flew open and Codex zipped into the room. "Miss Vivi? Are you present?" He spotted the ladybug archer at her desk. "Ah, good." He flew over to her. "I was hoping to discuss a recent issue that has come to my…attention…" He blinked at the sleeping Fusion, rubbing his chin a couple times. "Hmm, I seem to have caught her during an unscheduled sleep cycle." He reached down and sent a small jolt to the back of her neck.

Vivi shrieked and flew back from her seat. "The professor did it!" She landed onto her head and rested on her stomach. "Uggghhh…"

Codex looked around. "Pray tell, where is Eddie?"

Vivi pulled herself up and rubbed her aching head. "He and that weird crab fellow snuck off to get a drink."

"Ah, I was wondering where Crawford went off to."

Vivi stood up and dusted herself off. "So, I figured I could take a little nap…which turned into me passing out."

Codex crossed his arms. "Well, I am glad I caught you when I did. I have picked up on some rather fascinating information."

Vivi's bulbous eyes sparkled. "Ooh! Show me, show me, show me!"

The Rotom-Porygon-Z flashed his eyes, then projected an image on the wall. Vivi held her chin, then gasped as she saw the news articles and videos relating to the recent Fusion attacks going around. Buildings being broken into, property being destroyed, police holding off hostile looking Fusions, etc.

Vivi cringed at the sight. "Ooooh…that doesn't look good…"

"A sudden spike in crime," Codex stated. "Fusions have started acting up overnight. Coincidence, but I feel there is an unknown element playing into it. Various cities all over the regions are under fire."

"Odd…" She tilted her head and stared at the screen quizzically. "Wait, does that mean we're under attack?"

"Negative." Codex switched over to the Grandis City cameras and shifted through various views of the city. "Streets are normal and crime is not in progress."

Vivi blinked at him. "You just…have access to the city's cameras? …that's so flippin' cool!"

"Perhaps it is a virus going around," Codex suggested. "Perhaps another product of the Rogues to induce rage."

"Seems a little much. Show me a worldview of the regions." Codex switched to the requested image, showing off where the crimes were taking place. Vivi stared at it closely, then blinked. "Wait…" She tapped on Kanto, which lacked red dots like the rest of the regions. "Kanto's barely touched, especially around this area. Everywhere else is pretty spread out. Not much, especially around this area."

"Hmm…I have noticed that. A peculiarity."

Vivi narrowed her eyes. "There's not much focus around here…is it possible someone's causing this in Kanto? Something about this doesn't make a lick of sense. Why is most of Kanto not being swamped with Fusions like the rest?"

"Perhaps there is an answer to how our unknown epidemic came about. If not a biological occurrence, it is likely a mental influence."

Vivi looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"A logical way this could have happened overnight was the use of the internet." He ceased projecting and lit his eyes up once more. "Allow me to connect to the internet so I may find a connection."

Codex went into a blank trance, with Vivi patiently tapping her foot in wait. She expected him to take at least ten minutes, but was surprised he came to in about ten _seconds._ He had a look of fascination to him, and perhaps confusion.

"Hmm…"

"Hmm?!" Vivi hummed loudly. "What does 'hmm' mean?!"

"It is an expression of-"

"I mean what did you find?!"

"Ah. Well, I picked up a trace of a connection sent out to multiple sources…all around the world, in fact. Targeted specifically to computers, phones, tablets, or any electronic device belonging to a Fusion. The signal seems to have come from…Profectus Inc."

Vivi raised her brow. "Profectus Inc.? From who, though?"

"That is the part that confuses me. I traced the source to a specific computer. I am unsure why, but the message was sent from the computer of…Julian Roteman."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Roteman?! He's making those Fusions go berserk?!"

"For once, I do not understand why this is. It is uncharacteristic of the man we have seen."

Vivi held her chin and glared off to the side. "…hold on…hasn't Roteman been a little reclusive lately? I heard around the village that he's been acting weird over the last several weeks. He hasn't been very insistent on sharing those lab files, either. It's a stretch, but…it's almost like he didn't want me anywhere near the truth…" She paced around the room. "Odd…Codex, when did everyone say he started acting different?"

"Around the time the Unovian lab was discovered."

Vivi glared. "How…unusual." She crossed her arms and glared straight at her board of notes and clues. "If Profectus Inc. is connected to all of this…"

Codex raised his brow. "Miss Vivi, what are you thinking?"

"…I think I'm going to break into another highly secure building."

* * *

"That's it! Almost done! We need everything packed away!" Zoey ordered the Rogues as they got boxes stacked in the center of their base. "No slacking! We'll be ditching this dump soon!"

Sunny flew up to her side and added, "First team to get it done gets free ice cream!"

Zoey pinched between her eyes. "Sunny, no one's getting ice cream."

"Aaawww…can I still have ice cream?" she pleaded to her guardian.

Zoey smiled dryly and patted her head. "Sure, why not?" Sunny squealed.

Norris watched the Rogues work from a distance. "…I can't believe we're actually moving out of this dump."

Mikayla walked up to him and leaned against the wall. "Eli said our new hideout is completely secure and hidden. We should be able to live peacefully and continue selling our weapons." She smiled. "I'm surprised you're finally onboard with this."

"Still uncertain, but…" He sighed and held his head. "Even I deserve to be happy, right?" Mikayla smiled happily.

"Best way of looking at it, my glorious leader." The two spotted Eli walking up to them, with a clipboard in one hand and a manila folder in the other. "Cyrox has always been a trusting companion. He guarantees total seclusion from the Pokémon. You have my word."

"Good…" Norris jabbed his chest. "Because I'm holding you accountable should anything screw up."

Eli snickered. "I'll take that risk." He waved his clipboard at the boxes. "We should be ready to get this stuff shipped off in a day or two. Say goodbye to living in the dump and hello to criminal paradise!"

Norris rolled his eyes, then looked at the folder in his hand. "…Eli, what is that folder for?"

"Hmm?" He held it up, then smirked. "Oh, this is just a little going away present for those Gappei Fusions."

"You…got them a present?" Mikayla mumbled, scratching her head with a confused face.

Norris glared. "What's in the folder?"

Eli waved it around carelessly. "I've gathered all the information I want from the Gappei Fusions to make weapons modeled after their abilities. I figured I might as well give them some information they've desired for a long time."

Norris raised his brow. "What…information?"

Eli smirked. "About their little Spinda friend. I found some juicy information about her that even took me by surprise." He chuckled. "I never expected anything from such an innocent, unassuming girl…but I saw that look in her eyes. I know it wasn't her true self."

"What?" Mikayla asked cautiously.

A dark grinned crawled onto the poisoner's face. "Seems that little panda isn't as innocent as she leads herself to be. A rose with thorns laced with the deadliest of poisons."


	48. Curious Minds, Suspicious News

With the sudden news about Fusions running rampant around the world, the council pushed their attention on the matter and reviewed their findings. They were watching a video on the big monitor and, frankly, were disturbed by the carnage taking place.

Someone managed to get video of a group of Fusions firing attacks on cars and buildings. A Carbink-Venonat, a very young one, fired off Signal Beam into a crowd of Pokémon, nailing direct shots with its Compoundeyes ability. A Dedenne-Oricorio was causing mass confusion with their Teeter Dance. There was a Leafon-Reshiram of all things setting the entire town ablaze with their fiery tail.

That was the basic idea of what was going on everywhere, and it was not pretty.

Liam shut the video off and turned back to his fellow councilmen, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "So…I think we can all agree this is…unnatural."

Peregrine sneered. "Either the entire Fusion community collectively snapped in one night or something's forcing them to attack."

"I readily agree with Peregrine," Abraham seconded. "Those weren't just teenagers or adults we were watching. Some of them are very young kids from the looks of it."

Lewis leaned back. "With so many acting the way they are, I doubt this is a conscious decision. There's no reason for all these Fusions to be acting so _irrationally_."

"There's nothing we can really do about it," Cade mentioned. "We have numbers, but this is too much for even us to handle. At the very least, securing the village should be top priority."

"I'll manage that myself," Lewis offered. "We can't know for certain if this is an affliction or outside force taking over."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "I don't know what the rest of you are worried about? I say we just fly in and beat some sense into those troublesome miscreants!"

"Not even you can take on hundreds of Fusions," Lewis pointed out, "much less around the world."

Peregrine slapped his leek down. "Wanna bet?!"

Gracelyn held her hands up. "That's quite enough, you two. Unfortunately, Cade is right. This is way out of our hands. We've only prepared our Fusions for small crimes, not global rioting."

Abraham leaned back. "At the very least, the police are getting a hold of the situation as we speak. Very soon, the Fusion Hunters will step in and round up all the Fusions until, hopefully, whatever is causing them riot will run its course."

Lewis sighed. "No doubt a lot of parents are going to be unhappy with their kids being taken into custody."

"It's for their own protection at this point," Abraham reminded, scrolling through the video's comments. "Seems some are glad they're being arrested. Some of these are from parents worried about their children."

Liam sighed and held his face. "Fusion Hunters…" He grumbled under his breath, but his irritation was clear as day.

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "Chief, I understand your contempt with the Fusion Hunters, but this is truly for their own good."

Liam rubbed his face and drooped his hand over the side of his chair. "I suppose, but…just doesn't feel right, knowing those Fusions might not be of sound mind…"

"The Fusion Hunters, while not the most honest folk, are our only hope of keeping crime stable," Cade pointed out. "They know better than to detain Fusions of innocence."

"Still, I…" He was interrupted midsentence when his cell phone rang. He swiped it off the table. "Hmm?" He read the caller ID, then immediately frowned. "…It's Julian."

The room was silent, save for the periodic buzzing. The other councilmen awkwardly stared at each other, hoping one would speak up. Seeing as Liam was just staring at his phone, Lewis asked, "You, uh…going to answer that?"

Liam gazed at him briefly, then sighed before standing up. "I'll be but a moment." He grabbed his staff and sped out of the hut. He stopped out back and rested his staff against the building. He answered the call and held the device to his ear. "What do you want, Julian?"

"…we need to talk."

 _Odd way to start a conversation._ Liam narrowed his eyes. "About what?"

"About our…issues. About _things_ you refuse to discuss."

Liam closed his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're lying through your teeth. Don't pretend you don't see it. We're both thinking the same thing. You and I aren't exactly on the best terms with each other." Liam heard the Machamp sigh over the phone. "…do you know how worried I was when you ran away?"

"I wouldn't know." Liam glared. "After what you did, why should I care?"

"Liam, that was a long time ago."

"You went too far when you went after that Fusion on your own. Do you know how worried _I_ was? And what do I find? You taking your anger out on Dad's killer."

"He killed him…"

"It was an accident! The police confirmed he wasn't actively trying to kill Dad! They both acted out of self-defense! You still went after him, practically torturing him for who KNOWS how long! I had to cover for you when the police found him!"

"Sound familiar?"

Liam growled. "Don't turn this around on me! No one here tortured innocents for hours! You, however, went TOO far!"

He heard a low grumble from the Machamp. "Then maybe it's time we settle this little dispute once and for all."

Liam eased up, but raised his brow suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"You want to talk? Fine. You and me. Johto. We'll meet at our childhood home and settle this."

Lia narrowed his eyes. "…That city was deserted years ago."

"I know. I figured it would be the perfect place to…well, for lack of a better term, take a stroll down memory lane."

The godly ape wasn't liking what he was hearing. Something about Julian's quiet tone concerned the Fusion. It didn't carry his jovial and charismatic attitude. There was no emotion to pick out from it. "Julian, what's this abo-?"

"Meet me there. By midnight. I know you can make it before then. Don't be late."

"Wait, Julian!" The call ended immediately after. Liam held up his phone and stared at the screen with grim concern. "Something's not right…"

* * *

"Really? At such short notice, too?" Cade asked as he and the other council members stood outside the village gate with Liam.

"Why the sudden rush?" Lewis asked.

Liam rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "It would seem Julian booked a meeting out in Johto with their regional committee and wanted me to come along. He figures having the head of Gappei Village will help with settling the…Fusion crimes taking place."

Gracelyn crossed her arms. "Are you sure you wish to go?" She narrowed her eyes sympathetically. "I mean, you and Julian will have to…"

Liam held his hand up. "It will only be for a day or two. Julian and I promised to talk things out over brunch."

Gracelyn sighed. "If you're certain…"

Liam looked between the five. "I expect you all to keep things running smoothly in my absence. Think you can handle it?"

Abraham smiled boldly and settled a hand over his chest. "Not a reason to worry, chief. We have a good handle on things."

Peregrine smirked. "Heh, I haven't had to reprimand anyone in days. I think we'll be fine without you."

Liam nodded, then turned his back to them. "Very good." He tapped his staff down twice. "I shall not be gone long." He used Extreme Speed and vanished in an instant, blowing dust away in a ring.

Lewis waved his hand across the air, narrowing his eyes curiously. "His aura seemed a little shaky…I don't think he was giving us the full story."

Peregrine rolled his eyes. "He said it's just a meeting."

"It's never _just a meeting_ with those two."

Gracelyn pressed her hands together like she was praying. "I do hope Liam takes my advice wisely. He has been awfully stressed lately."

Peregrine nudged her side. "You've got nothing to worry about. Julian probably just wants Liam to discuss the progress we're making out here in Kanto."

She sighed. "Yes, I suppose you're right."

Cade grinned and waved them towards the gate. "Oh, Liam will be fine. What's the worst that could happen? Anyway, let's grab ourselves a drink. I'm sure everyone can handle themselves without needing our…help?" Cade's eyes gazed down at the ground and spotted something yellow laying on the ground. "Where'd that come from?"

He knelt down and picked it up, brushing off some of the dirt. A manila folder. He turned it over a couple times and found it was completely blank.

"Did someone drop our mail?" Cade asked aloud as he stood up.

Lewis snatched the folder from his hand and gave it a look himself. "No address or anything. This wasn't sent through our normal mail." He shook it a couple times. "There is something inside, though."

Peregrine fluttered up and perched himself on Cade's head. "I've seen something like this in my soap operas. Maybe it's a blackmail envelope!"

Abraham held his chin. "Curious…perhaps we should take a gander inside."

"Good call. Come on." Lewis opened the gates and led them back to the council hut.

* * *

An hour after making his call with Liam, Julian headed down to his lab and got his station prepped up. Albert stood by, having been called down to assist with his boss' plan. Though, it was quite clear Julian's plans left the Cacturne a little concern.

"Sir, maybe you should reconsider."

"Not a chance, Gates," Julian stated firmly as he grabbed a swivel chair and rolled it over to the worktable. "I made my choice and will stick with it."

"Did you also get yourself life insurance, because you could very well throw your life away!" Albert shouted. "This is ridiculous! Going this far and now you'll be putting your health at risk!"

Julian sat down and started removing his suit. "Gates, I have lost my patience with that ape and now I need to settle the score."

"You're throwing yourself into a cage match with a _Slaking-Arceus_ ," Albert emphasized critically. "Do I need to spell out the kind of danger you're promising yourself? The second you throw the first punch, the very moment Liam realizes you're out to _end_ him, he won't hold back. You two are already on the fence with this…friendship of yours."

Julian glared over his shoulder. "I appreciate your concern, Albert, but I'm not turning back." He gripped down on the table tightly. "Besides, I need to settle what we didn't finish last time."

"Pardon?"

The Machamp shook his head. "It's nothing." He threw his blazer onto the ground. "Just prep me for injection."

Albert grabbed an alcohol wipe and, just as Julian threw off his buttoned shirt, wiped down a spot on his upper arm. "You realize what will happen, right?"

"Yes."

"And you don't even _want_ to reconsider stepping down?"

"No."

"Not _even_ a little?"

Julian groaned irritably. "Enough prattling!" he shouted, eyes flashing red for a second. "I said it once and I'll say it a thousand times! I've made up my mind!"

Albert picked up an injector gun and held up a vial of Enhancer Serum. There were seven vials in total present. "I feel it's worth reminding you the effects are irreversible once it bonds to your genetic structure. Once I use this, there's no going back. Plus, the side effects…"

Julian shook his head. "Forget about all that. And don't worry about the side effects. I've been working day and night to perfect the batch. This should be completely without negative side effects."

"Um… _should_?"

Julian glared. "I need to get stronger. This is the only way I can ever dream of matching Liam in a fight."

Albert loaded one of the vials in the injector. "I don't know. We've never had to use seven on one body. We don't know what'll happen if you activate this power. You could tear your muscles apart or worse."

The Machamp glared at him, undeterred. "I've made my choice. Now do it."

Albert gave up and sighed in defeat. He looked over the injector and made sure the vial was fastened in. "Your funeral."

Julian threw off the undershirt he had on, revealing his bare chest. Stretched across his blue body was a long, grayish scar. A long, jagged cut from the looks of it, too, like he was attacked by someone in a frenzy.

Albert placed the injector against his upper arm. He muttered, "Time to see if all your research pays off…" He pulled the trigger, injecting the red fluid into Julian.

* * *

Back at Gappei Village, Wash and Juniper were gathered in the ghost frog's hut and planning for a picnic date for later in the day. Wash was getting the supplies and stuff in order while Juniper made their sandwiches in the kitchen. Not once did the sleepy panda snooze or slack off to get out of work. She was just as excited to spend time with Wash as he was with her.

As Juniper wrapped one of the sandwiches in plastic wrap, she threw a light grin over her shoulder. "I still don't get why you gave away all those pillows I gave you. Don't you want to sleep in your own fluffy palace of wonder and happiness?"

Wash folded their picnic blanket, then turned around. "There was no way I was sleeping with those pillows stacked over me. It just wasn't happening." He glanced to the side, then walked over to the couch. "Stillll…I didn't get rid of _all_ of them."

He picked up a red, heart-shaped pillow with 'W+J' embroidered on the front in pink thread. Juniper blushed and held her cheeks with a big smile. "D'aww! Wash!"

Wash blushed as well. "It would've been rude to get rid of them all. They were your gifts. I just kept this one because…well, it makes me happy."

Juniper giggled girlishly and teetered on one foot. "You're so sweet!"

Wash laughed bashfully and threw the pillow back onto the couch. "Yeah, I guess." He tossed the folded blanket over to her, which she caught and shoved into the picnic basket. "How's the food coming along?"

"Great!" She started placing the sandwiches in. "Once the pie's finished and cooled, we can head out."

"I didn't know you baked."

"I don't, but…" Juniper grinned. "Sheila was more than happy to give me a recipe. She said you'll love it, so I took her word for it."

Wash chuckled. "How nice of her."

Juniper grabbed the basket and skipped over to him, dancing around like she was fluttering on air. Wash couldn't keep a straight face, finding it jarring to see the panda so bouncy and bubbly. She was normally more laidback and…drowsy in normal conversation. It was too adorable for words.

She spun in front of him, then sneaked a quick kiss on his cheek before handing him the basket. "Here you go!"

Wash held his cheek and laughed before taking the basket with his other hand. "Thank yo-WAH!" The second Juniper let go, all the weight of the basket threw the frog to the ground. He quickly sprung up and heaved the basket off the ground, then set it on the dining table. "Did you replace the bread with bricks or something?" He opened the basket and shuffled through the food, then his face fell into a deadpan expression. He turned and faced his girlfriend. "Jun?"

"Yes~?" she asked innocently.

"…there's four cases of diet cola on the bottom."

Juniper kept her best poker face while pulling on her ear in a guilty, playful demeanor. "Gee…wonder how those got in there…"

Wash closed the lid. "You _really_ like soda, don't you?"

"We've been dating for a while. I think the answer is more than obvious."

"Isn't this a little excessive? We're just going to be alone for an hour or two."

Juniper shrugged. "Hey, I see no problem. I've practically got blood made of pure soda. Besides, who cares? I can quit anytime I want!" she proudly stated, holding her hips.

Wash held his own and shot her a smirk. "Then no soda on our date."

Juniper laughed and held her hand up. "Slow your roll, Washy. I said whenever _I_ want, not when _you_ want." She flicked a soda out of her sleeve and opened it.

Wash rolled his eyes, but still smirked and laughed under his breath. _Of course._

Juniper threw herself onto the couch and took a sip. Wash joined and sat close to her side. Juniper leaned back in the couch and smiled at him. "…this is nice."

"Yeah, it really is." Feeling a little bold, Wash wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Juniper buzzed with giggles and snuggled up to his side. She slurped on her soda, which prompted a curious question from the ghost frog. "Sssooo…I don't think I've ever asked. Why do you like drinking soda so much?"

"Hmm?" She looked at the front of her can, then shrugged. "I don't know. I just like this particular brand. No big deal."

Wash nudged her. "I think we established you have soda blood."

Juniper chuckled. "Ironic for a lethargic Spinda to be fueled by caffeine." She sipped her soda again. "Okay, _maybe_ I'm a little addicted to soda. Can't help myself. Not like anything bad has happened to me yet."

"You do manage to stay fit, I'll give you that."

She winked. "Hey, I do keep myself in shape, mister!" She leaned back deeper into the couch. "I'm just so used to drinking soda. My pappy always gave me a can every day. Became a bit of a tradition by that point."

Wash raised his brow. "Your pappy…as in your father?"

Juniper covered her mouth. "Woops!" She chuckled softly and shook her can. "Don't want to give you an unfair advantage in your betting circle. I think I'm getting too comfortable around you."

Wash chuckled and shook his head. "Eh, don't be. I pulled out of the betting circle a long while ago."

"Hmm? Really?"

"I told you, I don't like prying into your personal life. It's your business, not mine." He smiled. "Doesn't mean I don't want to know who you were. You seem to make a big deal saying you were a completely different person."

Juniper grinned. "Ever met anyone this cheery?"

"Can't say I have."

Juniper smirked. "So, what exactly were you betting on? Who did you think I was?"

A solemn smile crossed his features as he looked down into his lap. "I had my guesses, but…the further I got to know you, I was betting on you…kind of being like me. You sound like you were like me. Hiding away the demons and becoming someone that anyone can like."

"Same reason I was fascinated with you," Juniper added.

Wash frowned. "Yeah…only, I suppose the difference is, you can control yourself…"

Juniper's smile dipped, barely in a neutral state. "…" She looked ahead at the wall, gripping tightly on her soda. "…you don't talk about home a whole lot."

"Neither do you."

"Yeah, but I don't talk about myself. Your history is plain as day." She glanced at his slouched demeanor. "It was horrible, wasn't it?"

"You don't know the half of it. How often I wished I left sooner before everything went to hell. Maybe I wouldn't have left such a bad impression on them." He folded his arms in his lap. "Even if I wanted to, I might never be allowed to enter my hometown again. Might get arrested on the spot…" He gripped his leg firmly. "Or worse…"

Juniper snorted quietly, trying to make light of the somber mood. Didn't seem to work much, but she tried. "I say stay away from there. You could do _so_ much better than that Arceus forsaken town." She gestured around the room. "This place is a start." She sipped her soda.

Wash sighed. "I feel bad for what I did, even if everyone didn't like me. It's one thing to act out of self-defense, but…I had no recollection of what I did until I woke up on the ground. I attacked everyone who got in my way." He held his face. "Everyone must hate me from hell to back…it's a miracle Barbatos didn't actually _kill_ someone…"

The sleepy panda showed an awkward smile. "Heh…how absurd."

Wash peeked from his hands. "Huh…?"

"It's absurd…to hate a sweet guy like you. Some Fusions deserve it, while others like you…just no." She scooched closer to him and rested her head into the crook of his neck. "…Was it always like that for you? Running, hiding, and hoping no one hurt you?"

Wash gazed at the floor darkly. "…yes…every day…" He closed his eyes. "…I sympathize with Ghost-Types a lot."

"Hmm? How come?"

"Ghosts can sense the presence of the dead. See their spirits if they're around. My Banette side harbors grudges, so I know what the feeling of vengeance feels like." He held his face. "…Research on my town shows…they've done Fusion Trials in the past."

Juniper's eyes widened. "Oh…oh, Washy…"

He gripped his arm, visibly shaking. "It was like living in my own nightmare world…stuck in a horror movie on loop. No exaggerated ghostly moans, but…the cries of anguish and despair were there."

His girlfriend grimaced before rubbing his back. "Yikes…you Ghost-Types don't have it easy." She then cooed, "You poor thing…"

Wash gritted his teeth. "It was horrible to listen to at night. I don't know I didn't go mad sooner…"

"You're not crazy. I promise." Juniper looked down at the ground, eyes narrowed in consideration. She gave a few quick glances back at him before fully facing. "…if we're sharing…I guess…you could say I never had the best childhood either."

The shaking in his body lessened as he faced her in light concern. "H…Huh?"

"It…wasn't all that fun in the beginning. But…I never truly cared, so it didn't matter. Nothing did…" She shook her head and got back on track. "Then I got older and…saw what other Fusions experienced through their eyes. I saw a lot of sad and lonely Fusions. I pitied them, but…my pappy told me I shouldn't. Not to be disrespectful…but the opposite.

"All he did was smile and…that seemed to lift their spirits. It was weird, yet…also infectious. I asked myself 'Why should I miserable with them instead of…just smiling?'" She then smiled caringly at him. "I figured…one little bit of optimism can clear those gloomy skies. It won't stop the rain from coming back, but…at least we know the sun will still be shining. Isn't that what a sun is? A bright smile of hope?"

Wash felt the tension in him lessen into nothing. He breathed in, slowing his beating heart, then smiled back. "Y-Yeah…I guess you're right…"

Juniper grinned, set her soda on the coffee table, then threw her arms around him, which he happily reciprocated. "And if it makes you happy, I'll keep on smiling forever!"

"You…" Wash chuckled lightly, tears brimming from his eyes. "You already do that…"

She pulled back and booped him on the nose. "Then you know I'm good on my word."

Wash smiled brightly, eyes shimmering, then leaned his forehead against hers. "Thank you, Jun…heh, I know I can always count on you to make me feel better…"

She gave a light peck on the cheek before snuggling up to him. "You're very welcome…"

* * *

The council stood around the tables, eyes wide and focused on the material spread around. Confusion filled their curious minds, staring at newspaper clippings and photos, with red ink circling particular passages. Specific figures were picked out among the photos.

By figures, it was the same figure. A blurry image of a young Spinda, barely visible through the crowds.

Peregrine narrowed his eyes seriously, gripping on his leek to relieve built up tension. "Anyone else getting that weird tingling feeling in the back of their necks?"

Lewis picked through the photos and examined them with great deals of skepticism. "This has to be a joke."

Abraham picked a newspaper passage and skimmed through it. "I long await the dreaded punchline."

Cade held a set of papers in both hands. "Who on earth could've sent this? And why?"

"It's obvious they're trying to tell us something," Lewis pointed out. "I'm just hoping it's not for the reason we're all dreading."

Gracelyn laughed uncomfortably, her legs buckling under her weight. "N-Now, now, we shouldn't be so hasty. This has to be some big misunderstanding. We very likely got the wrong mail, that's all."

Peregrine sneered. "Specific mail without an address? Quit kidding yourself, Grace."

"I'm only trying to lighten the mood, dearie…"

Abraham grabbed a file, stared at it, then looked up at Lewis. "What's the date on that photo?" Most of the photos had specific months and years written out in red ink.

Lewis closed his eyes. "…April, sometime ten years ago."

Abraham picked up an article and cleared his throat. "Well, I've got a bit of unfortunate news. 'Dragonite general found dead on the streets of Nimbasa City. Suspect Unknown and still at large.'" He looked around at his colleagues. "This isn't a pretty picture we're painting."

Cade narrowed his eyes. "And there's a whole lot of them like that."

Lewis growled and threw the photo down on the table. "Don't get ahead of yourselves. This still might be a misunderstanding."

Peregrine glared at the photos of the circled Spinda. "Yeah, and this in NNNOOO way looks the least bit suspicious. Even if most of these photos are in black and white, you can still make out the dominant color of red over their body. And the added fluff of their fur. That's not a natural Spinda coat."

Lewis shook his head, gripping on his seamitar. "I…can see that, yes, but…"

Gracelyn reached out and touched his shoulder. "Lewis, these photos and articles came to us for a reason. This couldn't have been a mere mailing accident, as much as I want to believe that. What we see is what we get."

Abraham nodded. "Indeed. The evidence isn't concrete, for there is no actual proof. However, someone made this distinct connection and sent it to us. For all reason to believe-"

Lewis slammed his hands down on the table. "I know we all see it, I'm not blind, but be honest with yourselves! Do any of you honestly believe Juniper has been going around the world and killing people?!"

Dead silence came about after. The four other councilmen looked to each other with concerned eyes, while Lewis huffed continuously, reigning in his anger. He pinched between his eyes and shuddered with a long sigh. The silence was uncomfortable. Everyone was hesitant to give their opinion on the manner.

Lewis breathed out, then raised his head. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have lost my temper like that…"

Gracelyn nodded. "It is alright…it's a hard matter to address…"

Cade held a clipping up. "Like you said, we can't go into this blindly. Look, the Spinda is blurred out in this photo. It's not like it's uncommon to find a young Spinda at a crime scene…right?" He shook his head. "Regardless of that, it may not be a Fusion. It could happen to be some random Spinda, that's all."

Gracelyn nodded in swift agreement. "Exactly! We can't let details like this cloud our judgment."

A loud, annoyed grunt interjected. They faced the scowling steel duck, who had his wings crossed and was tapping his feet on the table. "Yeah, yeah, real cute and faithful, but there's a problem in your logic: we don't have proof she DIDN'T do it!" He pointed around the pictures. "I count eight murders, presumably from a Spinda. The kid has only been here for four years and _this_ one looks pretty young!"

Lewis glared. "Peregrine…"

"Don't go getting angry with me, I'm just stating the facts. Juniper doesn't have a paint-by-numbers history we can use to disprove this crap! We know nothing of her life other than her soda addiction!"

Abraham raised his brow at him. "You can't possibly believe-"

"The kid's a saint sent down by Arceus himself! Of course I don't buy any of this garbage! What I do think, though, is that there's something fishy about all this." Peregrine glared. "Juniper would never kill. She's too pure to be like that. But…the kid talks a lot about duality and masks…we've heard her say things like 'leaving behind the old me I dislike and becoming the new me that _everyone_ will like.' The hell would that mean?"

Gracelyn held her chin. "Hmm…are you suggesting that Juniper…changed?"

"What I'm _saying_ is that this isn't an open-and-shut case. Did Juniper have motives? Why would she be killing anyone at her age? How could she if she's just some kid? Who were these people that would make her want to kill them? We need the facts. Until then, innocent until proven guilty."

Lewis grumbled in discomfort, but ultimately nodded. "Fine…but this stays between us. We can't go causing a panic."

"Should we inform Liam?" Gracelyn asked.

"He's got his own problems. We'll deal with this ourselves." Lewis gathered up the papers. "Cade, you and Abraham figure out who these people were and see what would've motivated their deaths."

Abraham nodded. "Of course."

"You can count on me!" Cade proudly stated.

Peregrine smirked. "Good. We can get this over with and write this crap off as utter nonsense."

The council exited the hut and went their separate ways to continue with their daily tasks/assignments. Sadly, it wasn't as private as they had hoped. If only Lewis was in a calmer state of mind halfway through the meeting. First go around, he sensed around the building to make sure eavesdroppers weren't around. He got too heated for his own good, otherwise the spying shadow would've been ejected immediately.

Quinn stepped out of the shadows, holding his mouth in utter shock and confusion. It was an accident. He was walking by with a book when he overhead Lewis shouting inside. His good-natured morals told him to stay away and not involve himself, but perhaps Artemis' influences tempted him to eavesdrop. He swore Lewis would sense him and remove him, but he got off lucky…much to his dismay.

He carefully walked away from the hut, then took off running. _What…What was that all about? Juniper?_ He shook his head. _N-No! This is just some stupid misunderstanding! But…is it?_ He glared and took off running in search of his hut mates.

* * *

With Profectus Inc. without its president for the time being, Julian's office was free and spacious. A perfect place to stay low for Data. As a last request from the cube, Julian brought and left him on his desk, much to his confusion. Data explained he'll be fine on his own. Perhaps that was more of a half-truth, for he didn't intend to spend the next couple days in solitude.

Sitting in Julian's chair was a figure draped in the shadows of the dark room. The windows were tinted. The figure was using a screwdriver and messing with certain points on the cube's body. They were undoing the locks on the containment unit.

"You've set up quite the mess of a plan here…"

"I had to make do with what I had," Data insisted. "Things will go far more smoothly once I am released. Then we can get started on setting up the machine."

The figure picked at a panel that opened up. "You sent Julian to his grave. Even with the modifications, how well will the Enhancer Serum hold up with his body?"

"Depends on how strong he is." Data sighed. "I feel sorry for what I must do. Using him as a mere pawn. We had our…tense moments, but I thought we truly bonded in our time together. Still, sacrifices must be made."

"And what of Gappei Village?"

"Once I am released, I'll get to sorting that out, as well as helping my imprisoned associates. If all goes according to my design, there should be no worry." A turning gear ticked within the shell of his containment. "The next couple of days will be unpleasant, but that is all in the name of peace."

"…heh." The figure turned the screwdriver, earning a satisfying click from one of the locks. Purple, spatial energy seeped out from the top corner. "It's going to be one hell of a weekend."


	49. The Truth Hurts All

At the recreation area of the village, Artemis was at a picnic table with two other Fusions. She smirked and waved her paw around, having just finished with a very lengthy and…odd conversation. "Annnd, those are all the reasons why you shouldn't trust my word blindly!" She leaned forward, holding her chin in her paws. "Any questions?"

She was talking to a Dodrio-Zweilous and a Komala-Musharna. The former was black-furred with blue skin. Their most striking feature was their five heads. The latter was a pink and purple Komala whose body was asleep on the bench and hugging her log. From the spot on her forehead, pink mist was seeping out and taking the form of said Komala, sitting by her Comatose body.

She looked around awkwardly. "Um…yeah, who are you again?"

"And can we leave now?" one of the Dodrio heads grumbled.

"You've been talking for fifteen minutes!" another shouted much more passionately.

Artemis laughed proudly and held her paw to her chest. "Now, now, I'm only offering useful advice to make your first few days in our village easier. You'll see what I mean in time." She smirked. "Would you like to try the chili I made for dinner?"

"Um…" they muttered hesitantly.

Before she could get an answer, Artemis was pulled by the feelers and reeled from her seat. "WAH!" She fell into the awaiting arms of her boyfriend, who seemed to be uncharacteristically frazzled. "Huh…Spooks?" She paid no mind to his expression and petted him with her feelers. "Heeey! How are you doing, my nightmare flame? I was just talking to some of the new guys and…"

Quinn shushed her by pressing his claw to her lips. "Not right now. This is important."

She smirked and pushed his hand away. "More important than me? What nonsense~," she purred.

Quinn clenched his eyes shut and growled. "Artemis, I said not now…"

The mischievous Fusion ceased her flirting and began showing her concern, now seeing the stress in his face. "Quinn, are you okay? You don't look so good." She patted his cheeks with her feelers. "You feel pale, too…"

He held one of the feelers in his hand for comfort. "I feel sick, but for other reasons…" He sighed and glared seriously at her. "I need you and Ren to come with me for a moment. Something came up just now and…" He sighed and held his face, shivering. "I…I really hope what I heard is a misunderstanding…"

Now Artemis was growing worried. "Spooks, what's wrong? What came up?"

He glanced at the two Fusions near them, then pulled her away. "We can't discuss this in public."

"Um…okay…" She waved to the Fusions. "Sorry to ditch and run, but I've got to go!"

The Komala-Musharna raised her hands and waved it off, laughing nervously. "N-No, no, we understand! We won't hold you up!"

"Y-Yeah, go on ahead!" the third head of the Dodrio Fusion insisted.

"Good riddance," one of the heads spoke up. The other four and the Komala glared at him. "What? We're all thinking it!"

Artemis shot that particular Dodrio head a sharp glare before letting herself be led away by Quinn. She matched his brisk pace, keeping a feeler around his wrist. "Sweetie, you owe me an explanation."

"I don't want to say anything until I get confirmation…" He closed his eyes. "However…it has something to do with Juniper."

"Eh? What'd she do that got you riled up?"

Quinn glared. "I may have a lead on her past…"

Artemis gasped. "Really?!" She pumped her paw. "Yes! That betting circle is as good as ours!"

Quinn shook his head. "That's just it…" Artemis eased up as Quinn sped up his pace. "…I'm hoping to the heavens and back that I'm completely wrong."

* * *

With Julian gone on his 'business' meeting, Brea was left to attend to his duties. A normal procedure she has grown accustomed to. She floated around the building, telekinetically writing on her clipboard with her arms crossed. She pushed up on her glasses and stared ahead as she came up to her office.

"Another long day…how riveting…" She let herself in and shut the door behind her. "I hate when he doesn't inform me of his trips. I didn't even know he planned for a business meeting…" She landed in her chair and set her clipboard down. She took her glasses off and wiped them down with a rag.

She couldn't help but stare at the lenses with a contemplative look. It was normal for the Machamp to be swamped with work, but she should've gotten word of this surprise meeting ahead of time. Even if it just came up, he's quick to notify her.

"One of many odd behaviors lately…" She placed her glasses back on and sighed. "…he sure did leave in a hurry. Practically rushed out the door." She rubbed her temples. "He better not be getting himself into trouble." She shook her head and groaned. "Keep calm, Brea, Julian is a rational man. He wouldn't do anything stupid…"

She went to her clipboard to review her notes when suddenly her desk phone rang. She sighed and dropped the board once more before picking up the phone. She cleared her throat and switched to her normal, professional tone. "Hel-"

"The jig is up, Julian Roteman!" A loud, shrill voice came through the phone and assaulted the Musharna's eardrums. She pulled the phone away as the caller went on, "You thought you were clever, but it was I who out clevered you! Wait, is 'clevered' a word? BAH, whatever! I know _all_ your secrets! Now, confess to your crimes!"

Brea was silently contemplating if this was the strangest call she has ever gotten or not. She has gotten her fair share of prank phone calls, but nothing of this intensity. Still, it did little to wipe away the deadpan expression the Musharna carried with her. "…Who is this?"

The caller, who sounded female, was silent for a moment. "…Wow, you sound a lot more feminine than I pictured you. I was expecting something burlier for a Machamp."

Brea pinched between her eyes. "Ma'am…this is Julian Roteman's secretary."

A brief pause before the caller went, "Ooooooohhhhhhhh!" She laughed in embarrassment. "That makes WAY more sense! Well hi, Ms. Secretary Lady! My name is Vivi!"

"Um…hello?" She held back any desire to hang up immediately after that deafening bombardment on her ears. She breathed out, then resumed, "Hello, and thank you for calling Profectus Inc. How may I assist you?"

Back over in her hut, Vivi was kicking her legs up as she reclined in a rolling chair. She giggled behind her hand. "Are you obligated to say that to everyone? You sound like a robot. Ooh! Now say 'Please hold while I direct you to another line!'"

 _Oh, I'll direct you to another line if you keep wasting my time._ Brea rolled her eyes. "Is there anything I can help you with? You wish to speak with my boss?"

"Hmm? Oh, right, silly me!" Vivi laughed. "Sorry, it's been a long day and my head isn't in the right place." She cleared her throat, then resumed shouting, "I know ALL your boss' secrets! Confess or face the iron bars of justice!"

"I'm hanging up now." Brea pulled the phone away.

Vivi shrieked and flailed her arms. "No, no, no! I'm not crazy, I promise!" She paused. "Okay, that's a lie, but I'm telling the truth! Wait, I'm lying, but I'm telling the truth…" she mumbled to herself perplexingly.

Brea pinched on the bridge of her nose tightly, suppressing her frustration. "Ma'am, I have work to get back to."

"AH, but you need to know! Your boss is crazy! Like…crazier than me!"

"If you have a complaint about a Profectus Inc. product, you can speak to our-"

"ARGH! Stop deflecting my questions! This is top notch detective work!"

Brea sighed, deciding to drop the act. "What are you babbling about?"

"Your boss is up to…something! I'm not sure what, but I do know, I just don't have PROOF!" Vivi flailed her phone around. "He's doing something…something EVIL!"

Brea raised her brow. "How many cups of coffee have you had today?"

"Don't change the subject! And I didn't drink any coffee!" She moved her eyes to the pile of empty coffee cups strewed on the floor. There were about eleven, with one laying near her heel. She kicked it away, then resumed, "Your boss is up to something! He's conspiring against the world! I just don't know why!"

Brea narrowed her eyes. "I can assure you my boss is a sane man… _unlike some people_ ," she added under her breath.

"But I _know_ he's responsible for the mayhem recently!" Vivi exclaimed.

That caught her interest, if only a little. "The Fusion Attacks?"

"Yes! He's the one who started them! He did something! He's making a sickness that induces rage! Like Rage Powder or really, _really_ bad movie sequels!"

Brea sighed and shook her head. "I should have figured I was talking to a crazy, screaming child."

Vivi gritted her teeth. "Don't believe me? I'll have you know I'm trying to save the world! I've been researching a guy who is _supposed_ to be dead, but now he might not be! If you don't give me the information I need, horrible, _terrible_ things could happen! Worldwide panic, Pokémon mutating in Fusions!" She took a deep breath, then continued, "Don't you find it a LITTLE suspicious that know of these attacks are happening anywhere near Grandis City?!"

The secretary closed her eyes. "I'm hearing a lot of causation…not so much on correlation."

Vivi tugged on her antennas and growled. "I'm telling the truth! Your boss is in cahoots with Data! I know he is! I know, I know, I know!"

Brea's eyes widened. _Data? That's the name of that cube, right? The one Julian has been…talking to in private._ She narrowed her eyes seriously. "You're going to have to specify."

"ARGH! There's a big scary machine! Mutation waves! I can't be any clearer than that!" Pause. "Well, maybe I can but…ugh, never mind! Just put me through to Roteman!"

"I cannot. He is away on business."

"A _likely_ story!"

Brea sighed and tried to rub her face of the stress she had. "You're not making any sense. For all I know, you're a screaming child who just wants to speak to our company president. Now, I'm going to hang up. I have much to intend to. Have a nice-" she started as she went to put the phone down.

"WAIT!"

Brea pulled the phone back up and exhaled sharply. "You are running my patience thin."

"Please, you have to believe me! Your boss hasn't been the least bit cooperative with us ever since we started our investigation!"

"Investigation? Are you with the police?" _They'll let anyone be a cop, won't they?_

"Oh no, not at all! My name is Vivi! I'm with Gappei Village as their new conspiracy theorist!"

"Conspiracy theorist? When did they get that?"

"Eh…we just set up shop some time ago."

If she was with Gappei Village, then…was it worth looking into it herself? After all, she has noticed the slight change in her boss' behavior over the course of the last few months. Plus, it can't be a coincidence she was looking into something regarding someone named Data. Not a very common name she hears.

Brea sighed and leaned into her chair. "…Ms. Vivi?"

"Yes?"

"If what you say is true, I request you share the information with me to fact check your story."

"Hmm…" She could feel the serious look coming from the Fusion. "I _can_ trust you, right?"

Brea rolled her eyes. "I could just hang up now."

"Okay, okay, I will! Just give me your email and I'll send what I have over!"

As Brea told her email, she thought to herself if this was a good idea. She was convinced this Fusion was legitimately nuts. Still, with recent events going on, was it worth ignoring?

 _This better be worth my time. Besides…might tell me a bit more on what's bugging Julian lately…_

* * *

Juniper loomed her head over the freshly baked pie cooling on the counter. She inhaled through her nostrils and bathed her sense of smell in the delightful aroma of oran berries mixed with a heavenly custard filling. She shivered with glee, hugging herself. "Ooh~! This smells great! A heavenly treat fresh from the finest farms~!"

Wash chuckled. "I'm surprised you managed to follow Sheila's recipe so well. Looks almost as good as hers."

Juniper smirked. "What? You think I can't bake?"

"You fell asleep in a mixing bowl once, so…"

She punched him in the shoulder, laughing. "Shut up, you goober." She wrapped the pie, then set it in her picnic basket. "Looks like we're ready!" She held her arm out to him. "Shall we?"

He grinned and hooked her arm with her. "Absolutely."

They marched up to the door, with Wash reaching to out for the handle. They opened it, expecting a bare porch to step out onto. Instead, they were greeted by three varying faces: a suspicious looking Quinn, a disgruntled Artemis, and a very confused Ren.

Wash blinked. "Huh?" _What the heck are they doing here?_

Juniper grinned and tilted her head. "Gee, did you just get here or we're you waiting for us to come out?" She laughed. "That would've been super embarrassing if we went out the back instead!"

Quinn crossed his arms and glared at her. "Juniper…we need to talk."

She giggled. "I would love to, but can it wait?" She pressed herself against Wash and nuzzled into his neck. "Washster and I have been planning for this picnic the last few days! We want some quality alone time!" Wash blushed brightly, but smiled.

Quinn glared deeper, but eased up as Ren tugged on his mane. "Q, what's going on? Why did you bring us here?"

He glanced at his hut mates. "I need you two to help me fact check her story…especially Artemis." The Sylveon Fusion blinked in confusion as the nightmare flame turned back to Juniper. "But I need to speak with Juniper…now."

Wash got between him and Juniper and gently pushed him back. "Hold on a minute. Can you please explain what's got you so riled up? Did Juniper do something?"

"It's something she possibly did…"

Wash tried to argue, but Juniper pulled him back. "Oh, let him talk. I'm kind of curious myself." She grinned at the nightmare lizard. "So, what's got your mane in a twist?"

He tapped his claws against his crossed arm. "It's about your past."

"Oooooh!" she sounded in excitement. "Goodie! I always love when you guys guess!" She crossed her arms. "So, what is it this time? Was I a racecar driver?" she asked as she made the motions of steering a wheel. "Was I living in a canyon?" She pretended to scale a rocky surface. "Or was I a young and budding actress who disappeared from the limelight?" She posed dramatically.

Quinn grunted quietly. "Jun, I'm not joking around. And frankly, you shouldn't, either."

Artemis glanced at her boyfriend with bored eyes. "You have an unhealthy habit of being cryptic."

"Because I don't want to go excusing Juniper of anything until she gives a straight answer. I want the facts first." He pointed at the martial arts panda. "So Jun, what's the truth? What were you doing before you came to Gappei Village?"

Juniper smiled wryly and waved her hand around lazily. "Oh, doing a bit of this, a little bit of that. Stuff like that."

He shook his head. "That's not what I want and you know it. This is exactly why I brought Artemis. If you give me a false story, she'll know." He glared. "Probably why you don't give a complete answer. You know you can't lie, so you have to make half-truths to cover yourself."

"Wait, then why am I here?" Ren asked.

"To keep me from doing anything stupid." Quinn pointed at Juniper firmly. "Now…tell me the truth. What were you doing before we met?"

She shrugged. "Just me being me."

"Just you being you…" Quinn sighed. "That's the part that worries me. This…This isn't you. The old you. You told Tamara during your battle…that this is the new you. So I have to ask, was it you or this old you? The Juniper you abandoned from your past?"

Wash raised his brow, feeling a tingle of worry. He held his head as a light headache came about. "Quinn…what are you getting on about? Juniper doesn't want to talk about her past."

"After what I learned, I want to clarify it isn't true. I just need her to give me some closure." He held his face. "It makes too much sense, yet…it doesn't add up to anything. You…doing all that…that doesn't sound like you." He glared through his claws. "You've been keeping so many secrets from the village and now I see why."

Artemis groaned and shoved her boyfriend. "For legend's sake, Spooks, just tell us what the hell you're grumbling about!"

"Yeah!" Juniper exclaimed through her laughter. "Can't be that bad!"

Quinn lowered his head and gritted his teeth. "You really want to know?" She nodded enthusiastically, while the others gave simpler nods. "Don't say I didn't warn you.

"…Juniper…you killed innocent lives…purposefully…"

A cold chill shot through each one of them. A dreaded silence filled the air. Artemis held her mouth in utter disbelief while Ren's eyes went as wide as saucers, shaking in horror. Wash's body went tense, locking up and unable to move from his spot.

And Juniper?

She blinked at the nightmare lizard. "Uh…" She raised a wry grin, chuckling quietly. "Uh…wow, it's a lot worse than I thought."

"Spooks…you can't be serious," Artemis pleaded softly, still caught up in her shock.

Wash immediately started shaking his head. "No, no, no, that's not right! There's no way that's true!"

"Yeah, what he said!" Juniper immediately agreed. "I mean, look at me! Does this look like the face of a killer?" She held her cheeks and beamed. "Heh…still, I'll give you credit. That's the first time I've heard that one!"

Ren grabbed Quinn's shoulder. "Okay, now I see why you brought me, because you completely LOST IT!" he shouted.

Artemis nodded in agreement. "I'm all for dark jokes and all, but even I need to call foul on this one!"

Quinn gritted his teeth. "Artemis, you know I wouldn't joke around like this. Besides, do you think I _want_ to believe one of my friends is a murderer? An actual murderer? Of course not!" He glared right at Juniper. "But I need to hear it from you!"

"Hear what?" she asked innocently.

"Ugh! Tell us you're not a killer AND where you've been all this time, then I'll drop it!"

Juniper shot some glances at Artemis, who now had her full attention on her. "Um…you know, it's hard to say. I mean, I am pretty tired after today, what with all the planning and baking and-"

"And _there_ it is!" Quinn interrupted. "Juniper's famous 'Oh, look over there' chatter! Every time we ask you a question like this, you dodge it! In fact, you don't just dodge it! You dodge it, mail it away in a box, and send it to Mt. Silver so it can be delivered to a boomerang factory!"

"There's a boomerang factory on Mt. Silver?" Juniper asked.

"STOP acting like an airhead!"

Juniper rolled her eyes. "Sorry! I just wanted to spend some quality time with my boyfriend and now you're interrogating me over complete nonsense."

"Then give me a straight answer and I'll stop! Just tell us where you've been and we'll call this off! You're an orphan, you're a child actress, you're a time traveler, _something_!"

Juniper held her hip. "Where did you even get this crazy idea?"

Quinn seemed to calm down a bit, breathing out tiredly. "I eavesdropped on the council. It was an accident…and I kind of regret doing so."

Juniper's eyes widened. "Wait…you heard this from the council?"

"Yeah. They mentioned something about a young Spinda years ago, who happened to be at specific crime scenes. Eight, to be precise."

"Uh…" Juniper rolled her eyes around the room. "Is…there proof that this was me?"

"Well, no, there isn't an exact match for your face, but-"

"Then I'm clear of all accusations!" She grabbed Wash's hand and tried to push through the trio. "Now seriously, can we go already? The pie's getting cold."

Quinn pushed her back. "You haven't cooperated at all with me and now the council's going to do extensive background checks on you. You realize everyone's going to be afraid of you when word gets out. That's why I'm taking initiative here. I don't want you getting blamed for something you didn't do." He glared. "At least, that's what I'm hoping."

"Come on, I already explained myself," Juniper tried to diffuse, but clearly underestimated Quinn's stubbornness.

"Explained what? You're not giving concrete information! You're literally being accused of intentional murder! Eight murders! And you're treating it like it's all one big joke!"

Juniper laughed quietly. "I mean, are you even hearing what you're saying? It sounds kind of stupid to be true."

Wash stepped back a bit as his head started acting up. _Ugh…wha…?_

 _ **Tch. Who does she think she is?**_ Wash's eyes widened.

 _No…not now!_

 _ **Don't play the lovesick fool, you idiot. She's playing the innocent game. She's good…real good. But I saw a hint of her true self in our last fight. In that moment…I didn't see a lazy, soda drinking doofus.**_

Wash gritted his teeth. _Shut…up!_

 _ **What was that old saying? Beware the nice ones?**_

He shook his head and look right at Juniper. "Jun, this is…crazy. Just tell them the truth already. Please."

Juniper showed a light grin and shrugged. "What else could I possible say? It's just some stupid joke."

Quinn crossed his arms. "If this is all true, you treating it like nothing…" He closed his eyes. "Jun, do you even realize the consequences of your actions? I mean, you're not even trying to prove your innocence! Why? Is it because you can't without going undetected by Artemis or any other Dark-Type who can smell a lie?"

Juniper just continued grinning…though, for once, it was starting to twitch from visible strain. "What's…there to talk about? Do you honestly think I would commit murder? Why would I?"

"I don't know…" He sighed. "I'm starting to think I don't know the real you…"

"Heh…" Juniper's smile slowly became more forced…and sad. "The real me? Heh…that's funny…that's real funny, Q." She laughed quietly. It was unnerving, and she looked uncomfortable. "I mean…why would…anyone love the real me?"

* * *

Vivi paced around the hut, impatiently waiting for Brea to review the material she emailed. She was mostly keeping watch for Eddie, as she didn't want him losing his temper over this. The last thing he would want was her getting into trouble again.

She stopped pacing and tapped her foot. "Well?!"

Brea sighed and pushed her glasses up. "You are certainly impatient." She glared at her computer screen. "I just finished looking over what you sent me."

"And?"

"…" Brea rubbed her forehead. "I have to admit…this all looks rather incriminating."

"That's because it's all true!" Vivi shouted. "I'm telling you, this is the work of the villainous Data!" She tapped her chin. "Well…as villainous as you can get with him, I suppose…"

Brea narrowed her eyes. "All of this being tied with Julian…it could very well explain his behavior recently. He seems more tired than usual…and more aggressive towards Liam."

"That's why I need to find out how he's tied to Data and where I can locate him!"

Brea knew it went against her job protocol to reveal private information regarding her boss, but this took top priority. "You won't have to look far. For all your babbling and screaming, I have to give you credit for your deduction." Brea glared. "Julian did, in fact, find Data."

"Wait, seriously?!" Vivi shrieked. _Holy Mew, I was actually right?!_

"Data is currently in a locked stasis. I haven't spoken much to him, but Julian only ever talks about him to me and a few trusted employees." Brea pulled her glasses off. "I've been getting suspicious ever since he found that darn cube in the desert. Now I see why."

Vivi jumped onto her work table. "Ms. Secretary Lady, I need access to Mr. Roteman's computer! It may have information on Data's next move! We still need to find the pieces to his weapon!"

Brea sighed and pinched between her eyes. "I'm…going to regret this, but it's for the sake of my boss." She closed her email, then turned away from her computer. "Listen, I'm one of few employees with any access to Julian's office. The keys are ever only handed out to employees that work closely with him. Being his secretary, of course I would need a key to there. If you know what you're doing, you'll meet me after hours when everyone has left the building. I'll help you find what you need."

Vivi grinned excitedly. "You mean it? Oh, thank you so much, Ms. Secretary Lady! How can I ever repay you?"

"By stop calling me that. You will address me as Ms. Lackner," she ordered firmly.

Vivi giggled. "Whatever you say, Boss Lady!"

"I just said…ugh, well, it's an upgrade." Brea then remembered another important question. "Hold up…do your superiors know about this?"

"Um…not really," Vivi sheepishly admitted. "I need to be extra super _duper_ sure that I'm right. Plus, my friend Eddie would kill me if he found out I was sneaking into another secured building. He was not happy with the last time."

Brea raised her brow. "Wait, what was that about a-?"

"Um, hanging up now!" Vivi ended the call and slumped on the floor in relief. "Phew…"

Brea sighed and set her phone down. She looked up with a serious, contemplative, and even worried expression. "What is going on?"

* * *

Juniper chuckled quietly, almost as a soft whisper. She rubbed her arm as her smile twitched anxiously. "I mean…let's be real here. Why would I go around killing people? For fun? For revenge? I'm not a hateful Spinda-Mienfoo. L-Look at me. I don't hold grudges."

Quinn's face softened a bit, feeling guilty that he was interrogating the sleepy panda to get the truth. He almost wanted to stop, but this had to be cleared up soon. "I'm willing to believe you, Jun, I am, but you can't keep dodging us forever. You've hopped around the truth for long enough. Now please…talk to us. We won't hate you."

Juniper's jaw muscles tightened, her smile looking more and more strained. "Heh…you don't know that…" Even her laughs were crumbling. "What's…the big deal? My past is…meaningless. A…A relic of the past. Why can't it just stay that way?"

Quinn glanced at Artemis, who just shrugged. "So far, she's telling the truth, not that she's giving concise answers."

The nightmare lizard looked back at Juniper. "What happened to you?"

She scratched at her arm, breathing through her teeth. "What happened? W-W-What do you mean? I was just a happy-go-lucky Fusion who…loves life. T-T-That's what I am…I-I-I promise…"

Artemis flinched. "I can hear some inflexions in her tone…"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "Juniper…"

She backed away, now beginning to sweat. "Y-Yes~?" she asked as innocently as she could.

Wash held his head and grunted, feeling Barbatos' presence grow stronger in his mind. _**Don't pretend you don't see it, idiot. She's clearly hiding something. She's not the sweetheart she pretends to be.**_

 _I said…shut up!_ Wash shook his head and stepped up to Juniper. "Jun…please, I know you're not a killer…just _please_ tell us the truth. I promise, no matter what, it won't change how I feel about you."

Juniper showed genuine affection in her smile, even if it was overpowered by her quivering demeanor. "T-T-That's really…sweet of you. I appreciate the concern, but…I'm not a killer."

Quinn stepped closer. "Then why is it so hard for you to give us a straight answer?"

"Life isn't that simple, Q…" Her grin dipped down, struggling to keep up appearance. "I… _really_ don't appreciate you coming in here and bugging me over something so stupid. Maybe you should leave… _now_."

Quinn nearly jumped back at the last bit of tone. A sound he never hears from the sleepy panda: aggressiveness. He steeled his nerves and stood firm. "We could always talk to the council about this."

Juniper shook her head. "No…we're not going to the council because it's _not_ true."

"They're going to have this conversation with you anyway. Might as well come clean and tell us this is all just a stupid misunderstanding."

Juniper shot more glances at Artemis, who how gave the panda a suspicious glare. She gritted her teeth. "Easier done than said…"

Quinn sighed. "I'm trying to help."

"I don't _need_ your help."

"You've always avoided us on the subject. Now I want to know the truth. Who. Is. Juniper?"

All eyes in the room were squarely on her. She backed herself until reaching the couch. "I-I-I'm not a bad Fusion! I'm not! Really!" Strained, forced laughter was the best she could muster for her crumbling façade. "C-Come on, look at me! I'm the lazy goofball! The village jester! The sun's radiant smile! I'm anything but bad!"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "One thing always bugged me. Your talent for fighting. Even with your adeptness in battle, you shouldn't be any different from the other Fighting-Types here. You're far more advanced and skilled. Different from what I've seen from most. Why is that? Where did you learn to fight?"

Juniper grinded her teeth together. "That's…not important…"

Ren grabbed Quinn's shoulder. "Dude, seriously, lay off."

He shrugged him off and stepped closer to Juniper, a couple feet of space between them. "You're making this harder than it needs to be. Just come clean and we'll sort this out with the council."

Her smile faded deeper into a foreign expression. She lowered her head and tightened her fists. "I'm…telling…the…truth…" She was choking on her words. Her voice was tight and raspy. "I'm done with my past…"

Now Artemis was trying to call Quinn off. "Okay Spooks, I think that's enough. Seriously, I've never seen her like this before…it's kind of freaking me out."

Quinn swiped his arm from her reaching feelers. "Not until we get answers."

Ren held his hands up. "Look, let's be adults about this. Maybe we should go to the council." Juniper's eyes widened with panic. "They'll be more reasonable about this."

"No!" Everyone jumped and turned towards Juniper. She shook her head aggressively. "We're not going to the council! We're not because I'm _not guilty_!" she shouted, eyes shaped into a glare.

The sudden shift in emotion threw everyone off guard. Never before has anyone seen the panda in such a hostile state before. Quinn held his hand out in concern. "Juniper…"

Juniper shook her head and pulled on her ears. "No, I'm not! I'm not a monster! I'm not! I didn't do anything wrong! I'm not bad! I'm not evil! I…I'm not!" She started clawing at her face angrily, scratching up at her fur and skin. "I'M NOT! I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT!"

Quinn grabbed her by the wrists and held her still. "Juniper, stop hurting yourself!"

"I DID NOTHING WRONG! I DIDN'T KNOW! I DIDN'T KNOW!" she screamed.

Wash gritted his teeth, pained to see the distress she was emitting. "Juniper…"

"Juniper, calm down!" Quinn shouted firmly. "Let's just talk this out-!"

"WHY WON'T YOU TAKE A HINT, YOU JERK?!" she shouted right into his face. "SHUT UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Without thinking, she slammed her palm right into his chest. Quinn gasped as the palm burst with a blinding yellow light.

From the outside of Wash's hut, the walls exploded open in a burning blaze, sending fiery debris scattering and smoke billowing out into the open. A streak of smoke flew from the hut and crashed against a tree, parting and revealing the critically wounded nightmare lizard as he collapsed to the ground. He was unconscious and unmoving, with a searing scorch mark over his chest.

"QUINN!" Artemis and Ren shouted, racing out the hole and running over to him. Ren immediately turned Quinn onto his back and checked the wound while Artemis his arm against her chest, wrapped in her feelers.

Back inside the hut, Wash stared in shock at the destruction of his home and the action Juniper committed. But his shock didn't come close to the devastation all over Juniper's face. Her palm smoked from the blast as she pulled her arms in and hugged herself. She was shaken, quivering, and layers of regretful. Tears brimmed from her swirly eyes, then drizzled down her face like rain over a windshield.

"I…I didn't…w-why did I…?" She clenched her arms and choked through her sobs.

Wash narrowed his eyes and, hesitantly, reached out to her. "Jun…"

She flinched, then looked over her shoulder. "Wash…" There was obvious concern in his eyes, but…all she could see was fear and anguish. She hastened a breath and staggered away. "No…NO!" She raised her arms. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" She clapped and released the same light of Force Palm.

Wash staggered away in pain. "AGH!" His foot knocked into the fallen picnic basket and he fell over onto his back. The pain was nothing as he scrambled to his feet when the light diminished. However, by the time it faded, Juniper was already long gone. "Juniper?!" He searched around the destroyed hut for any sign of where she took off.

"Spooks, come on! Wake up!" He ran to the hole and saw Artemis crying over Quinn. "Spooks! Spooks! Quinn, wake up!" she sobbed. She looked at Ren. "Is he okay?!"

Ren was stuck with a fearful look of his own, but Artemis allowed herself to ease when he exhaled a relieved sigh. "He should be fine…but that Force Palm did serious damage. Juniper didn't hold back when she used it…"

Wash rushed over to them. "Get him to Gracelyn now!"

"Already on it!" He and Artemis picked the lizard's unconscious body off the ground. Ren looked right at Wash. "What are you going to do?"

"Find Juniper, obviously." He looked back at his hut. "Something's clearly upsetting her…and it must be bad."

Artemis rubbed her eyes and glared at him seriously. "If…there's anyone she needs right now, it's you. Just calm her down and bring her back."

Wash gritted his teeth. "But I don't know where to start looking."

"She's your girlfriend! Do the best you can! There's no way she went that far from the village!"

Wash held his face, breathing steadily to get a hold of his racing nerves. "…right." They split off in separate directions.

Now to himself, Barbatos made his presence known again. _**Wow, that was certainly a show. I've never seen her scowl before.**_

If Wash wasn't already worried out of his mind, he'd be berating his other personality relentlessly. _I have no time to deal with you. Juniper's upset and I need to find her. Something about her past must be too much to handle…_

 _ **So…you're NOT denying she may have been a killer?**_

 _It's not that, but…it's a start._ Wash closed his eyes. _If you're just going to bug the living hell out of me, can you give me your thoughts on this?_

For once, the split half of Wash was taken back by the show of socialization. _**You're…actually asking for my advice? Huh…I'm not sure how I feel about this.**_ Barbatos sighed. _**Look, I don't know what to tell you. Despite everything I've done, I've never actually killed anyone. I wouldn't know what's going through her mind right now.**_

Wash opened his eyes and dashed past some huts, surprising a few Fusions. _Juniper told me her past wasn't always a happy one…yet she sounded genuinely happy when she talked about her father. What happened to her before we met?_

 _ **It's like what you two keeping flirting about. Innocents with demons. Everyone has them…just a matter of time before they surface.**_

 _And she finally reached her impossible limit._ A tear dripped from Wash's eye. _Jun…_

* * *

Far off in the distant reaches of Johto laid a deserted town, a relic of a time decades ago. The calm winds blew through the empty, trashed streets. Littered with garbage and dust. Windows were smashed, walls were eroded from the passing winds of time. All was quiet in the desolate city, nothing but the winds and rolling glass to be heard.

This quiet air was broken from a streak of wind, moving at speeds close or beyond sound, that crashed into the street. The ground rumbled under its force. The street cracked into a wide crater, sinking in. The landing blew away the surrounding dust as Liam stood up and held his head high.

His eyes wandered around the empty streets, taking in the sight of his old home town. "The more things change…" He shook his head and started walking.

It was close to midnight.

The taps of his staff hitting the ground as he walked bounced off the crumbling buildings. The echoes emphasized the utter abandonment the town now faced. With the Fusions ramping up in their gang wars, things became too much to handle out here. Too much was destroyed. Too much was lost.

He stopped before a small convenience store. It rang with familiarity, but his attention was drawn to a particular spot: the small alleyway beside it. Cardboard boxes and trash. Subtle changes, but otherwise the same home he made before…

"…when we met."

"Old memories." Liam closed his eyes for a moment, then looked over his shoulder. "Some of the best."

Julian stood across the street from him, donning a large trench coat that blew in the wind. He had his lower hands in the pockets with his upper arms were crossed over his chest. He stared at the godly ape, reflecting an emotionless expression that didn't falter from the cold wind hitting his face. Liam turned and faced the Machamp with a similar expression. Neither showed anger now.

They felt nostalgia.

Julian sighed, then raised a light smirk. "Heh…those were the days."


	50. Broken Brotherhood

The wind blew across the street, carrying loose trash along it. The rattling of trash and whooshing of wind did nothing to disturb the stare down between the two former friends. Both, for the most part, looked calm, yet neutral to be in each other's presence. Liam's fur and Julian's coat swayed with the wind as well. The near silence of the deserted city emphasized the tension in their stares.

It was just them. No one else.

Julian heaved a long-held sigh, then smiled the best he could. "I'll be honest…I wasn't expecting you to come. You only ever attend meetings with me out of obligation."

Liam's expression didn't falter, nor change. His eyes gazed around the city, inspecting the withered buildings and rusted cars. A junkyard of a memory. "You picked quite the place to meet up at. Pretty far from Kanto… _and civilization_ ," he muttered under his breath.

Julian spread his arms out. "A trip down memory lane never hurt anyone!" he exclaimed. "I figured the best place to work our troubles out is to turn back to where it all started!" His loud, charismatic voice echoed across the abandoned buildings. "Come on, even I know you've wanted to see the old place before it had to be evacuated."

"…it certainly changed with the lack of care."

Julian held his hips and crossed his upper arms. "A testament to the old days. Best of our life…and the worst." He glared. "So…that begs the question. You going to stay and talk…or are you going to run away like last time?"

Liam focused back on the Machamp, his narrowed eyes deepening a bit into a glare. "…I'm not running away. You want to talk? You have my attention."

Julian clapped his hands together. "Splendid! I've been looking forward to catching up like the old days!"

"Right…" Liam rested his staff over his shoulder and looked around. "So…" Honestly, not much to do when you were currently the only two populants of the whole city.

Fortunately, Julian was way ahead of him. He turned and stepped out onto the street, gesturing the godly ape to follow. "I know you must be tired from flying all the way out here, but how about we take a walk?" Liam didn't object and followed behind, with some distance put between them. Julian rolled his eyes. "Worried I'll do something?"

"Still curious why you would ask me to meet so far out from Grandis City, even if for the view."

"Think of it as a symbolic journey." He crossed his arms and looked up at the sky. "…you know, you never told me."

"Told you what?"

"Where you went after you ran away." He looked over his shoulder. "I was worried about you, you know."

Liam closed his eyes and scoffed. "Why? Because you weren't able to monitor my movements?"

Julian sighed. "Liam…"

The ape's face softened, feeling a little guilty for the comment. "…sorry." He rubbed the back of his head. "I just left, that's all. Not much for someone like me to turn to. Fusions of an Arceus are extremely rare. Counting me, only three ever documented. I wouldn't have survived in public."

"So, you clearly didn't move to the big city," Julian confirmed dryly.

Liam spun his staff as he continued, "So, I did what any rational and sane man would do after going through a personal crisis: I secluded myself in the woods."

Julian closed his eyes and chuckled. "You and I have different definitions of 'sane.'" He scratched behind his head. "By my best guess, you've stayed on your own and learned more about your abilities as a Fusion. Your particular form is quite the powerhouse, so I don't blame you for going into hiding."

Liam held up his fist and stared at it. "It frightened me to see how much I could do. I often fear how strong I could be. Didn't like the idea of having to fight at full strength. Never had a reason to…and I never want to." He dropped his fist to his side. "I had plenty of time to think before I came back to society. I needed to make a bold statement to the world, to express my ambitions for a better future. I need to make something for the Fusions that have been wronged to feel safe."

Julian held his hips. "That's when you rounded up and started your council and came to me."

"At the time, we were unanimous with our goal," Liam quietly stated, just loud enough to be heard. "We should've strived for the better without…so much drama getting in the way." He sighed. "As it is inevitable, different viewpoints turn the tide of conversation."

Julian looked over his shoulder. "I hardly went to the village, but I do remember the details. There used to be seven of you. Seven councilmen to make the big decisions and come to a vote without issue. Then you and your former councilman had a spat with each other." Julian glared. "Probably for the same reason we did…"

Liam clutched his staff tighter. "Perhaps…"

"What was his name, again? Gero, I believe?"

"I rather not talk about him."

"Why? Did you hate him just as much as me?"

"I…don't hate you…" Liam shook his head. "No, Gero was…a good companion. Laidback, kind-hearted, a bit lazy for his own good, but still hardworking. He took an active role in helping the Fusions when they were first adjusting to the village. And he always had that smile on his face that felt so inviting…"

Julian closed his eyes and smirked. "I think I remember a few things about him. If memory serves, he was the second strongest of your whole council. Though, maybe he was stronger than you."

Liam snorted and showed a dry smirk. "Don't be ridiculous…"

Julian slid his hands into his pockets. "Someone by that description doesn't seem like the type to get into arguments. What exactly did you two fight about?"

The godly ape looked to the street with a self-loathing glare. "Gero may have been a peaceful guy, but he was always one to take action when needed to. I opposed the idea of getting into affairs that weren't our concern. Gappei Village was supposed to be a safe haven. We couldn't risk causing more trouble than it's worth. Gero was against this, though, and…" He sighed and pinched between his eyes. "History repeated itself…"

Julian turned around and walked backwards. "So, you two…?"

"We never got into anything more than a verbal dispute. He called me out for being too passive and unwilling to take the necessary action. Fusions like the Rogues popped up and gave the police trouble, but I chose to stay out of it because I didn't want to concern myself with anymore fighting."

Julian narrowed his eyes. "So, you rather have us handle the problem ourselves?"

"You had the technology developed and, other than the Rogues, it never got out of hand. I saw no point in interfering and making enemies."

The Machamp sighed and ceased walking, which signaled Liam to stop, too. "I know you're not one for violence, but even I have to side with Gero on this one. Look, what you did was a good thing. You brought confused and scared Fusions out of the tough reality there were born into and gave them something to keep hope alive. That was the vision we wanted as kids and we made it a reality, if only on a smaller scale.

"The problem I see is that you were only focusing on saving lives. You take things too lightly. You were solving one problem, but weren't doing anything about the other. You wanted a village secluded from everything, but you never considered tackling the problem directly. You refuse to be the aggressor. Pokémon still feared and despised Fusions for all the problems caused, even though that hate was blinded by centuries of anguish. You focused your efforts on helping Fusions, but never reasoned with the Pokémon."

The godly ape frowned. "Was anyone going to listen to me? I've been through enough shit in my life to bring more trouble to my doorstep. Maybe it was a flawed plan, but it was the best I had. Besides, I was more concerned with helping the Fusions that suffered because of the wrathful and greedy Pokémon that taint this world."

"And I'm not? Look, I get that I threatened to take away your village, but look at the good we've done because of it. You forced me to do things your way, but it wasn't working. I had to step up and take affirmative action. I ended up being right. You were so focused on saving, you haven't been going out of your way to make things better for their lives outside the village. You never considered them leading normal lives until I brought it up."

Liam stared for a moment, then sighed and scratched at his head. "I suppose…"

"Running away and staying out of trouble won't guarantee the victory. That's not always going to be the fallback plan."

The godly ape glared down on him. "But taking action without thinking will?" Julian didn't response. His face was unreadable. "You weren't very trusting of Fusions after what happened to Dad. The things you suggested we do…weren't like the ideas a young Machop told me as kids."

Julian turned away and faced the street. "…Life isn't fair. We have to do what is necessary."

"Right…just like how you went after Dad's killer and tortured him before I found you." Julian clenched his fist, but kept a fixed expression. "If it was your way only, how many kids would've been sent to jail for defending themselves against parents or bystanders who _should_ have been thrown in jail? None of those kids wanted to do the things they do. I get there's laws for a reason, but there has to be a point where we consider the intention. If it was the you I saw before I turned and ran, you would've detained them without a second thought." Liam gripped his staff tightly.

"I have to wonder how much of that is still true…"

"…" Julian closed his eyes and breathed out silently. He turned around and faced the godly ape with a soft glare. "You really want to know what my thoughts on the matter are now?"

* * *

Quinn was rushed to the medical hut as quickly, yet carefully as possible. He was resting in one of the beds, with his wound cleansed and bandaged. He hasn't woken up since the blast. Artemis and Ren were sitting off to the side with their heads down, still uneasy after what happened.

Gracelyn stepped back into the room and walked up to his side. She took a washcloth and wiped up some of the dirt on his forehead. "He'll be out for a while, but he's expected to make a full recovery. You have nothing to worry about."

Artemis and Ren breathed out in relief, with the latter stating, "Thank goodness…"

Gracelyn set the cloth down. "Now…maybe one of you can finally tell me what happened." Their bodies went rigid, teeth clenched tightly. Gracelyn narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Um…well, you see…" Artemis scratched behind her head. "Um…he fell down the stairs?"

Gracelyn raised her brow. "He…fell down the stairs…" She crossed her arms. "And the burn marks?"

"Um…he fell down the stairs…then onto the stove?" If she wasn't so shaken from earlier, she would be telling much better lies than these incompetent excuses.

And Gracelyn clearly wasn't buying it, so she turned to the quivering frog knight. "Ren, what hap-?" she started before the poor frog broke down into tears.

"Alright, I'll talk! Just stop yelling at me!" He covered his face and slouched into his chair. "Quinn overheard you and the council talking about Juniper, so he went directly to her!"

"Talking about…" Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh…Oh dear…" She looked back at Quinn's covered injury with greater detail. "…This was her Force Palm, wasn't it?" The duo weakly nodded. The strong bear narrowed her eyes firmly. "…Where's Juniper?"

Artemis bit her lip. "We don't know…"

Ren continued, "She ran away after she attacked. She looked pretty distraught about it. Wash is looking for her right now."

"That must have been hours ago," Gracelyn muttered under her breath. She held her face and sighed, pacing around in a circle. "This is unlike her…oh my…I knew one of us should've been guarding the outside."

Ren gulped. "Are…we in trouble?"

Gracelyn stopped, then sighed before facing them. "I'm letting _you two_ off with a warning." She glanced at Quinn. "We're going to have a long talk with Quinn when he wakes up, though."

Ren pressed his hands together. "Gracelyn, please don't punish him! He was just as confused as us! He only wanted Juniper to admit the truth to prove she _wasn't_ doing anything bad! He didn't want Juniper's reputation being ruined!"

Gracelyn walked over and patted him on the head. "I admire your concern for your friend, Ren." She held her hips. "I'll speak on behalf of you two. We're not going to punish Quinn, aside from extra chores. I understand his motives were in the right place, but he wasn't qualified to go off on his own and do our jobs. If it was enough to make Juniper retaliate, he should've stopped." She sighed. "Though, I suppose no one would expect such a reaction from her…"

Artemis clenched her teeth worriedly. "Gracelyn…" The strong bear took note of the concern she held in her face. "Did…Did Juniper actually…?"

A gaze of sympathy was given her way. The strong bear pinched between her eyes and sighed. "…We're still trying to get a clearer image of the photos, but…" She walked over to the counter and put supplies away. "From where it stands…"

Ren frowned, eyes teary and sad. "So…she may have actually taken lives…"

"We can't assume self-defense based on the evidence, but we can't assume the worst."

Ren held his hand and tried to hide the tears drizzling down his cheeks. "I…I would never imagine someone as sweet as her…actually…" Artemis patted him in the back the best she could.

Gracelyn folded her arms together and walked to the door. "Now, I have to inform the council about this. We'll have to talk to Juniper once Wash finds her _and_ when she calms down. I'm entrusting you two to keep an eye on Quinn in my absence."

"We will," they stated together.

"I know." She stepped out, leaving the two alone with their sleeping roommate.

Artemis hopped out of her seat and stood by Quinn's bedside. She patted his arm with her feeler. "Oh Spooks…your stubborn heart was in the right place, but not the right mind…" She kissed his cheek. "Get some rest, my wicked nightmare…"

Ren remained in his seat, holding his face in one hand. He was still tearing up, filled with disbelief. "I…I refuse to believe any of this…"

Artemis closed her eyes. "I do, too, but…I've never seen Juniper get so angry before. What Quinn said really hurt her." She looked down. "What happened to her? Is this why she had to turn her life around?"

The frog knight rubbed his eyes and took some breaths, slowly his erratically beating heart. "Even…Even if it is true, Juniper's…not a bad person…no one can fake being that happy…"

"I'm sure Spooks knew that, too…" She rubbed the sleeping lizard's forehead. "All we can do now is look after Quinn and hope Wash brings Juniper back…"

"…yeah…"

* * *

While most of the deserted city seemed to be in ruins, it turned out not to be as bad as they initially thought. Some of the stores and buildings, despite being spray painted over and with the occasional broken window, still remained intact inside. The streets themselves were serviceable to drive on, just needed to pave over the few cracks. Though, perhaps it was only nostalgia that told them it was alright. At least it wasn't anything like the residential area.

One area in particular that aged decently was the park. Rusted play equipment, a broken swing, a halved seesaw, a roundabout turned onto its side, etc. The destroyed equipment was one thing, but the area itself still had some charm. Fully grown trees swayed in the wind, patches of grass with a healthy shade of green, and even the recreation part of the playground was useable.

Julian and Liam sat at the picnic tables, sitting across from each other. The godly ape drummed his fingers on the table, observing the park. "It all looks so different."

"Place got overturned days after you left," Julian explained. "It, uh…wasn't a pretty sight."

"I remember coming here when we were kids," Liam brought up. "I used to push you on the swings to see how high you could go."

Julian chuckled. "Yeah…then I flew off and landed on my arm. Got to say though, that cast made me the cool kid on the block," he boasted, pointing at himself.

Liam rolled his eyes and reached over, giving him a light shove. "You were an idiot…"

Julian smirked. "I'm not the one who thought he could hold onto the roundabout while a Machop spun him around. I thought you sent me flying pretty far, but I beat your record by a landslide."

Liam lowered his head and mumbled, "I was stuck in a tree for ten minutes…"

"You were too scared to come down without your disguise tearing off," Julian reminded with a cheeky chuckle.

Liam shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up…" Julian just laughed and pounded his fist on the table. It did get the godly ape to smile, though. "Heh…"

The Machamp immediately halted his laughing and reached into his coat. "Oh, I almost forgot. I made a quick stop before landing here. You'll get a kick out of this." He slid an object over to Liam.

The ape picked it up and read the label with squinted eyes. He recognized it as a candy bar, but more specifically… "Marshmallow Choco Delight." He blinked in awe.

Julian pulled one out for himself and waved it. "You became addicted to these things for the longest time. From kids to our young adult years. You always saved up your allowance just to buy one."

Liam narrowed his eyes softly. "…I haven't had one in ages."

Julian smiled. "Come on, embrace your inner kid."

The godly ape took a second before breathing in and opening the wrapper. A chocolate coated candy bar with marshmallow chunks. Slowly, he brought it to his mouth and took the long-awaited bite from it. He chewed slowly to remember the taste he forgotten. And it came back to him with warm fuzzy feelings.

A nostalgic smile came to him. "Heh…tastes just how I remember them…"

Julian undid his wrapper. "Can't go wrong with a good food." He took a bite from his.

Liam closed his eyes. "…This is really nice of you…thank you…"

Julian shrugged. "It's whatever. I don't want everything to be tainted with harsh memories."

Liam stared at him, eyes narrowed. "Perhaps I'm still hung up on the past…" He shook his head. "Just hard to forget some things when…" He sighed and pinched between his eyes. "The candy's good, but you still owe me an explanation. A real one."

Julian sighed and waved his bar around. "I figured you'd ask about that again, but fine. This is our night to talk things over." He took a second bite and munched quietly. After swallowing, he crossed his lower arms over the table. "…You still remember what happened in the alleyway…"

"Practically scarred me," Liam added. "You've never done anything so vile in your life. If I didn't come sooner, you would've actually killed that guy…"

Julian scratched at the table thoughtlessly. "Look Liam…maybe it's because I was mad, but…" He closed his eyes. "You know better than anyone how powerful and dangerous a Fusion can be. The right combination can make a powerful being. Should I be worried about something like a Dunsparce-Magikarp? Of course not. But what about the rest? A Bisharp-Aegislash? A Snorlax-Hippowdon?" He narrowed his eyes knowingly. "A Sawk-Dialga?"

Liam glared for a moment, but eased up and took another bite of his chocolate bar. "I'm not stupid. I know more than anyone how powerful a Fusion can potentially become."

"You never considered having them harness that power so they wouldn't misuse it…at least until I came along." Julian bit into the bar and chewed on a piece. "That's why I thought monitoring their actions would've worked."

Liam narrowed his eyes. "…But that's not peace. Keep an eye on the public is one thing, but the way you described it to me sounded more like a total invasion of privacy."

"I couldn't be too sure," Julian countered.

"But with you as the warden…that made it worse."

Julian raised his brow. "Meaning?"

Liam folded his arms together and leaned forward. "You were unhinged when Dad died. You rarely smiled and kept yourself locked away in his room because you needed the extra space to yourself. I knew then what you were doing, but still." He glared calmly. "I have a question for you. What would you have done if it wasn't the Arcanine Fusion who killed Dad? What if he was just really drunk and tried to attack a scared kid who was hoping for some extra cash? Or some guy desperate for food?"

"Hardly justifies taking a life."

"No, it doesn't." Liam leaned back. "But how confident are you that you would've done the same thing? A kid who feared being hurt or an innocent, yet desperate Fusion?" This got Julian to look down in deep contemplation. "…that's what I figured."

Julian sighed. "Look…I wasn't right in the head for a while, that's all…" He flinched and held his head. A sharp pain nicking at his brain or something.

"Are any of those thoughts still lingering in the back of your mind?" Liam asked, finishing off the rest of his candy bar.

Julian drummed his fingers on the table, keeping eye contact away from him. "…Nothing violent of that nature…I've grown older…"

"So, you wouldn't want to enact on your old ideas?"

"I didn't say that…"

Liam sighed, then reached over. "Julian…you were my brother. I looked up to you. What reasons could you have to act so brashly?"

The Machamp was silent for a moment, slouched over and deep in thought. He sighed and sat up. "Because I have to start acting on my own whims." He stared at his candy bar. "I have ideas that could change the world. Change the very problems that plagued our society for generations." He glared up. "It's you that doesn't trust _me_ …"

"Julian, I know you better than anyone else. Even when we were kids, you had those tendencies. You're the kind of person who _needs_ to be kept in check. If we let you do whatever you wanted, you might do something you'll eventually regret. I've had time to reflect on things. You don't always give yourself that chance."

Julian glared at the ground. "What are you saying?"

Liam glared down on him. "I'm saying you never know when to stop and think."

* * *

 _Late at night, with a brisk wind flowing across the town. A quiet night with not many walking about. The cover of night made for a most excellent escape for the dastardliest, especially criminals looking for their next meal on the streets._

 _One such case was the Arcanine-Rotom, who zipped through an alleyway as a streak of electricity before reforming. In his maw was a bag of stolen goods he took from a store. It wouldn't be long before the cops went down there to investigate, but he was long gone._

 _The Fusion dropped the bag and sat down to take a breather. "Ugh…can't go anywhere without the cops on my tail. What's a Fusion got to do to get some grub around here?" He lifted the bag and peeked inside. "I better have snagged some decent meals in here."_

"… _Hey…"_

 _The Fusion shot up with a fright and turned to the alleyway entrance, preparing a Flamethrower. "Stay back, copper!" However, adjusting his eyes to the darkness, he realized it wasn't a cop at all. A Machoke in regular warm clothes. The Fusion nearly allowed himself a sigh of relief, but then took a second look at the Pokémon's posture._

 _One hand held in his pocket while the other dangled against his side. His stood with more pressure on his left leg, leaning ever so slightly to the side. He had a particular gaze to his eyes. Narrowed, focused, and projecting an aura of bitter winter onto the criminal._

" _Remember me?" His tone was emotionless._

 _Arcanine stepped back and growled defensively, remembering his face all too well. "You! You're the brat who got me arrested last month!"_

" _I'm surprised you stuck around," Julian brought up. "I wouldn't be caught_ dead _around these parts if I were in your position…" His glare lowered as he took a step forward. "Think you could just get away with taking another man's life? Especially when that man was my pa?"_

 _Arcanine grimaced slightly, but resumed growling to show no fear. "Look…I didn't mean to kill him. I only wanted you and that wimpy brother of yours. That drunk bastard attacked me first. I wouldn't have done anything, but he came at me with a poker and everything!"_

 _Julian gritted his teeth. "You're trying to convince me you accidentally slashed his stomach open?"_

" _I was in a panic! He would've killed me if I didn't-!"_

" _Save your crap," Julian interrupted bluntly. He slowly walked towards him. "This is personal…"_

 _The Fusion snarled through his bared teeth, then raised his head. "Tch. What do I have to be so scared for? What are you going to do about it?"_

 _Julian reached into his jacket. "Glad you asked." He pulled out a circular object._

 _More precisely, it was a metal collar. Crudely fashioned from the looks of it. Wires were unprofessionally exposed over the outer surface. The collar piece itself looked like it was made in a rush, leading not much to well thought out design._

 _Arcanine eased up and raised his brow. "What the hell is that?"_

" _A little something I've been working on…just for you." Julian then took the Fusion by surprise by charging and tackling straight into him._

 _Arcanine growled, then punched him across the face and bit down on his shoulder. "Get! Off me!" After a brief tussle on the ground, he kicked him off and into a group of trash cans. He rose up and prepared to use Flamethrower. "Go back to your dead-end job, loser!"_

 _He unleased the Flamethrower…but not quite in the way he expected. Rather than a scorching streak of flame, he got a puff of smoke and basically a weaker version of Ember to spew. He blinked, then tried again with more force, but got a slightly darker cloud and puff of embers._

 _He coughed on his own smoke, then rubbed his throat. "What the hell?! What's going on?!" He patted around his neck before tapping on a foreign item. He crooked his neck to get a look, then gasped at the metal collar strapped around him. "WHAT?!"_

 _Julian pressed his hand against the wall and lifted himself up. "Good…all that hard work wasn't a waste."_

" _What did you do to me?!" He tried to remove it by turning into electricity, but could barely make a spark. He pulled on the collar furiously._

 _The Machoke cracked his neck, then walked up to him. "I spent countless nights working and perfecting that device. Still a prototype…but it's working just as I hope. You won't be saving yourself any longer."_

 _Realizing he was horribly outmatched, the Fusion tried to make a run out of the alleyway. Julian foresaw this and lunged forward in time to grab hold of his tail. Using his superior strength, he pulled Arcanine off his feet and slammed him into the side of the alley. The dazed canine was then shoved up against the wall by his neck, which Julian gripped with a tight squeeze._

" _I didn't say you could leave." The fury in his eyes burned brighter. His muscles were tense and rock solid. The Fusion could feel the weight of his strength just from the death grip he had on him. "You're not leaving until you pay for what you've done."_

 _Getting desperate, the canine flailed his paws and kicked the Machoke relentlessly. Julian took a sharp blow to the side of the head, which nearly made him drop the Fusion. However, he powered on through and steeled his nerves. He pulled his fist back and slammed it into the Arcanine-Rotom's stomach, stunning him and his breathing._

 _The electrical hound wheezed with a trickle of blood coming from his maw. He clutched the Machoke's arm tightly. "Please…I'm begging you…we can talk about this…" he pleaded fearfully._

 _Julian's cold stare burrowed deep into the Fusion's mind. He pulled his fist back. A sinister darkness could be felt in the atmosphere, as the Fusion's eyes shrank with impending horror. "Not anymore…"_

* * *

" _Julian?!" Liam called out as he walked along the streets. He pulled on his jacket as a cold wind brushed up on his fur. "Brr…Julian?!"_

 _He remembered wishing Julian a goodnight before heading to bed. He had himself cooped up in their dad's old room working on something. Liam only woke up to grab a glass of water, but ended up discovering Julian fled in the night. He's been walking for hours trying to find the Machoke. He checked their favorite spots, but came up with nothing._

 _Liam slid his freezing hands into his jacket and placed his back against a building, shivering. "Where'd he run off to?"_

 _He had no idea what persuaded the Machoke to leave without telling. All Liam could guess was it had something to do with his mood. Julian has been quiet for weeks. Barely speaking a word and showing little emotion outside of a cold disposition._

 _Liam slid onto his rear and took a moment to warm himself up. He wanted to go back to bed, but he couldn't stop searching now. Perhaps closing his eyes for a couple minutes wouldn't be so bad._

 _His eyes fluttered shut and his body eased. He sighed a cold breath before leaning his head back. Just a few minutes of silence to get his head straight…_

… _then he heard it._

 _Liam's eyes shot open and turned down the street, where the sound originated from. Muffled and vague, but it sounded like something was being pounded. Nothing metallic or incredibly hard by his best guess. He stood up and quietly followed the recurring beating._

 _He drew closer and pinpointed the sound from within an alleyway. The sound was much more definite. This, however, frightened Liam. He heard grumbles of pain and quiet whimpers. Did he just come across a mugging or something?_

 _He peeked his head around the corner and saw the two dark figures, one standing over a fallen form. The standing figure threw his fist down without remorse, striking the defenseless individual who looked unable to lift a limb._

 _Liam wanted to turn and run, but he took a closer look at the former figure. Humanoid body type and muscular. The godly sloth stepped a bit closer as his eyes gradually adjusted to the lack of light._

 _He saw who it was._

 _Julian standing over the Arcanine-Rotom, thrashing his fist down on the mutt's face. A prominent scowl plastered over his face, striking with a tenacious fury with sluggish demeanor, likely from hours without rest. His knuckles, face, and jacket were splattered with blood from the Fusion he had pinned down._

 _The Fusion himself? The same one that Julian and Liam arrested? No longer the high and mighty criminal he acted as. Now he laid on the ground, breathing weakly. Numb to the punches he took, only barely acknowledging them. Dark bruises over his body, large and purplish. Blood dripping from his face. His swollen, reddened face. Two of his legs looked like they were broken. Patches of fur were missing, like they were torn off._

 _Liam's hands shot up to his mouth, hiding the horror he felt. He nearly tripped backwards over his feet. This…This was Julian, right?_

" _Julian?!"_

 _The sound of his surrogate brother caused Julian to cease his actions, halfway between landing another blow. His scowl lessened into the emotionless expression he carried with him in recent days. His fist uncurled, but he kept a tight hold on the mutt, who seemed to be having trouble breathing correctly. Weak, heavy breaths._

"… _Liam…" Julian released the Fusion, then stood up._

 _Liam's eyes were shrunken in horror. "What…What are you…?"_

 _Julian shot a glare at him, then grunted and walked away from the beaten Fusion. "We're going home…"_

" _B-But…"_

"Now _," he ordered with a firmer tone. He stepped around Liam and walked out of the alleyway._

 _Liam watched him leave, then looked back at the beaten Fusion in utter disgust and horror. "W…Why would you…?"_

* * *

Liam gritted his teeth, clutched down hard on the table. "Even after seeing that, I still went home with you. But you…you were nothing like the Julian I grew up with. You showed no shame in what you did…not an ounce of it for weeks…"

Julian lowered his head and stared down at the table. "Justice had to be dealt. I couldn't let that guy get away with what he did. He needed to pay."

"I don't disagree…but you…you went down the path _we_ refused to take. Violence is necessary in moderation…but that wasn't violence. That was torture." Liam growled. "You almost killed that guy." Julian clenched his hand, refusing to meet his eyes. "That's not the attitude we wanted to bring to our unity. Using fear and strength for revenge…that's not peace."

Julian grumbled under his breath, then slammed his fist on the table. "Who are you to talk about peace? You only cared about the wellbeing of the Fusions over everyone else. You weren't solving the problem. You thought moving all the Fusions into a single area could bring peace. You would've isolated them forever if I didn't suggest my ideas. If feuding can last for a millennium, relocation wouldn't have done anything.

"My plan was to monitor their actions to prevent any attacks from happening. In case you've forgotten what has been going on recently, Fusions have been going wild!"

Liam shot up from his seat. "I don't believe for a second what's been happening was of natural decision. Many of those Fusions come from good families from what I've heard."

"And now other innocent lives have to suffer for it!" Julian huffed. "Face it, Liam, action needs to be taken to keep the world at peace. You can't just offer a safe haven and expect all our problems to go away. That's not a cure, it's a bandage!"

Julian sighed, then pinched between his eyes. "You've always been a pacifist, but never like this. You're too cowardly to make your own decisions. It's like you have trust issues against Pokémon." He glared up at the godly ape. "Is that it?"

Liam gritted his teeth. He turned away and gripped his staff. "…You were the only Pokémon I ever trusted. I looked up to you as a symbol of hope and change. All my young life, I saw you as my idol. My big brother. The guiding light to my future. Everything you did, I followed behind because I took your judgment as the shining future. I thought you were the epitome of goodwill and hope. You inspired me to be a good man. I lived and breathed your idealistic passion.

"…then I saw you brutalizing a Fusion. A Fusion that killed our father." Liam clenched his fist. "I'm not going to lie…I was angry and wanted that monster to pay for taking his life. Chase him down, then slug him for a minute for much needed catharsis. But you…you held him down for four to five hours, breaking him…

"Weeks after that, you weren't the same man I called 'brother.' You were obsessed with order and justice. You wanted to make the world a better place, but your ideals went from wholesome to almost extreme authoritarian. I didn't like what you were becoming." He sighed. "And now look at you. The main provider in Fusion capture equipment."

Julian clenched his teeth. "Don't go acting like-!"

"I know, I know…we have equipment like that for Pokémon nowadays, but…still, it feels like you haven't forgotten…"

Julian huffed, then threw the rest of his candy bar on the ground. Liam raised his brow as the Machamp rose. "Regardless of what you believe, Fusions are powerful and potentially dangerous. No matter what your moral justice says, you can't guarantee another Fusion won't go rogue."

Liam glared. "And you think treating them all like monsters would've solved anything?"

"The violent ones are my main concern?"

"Just the violent ones?" Liam scoffed and pointed at him accusingly. "And where does that fall into place? I assume any Fusion who commits a horrible crime is on your list, but what about the Pokémon who are just as guilty? The bigots who take their anger out on them?" He bared his teeth. "Then again, most wouldn't bat an eye at such a scene, would they?"

Julian crossed his arms. "This is different."

"How? If you were still anything like how you were all those years ago, you would've turned half the village into the Fusion Hunters!"

"What do you expect me to do?!" Julian growled. "Bend the rules for every single Fusion who commits a misdemeanor or felony?! I was given a lot of crap for letting Tamara and Emily get away with what they did, especially Emily! I let it slide because it technically filed under self-defense! Not that I know of any Fusions in your village that did it of their own fun and cheer! I bend the laws because you FORCE me to!" Julian exhaled a sharp breath, then looked away. "Typical…"

Liam glared. "What?"

"You used to be so cowardly and meek back in our day. Now look at you. Just because you have the ultra-rare blood of Arceus, you think you can push and order me around. You think you can get away with whatever you want just because no one's stupid enough to pick a fight with you."

The godly ape slammed his foot down, shaking the ground. "I don't misuse my status for such a petty reason!"

The Machamp scoffed. "Right…and I'm the exception, apparently."

Liam growled, then stepped away from him. "…Spill it. What's the real reason you brought me here?"

Julian lowered his head, hiding his face in a dark shade. "Caught onto that rather easily, didn't you? I told you…we're here to settle the tension between us." He lifted his face a bit, revealing the red gleam in his eyes. "Once and for all."

Liam eased up and stared at the Machamp suspiciously. _That…doesn't look normal. Are his eyes actually…?_ Liam rested his staff over his shoulder. "You called me all the way out here just for a fight?"

"That's the idea." Julian cracked his knuckles and bounced on his toes. "We never got to finish our last bout. We're settling the score from last time. Only difference…you aren't running away."

Liam crossed his arms, more focused on his eyes than his declaration for battle. _Something's definitely not what it seems._ Deciding to play along, the godly ape crossed his arms and sighed. "Oh dear, whatever shall I do? I have no choice but to stay and fight." He glared. "It'll take more than a petty threat to deter me. What do you plan to take away from this?"

"Satisfaction." Julian clenched his fist and held it up. "I'm not letting you pull the strings anymore. From now on, we're doing things my way. The right way. I will protect this world without your help. I will bring in order and justice to this feuding world. Everyone will be safe!"

Liam rolled his eyes and started walking away. "And you think fighting me will do you any good? Preposterous."

Julian growled. "Always have to be the smug one…you good for nothing bastard!"

The ape halted. His eyes were wide in surprise, having never expected such an insult from the man. They weren't on the best terms, but…Julian never acted so uncivilized with him…only once in his anger years ago.

Liam looked over his shoulder and stared at the Machamp with…concerned eyes. "Julian…are you okay?"

"I don't need your pity!" Julian shouted. The red glow in his eyes was far more noticeable. "I've worked too hard to get to where I am now and let it fall apart! Taking you out of the picture will ensure that our dreams become reality!"

" _Our_ dreams? I don't want this!" Liam shouted.

"I'm not talking about you…" Julian grumbled.

Now Liam was getting worried _and_ suspicious. He glared and pointed his staff at Julian. "What…did you do?"

Julian smirked, then straightened up. "Like it'll matter to you. By the end of this, the world will be seeing a brand-new change. A new vision was given to me. A world where Fusions and Pokémon won't fight among differences! A world where Fusions can prosper! This world shall be destroyed and reborn into the homeland of the hybrids!"

Liam narrowed his eyes. _Why does that sound familiar?_ The world destroyed…reborn into…the homeland of the hybrids…

Everything came crashing down for the ape.

"…No…"

Julian crossed his arms and laughed. "Now you're getting the picture. You have no idea how much stress I was under when you found out the news."

Liam growled and stamped his foot down furiously. "What did he do to you?! Julian!"

"You won't be around to find out! This is payback for turning your back on me!"

 _There's no way he held a grudge like this for so long! These aren't his thoughts!_ Liam growled again, then turned on his heel. "You can't stop me from fleeing!"

Julian glared. "Oh, I believe I can!" He flicked his wrist and revealed a handheld remote from his sleeve. "I'm not letting anything get in the way of this!" He pressed the button.

Liam was seconds away from taking off, but then the unthinkable happened. In a state of shock, the ape watched as a flash of blue light casted over the sky before taking the shape of a bubble, encompassing the entirety of the city in a manner of seconds. The night sky was now mixed with the blue energy barrier, giving the atmosphere within a blue tint.

Julian squeezed the remote and crushed it into pieces. He dusted his hands off. "Why else would I have you come by so late? I need time to have some hired help set up for the big surprise. No one gets in…and no one gets out."

Liam clenched his teeth, then faced the Machamp in anger. "This is the Fusion Hunters' trap…"

"They owed me one, so they were more than willing to spare a few of their traps to encompass this whole space. Plenty of room for one big epic brawl." Julian cracked his knuckles. "Feel free to cut loose. No worries about casualties around here."

Liam, however, continued to protest. "Julian, what has gotten into you?! I may not trust you, but I would never go as far as take your life!"

Julian sneered. "You said some choice words earlier. Somehow, I doubt that…"

Liam faltered with worry and stepped back farther from him. "Look Julian, I couldn't find it in my heart to trust you again, but even I see the good you've been doing for us lately. I was angry and let the past get the better of my attitude. But please, you need to get a grip! You're not yourself!"

Julian ignored his pleas and just smirked. "You're wrong. I've never felt more me." Steam came through his jacket and off his face, feet, and hands. "For the first time in a long while, I don't need to listen to you anymore. You've put me in a bad mood, old friend. Let's rectify that."

Liam glared as sweat dripped down his face. _Steam? Tamara mentioned something like this a while ago…those superpowered Pokémon…_

Julian clenched his fists and teeth. "Justice…is order! Even if I have to take it into my hand, even if I have to be the scum of the earth, justice will be served! I'll bring order and make sure no one _ever_ loses a loved one ever again!"

Liam growled, then tried once again to reach him. "Julian, stop! Let's talk this out! Something's not right with you-!"

"Too late for talk!" Julian yelled with noticeable strain. "You had your chance and all you did was order me around! Just to accomplish nothing! You can't save everyone with peace, Liam! Action must be taken!"

 _He can't hear me. He's not thinking rationally._ Liam clenched his teeth. _Has Data actually been hiding under our noses this whole time? If so, whatever he did to Julian, he's thinking purely off anger. He…He's not acting like himself._

Liam tightened his fist, angered to see the Machamp in such a state. But mostly, he was starting to hate himself. _What was I doing? I should've seen through it. I should've went to Julian directly when he started acting secretive. I just ignored him because…I couldn't trust him. Have I been letting my own feelings blind me, too?_

Liam gripped his staff tightly. _I can't let him do this to himself!_ "Julian, please! Listen to me! You're not well!"

Julian sneered. "I'm done talking to you…" He spaced out his legs and held up his arms. He took a deep breath, then roared a ferocious battle cry into the sky. Steam blasted from his body in jets.

With the steam came a wispy aura. An aura of heat, red in color. Julian's muscles tensed and even expanded. The force of the steam firing off his body crumbled the ground under him. The asphalt bubbled from the intense heat being emitted under his soles.

Liam covered his face as the steam hit him. "Julian!"

A surge of pain went through Julian, but he powered through it. His pupils shrank as he reached the peak of his power-up, then let loose one final, might roar. One final blast of steam erupted from his body, blowing his trench coat off into pieces. Liam held his arms up as the steam came at him with more force. It felt like standing inside a sauna…one being heated by fire.

Once the steam cleared, Julian panted from the forceful power-up. He shook it off, then stood up straight. His blue skin was now reddened by the immense heat trapped inside him. Steam billowed off his body. All of this was shocking, but it's not what caught Liam's attention first.

It was the long scar across the Machamp's body.

Liam grimaced and faltered back. He actually felt teary eyed looking at it. "No…"

Julian raised his foot, then slammed it down in a manner similar to Liam. And like Liam, the street shook and cracked from his strength. Liam could sense that Julian has grown stronger. The real question is…by how much?

Julian panted a bit more, than punched his fists together and flashed a confident smirk. "Let's go!" he shouted before lunging straight for the godly ape, who raised his staff in defense.

Their glares were locked on each other as the distance closed.

One filled with fury. One filled with regret.


	51. Fallen Regret

_Liam slipped on his jacket, balaclava mask, and hat, concealing the more revealing parts of his Fusion heritage. He dusted off the jacket before racing off through the hallway, hoping not to miss his shift at work._

 _However, as he ran past his father's old room, he heard sparks and clanging noises whirling inside. He narrowed his eyes. Julian had taken up space in the room for privacy, though he never figured why. Pulling down on his balaclava a bit, he nudged the door open and took a peek at the new features._

 _Bare and empty, but with a workstation in the center, complete with just about any tool you needed for metalwork and electronics. He saw Julian hovering over the table, in the dark, working on something. Liam glanced to the side and saw the takeout bags thrown to the floor._

 _Liam frowned, then knocked on the door three times. "Um…bro?"_

 _Julian stopped working, putting down the welding torch he was using. He pushed up his welding mask, but did not face him. "…I'm busy."_

" _Yeah…I can see that." Liam pushed the door open a bit, then awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "It's…It's just that…we're going to be late to work, so…maybe you should start getting ready."_

 _The Machoke rubbed between his eyes and sighed tiredly. "I called in sick. I need to work on this. Just go without me."_

" _Are you…sure?"_

" _Yes."_

"…" _Liam narrowed his eyes in concern. "Julian, are you okay?"_

" _I'm fine."_

" _You've been quiet for a while. You barely come out of the room."_

" _I just want to be alone, alright?" He picked up his welding torch. "Just go or you'll be late."_

 _Liam blinked, then grabbed the doorknob. "O-Okay." He gently closed the door, but not before saying, "…just…if you ever need anything, just…tell me." He looked back for a moment, hoping the Machoke would reach out to him, then shut the door._

 _Julian's shoulders slumped when he heard the door click shut. He sighed and slid the welding mask back down. "Sure…"_

* * *

The deserted city, decayed with lack of care, became a battlefield in a manner of seconds. Once quiet, the streets echoed with distant _booms_ and _bangs,_ then buildings began to crumble. Shockwaves exploding from violent force. Explosion detonating with incendiary clouds pluming straight up. The broken streets and buildings were soon riddled with relentless destruction, further tearing everything the two fighters knew apart.

Liam was thrown back from Julian's Dynamic Punch and skidded back on his feet, keeping an upward and straight posture. He retained his stance as he blocked Julian's flurry of Bullet Punches that came immediately after. They were speeding along the street like they were on wheels, with the godly ape's feet digging back into the asphalt. The Bullet Punches clanged harmoniously against the ape's staff as he blocked them precisely.

 _His strength is remarkable!_ Liam never expected the Machamp to output such ferocious power. He never expected it from Bullet Punch, no less.

Julian stomped his foot down and kicked up sharps of asphalt, which Liam moved his head away from. He jumped and spun over the ape, going for his head with Dynamic Punch. Liam spun his staff and stopped the attack before hooking the Machamp's arm into the staff's cross wheel. He swung him around, then threw him down the street.

He pulled his staff back and glared. "Hidden Power." He swung and fired a volley of the light blue, mysterious energy spheres.

Julian skipped against the street before turning his body and digging his lower hands into it. He raised his upper hands and summoned up two massive Focus Blasts, slamming them into the Hidden Power. The shockwave directed the force of the Hidden Power around him in a cone shape.

"RAWR!" he growled, kicking off the ground with all four fists pulled back. Each step sank through the street and kicked up the asphalt into raining chunks. All he needed with horns and he would be a rampaging Tauros.

With his right fists, he threw a dual punch right into Liam's gut. Liam flinched, but was mostly unharmed. More that of an uncomfortable itch, but he doubted Julian was at full power yet. Whatever was swimming around his body, the Machamp had enough rationale to know it shouldn't be used in one go.

Liam clutched both his arms, spun on his heel for momentum, and chucked Julian as hard as he could, nearly throwing him out of sight. Not wasting time, Liam took off into the sky and made a straight shot for the dome.

"This is the famous trap the Fusion Hunters use to keep their targets from escaping." He glared and fired a round of Hidden Power into the top. Not a crack to be made, though, with the bubble rippling from the impact. "Got to hand it to them, though, these things do their job. They absorb and suppress the overall damage, calculated to scale of a Fusion. Probably the strongest one they could test it on."

He spun his staff and took aim, charging a mass of energy into the cross wheel. "Doubt they had these things tested for situations like me."

Before he could fire his Hyper Beam, he caught something flying upward at him. Dozens of Focus Blasts firing at high speed, and they kept coming. Liam growled and canceled Hyper Beam for a wall of Hidden Power, canceling the Focus Blast in their tracks. He fired down Hidden Power where the Focus Blasts were coming from and, supposedly, scored a hit on Julian.

The Focus Blasts seemed to stop soon after. Liam sighed and faced the dome. "I just need to take this thing out and I'll be home free." He took aim and charged Hyper Beam once again.

His ears picked up the sound of a sonic boom directly under him, followed closely by the rushing of wind. He glanced down curiously. "Wha-?"

Two fists slammed hard into his stomach. Liam coughed and gasped, spitting out in pain. Just as he reached for his midsection, four arms grappled around him and restrained his arms. He glared at the Machamp, feeling the burning heat he was emitting.

"I don't even know what I was afraid of anymore!" Julian exclaimed as he tightened his hold over him. "You're not even trying to fight back!"

Liam clenched his teeth. "That's because…I don't want…to hurt you…"

"Wrong choice, then! You're only making my job easier!" Julian pulled back his upper arms and raised his hands, forming two Focus Blasts.

Liam just glared and sighed exasperatedly. "Extreme Speed." He vibrated in place, using the vibration and power to force Julian's arms off. Right as he was free, he vanished.

Julian growled and faced down at the city, summoning Focus Blast in his other hands. "Run all you like, Liam!" He swung his arms and fired a volley of Focus Blasts straight down, destroying everything caught in their explosive range. The power of the Focus Blast was magnified thanks to the Enhancer Serum, fully capable of knocking down whole buildings. "You have no place to run!"

Liam soared through the exploding streets, keeping just out of range of the Focus Blasts that were trailing him. He glared quizzically. _Whatever he took is increasing his physical abilities exponentially. He could very well overwhelm many Fusions with that kind of strength._ He clenched his fist. _But I'm not one of those Fusions._

Liam spotted one of the many skyscrapers in the city. He nodded to himself and zoomed straight for it, then ascended the side with enough speed to rattle the glass. His ascension up the building was clearly noticed by Julian as he landed on a crumbling roof.

He stood up and crossed his arms. His eyes flashed red with hate. "Still the pacifistic coward you always were. Even with your own life in danger, you won't raise a fist to defend yourself." He glared. "Don't have the nerve to strike me down, huh?"

He closed his eyes and chuckled to himself. He adjusted his footing and pulled both of his right fists back, charging them with Dynamic Punch. "Then allow me to show you the power I've acquired. Maybe then will you start to take me seriously."

Liam landed in a small corner of the skyscraper and rested against the wall. "I need to stay here and rethink my approach. I know he's under some sort of hypnosis, but I don't know what."

Julian settled his eyes on the ape with his back turned, then shouted, "Dynamic…PUNCH!" He threw both fists and punched the air with crackling force. Combined with the breaking of the air and the heat he emitted, it resulted in an explosive shockwave that rumbled in a straight path towards Liam.

The godly ape took immediate noticed of it and was in shock. _Sweet baby Mew!_ He quickly took hold of his staff and charged energy through the cross wheel. "Hyper Beam!" The yellow and orange beam fired and collided with the explosive wave.

Both destructive attacks twisted and sputtered against each other as soon as they collided. They met at a standstill, emitting smaller waves that shattered all the nearby windows and even the concrete of most buildings and sidewalks. The air rippled as they pushed to overpower the other, but eventually broke under the stress and collapsed into particles.

Liam knelt down and took a breath, panting slightly. "That…was too close."

Julian glared, then took a deep breath and shouted, "GIVE IT UP, LIAM! I'M MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU WILL EVER BE!"

Liam spotted the Machamp (not that hard when you're the only nearby creature emitting steam) and stood up. "Julian, enough! Get it through that thick skull of yours! You're being manipulated by Data!"

"You're in denial!" Julian held a hand over his heart and declared, "I am the maverick of this world that will save everyone! I shall bring criminals to justice and erase the sins of this dying world! Without you in my way!" He bent down and rocketed straight for the skyscraper.

He was coming in too fast to use Extreme Speed, so Liam crossed his arms and hoped for the best. Julian slammed his fists into the ape's block and sent him flying across the city. Liam smashed through the taller buildings one by one before crashing into a lone balcony.

He picked himself up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Going to feel that in the morning…" He took to the edge of the balcony as Julian came flying in and landing opposite of him.

Julian rose and punched his fists together. "This is but a fraction of my new power. You haven't seen what I'm capable of once I reach full power." He took a fighting stance and leered. "Do yourself a favor and give up."

Liam just glared at him. He tapped his staff down and folded one arm behind his back. "…I'm not going to get through to you, am I?"

Julian smirked. "Nothing's stopping this. My hopes and dreams…will make this world better."

Liam's dark expression lightened up, showing worry and pity for his former friend. "Julian…" He tightened his hand around his staff, while his other hand trembled. "…Don't make me do this."

"Yeah, that's the thing about you, Liam." Julian glared. "You never made the hard choices. You only ever rely on using your might and our fears to get through life. For once, I've placed you in a situation where all you can do is fight to survive. You want to 'save' me? Then you need to stop sniveling like a whining brat and fight like your life depends on it!"

The worry in Liam's eyes vanished. Stone coldness wrapped in annoyance. No tension in his face or body. For once, he was sure of what needed to be done…and Julian was going to regret it.

"…You fool…"

Julian gritted his teeth. "Stubborn Fusion…" He inhaled deeply and growled as his muscles tensed. More steam pushed from his body as he became redder. His muscles expanded, with the red aura around him growing darker and more intense. He bent back on his foot, then rocketed right into Liam with a Dynamic Punch.

"Disappear…FOR GOOD!"

His fist collided into Liam's gut and exploded with a raging blast wave. The pressure wave shot across the city in a fiery streak, breaking through the sound barrier in a near instant. The balcony cracked under the stress, pushing up dust around him.

Julian stepped back and smirked triumphantly, holding up his steaming fists. The rock caught in the blast was red hot. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that that sent Liam flying all the way across the city. He must have been crippled in pain.

…Oh, how wrong he was.

Julian's eyes widened in horror as the dust cleared. The body of a Slaking came into sight, with new alterations to some of his color. His appearance changed from its usual yellow to purple. And he was standing perfectly unharmed.

"Was that all?"

Julian stumbled back and garbled in horror at the Ghost-Type Fusion standing before him. He changed his type at the last second. Liam was unfazed from his attack. Straight faced with a cold glare.

Julian's jaw quivered for a moment to take in the sight, then it tightened up as his blood boiled with fury. "No…no, no, NO, NO, NO!" He threw himself into Liam and assaulted him with a flurry of Bullet Punches. Liam took the punches as he glared right down at his head.

"The proud Machamp who fought for the rights of Fusions and the protection of Pokémon…now reduced to a mere puppet in the grand scheme of things." He growled. "How infuriating…what is even the point of all this?"

Julian didn't let up in his attack for a second, battering Liam in his ever-growing rage. "This is to prove which one of us is destined to bring this world to justice! To achieve peace, sacrifices must be made!"

Liam growled. "Another lie he fed into your head. You idiot…" He raised his hand. "All that talk of justice and you couldn't even save YOURSELF!"

He swung down hard and chopped Julian in the head with a mighty _boom_. Julian was immediately stunned and ceased his Bullet Punches. He stumbled back in a daze and held his aching head, clenching down on his teeth.

Liam jabbed his staff into the balcony, then pulled his fist back. His form reverted back to that of a Normal-Type. A white light swirled around his fist and coated it in its blinding glow.

Liam huffed, then stated, "You made one miscalculation in this convoluted plan of yours." His eyes sharpened. "I'm not so much a pacifist anymore."

With all his strength, he swung and rammed his fist right into Julian's chest. The Machamp spat out a sickly gasp, stuck in an eternal stasis of initial pain for the first second, then was sent flying across the city in a streak of white light.

Juliam smashed through several buildings, digging through the floors and crashing through abandoned offices with no halt in his momentum. After shooting through the seventh building and getting fed up, he spun his body around and dug his fingers into the floor. He drastically slowed himself down before slamming into the final window, merely cracking it.

His arms trembled weakly from the strain. He looked at the cuts in his hands, with splintery wood jabbed into his palm. He tightened his muscles and shot steam through his hands, ejecting the splinters out like corks on a bottle. He massaged his hands, then glared at the tunnel of Machamp-sized holes.

"You…bastard…" He marched and took leaps across the building gaps to reach the ape.

Back with Liam, he flew up in to the air, with one arm behind his back. He sighed, then held his head up. "Slack Off." A purple aura washed over him, healing off the miniscule damage he took.

He glared ahead and saw the four-armed humanoid leaping between the buildings. Liam took himself up higher, then raised his staff. "This is where this foolish game of yours ends. Do not hold it against me. I told you I didn't wish to fight." He sneered. "You were warned."

His staff glowed in an orange light. Energy spilled out and swirled over the top of the cross wheel, condensing into a spiraling orb. Liam flicked his fingers up and commanded the sphere high into the sky.

"And now…prepare for your Judgment!"

With a swing of his staff, he commanded the sphere to burst. The spiraling sphere exploded in a rain shower of a thousand light arrows, scattered systematically to his every inch of land in his sight. They drove into the buildings and exploded in chains, washing over the city in a wave of incineration.

Julian's eyes widened as the explosions came at him. He crossed his arms and was thrown back in the violent blast wave. "GAAAAH!" He tensed his muscles and endured the blasts as they threw him around. Fragments of hot rock slashed his cheeks and arms, barely scratching his dense skin. If it weren't for the Enhancer Serum, this would've surely wiped him out.

Buildings were razed in a manner of seconds. Everything came tumbling down without remorse. Not a single bit of land in the blast zone was left unscathed. A large smoldering patch of land with hot rock and debris remaining of what was once part of the deserted city.

Liam floated over the destruction calmly, scanning through the thick fog of dust for any sign of the Machamp. He heard nothing, but he couldn't assume Julian was out. He was smarter than that.

"Come on out, Julian! Unless you finally decided to throw in the towel!"

Ten Focus Blasts suddenly flew out of the dust at high speed. Liam spun his staff and deflected the attacks, letting them exploded harmlessly in the air. More Focus Blasts came flying from random directions, indicating Julian was on the move.

Liam growled and zipped around the air, avoiding the concentrated energy. "I won't hold back if you continue this foolish game!" He raised his staff and summoned another Judgment. "Find it deep in your heart to forgive me!" He swung down and unleashed a second wave of Judgment, repeating the chain of explosions down in the smoldering land.

Julian saw the light arrows through the fog and held his arms over his head. He grunted in pain as they came down on him and exploded relentlessly. He kept his feet anchored deep into the ground to keep from flying around like last time. His body swerved side to side, vigorously enduring the explosive force.

Once the mayhem died down, Liam once more floated near the wreckage and leered for the Machamp's whereabouts. In all the Judgments' fire, the smoldering land had created a dense fog of dust, impossible to peer through. Liam clenched his fist and got down closer.

"Where are you?" he muttered. "Did I actually knock him out this time?"

From behind, the top layer of the dust cloud burst open with an explosive pressure wave right for him. Liam immediately turned and swung his staff into the blast, canceling it on the spot. However, it was not the last of them as more pierced through the dust and came straight for him.

Liam rocketed into the sky, weaving through the pressure attacks, and scanning around the impenetrable field of dust. The pressure waves were firing nonstop from different points in the fog, just like earlier with the Focus Blasts, only it seemed to be occurring faster.

 _He took two Judgments and still has more speed than this? His power boost was not an exaggeration!_ Liam glared and surrounded his staff in a cyclone of Hidden Power. _I'm impressed, but far from worried!_

He swung down and rained the mysterious energy where the most recent pressure strike appeared from. Within the dust, Julian was running in circles and punching the air with such ferocity. He took notice of the Hidden Powers and aimed his pressure strikes for them. Due to both their power, it allowed for each to cancel the other out, only Julian had tons of steam left in him.

"What's the matter, Liam?! Won't try for a third Judgment?!" He stopped and pulled all four fists back. "Or maybe you've finally accepted the inevitable!" Striking all at once, he fired a wide-range pressure wave that blew away the dust around him.

Liam spotted the approaching wave and countered with a Hyper Beam. The two attacks pushed against each other, similar to earlier, only with a much longer standstill.

As the godly ape kept the beam flowing, he shouted, "Do you really want this, Julian?! Going so far just to kill me?! And for what?! Just to achieve this deranged justice of yours?!" He bared his teeth. "I expected you to have moved on from this a long time ago!"

"You were the one…holding a grudge!" Liam's eyes shot up and spotted the Machamp's foot swing down at his face, barely blocking it. The surprise attack did knock him from the air and careening into the dust. "You had your chance!" Julian yelled as he freefell after him. "Now I'm calling the shots!"

Liam picked himself up and tried to summon Hidden Power, but he was under Hyper Beam's cooldown. Finding the strength to move, he swung his staff and blocked the four-armed humanoid's devastating punches. "You're not calling the shots! Data's only…using you!" He redirected his blows and slammed the cross wheel into his neck. He hooked him around it, swung him over his head, and smashed him into the street. "Is all this worth it, just to be used as his puppet?!"

"You're a damned fool!" Liam felt his staff being tugged, then was thrown off his feet, landing on his back with a muffled thud. He shot up and turned, then was smacked across the face with his own staff. He held his nose, slightly dazed, and glared at the Machamp who was wielding his weapon. "Peace, peace, peace! What does that word even mean for you?!"

He rushed the godly ape and whacked him senselessly. "Is that the promise of a god?! Or is it your sad excuse of a wish you can't obtain?! What would you know about peace?! You played the waiting game for too long! If being subtle won't save lives, then being direct is the way to go!"

Having enough, Liam jumped back and flicked his fingers up. The staff froze in place just as Julian swung down. It shook in his hands, breaking from his grasp, then turned against him by the command of Liam's hand gestures. The staff spun like rotor blades and slapped him against the face. The cross wheel hooked around his neck once more and threw him into the buildings.

Liam snapped his fingers, ordering his staff back to his hand. "And being a war-torn dictator against Fusions was going to solve everything?! If I let you go through your insane plans thirty years ago, Fusions would've been treated like monsters under control! That isn't justice!"

"I would've kept them safe!" Julian dug his hands under the building and, in a shock feat of strength, lifted it from the ground. A small building, granted, but still incredible. "They still needed to be watched!" He chucked it at the godly ape.

Liam sneered and, barely moving a muscle, slammed his Mega Punch into it, breaking it around him. The debris and halved sides tumbled past him harmlessly. "You would've placed them in those damned collars for the rest of their lives! They were meant for the actual criminals, not for all Fusions!"

Julian leaped across the air and slammed his fists down on his raised staff. "Fusions have the power to break this world! If we can't trust what they can do, we need to prevent the problem from the source!"

Liam growled, but didn't speak. _These aren't his actual thoughts! I know the Julian of now! He has never expressed anything like this in years! Why is it suddenly a problem for him now?! Does he actually think it's that brilliant of an idea?!"_

…That's when the gears started turning.

… _It's more than just hypnosis. Someone…Data altered his memories! He forced Julian's old memories back onto him like a tape on loop! Julian thinks he's been holding this grudge for years!_ He glared furiously. _One Pokémon comes to mind that can rewrite memories!_

He swung his staff and bashed the pole into Julian's head. "Julian, snap out of it!"

Julian rolled to his feet and slammed two Focus Blasts into his chest. "You shouldn't have interfered! If only you could see the truth! You would've ruined it all! We are going to create peace!"

Liam's fist swung from the smoke and socked Julian in the cheek. "If you mean that doomsday device, you're even more screwed up in the head than I thought!" He growled. "For the last time…" He created a third Judgment and aimed it with his staff. "WAKE UP!"

The shower of light arrows came soaring at Julian. However, this time, he lunged through them, weaving around and avoiding them with only a few nicks to the arms. He rammed his shoulder into the ape's gut and threw him off balance, then struck down on his midsection with a quadruple Dynamic Punch.

The ground exploded upward and split open into large chasms that swallowed any and all unstable structures. Julian roared and pummeled straight down on the ape while he was dazed and confused. His fists flew furiously, exemplifying the speed and power of a Machamp in battle.

"When will you get it, Liam?! Nothing's going to change if we hope! Pokémon will still hate Fusions! Fusions will still commit crimes! It's how things will go! It won't all just disappear on us one day like some elaborate dream! Hoping and praying mean nothing in the end! What matters it taking all matters into your own hands! If you won't let me follow through with my plans, then Data and I will rewrite this world into the perfect world!"

He stopped beating down on the ape and grabbed hold of his wrist. Spinning on his heel, Julian spun the god Fusion and chuckled him towards a collapsing skyscraper, barely holding up on its side. "FOCUS BLAST!" Four large concentrated spheres of energy formed in his hands, then were thrown at such high speeds that they broke the sound barrier.

They collided into the ape's back and drove him through the structure before exploding in a blinding light. The shock traveled far enough to hit Julian, who held his arm up to block the dust from his eyes. The skyscraper groaned and tipped further down, only being supported by smaller buildings pushing up on it.

Julian lowered his hand, then glared at the crater he beat Liam into. His staff remained. He scoffed and picked the weapon up before walking over to where the Fusion was hopefully unconscious.

The Machamp rested the staff over his shoulders and sneered as he stepped through. Mounds of debris and rubble piled up inside, likely with the godly ape buried underneath all of it.

"…This is all in the name of a better world. Sacrifices must be made to thrive." Julian clenched his teeth. "You think you could've done better? I was the one with a plan. All you cared about was rescuing the Fusions. Look around, Liam! Do Pokémon not matter because they turned against you?! Because they wronged you?! All the ones that did nothing to you, the ones that were harassed or had their lives ruined?! That all doesn't matter to you, does it?

"We may have been able to change the perception of Grandis City, but it donned on me that the whole world won't see it as easily. It isn't enough." He tapped Liam's staff down and held his hips. "That is the nature of Pokémon and Fusion that we all share. We're stubborn creatures. We won't change unless it is our choice.

"Change is a choice…but the world lost the right to make their own decisions. Now it needs a strong leader to set an example. Soon…everyone will learn the error of their ways…" A tear dripped down his cheek. "…No one…has to lose another loved one again…"

Nearby in the debris was a large mound of rubble and concrete. Pebbles rolled down the side…then red and blue light peeked through the cracks.

* * *

 _Liam walked beside Julian with a nervous face. For the first time in weeks, Julian was finally speaking to him normally. Though, it felt sudden, to say the least. He was brought to the Machoke's 'lab' and now stared at table with a white sheet draped over it._

" _Bro…what is all this about?" he asked with mild curiosity. Even worried about his brother's foul mood, he was curious to see what the Machoke has been doing in secret._

 _Julian gripped the sheet and threw it off. "This!" It fluttered to the ground, allowing the Machoke to show off the diorama of a city, made up of a white padding material. "The future. A world where no one will ever feel unsafe ever again!"_

 _Liam stared at the model oddly, then walked closer. "O…kay…" He hopped onto a stool. "Neat and all, but…what?"_

" _It's my ideal world. Just look." He guided his finger along the fake streets. "You know why the police weren't able to capture that Arcanine Fusion? It wasn't just because he was strong and faster. He was also impossible to track. We had no way of knowing his exact whereabouts at any given moment. He could've been doing anything and getting away with it way before the cops shows up. He can flee a chase with enough luck and maneuvering._

" _My design is different." He pointed at some poles placed out around the model. "Cameras stationed in intricate points of the city. I ran the numbers and did the math. With this design, there's an impossibly low chance of any Fusion escaping police custody should they commit a crime. All you would need to do was track their movements through the cameras and they won't have any place to hide."_

" _I…" Liam scratched his head, feeling just a bit unsure. "I…suppose that would be useful…"_

 _Julian sighed and crossed his arms. "The real issue, though, would still be detainment." He held up the prototype collar he used on the Arcanine Fusion. It was slightly warped. "I'm hoping to make more of these for the police so they can trap Fusions. No longer having to rely on Sleep Powder and various methods of capture."_

 _Liam gritted his teeth. "Those…collars…you're going to sell them to the police."_

" _That was the original idea, but I thought of something better." He waved it off. "I'll tell you all about it later. Soon, we'll be helping people. Police can use these and eliminate Fusion related crimes for good. Just think, no one will ever have to live in fear of them again." He glared. "And no one has to die by them."_

 _Liam raised his claw. "L-Listen, bro, I've been…meaning to ask you about that…"_

 _He pushed Liam out of the way. "It'll have to wait, Liam. I'm hoping to set up a meeting with the mayor. We're going to make a lot of people happy when we get these collars distributed. Plus, think of the fortune will gather. Do you know how much I could sell these for-?"_

" _Julian!" Liam shouted, shutting the Machoke up. Liam sighed, then spoke softly. "Those collars…leave Fusions completely defenseless…" With his hand still on the table, he dug his claws into it. He bit on his lip worriedly. "Bro…what exactly are you planning? All you've been talking about is Fusions…you never said criminals in general…"_

 _Julian stared at him silently, eyes narrowed, then he looked away with a long sigh. "…I've been doing research. A lot. It has come to my attention just how dangerous a Fusion can become. Sure, a Gyarados is just as dangerous as next…but I didn't think I'd have to fear something as small as a Caterpie that's half Kyogre. Fusions have the potential to be the most dangerous lifeforms on the planet._

" _Statistically, a Fusion is more likely to commit a crime than a Pokémon. It's basic numbers. And with the difference in potential power…am I wrong to be afraid?" Julian held up the proto-collar. "I want to change all of that. I'm going to make everything right. Innocents saved, criminals detained. Criminal Fusions need to be dealt with. They need to be controlled."_

 _Liam gulped inwardly. "What do you…mean by that?"_

 _Julian waved the collar at him. "That thing I would talk about later? It's this. Best way to stop the problem is to prevent it. I understand you might be a little worried, but nothing to fear. Not all Fusions are going to be wronged, of course, but…precautions, you know?"_

 _The sloth's face went pale. "Precautions?"_

" _Distributing collars like these to all Fusions so that they can't commit any crimes or use their altered abilities. It's a simple fix. Limit the problem, Fusions won't start crimes. Everybody wins."_

 _Liam nearly fell off the stood, tripping over his own feet. He held his face in utter horror. "You want…you mean…forcing Fusions to wear those things…"_

" _They'll prevent them from doing anything wrong and we'll be able to monitor their locations at all times." Julian shrugged. "It's simple as that. No one has to get hurt."_

" _You…You…" Liam clenched his fists and eyes shut, fists shaking with tension. "You…what has gotten into you?!" he shouted at the Machoke's face._

 _Julian blinked in surprise, then glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"_

 _Liam hopped off from the stool. "You're actually suggesting Fusions should be put under some kind of remote detainment, like they're…like they're monsters! This…This isn't like you!" Liam looked down and let his body loosen. "You…You've been acting different lately. You're not yourself. What you did…it changed you, I know it has." He held his face, tears brimming from his eyes. "I…I can't even describe what you did without feeling physically sick…"_

 _Julian held his hip and scoffed. "Liam, calm down. It was just one Fusion." He growled under his breath. "He took Pa away from us."_

 _Liam bared his teeth. "Dad attacked him, too, you know…" He rubbed his eyes, then glared up at the Machoke. "I mean this in the sincerest way possible…but Dad can be a violent maniac when he's drunk. He means well, but…you know how he gets. And that Fusion…after fending himself on his own for so long, is it that surprising a Fusion maybe develop an itchy reflex for extreme peril? There are Pokémon out there that hate us enough to wish for our deaths…you think_ we _aren't scared?_

" _And you just decided to…" Liam held his face and groaned. "…you weren't even thinking about if he lived or died that night…not once did you say to yourself 'I went too far.'"_

 _Julian just rolled his eyes. "Maybe if he didn't break into our house…"_

"… _You're not even the least bit apologetic for what you did, are you?"_

 _Julian growled. "He broke into our home and killed Pa! Why should I feel sorry for that sack of shit?!"_

" _I'm not happy about it, either! And I will NEVER forgive him for what he did!" Liam turned away and glared angrily at the floor. "But you…you went out of your way to…" The godly sloth eased up and sighed. "Let me ask you something. If you could relive that entire experience again…" He spun around, tears threatening to burst from his eyes, and glared straight at the Machoke in fury._

" _Would you do it again? Would you beat him up again, breaking him over and over again until he couldn't even move, and STILL keep going?"_

 _Gazes were locked for a long, silent moment between the two surrogate brothers. Liam's body was shaking with worry and rage while Julian kept a relaxed composure to himself. The Machoke's eyes were narrowed and cold, offsetting the wide-eyed fire in Liam's._

 _Julian sighed and turned away. "I have to go."_

 _The dam broke. The fur close to Liam's eyes was matted down by his tears as his arms drooped to his sides. Horror and shock in his heartbroken eyes. "You're…You're not even going to say anything…?"_

 _Julian scoffed and pushed the door open. "It's my business. Frankly, it doesn't matter. Anyone who goes that far to ruin someone else's life should just be killed on sight…" His voice trailed off, realizing what he just said by mistake._

 _The room started to rumble with an intense energy. An energetic pressure vibrated the air, pushing down on the Machoke. If he let his legs go limp, the pressure would've slammed him against the ground. He looked over his shoulder and saw the darkened expression of his brother, with the tears drizzling from his eyes._

" _Julian…" His voice was cracking._

 _Julian eased his shoulders, then faced the Fusion calmly. "Liam…crime has consequences."_

" _And treating Fusions like homicidal maniacs makes you right?"_

" _I do not-"_

" _You're acting like everything is black and white. Julian…you're grieving…you're letting your anger cloud your judgment…" He faced the Machoke with reddened, heartbroken, furious eyes. "Now you're taking all your anger out on Fusions."_

 _Julian glared and held a hand over his heart. "I'm doing what's right for the world. Someone needs to step up."_

" _And I'm supposed to TRUST you to handle it yourself?!" Liam marched up to his surrogate brother. "Can you honestly say you wouldn't try something like that again? Accident or not? Is it your job to be the hero? Does everyone you see as horrible deserve to be brutally beaten because you say so?!" He jabbed Julian in the chest. "IS IT?!"_

 _Julian grabbed his wrist and held him up, now getting pissed off with him. "I'm doing what I can to keep everyone safe! Even if I have to be the scum of the earth, I won't let another family or innocent suffer because of a Fusion who chose the life of crime!"_

" _Chose? CHOSE?! You think Fusions do this for FUN?!" He reared his legs back and kicked Julian square in the chest, slipping from his grip and knocking him into the wall. Liam landed on his feet and shouted, "It's wrong, but what choice do they have?! You POKÉMON force these lives upon us because you deem us creatures of sin!"_

" _You're not like the rest of them!" Julian growled._

" _And what if I was?! What if you never found me and you were still going along with this plan of yours?!" He growled back. "Am I suddenly the enemy?!_

 _Julian stomped his foot down. "Fusions need to be kept under control!"_

" _Pokémon need to change their attitude!" Liam screamed. "Otherwise they turn into bastards like you-!"_

BASH!

 _Julian's fist connected with the Fusion's face and threw him into the table, crushing the legs and the diorama sitting on top. Liam held his face in a daze, cringing in pain. Julian raised his fist, panting heavily, then looked at his knuckles. His eyes widened when he saw the blood on them, then the bloody nose coming from Liam._

" _Oh shit! Liam, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!"_

" _RAWR!" Enraged and instinctual, Liam lunged from the wreck and returned the blow to the Machoke's face._

 _Julian stumbled back, then, with a vicious glare, grabbed hold of the Fusion's wrist and threw him to the floorboards. He proceeded to stomp on him, but Liam rolled out of the way, grabbed him by the arm, and hurled him through the door, breaking it off the hinges._

 _Fighting broke out through the house. Punching and kicking each other through the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom…just about everything. Heavy hits they didn't pull, with anger clouding their minds. Snarling beasts with their prides to defend. The anger of two brothers with different ideals._

 _Their trust…their bonds…all crumbling. No love between brothers, no chances. Only anger and hatred._

 _Julian took hold of Liam and smashed his face through the kitchen counter, then shoved him against the wall with his arm pressed to his neck. "I NEED THIS! I NEED TO PROTECT EVERYONE! NO FUSION WILL STAND IN MY WAY! I WANT THERE TO BE PEACE!"_

 _Liam snarled at the Machoke. He grabbed his arm and slipped out of his hold, then twisted it behind his back and kicked him to the ground. He bared his claws. "You…are no longer…MY BROTHER, YOU HEARTLESS MONSTER!" He slashed down on Julian with all his might._

 _Blood splatters across the wall._

* * *

"…There was never a single moment in my life…that I regretted more than _that_ day…"

Julian's eyes widened, as a powerful presence permeated from behind. He turned around and witnessed the display of power rising up from the ground. Suddenly, the ground exploded open, throwing him back, and burst skyward into a pillar of spiraling red and blue light, high enough to pierce the heavens. Julian dug his feet into the ground and bared his teeth as the violent winds rushed past him, throwing the loose rubble and rocks around the cyclone.

 _What's going on?_ Julian felt the staff shaking in his hands before prying itself from his grip. It spun through the air and plunged itself into the cyclone, disappearing into the glow.

Within the center, the silhouetted figure of Liam rose from the ground, like an elegant angel with his arms out. The soul piercing glare of his eyes penetrated the dense cyclone of energy.

"I was angry. I was furious to see the man you were becoming. Obsessed, grieving, anger. I couldn't find it in my heart to trust you. You weren't my brother anymore." The cyclone expanded, blazing upward with greater intensity. "But…to say I didn't feel the same…is my sin. And now…I regret everything."

The force blasted into Julian, ripping him out of the ground and resorting to digging his hands in. One eye was shut as he tried to face through the rushing winds.

"Wha…What is this? Where is this power coming from?!" He stared long and hard at the cyclone, then recognized the signature colors associated with Fusions. His eyes widened in fear. "No…it can't be! Don't tell me…!"

"I could never control this form for too long. I just couldn't let go of the past." He glared. "But now…seeing you like this, used against your will…I can't afford _not_ to care anymore!" Liam threw his head back and roared as the cyclone reached maximum intensity, spinning with wild instability. With a wave of his arms, the cyclone dispersed into a wave, washing over the ground and Julian in a strong burst.

The godly ape gently descended and touched down with the ground. A radiant, golden aura surrounded his new form. A golden crown was shaped around his face. A white fluttering robe was draped over his body, exposing his gray stomach, with a golden trim. His arms and legs were given golden bracers. Finally, his staff had transformed into the Arceus cross wheel, worn on Liam's back with a heavenly glow.

Julian stumbled back, feeling his knees going weak before the ascended Fusion's presence. Standing before the Fusion, he felt small and helpless. It felt like he was standing in front of a god. A powerful god that he was trying to kill.

Liam relaxed his heavenly stature, then glared softly at Julian. "I'm sorry, my brother…but it's time for you to wake up."

All sorts of alarms blared inside the Machamp's mind. Never did he EVER consider the worst possible scenario. He blatantly stated he wanted to take Liam's life and didn't think twice about it. He never took into consideration…he'd be fighting an ascended deity like this!

Julian grasped his head, panic clear on his face. _No…I can't! This is impossible! I can't beat Liam like this! His Fusion Mode…I've never felt anything like this!_

Fleeing was the option he wanted to take the most, but his mind berated him for his cowardice. Data was extra thorough to keep Julian on task. Should he try to reject his mental commands, they would reinforce and remind the Machamp of his commands. Whispers in his mind, ordering him to 'Stick to the Plan' repeatedly.

Julian's eyes widened, turning red and furious. He clenched his fists and threw them up. "Grr…LIAM!" Throwing caution to the wind, he kicked off the ground and threw himself at the ascended ape with four Dynamic Punches.

Liam crossed his arms, completely calm. "Extreme Speed." He took a single step and vanished. He appeared behind a slow-moving Julian, with the world distorted around him. Liam snapped his fingers and summoned the Zap Plate, absorbing it and becoming an Electric-Type. He pulled his fist back and glared. "Mega Punch."

Unable to comprehend Liam's presence, Julian took a surprise, heavy strike to his side. Blood spurted from his gaping mouth, then he was sent flying straight up the skyscraper and slamming into an exposed I-beam, bending it back upon impact. Julian was stunned with pain, unable to breathe for a moment before regaining his lungs.

He panted greedily for air, then held his searing side. He glared at the burn marks against him. Mega Punch never did that before. "…That…didn't feel like…a Normal-Type move."

Liam floated upward to him, retaining his calm composure. He glared slightly. "Julian, I will save you…no matter what."

Julian bared his teeth. "I already told you…THIS IS WHO I AM!" He kicked off the I-beam and threw his Dynamic Punch at Liam.

Liam electrified his hand and caught the fist effortlessly. Julian reared back and screamed as electricity surged through his body, contracting his muscles and locked them down. Forcing his leg to move, he swiped up for a kick. Liam dodged, but let the Machamp go.

Julian fired off four Focus Blasts as he fell. Liam waved his hands and sent a wave of Hidden Power, countering them easily. Julian landed on his feet and charged for the wall, running up the side with his feet digging through, then rocketed into the ascended ape from behind.

"Accept it, Liam! This is who I am!" He pulled back his right fists for Dynamic Punch.

Liam switched to his Mind Plate and turned with a pink Mega Punch. "No…YOU'RE NOT!"

Both punches collided with a flurry of sparks flying off into the walls. The Machamp obviously tried to put more power into his force, but Liam had the air advantage and the type advantage, winning out in the power tie. He overpowered Julian's Dynamic Punch and uppercut him back into the air.

 _That was worse than the last punch!_ He grabbed hold of the approaching I-beam and caught himself, perching atop it. _Fusions who hyper-evolve into their Fusion Modes get increased power and new abilities. Does that mean his ability…?_

He felt movement from behind. He spun around with a Dynamic Punch, but took a face-full of Hidden Power. He was thrown off the I-beam, but managed to press his feet against the approaching wall and ricocheted back over. "Payback!" A dark aura surrounded him.

Liam held his arm up and took the double power of the attack, switched into the Pixie Plate. The shockwave hit him hard, but not much else. He barely budged from his place in the air. He narrowed his eyes. "Is that all?"

Julian landed on the I-beam and through a flurry of fists. "Bullet Punch!"

Liam switched to the Zap Plate and took the punches. Just like the Payback, they weren't doing much to push him down. He pulled his fist back. "Mega Punch."

Julian was quick to counter, immediately intercepting it with his Dynamic Punch. He amped the strength in both arms upon collision, putting them at a tie in strength.

They growled openly as they tried to push their punches, then were thrown back by the shockwave. Liam stayed in the air while Julian gripped into the wall he crashed into. They glared at each other from afar.

Liam raised his palm out and spoke, "There's no point in continuing this foolishness, my brother. Surrender…and I shall free you from yourself." He fired a beam of Hidden Power at him.

Julian sneered and leaped over the beam. It curved to track him, but he canceled it with his Focus Blast. Soaring upward, he formed four Focus Blasts and threw them at the ascended ape. Liam merely narrowed his eyes, then, with a simple wave of his hand, transmitted a wall of Hidden Power before him and obliterated the Focus Blasts in their place. He clenched the fist and fired a second beam of Hidden Power, this time scoring a direct hit om the Machamp.

Julian was shoved up the building's walls, with the electrified beam searing his skin. He glared at the ape before taking hold of the wall and throwing himself out of it. "How arrogant are you?! Saving ME?! There's nothing to save!" Digging his feet into the wall, he ran around the ascended ape and fired down on him with an endless stream of Focus Blasts.

Liam smacked them away with little effort, keeping his eyes on the moving Machamp. He raised his brow curiously as the superpowered Machamp suddenly sprung off the wall. He tracked his movements as he bounced back and forth from the ground and walls, gradually picking up speed with each burst.

"You're wasting your time!" Julian shouted, pouring more power into his muscles. "I'll win this bout, then I'll assist Data and save the world from itself!"

Liam gritted his teeth, getting fed up with the stubbornness the business man was exhibiting. "I was _really_ hoping I could get to you this time…" He summoned his plates and rotated through them. "You've brought this upon yourself." He settled for the Sky Plate and absorbed it. "Extreme Speed!"

Both sped within the crumbling structure and traded blow as they passed each other. Each impact shook the building and brought it down more and more, rock and support beams falling to pieces against their mere pressure of their strength.

Julian jumped along the walls and threw himself high in the air. "Take…THIS!" He proceeded to spam Focus Blast straight down, with his arms flailing at max efficiency. The bottom floor lit up in a fiery chain of explosions. "RAWR!"

Liam, however, completely avoided the chain blast and appeared over Julian with his arms crossed. "Extreme Speed." Still in his Flying-Type form, he slammed his foot down on the Machamp's back and kicked him down so fast that he passed his most recently thrown Focus Blasts. He crashed hard into the ground, bouncing up a bit, then was bombarded with the rest of his own Focus Blasts.

Liam aimed his hands down and charged up a sky-blue beam between them. "Now then…Hyper Beam!" The building lit up in a blinding blue light as the beam tore through the air and connected with the downed Pokémon.

Julian gasped out in agony as the beam dug him into a hole. He struggled against it, unable to stand without breaking the ground underneath. It was definitely hurting him more than a normal Hyper Beam would. He was close to passing out if his heart wasn't pumping so wildly.

 _No…NOT LIKE THIS!_

Julian roared with passionate fury and pushed harder to his limit. His muscles kept expanding, while his body emitted more and more levels of volatile heat. The ground was basically boiling from his presence. He reared his fist back and slammed it into the Hyper Beam, splitting it down the middle and connecting the shock to Liam.

The ascended ape was thrown back in surprise, but kept his cool. Though, underneath, he was starting to worry. _He keeps pushing himself. He doesn't even care what could happen to his body._

"LIAAAAAAM!" Julian flailed his fists and fired consecutive pressure strikes.

Liam flew around them, feeling the wind brushing against his fur. He waited it out for a while until he felt his energy fully recharged. Using Extreme Speed, he got down to Julian in less than the blink of an eye and delivered his Mega Punch into him.

Julian tanked the attack and grabbed hold of his hand. "Payback!" He pulled Liam in and slammed his right fists into his stomach. The added power of Payback and his increased strength made for a heavy and nasty hit to the ascended ape, who grunted in response.

"Hidden Power." Julian gasped as Liam slammed his palm into him and sent him flying with backward with the beam. Liam jumped back and positioned himself as his cross wheel glowed. "Judgment." It erupted with light and fired thousands of light arrows at the Machamp.

Julian glared at them, then unleashed his Bullet Punch flurries. His newfound strength allowed him to withstand the miniature explosions, but he was now wide open for the ascended ape. Liam switched to the Earth Plate and slammed his hands onto the ground.

"Hidden Power."

He triggered a golden seismic wave directly forward. Julian felt the wave pass under his feet, then leaped up as the ground split in a golden burst. He clenched his teeth. "You use only Normal-Type moves, yet you utilize them so fluidly in your Fusion Mode…" He glared and formed one massive Focus Blast, chucking it with a loud battle cry.

Liam leaped through it with the Spooky Plate active, then threw his Ghost-Type Mega Punch right into him. Julian took the hit so he could return it with Payback, socking Liam hard in the side. It was enough to throw Liam back, but he balanced out and switched to the Draco Plate.

"Hidden Power!" He fired a volley of neon blue shots, shaped like serpent dragons. Julian crossed his arms and tanked the blasts seamlessly.

He blew the smoke away and lunged, shouting, "Why can't you let have this?! This world will die without my help!"

"You're letting your obsession get to you!" Liam shouted as he charged into Julian. With the Flame Plate active, he threw his fiery Mega Punch against Julian's increasing power Dynamic Punch. They met with a much more stable power tie, shoving against each other's punches.

Julian sneered at him. "The power of Arceus…with the ability to utilize all seventeen of the elemental plates. With the power to become and manipulate any type as you so wish…" He allowed himself to smirk a bit. "As I expected from the ultra-rare Fusions, the Mavericks of Legend."

Liam narrowed his eyes softly. "That is my ability…God of Creation." He activated the Fist Plate and swung his knee into Julian's chin, then struck him in the side.

Julian slammed into a wall, but immediately rebounded with four Focus Blasts charging his hands. "I will beat you! I WILL beat the legendary Fusion of Arceus!"

Liam switched to the Insect Plate and used Hidden Power. "Go ahead and try!" They both got into each other's faces in an imposing standstill, the pressures they emitted radiating all around them, then slammed their attacks into each other for a glorious flare of power.

Truly a spectacle for all to see. Never has a battle between a Pokémon and a Fusion ever escalated to such dramatic heights. A battle that will forever only be truly known by the two warriors. And like many great battles, one shall stand…one shall fall.

The eruption from their attacks threw both of them all the way across the crumbling structure. Liam panted lightly, but still had the strength to keep fighting for hours. Julian, however, was reaching his limit. His body just couldn't handle all the stress he was putting on himself, not helped by the Enhancer Serum forcing his body to operate at capacities well above his normal limits.

Julian knew this…and it made him angry. Seeing Liam still kicking like it was nothing made his efforts seem almost meaningless. Everything he was working towards, all of it, was going to be ruined by this Fusion he once called brother.

"No…I won't let that happen…" He tightened his muscles, his red aura intensifying. "I'm…not done YET!" he screamed into the sky, exploding with steam and his blazing aura. The room illuminated in the sinister red glow, slowly filling the room with heat. Even from where he stood, Liam felt like he was inches away from a wildfire.

He saw how hot Julian's body was getting, as his skin kept getting redder and redder. He could see him tearing himself apart. His muscles and body couldn't handle any more of the stress. Julian could be moments away from giving himself a heart attack…or worse, literally tearing himself to death.

"Julian, enough!" Liam pleaded desperately. "If you keep powering up like that, you could DIE!"

"I. DON'T. CARE!" His battle cries rumbled with the building pressure, though they were gradually sounding like fits of agony. "I know I can! I CAN WIN THIS!"

Lima glared. _Data's mental commands are pushing Julian harder than I realized._ He switched to the Mind Plate and summoned a volley of Hidden Powers orbiting around him. He fired them into the Machamp, hoping the Psychic-Type damage would finally do him in.

Much to Liam's misfortune, the Hidden Power seemed to have done nothing. Julian kept pushing himself further and further. _His defenses are increasing drastically. I need something strong to take him out…_

Racking through his list of possibilities, one came to mind near immediately. However…

 _My Fusion Move…I could use that and put an end to this for good._ He gritted his teeth. _But…I run the chance of taking myself out if I use it. Plus, in the state Julian's in, what if I…?_

The ascended ape would've been against it, but hearing Julian's cries of pain kept reminding him Julian needed to be defeated at all costs. Something strong enough to put him down for good. With it growing ever so hot, Liam knew what he must do. He raised his arm over his face and grunted.

 _I'm sorry…_

Julian hollered in agony, then leaped high in the air, spreading his arms out. He roared as he poured all his power into summoning a field of Focus Blasts all around him, each glowing in an intense, heated red. Even they were burning with the same thick aura that surrounded Julian.

"This is the end…FOR YOU!" Using Dynamic Punch, Julian punched each and every one of his Focus Blasts into Liam at speeds greater than the ascended ape could activate his Extreme Speed. Liam was caught in the incendiary explosions that blew straight up the building and annihilated the top half in a glorious blast of smoke and flame.

Focus Blasts came and went, one after the other. Julian kept expelling energy to create new Focus Blasts, focused solely on eliminating Liam at all costs. Everything will soon go according to plan. The world will be reborn into a world of the Fusions. Peace will be forced onto everyone. No more violence, no more bloodshed, no more deaths!

Everything was going to be alright!

Julian smirked victoriously and threw his hands up, summoning one massive, flaming Focus Blast over his head, exuding a pressure that reduced all debris around it to dust. "I WIN!" He hurled it into the dust cloud of his fallen foe, knowing full well it will finish the job and incinerate the ascended Fusion into ash.

…A hand shot out from the dust.

"…You lose."

With a single, crushing grip, the Focus Blast exploded into a wave of flame and energy, rushing past the ascended ape harmlessly and scorching the burnt earth under his feet. Burns and marks all over his body, yet he was still standing at full strength.

All hope in Julian's eyes came crashing down. His eyes burned with raw abhorrence, his aura exploding outward in a violent rage. "No…NO!"

Liam switched to the Icicle Plate and wrapped his hands in cold energy. "I'm sorry, Julian, but this is for your own good!" Not holding back, he slammed both his fists down and fired a colossal wave of Hidden Power at the blazing Machamp.

Julian tried to flee, but the Hidden Power caught him by the ankle. His eyes widened in shock as the energy wrapped around him and exploded outward. Suddenly, all his movements became rigid and cold. He felt himself trapped in solid air.

Or rather…one ginormous glacier.

His eyes darted around in shock, the only thing he was really able to move. His eyes landed on the ascended ape, then shaped into a glare. The heat from his body began to break through the ice. Already, the Machamp could make some minor twitches with his arm.

Liam narrowed his eyes calmly. "That won't hold him forever…" He brought his hands together. "But just enough time." He closed his eyes and focused.

A white energy gathered between the space of his palms, starting out as a small, swirling sphere. The more energy that collected into it, the more it grew. Liam didn't know much about the previous two Fusions of Arceus, but he had a feeling this move was used by them at one point. A move that broke the very laws of battle itself. A move that shouldn't be used carelessly, only matters of dire need.

He sighed to himself and stared into the growing sphere. _When was the last time I ever had to use this move? Never against a living target…I never had the strength to fire such an attack on one._ He clenched his eyes shut. _I never thought…you'd be the first one I would use this against, Julian. I've caused you enough grief already…_

* * *

 _Liam rested against the wall, staring at his claws with distress. Dripping with red, the very blood of Julian. Some of his disguise was splattered with the spilt life liquid, even stained on his white fur._

 _Liam looked away from his claws and looked straight to Julian, who was slumped over in front of him. His face was twisted in pain, seething in discomfort. His hand clenched tightly to his chest, bloodied by the Fusion's unrestricted attack. A long cut crossing over his body, dripping with blood._

 _The Fusion covered his mouth with his clean hand and pushed himself up against the wall. His heart raced in panic and confusion. Everything went blank for him in little time. All he saw was red, now all this…without even thinking about it._

" _I…I…" Liam backed away from the hallway, keeping his eyes off Julian. "I didn't mean to…w-w-why did I…?"_

 _He flinched as the Machoke grunted and lifted his head. He panted under his breath, glaring at the Vigoroth-Arceus. "Liam…" he growled in pain._

 _Tears brimmed from the Fusion's eyes, on the verge of breaking down in a panic attack. His breaths became quicker and sharper, as he back away from the fallen Pokémon with fear and remorse running deep inside him. He couldn't speak. He couldn't scream. He couldn't look him in the eyes. How could he do something so…so…_

… _monstrous?_

 _Without a word to be uttered, Liam turned away and sped straight out the of the house. Julian flinched as he heard the front door breaking down, then forced himself to his feet._

" _Liam!" he shouted, not in anger, but in concern. "Wait, Liam!" He ignored his wound and raced to the door, desperately hoping Liam didn't get too far._

 _He reached the door and pressed his weight against the frame to keep himself up. His eyes scanned the outside in a panic, seeing nothing but an empty street and claw marks in the asphalt, etched in a rush. Julian clutched his chest and dropped to his knees, panting weightily._

" _L…L…Li…" Julian closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then cried out to the heaven's above:_

" _LIAAAAAAAM!"_

* * *

A tear slid down Liam's cheek. "I'm sorry for putting you through so much trouble, my brother…" Eyes filled with tears, he glared straight at the frozen Machamp. "It's time to wake up from the nightmare."

His Fusion Move gathered into a condensed sphere of white light, surrounded in a rainbow glow. It radiated a tense pressure, lifting up the loose rubble and rock around him. His body crackled with colorful sparks, channeling into the sphere. Liam closed his hands around it and pressed it down between them.

Julian was observing all of this as he melted away at the glacier. His eyes were wide with realization, knowing full well what was coming his way. An attack of magnitude and power that defied the concept of battle itself. He has heard the stories of the previous two Fusions of Arceus and the might of their Fusion Moves.

And now it was being aimed straight for him!

Liam glared right at the Machamp, then aimed the attack. He breathed out quietly, preparing his mind, then uttered three words:

"…Power…of Creation."

A white flash, surrounded in rainbow aura, came barreling for the Machamp with a presence that defined that of the gods. Julian could feel the weight of the energy from his icy imprisonment. An attack unlike any other.

He needed to flee. NOW!

Julian forced the rest of his way out of his icy prison and shattered himself free. However, it was too late for an escape, as the beam was closing in rapidly. Instead, Julian did the only thing he could and slammed his hands into the beam, hoping to overpower it with raw might.

He grunted as the beam nearly broke his arms with the connection. He then growled as he tried to dig his feet in and push back against the beam. The Enhancer Serum was supposed to place him above that of a Fusion. He can overpower the ascended ape. He knew he could.

But he couldn't.

What he saw as strength was miniscule compared to the attack he so foolishly believed he could conquer. This wasn't a Hyper Beam. It wasn't a Hidden Power bombardment. It wasn't the might of Judgment. It defied all of that.

It didn't feel like any other attack he has ever faced, yet it radiated with an intensity that he couldn't match. There was no defined power to overcome. This was beyond their concept of moves or even normal Fusion Moves. It was exactly how it was described.

Power of Creation.

 _This…is the power…that Liam possesses?_ Julian went limp as the beam consumed around him and his fruitless efforts. Everything slowly washed out from existence, replaced in a never-ending white glow. _Liam…I'm…I'm sorry._

A flash of light with the skyscraper, then a pillar of pulsating light shooting up in the sky, encapsulating the surrounding area in a brilliant and powerful glow. It glowed like a second sun, illuminating the dark, night sky. It slammed into the Fusion Barrier and effortlessly smashed the top to pieces, breaking the energy structure to pieces.

The light dwindled gradually, shrinking to the epicenter of its starting point, the city growing dimmer with its fade. Once the light vanished, all that remained was crumbled buildings that barely survived the blast and dust. Black and gray dust that blew with the wind. A rainbow-like vapor steamed off the burnt land. Not a trace of black smoke from the blast.

Standing within the center of the scorched crater was Liam, tipping back and forth in a daze. He looked exhausted, close to passing out. He sighed, then coughed as he dropped to his hands and knees. His Fusion Mode gave out and reverted him to normal, with his staff reappearing and clanging down to his side. He felt like he was going to throw up.

Power of Creation…a move he couldn't use all too often, for it completely drains everything he had left just to fire. A move with no type or discernable power. It was one of the most powerful and dangerous Fusion Moves in existence and he only fired just enough to, hopefully, not kill Julian.

He wiped his lip and tried to stand, taking hold of his staff as he did so. "That…That had to…do the trick…" He grunted and nearly fell over as he rose. His legs were growing weaker.

Liam gazed ahead just as his eyes started to go blurry. However, he was able to spot traces of steam nearby. Quickly, he hobbled over to the spot. He nearly dropped down a few times, but his mind was determined.

He reached the steam. It was coming off of Julian, just as he had hoped. However…the Machamp wasn't in the best condition.

He was very much alive, probably from using the last bit of his strength to take the blast. His body, however, looked to be torn up and burnt from his own expansion of power. On top of that, because of the blast, tons of debris were piled over his legs, crushing down on them.

"Julian…!" Liam cried in a hoarse voice. He coughed again, feeling a great deal of lightheadedness come over him. He shook his head and tried to stya conscious. "No…I can't…not yet…"

He raised his staff and went to fire his Hidden Power. No such luck, unfortunately. Nothing more than a gentle spark. Power of Creation left him completely wiped of his power. Nothing left to use.

Liam dropped his staff and grabbed hold of a chunk of metal, desperately trying to pull it loose. "Julian…hang on, Julian…" he whispered roughly as his legs shook. "I'll…save…you…Jul…ian…"

The godly ape's arms went limp. His eyes glazed over. His legs finally gave out. He tipped to his side with a blank face, then fell in front of the Machamp, completely out cold.

The winds blew over their bodies as the last of the Fusion Barrier crumbled to pieces. A deserted city now the site of destruction. No one around to save the two fallen brothers.

All…was quiet.


	52. Answering for Everything

Late night out in Grandis City. The streetlights illuminated the dark, silent night. A night where no one else was out. Perfect for those taking a leisurely stroll late at night. In the case of a particular Fusion, the perfect cover.

With it being a little past midnight, Vivi was able to sneak out in the cover of the darkness, undetected by the village security. Once she reached the city, she went into super stealth mode. Though, in her case, it was hardly 'stealthy.'

She combat-rolled between streetlights and postal boxes, humming a peculiar tune one would hear in a popular spy movie. "Snea-snea, snea-snea-sneaking~!" she mumbled to herself as she rolled and shuffled closer to Profectus Inc. She shifted through various hiding spots, trying to blend into her surroundings.

She came up to the building in one last roll, then struck an attack pose. "HIYA!"

Floating next to the doors was her 'partner-in-crime,' the ever so reluctant Brea. She crossed her arms and stared with her usual dryness. "…What are you doing?"

"Being sneaky!" she exclaimed. "It's what all great spies do!"

"…That is literally the most suspicious way to sneak around in the middle of the night."

Vivi eased up, then crossed her arms in a pout. "This is a spy mission."

"No…no, it isn't. You and I are just going into my boss' office after hours…when I have free access to the place. Nothing. Particularly. Sneaky."

Still pouting, Vivi looked away. "Buzzkill…"

Brea pinched between her eyes. "How old are you?" She glared. "Look, if you don't want my help, I can very easily turn back and go home for the night."

Vivi sighed and faced her. "Fine…"

"Now, before I let us in, I need to know: are you absolutely certain my boss is up to no good?"

"I've never been surer in my entire life!" Vivi exclaimed.

"Never been quieter, either." She sighed and scanned her badge, disabling the locks. "You better be right about this." She opened the door and gestured Vivi through.

The archer stepped forward, asking, "You sure everyone's gone?"

"Positive. Not even the janitor is here. Like I said, only a select few have access to this building." She closed the door and led the archer through. "We have the whole place to ourselves."

Unknown to the two 'spies,' they won't be quite as alone as they hoped. As soon as the front door closed, a lone figure stepped out of hiding. One hand was in their coat pocket as they stared at the door. They stared intensely at the door, barely making out the two females as they turned a corner.

"Hmm…" The figure breathed, then headed up to the door.

* * *

Hours spent searching through the woods. It was already past midnight and not a trace of Juniper to be found. Any longer and Wash would likely give out to exhaustion. So, he did the sensible thing and took a small break, despite how reluctant he was about it. He wanted nothing more than to keep going and find his girlfriend, but he couldn't if sleep took him first.

He rested up against a tree, with the picnic basket he took with him some time ago. Having not eaten in a while, he took a bite of one of the sandwiches. It tasted pretty good. He felt bad he wasn't sharing this meal with Juniper, though.

He sighed and pinched between his eyes. ' _What am I going to do?'_

' _ **It's funny, when you think about it.'**_ Wash glared ahead as his split personality decided to finally speak again. _**'When you want to find her, she's nowhere to be found.'**_

Wash sighed, then held his head. It was too late to be getting into a petty argument with his recently chatty personality. Still, it kept him sane. _'…You and Juniper fought at the docks, right? Anything I should know about?'_

' _ **Only that that panda girl isn't the innocent sweetheart she likes to play. Everything was pretty fuzzy, I'll admit, but I did see it. One minute I'm challenging her to a fight, the next I feel like an anchor fired into my stomach. I saw that brief glimpse into her eyes. That was an expression you'd see from such a lazy bum.'**_

Wash narrowed his eyes, then sighed. _'I knew she had her secrets, but…never imagined something like this.'_

' _ **Hard to imagine someone like her would get a kick out of murder.'**_

' _I'm still under the belief that there's more to this than what she's telling. I just can't…'_ He pinched between his eyes. _'…She said it herself: she was getting too comfortable around me.'_

' _ **Eh?'**_

Wash looked up at the night sky. "…Juniper is all smiles, laughter, and snoring to her closest friends. That's the basic impression we have of her. But, since I've started hanging out with her more, I've noticed…it's more. She's…incredibly expressive with a smile. One can tell a million different things. Through them, I see she has…parts of her life she refuses to revisit. She doesn't want to talk about them. And I…just never asked why." He closed his eyes, then took a deep breath.

"I often wonder…if she ever had a proper childhood. I've noticed whenever we're training that it slowly devolves into us…playing."

' _ **Playing? Like little kids?'**_

"Something like that…" He leaned back. "I felt like I didn't have anything to worry about. Just let my mind drift off and pretend the world isn't a horrible place, something kids do." He looked at the picnic basket. "…It's hard to accept someone as sweet and amazing as her would be capable of remorseless murder…"

' _ **Eh…I don't know what else to tell you. Everyone has a demon they don't want getting out.'**_ Wash could feel Barbatos smirking inside his head. _**'I'm living proof of that, right?'**_

Wash closed his eyes and grunted. "I can easily assure you that you aren't anything like Juniper. You were a creation of my own tormented mind and all the hateful thoughts I had towards family and Pokémon. _You_ got out of hand and made everything worse. And that made me afraid of what I could do to others…" He looked at his hand, clenching it into a fist. "I didn't want to go around and hurting everyone just because I was in a bad mood. Made me fear what you were and what _I_ could do."

He sighed and rubbed his temples. "And just look at me now. I'm having a mental conversation with you like you're an old pal…or just a family member I hate."

' _ **The feeling's mutual.'**_

"And all it took was watching my girlfriend suffering an emotional breakdown for us find some common ground."

' _ **Who knew someone else's traumatic experiences can improve the lives of others?'**_ Wash groaned and covered his face in his hood. _**'Oh, don't go acting like a sad sack, moron. You know I'm right.'**_

Wash scratched his head, visibly annoyed. "Yeah…sure…" He reached into the picnic basket, rummaging for anything he could eat. His fingers curled around something, so he pulled it out. However, it wasn't something he would particularly say he liked…

…though it did soften his rigid demeanor.

He smiled warmly at the soda can. He wasn't big on soda, never was and probably never will be. And yet, he was dating the biggest diet cola addict in the village (probably the only one he'll ever meet, too). Funny how things turned out. Even if he expressed irritation with the panda constantly finding new ways to get him to drink it…they were some of his happiest memories with her. It made his heart feel all…heh, bubbly.

He pressed the can against his forehead and chuckled quietly. "…You're a weird girl, Juniper…you're my weird girl…"

' _ **Ugh…save the sappy romantic garbage on your own time.'**_

"We share the same head."

' _ **I know and it makes me physically sick.'**_

Wash smirked to himself. "Makes me sick, too…lovesick."

' _ **You're doing this on purpose…if I had a stomach in here, your thoughts would be covered in puke.'**_

"You torment me, I torment you."

' _ **I should've just crawled back into the dark abyss of your mind.'**_ Wash held the soda can up to eye level, allowing Barbatos a mental view of it himself. _**'Too bad she isn't as simple-minded as we assumed. We could use that as bait.'**_

Wash rolled his eyes. "Not how I would put it…" He frowned at the can. "…but if it was an option to lure her out, I'd take it in a heartbeat." He hugged the can close to his chest and slouched down. "Jun…please…I'm worried about you…" Tears built up in his eyes.

Barbatos was considering leaving his dominant personality to his tears, but the personality born of hate and destruction knew it wouldn't be optimal for him. He needed Wash to be passionate and angry to even think of crawling out and taking control. Sadness and misery weren't the most useful control triggers. Plus, whether he wanted to admit it or not, it was pathetic watching his dominant personality breakdown the way he was.

With a long-drawn sigh, Barbatos suggested, _**'…Maybe it's time you looked at this with a different approach.'**_

Wash wiped his eyes, then gazed upwards. "What? Find someone to sniff her out?"

' _ **A useful idea you should have used earlier, you moron, but I'll give you a pass because…well, you saw your girl go bananas. Not so useful now since it's the middle of the night. What I can suggest, however, is, this: taking that ribbon covered thug's advice.'**_

The ghost frog narrowed his eyes. "Ribbon covered…you mean Artemis?"

' _ **What was it she said? Oh yeah, that she's YOUR girlfriend! You know for a fact she didn't runaway into the city. She wouldn't have wanted the unnecessary attention from passing civilians. Instead of thinking like a drunk tracker who's lost…or that idiot archer who got lost on her way to the mess hall, think like someone else. Think…like Juniper.'**_

…Wash had to admit, after a few moments of silence between them, he was stunned. Impressed, even. He blinked with a blank face, staring out in the dark. "…That has got to be one of the smartest things you have ever said."

' _ **Bite me, jackass.'**_

Wash pressed his hands on the ground and lunged onto his feet. "Okay Wash, think. Think, think, think…" He paced in circles around the tree he had leaned against. He had his eyes closed while tapping the soda can against his forehead gently. "Juniper is my lazy, drowsy, fun loving girlfriend. Where could she have possibly gone to get some peace and quiet?"

He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Just about anywhere, really. Everywhere is her bed, especially her actual bed. That's just her. She'll usually sleep everything off." He shook his head. "No one can take her seriously half the time, so they just assume she's off goofy off somewhere. She hardly does any work around the village, save for…"

Wash stopped and stared with a look of sudden realization. The one place he didn't think of checking because it was the one place he wouldn't immediately assume Juniper to go to.

"Guard duty!"

' _ **Guard duty?'**_ Barbatos went silent for a moment, then groaned. _**'Oh…right, she…she's one of the village watchtower guards. How have we never been attacked with her on duty? I hardly remember she protects this place. At NIGHT, no less!'**_

Wash ignored him and rambled under his breath, "I never actually checked her station. There might be a chance it's her shift tonight. And she knows no one bothers the guards while they're on night duty." He sighed and scratched his head. "Which…honestly makes the position perfect for her."

He narrowed his eyes confidently. "The gates stretch out around a large section of forest in the village. She stationed herself in one of the farther towers. I bet she's there."

' _ **Oh please…I think you're taking my advice a little too seriously.'**_

"It wasn't originally your advice."

' _ **Regardless, do you expect me to believe she would go to such an obvious spot that everyone knows about?'**_

Wash held his hip and glared ahead. "She's a lazy, sort of simpleminded panda that everyone keeps forgetting serves as one of our night watchmen. Would that actually be the first place that comes to your mind?"

Barbatos had nothing to immediately counter that argument. _**'…Okay, fine, you make a fair point.'**_

Wash grabbed the picnic basket and dashed directly for Juniper's watchtower. _I just hope I'm right about this…_

* * *

It took roughly five minutes of nonstop sprinting, but Wash managed to reach the watchtower that Juniper was often stationed at. He slowed himself down, then pressed his hand against a tree as he caught his breath. He shook his head, then looked up at the tower. He didn't expect it to be blaring with loud music or dance parties, but he also didn't imagine it'd be this quiet.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Still pretty quiet…"

' _ **Either she's not here, or she flat out went to sleep.'**_

"After what she went through, I'd be impressed if she got some shut eye." He glared boldly. "But no, she can't be anywhere else."

He took a deep breath, then walked up to the tower. A part of him wasn't looking forward to confronting her. She has been through enough and now he feels like he's going to interrogate her more. However, that wasn't going to keep him from reaching out to her. As insane as it sounds, he would swim the world's oceans if it meant cheering her up.

Excessive, maybe, but it's how he felt.

He took a deep breath once more, psyching himself up, then knocked three times on the tower's side. "Jun! It's me, Wash!" he called out. "Are you up there?"

No response was given, which dulled his mood a tiny bit. Barbatos just scoffed. _**'Guess it wasn't that good of a lead.'**_

"Just shut up and give me a minute. Like Artemis said, I know how Juniper is." He crossed his arms and glared up at the tower. "Juniper, I know you're up there. You can stop hiding from me. I'm just here to talk."

If she were truly up there, she was doing her best to remain perfectly silent. However, Wash knew there was something even she couldn't hide.

"Juniper, come out. I know you don't want to see me or…anyone else for that matter, but I'm worried about you. Plus…" He held up the picnic basket. "You haven't eaten in like…eight hours." He shook the basket, letting the sounds of the packed basket do the talking. "I know you're hungry."

There was no immediate response…until a loud stomach growl revealed the hidden suspect's position.

"…darn it…"

Wash held his hip and chuckled lightly. "I figured you were here."

The Spinda-Mienfoo chuckled weakly from above. "Heh…yeah…you know me well…"

Wash climbed the ladder and made his way to the top. He threw the basket up first before jumping onto the main platform. He looked around for a second, then spotted the panda sitting far from the ladder. He gasped quietly upon seeing her.

Her fur was disheveled and dirty, like she was running through the dirt in her escape. It certainly would explain the dirt smudges over her. She had tears stains in her face. The fur around her eyes and cheeks were moist. Her posture was slouched, and not in the usual lazy manner. She looked to be trembling under his gaze. She looked like she has been scratching herself, like she was suffering from a furious rash.

His eyes drooped sadly, utterly baffled to see her in such a…non-Juniper state. "Jun…"

Her eyes widened a bit. "Wash, uh…" She suddenly forced a grin and threw her arms up. "H-Hey, would you look at that?! Boy, I certainly look like a mess, am I right?! Sorry, I didn't have much time to make myself look more presentable! A lazy oaf like me has standards, too!"

"Jun…why…?"

"Boy, crazy weather we're having tonight, huh?!" she pressed on, her smile looking more and more fake. It wasn't a Juniper smile. It wasn't at all. "Just look at that unique night sky! So…black and starry, like all the rest of them!" She laughed out loud. "I don't even know why I said 'unique.' It's…It's n-nothing special, you know?"

Wash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He marched up to her. "Jun…p-please, just stop…" His voice was cracking. Each word that came out of her mouth felt like a knife being driven into his chest. It was too painful to continue.

Juniper's eye twitched as she backed herself into the tower's railing. "S-S-Stop what? Just happy-go-lucky Juniper here! No gloom or doom around here! No sir! Don't want that nasty stuff around here, am I right?!" She laughed quietly and held her hands up. "R-Reminds me of a joke! What do you get when a-?!"

Her face froze into that fake smile and those joyful eyes devoid of real joy. She felt the ghost frog's arms snake around her in a smooth strike, trapping her in his embrace. Her face twitched as Wash pulled her close. She could feel his heartbeat, calmly pulsing. And he felt hers: an erratic thumping that wouldn't stop.

Wash clutched her fur as tears dripped down his cheeks. "Jun…please…just stop. Stop smiling…stop making that…that face…that's not…your smile. Stop…hurting yourself…" He pulled her closer and leaned his head against hers. "I can't…stand to see you like this…"

Juniper forced a pitiful laugh from her cracking voice. "Ha…w-what? D-Don't be a silly froggy, Washy! I'm not…I'm not…" The barriers around her broke once again, much quicker than last. One more squeeze from the hug broke her.

Her fake smile crumbled. Her lip quivered. Her eyes shimmered with glistening tears. Her body trembled in his arms.

"W…Wash…" she mumbled in a tiny, miserable squeak.

He rubbed her back. "I'm here for you…I always will be…"

"Wash…you…" The dam broke.

Tears sprung from her eyes as she threw her face into his shoulder, sobbing her heart out with deafening echoes through the night. She swung her arms around him and hugged back with a tight, restricting squeeze, but he didn't mind. He felt her head press against his, with her tears soaking his cloak. Once again, he didn't mind.

He nudged her head with his cheek, doing his best to soothe her with gentle back rubs. "It's okay…everything's…going to be okay…"

He wasn't sure how long they would stay like this, but he'd go through the whole night to ease her burden. Until then, it was just them, alone, with the ghost frog comforting a panda with years of grief to be released.

* * *

Within the nearly empty Fusion Hunter HQ, Cragtail sat in the monitoring room, sneering at the cameras that showed basically every inch of the facility. The job was pretty monotonous on most days, as there has never been a major incident to take place. No breakouts or riots to be recalled.

All Cragtail got from the cameras, specifically the holding cell cameras, were his prisoners lazing around like they were having a spa day. It sickened Cragtail that they looked so cozy and free of stress. It was taunting him, like they were better than him. The other guards didn't see it, but he saw right through those relaxed demeanors. They weren't fooling him.

They were scheming something.

He growled, then pulled out his handheld radio. "Status report."

"Same as ever, sir," a Fusion Hunter replied. "The prisoners are just carrying on with their usual business."

Cragtail banged his fist on the table. "I don't buy that for a second. They've been acting strange lately. They think they can pull a fast one over me. Well, I'm not having it. Search their cells! Contraband! Weapons! Anything somewhat suspicious!"

A second Fusion Hunter picked up, "Sir, we have…multiple times at _your_ request, in fact. There's nothing even remotely dangerous on them."

"It's not like they can break out," the other Fusion Hunter reminded. "Those collars keep them under control."

"You think I don't know that?!" Cragtail growled, digging his claws into the table. "I know they're plotting against us! I can see it in their faces! Smug, villainous, spiteful…they think they've won…"

The Fusion Hunters just sighed, expecting this kind of paranoia from their boss. "Is there a chance you might be, I don't know, overreacting a tad bit?"

"Overreacting?!" Cragtail slammed his fist down and stood up from his seat, glaring at the radio. "You listen to me and listen good! My dedication to this job keeps us afloat! There are Fusions in this base that can worm their way out of anything! I've trained myself to see through their deception! This base wouldn't function without me! In fact, I-!"

Suddenly, he cut his rant short when the radio blared with static. He looked at it in surprise, then growled and banged his fist against it.

"Now this darn thing is screwing with me! I though these were brand new!" The static cleared up instantly. "There! Like my father always said: if it's not working, punch it a few times!" He looked to the side. "…Maybe not the best advice for everything." He shook his head, then glared at the radio. "Now, as I was saying, I-!"

"Hello, Cragtail." The Golem's eyes widened. That voice wasn't one of the active Fusion Hunters. "I hope things are going well for you."

"Huh?!" The Golem narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "That voice…where have I heard it before…?" Like a lightbulb flickering on, the answer came to him instantly. "Wait…Data?!"

Data chuckled quietly. "And we have a winner. Funny, if this were a movie, I would've had to make some convoluted speech to get you to remember. Though, that does make you wonder: are you the villain of _my_ movie, or am I the villain of _your_ movie?"

His laugh sent chills up the general's spine. "What the…?"

"Julian's been telling me a bit of your progress lately. How has my Enhancer Serum been treating you? Been using it well?" He sighed contently. "I say we've been doing some great work around here. I wanted to thank you personally for your services with Julian. You've both been a big help to the cause."

Cragtail clutched his radio tightly. He sneered at the voice with growing anger. "Quit screwing with me…how did you get onto this frequency?!"

"Oh Cragtail…from where you're standing, that is the _least_ of your current issues."

"What are you blathering about?"

"You see, Cragtail, I'm an innovator who has seen the horrors of Pokémon and Fusion feuding. I've seen Fusions take the likes of many Pokémon and vice versa, especially. I was hoping my three hundred years of hibernation would give this dying world enough time to reflect on their sins. It seems nothing has changed from my time. Maybe less public executions…but certainly enough to make my blood boil.

"It dawned on me…that no matter the time, place, or world, hatred will brew when there is a division. It's always…this side versus that side. One extreme versus the other. That's…not what I wanted to see. No one's taking the steps to end it, so I'm going to force a change, whether anyone asked for it or not."

Cragtail clutched the radio with both hands and shook it. "Quit stalling and talk! What do you want with me?!"

"You're an odd man, general. You clearly don't trust the Fusions, even show signs of hating them, but you designed your facility to help Fusions return to society with a clean slate. I admire that, in a way. However, it's clear your tendencies make you a very untrustworthy man. Your services are no longer required."

"What?!" Cragtail shouted.

"The day of reckoning is upon this dying world. Now everyone…will have peace."

Without warning, the building's alarms sounded off, blaring "SYSTEM OVERRIDE! SYSTEM OVERRIDE!"

Cragtail turned his head sharply and looked at the monitors in horror. One by one, the holding cells' electronic locks disabled and released the prisoners. Not only that, but the collars were unlocking by themselves and dropping off each their necks. In seconds, the dozen or so Fusion Hunters left in the building darted for the holding cells to try and apprehend them, but they were outnumbered.

He could hear the rioting going on from outside the monitoring room, with blasters going off and firing to keep the prisoners at bay for as long as possible. Cragtail wasn't an idiot, though. With how little the base was being guarded due to the recent Fusion riots around the world…

'… _no way…'_ Cragtail thought in sudden horror in realization. He turned back to his radio and glowered at it. "How?! How did you hack into my system?! You're just a freakin' cube!"

" _Was_ a cube." The Golem's eyes widened. "But I had nothing to do with this. My accomplice hacked your system."

Sweat dripped down the general's forehead. "Impossible! There's no way anyone could've hacked into my system from the outside!"

"I never said they hacked you from the outside." He chuckled darkly. His voice felt like it was projecting into the paranoid general's mind. "You got too cocky with yourself. Never once did you consider I planned all of this from the start. The moment I was unearthed, I got to work. A family kept promise from a trusted friend kept all the way to his descendant. I didn't think that promise would reach this far in time, but I was proven wrong for the better.

"And do you want to know what the best part of all this is? You're the one who let him in the moment we became partners!" Data laughed while Cragtail felt his whole world crumbling around him in a panic.

"You…" Cragtail clutched the radio so hard, it cracked. "You planned everything. The riots, the conspiracies…you're responsible for those Fusion weapons in Grandis City, aren't you?!" Data just kept laughing at him, aggravating the frustrated general. "You won't get away with this!"

"Another line said in movies that amounts to nothing: said in moments of high stress just to sound intimidating." Data let out one last laugh. "I'll leave you to your prisoners. I'll be seeing you soon…assuming they don't rip you limb from limb first. Have a good day, General Cragtail."

The radio cut off. Cragtail shook and screamed at it. "Wait!" He banged it on the table. "We're not done yet! Answer me, you bastard!"

A voice came through, but it was one of the Fusion Hunters. "Boss! The Fusions! They're- _zzt-_ can't stop them! _Zzt-_ There's too many of- _zzt_!"

Cragtail's attention frantically shifted between the monitors and the radio as he tried to get through to the remaining hunters. "Stand your ground! Get the weapons and neutralize them! I don't care how many there are! They won't topple us!" He went for the phone and tried to dial Dario. _I shouldn't have sent those three out, but I never expected THIS!_

Another Fusion Hunter came through on the radio, and he sounded scared. "Sir! We've got a problem!"

"We're in the middle of prison break! What could be worse than that?!" His eyes widened as he heard the other radio thump on the ground in a heap of static.

* * *

"Hello?! HELLO?!" Cragtail screamed through the dropped radio. "What the hell is going on over there?!"

A foot stomped down beside the radio, rattling it. It was the infamous prisoner spoken about so much by Cragtail and the other Fusion Hunters: the Hypno-Malamar. A torso similar to the body of a Malamar, with purple fluff around his neck. Two tentacles were connected near his shoulder blades. He had black sclera and yellow pupils.

He had two Fusion Hunters trapped in his tentacles, struggling as he constricted them around the necks. The Fusion Hunter Cragtail tried to contact, a Noivern, was on his hands and knees, staring blankly at the Fusion's swinging pendulum. His eyes were glazed over, fully under the Fusion's control.

The Fusion stored the pendulum into his fluff, then extended the tip of his tentacle out. He touched his forehead and emitted a small red shock into it. The Noivern's eyes widened, as his pupils immediately turned red. An ominous red aura lit up around him.

The Noivern's face shifted into a scowl, the same as the scowl the hypnotic Fusion wore as he dropped the other two Fusion Hunters and proceeded to use Hypnosis on them. The Noivern grabbed the radio and answered the general's calls.

"Hello?! Are you even there?!" Cragtail called once more.

"…You shouldn't have locked me up, Cragtail."

"Huh?!" Cragtail narrowed his eyes. It was definitely the Fusion Hunter's voice, but…it sounded much harsher than before. "What happened to you?"

"Take a wild guess…there's bound to be a dozen other Fusion Hunters with the same attitude as this one."

It clicked for the Golem, and it frightened him. "The Hypno-Malamar!"

"Now that I've gotten your attention…I think you're only beginning to realize the situation you're in. Once Data filled me in on the details…how could I possibly pass up such a deal? He knows with me by his side, things would go much simpler." He and his puppet glared. "Besides…I didn't appreciate being strapped down like a wild monster."

Cragtail gripped his chair, panting through his clenched teeth. "You think I'm scared of you, you filthy Fusion?!"

"Big talk…small fry. I wouldn't get too cocky. Your…entire base has turned against you."

Suddenly, Cragtail's door was assaulted with loud banging and a combination of attacks. He could hear the pulse rifles being used against the door, too. His eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. "You didn't…"

"Name's Rewan, by the way. Consider yourself outplayed." Rewan smirked as he swung his pendulum, followed closely by the three Fusion Hunters who shared in the smirk. The three hunters got around the radio and whispered:

"Game…over."

Cragtail jumped back into his seat as the door fell down with a loud crash. He shook fearfully at the dozens of eyes staring right at him. The red glowing eyes on his hypnotized guards, along with the vengeful stares of his former inmates. They were all smirking tauntingly, with the Golem unable to do anything.

Syndony chuckled under her breath. "Well…it seems the tables have turned. Look who's trapped now."

Cruella snickered with a crazed look in her face. "Payback time, Craggy~!"

Cragtail panted heavily, looking between the approaching crowd. They gathered into the tight room with their laughter becoming more sinister. He couldn't work the nerve to scream. He was too paralyzed with fear.

Soon, everything went dark for the warden.

* * *

A half hour or so of comforting passed for Wash and Juniper. Barely any words were spoken between the couple, with Wash mostly whispering calmly to the uneased panda. She still looked like a mess, but she appeared significantly better than earlier. If her eyes were normal, they'd likely look red. She had wiped her face clean with their picnic blanket.

Now, they were enjoying the lunch they should've had earlier. Juniper nibbled on a sandwich, pleasing her demanding stomach. She was leaning against Wash as he enjoyed his own sandwich.

She smiled weakly at her sandwich. "Heh…not the ideal time or choice for a picnic, but…better late than never…"

Wash closed his eyes and smiled. "Your sandwiches are pretty good."

"The one thing I can make on my own…and without burning the kitchen." She giggled quietly. "Tamara banned me from the oven for a month."

Wash laughed under his breath. "Oh yeah, we all heard. She didn't make it a secret."

She sighed and pressed the back of her head against the tower railings. "You burn ONE cake and _suddenly_ you can't be trusted around fire." She waved her hand around. "The cake wasn't THAT bad. Maybe a little charred and…completely unedible to most creatures, but STILL!"

Wash smiled lightly, glad to see her in her usual spirits. He reached into the basket. "Still have any soda on you?"

She shook her head. "Drank the last of it on me." She shrugged. "It doubles as a comfort drink, you know?" Her eyes widened as a red can appeared in front of her face. "H-Huh?"

Wash smirked a little. "I…made sure a few packs stayed inside the basket." He gave her a kind look. "I figured you would want some to…take your mind off things."

Slowly, Juniper took the can from his hand, handling in delicately like she was handed a sacred treasure. She didn't even think of opening it. She stared at it with…nostalgic eyes. "I…" She sniffled, tears once again sprouting from her eyes.

Wash flinched, setting down his sandwich and holding his arms out to her. "Oh no, are you okay? I-I didn't mean to upset you…"

"N-No…" she muttered. "T-These aren't…sad tears…" She wiped her eyes clean and cradled the can in her hands. "S-Sorry, I just…remembered something…" She narrowed her swirly eyes, then pressed the can up to her cheek and nuzzled it, shivering comfortably against the cool metal. "Thanks…"

Wash eased up and picked up the rest of his sandwich. "You told me how much you like soda…is there more that I don't know?"

Juniper pulled the can away and smiled sweetly at him. "It's…a long story…but one that helped me…get better…"

Wash narrowed his eyes, then looked down at the floor. He gently gripped his sandwich, squishing the bread. "…Was anything Quinn said true?"

Juniper sighed and looked down as well, with a sad frown. "…You won't hate me?"

"I never will."

She closed her eyes and sighed, with a slight tremble in her slouched posture. She hugged her knees and buried her face into her arms. "…Yes…I did murder all those Pokémon."

There was that stab through the heart again. It hurt to hear such an admission, but not that hard. Maybe a part of him knew and just accepted it to ease his torment. He glanced at her with soft eyes.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. Tamara and Emily were forgiven for what they did, as were many other Fusions. I'm sure things we'll be fine if we just explain it to the council."

Juniper bit her lip. He couldn't tell if it was out of anger or fear. He wasn't used to seeing these kinds of emotions from her. "Wash…I…appreciate you giving me the benefit of the doubt, but…this isn't me trying to atone for self-defense, nor were they people I knew. I didn't have a reason to hate those Pokémon, I didn't have a reason to defend myself from them, they never were a direct threat to me, and they never ruined my life.

"It's…not as simple as you think."

The ghost frog dropped his sandwich, then hugged his knees. "…Okay…then explain it to me."

She sniffled for a second, then closed her eyes. "I was fed up with my past after I realized just how…horrible I was." She gritted her teeth. "That old me…I consider a completely separate Juniper. The old me…was a cold, heartless monster with no sympathy for the weak. There was…nothing." A tear slid down her face. "I felt nothing…there was no love to give."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Then…what?"

She shook her head and looked away. "Don't want to talk about it…"

Wash brought his arm around her and pressed her against his side. "Jun…I don't want to make you say something that'll only upset you…but perhaps it's time to come clean. I want to know…who Juniper is."

She rubbed her eye. "It's…not a pleasant story."

"Keeping it bottled up all your life won't make the pain go away. You keep it secret to yourself forever, it'll only keep hurting you." He pressed his forehead against hers. "And I don't like seeing you hurt yourself. You're too pure for that."

"I'm not pure…"

"You are in my eyes…no matter your sins…"

Juniper hugged herself, lightly quivering. "It scares me…"

"I'll be here to comfort you, don't worry."

Her eyes drooped sadly. "…I know…" She wiped her eyes.

He planted a delicate kiss atop her forehead, then rested his chin on her head. "Take your time…"

She gripped her sleeve softly. "…Before I say anything…" She glanced into his eyes. "What is it like…to have a family?"

Wash closed his eyes and turned away in a gloomy air. "I'm…obviously not the best to discuss this _personally._ My parents had a very…critical view on Fusions and hated me. Sheila, on the other hand, has told me plenty. Families are supposed to be supportive, loving, and…just there for you. You can ask Rebecca, Chris, Ren, even Hawkins, what it's like to be raised by a proper family. And for those like me, we found our family here in Gappei." He smiled softly. "I've only been here for over two years, but…Gappei is where my real family is." He nudged Juniper. "And it's where I met you, right?"

She smiled lovingly, even blushing. "Yeah…" She sighed and leaned against him. "…I never had anything like that, though. I never had a family before Pappy."

"So…that stuff you said before about not _and_ having one…?"

She glared at the floor. "…When you're raised the way I was, it's the closest thing you have to family. And your parental figure…is the guy who wants to utilize the full potential of Fusions..." She gritted her teeth. "…as living weapons."

* * *

Silence inside Julian's office. Soon, that silence was broke by the quiet creaking of the door. And it was broken further, dare say shattered, when Vivi jumped through. Much like her earlier trip to the building, she rolled around the office all stealthy-like.

She threw punches and kicks and made kung-fu noises. She jumped around with acrobatic grace, bouncing off the walls and gliding unnecessarily to the Machamp's desk.

Brea eventually closed the door, then glared at the hyperactive archer. "For the last time, there are NO security lasers here."

Vivi struck a pose, then looked at her oddly. "Well, that's your fault, not mine. I mean, I should've been caught ages ago." She straightened up and held her hips. "You people really need more security lasers. Idiots like me are breaking into your government buildings and getting away scot-free."

"Yeah, I still need context for that sentence."

"And I'm not giving it to you!"

Brea pinched between her eyes. "For goodness sake, I should have just stayed in bed…"

Vivi rolled the rest of the way, then flipped into Julian's chair. "Alright! Time to break into Julian's computer and expose him for the mastermind assistant that he is!" She booted up the computer and stared at it with such fierce intensity. "…Um, Ms. Secretary Lady…it needs a password."

Brea groaned, having to remind herself why she's doing this, and floated over. "Here." She typed in Julian's password, then logged into his e-mail for her. "There, you should find if he really sent anything within the last forty-eight hours."

Vivi scrolled through the mail. Unfortunately for her, nothing incriminating was in his inbox, or his trash. "Hmm…he must've predicted someone sneaking into his office and checking his e-mails for evidence."

Brea rolled her eyes. "Yeah, uh…that someone could be me. I keep track of his e-mails from time to time. If he were up to anything, he'd be careful around me."

Vivi grinded her teeth together in frustration, then began to open his files. "He has to have some sort of hypnosis file hidden in here somewhere! Those Fusions couldn't have gone berserk of their own accord! I know this trick! You hid it deep in a useless file, haven't you?! You can't fool me, Julian! I know it's deep in your 'Greatest Hits' file!"

Brea groaned, then floated to the windows. "This…This doesn't sound like Julian, none of it does. I would never pin him for the overlord type."

"Looks can be deceiving, lady!" Vivi exclaimed as she randomly clicked file after file. "Just look at me! Everyone thinks I'm a genius!"

"No, they don't." Brea pressed her hand against the glass, then sighed. "Julian isn't that kind of man. He wouldn't take an extreme to get what he wants. It doesn't sound like him." She shook her head. "Your friend must have got something wrong. I don't see how…" She narrowed her eyes, realizing everything got quiet. She looked over her shoulder. "…kid?"

Vivi stared at the computer screen with wide eyes and a hanging jaw. Curious, Brea floated over and looked to the screen herself. Her eyes widened as well, seeing the unusual program that Vivi had pulled up. It wasn't some hypnosis video like Vivi assumed.

It was a countdown timer.

They stared at the descending counter, with five hours, twenty-six minutes, and eighteen seconds left until zero. The countdown reflected off their confused eyes.

"What…the…?" Brea muttered.

"What…is this for?" Vivi questioned.

"I…I don't know. Could it be for that doomsday device?" Brea pondered.

Vivi shook her head. "No, there's…there's no way," she assured. "It's very likely hidden away in the mountains. Something like that couldn't be excavated in such a short time without being noticed."

"Then this is for something completely different." Brea looked at the other files Vivi had pulled up. "Are these his recent purchases?"

"He seemed to have been leaving notes on what he has been buying up recently."

Brea pulled the list up and looked through them. "Everything looks kind of normal, except for…" Her eyes widened. "Julian…you didn't…"

"What? Did what?!" Vivi pressed her face against the screen. "…Oh…"

"He has been dealing with the Fusion Hunters. He made a deal with them for a shipment of…high grade explosives." Brea and Vivi moved back from the desk to let everything sink in. "I…I can't believe this…"

Vivi glared. "Something's going down at dawn and it might have something to do with these explosives." She took out a flash drive and plugged it into the computer. "I need to get this information back to the council immediately!"

Brea pulled herself away from the screen and held her head in disbelief. "Why would…Julian, this…what's going on?" She looked around the room for answers, then spotted a peculiar sight in the corner of the office. "What the…?" She floated over and picked it up.

Vivi spun around. "What?" She tilted her head as Brea presented the item. It was an ancient metal cube with some advanced components that were anachronistic for the devices exterior age. However, the cube appeared to be open, revealing a silvery inside. "What…is that?"

"This is the cube Julian's been talking to ever since he got it from Unova. The one that housed Data." She glared. "But I've never seen it open like this before."

Vivi looked it over herself, then glared. "Then that means…Data has been working with Julian…and now he's somewhere on the loose."

"But how did he manage all of this?" Brea wondered. "We still don't know where his files came from."

Both of them suddenly went rigid at the sound of a haunted creaking. They turned their heads to the door and saw the dual doors slowly parting. The halls were dark, nothing for them to see. Nervous glances were exchanged.

"I thought you said no one was here," Vivi whispered through her teeth.

"That's what I thought," she whispered back.

Vivi slowly stood up in her chair and drew an arrow as the doors continued creaking open. She aimed her arrow and prepared a Spirit Shackle. The doors soon stopped, leaving the two to stare at a hall of darkness. They blinked, then looked to each other once again.

"…Maybe it was just the wind?" Vivi suggested.

Their eyes widen as something flew out of the dark hallway, clanged on the ground, and rolled up to them. It was a metal canister that was shaking.

Brea narrowed her eyes. "…It's not the wind."

The canister popped open and released a clear vapor into the air, quickly filling up the office. Vivi shrieked and fired her arrow into the ceiling by accident while slipping from the chair. She and Brea tried to back away while holding their breath as the vapor soon surrounded them.

Brea coughed on the vapor. "What…is this stuff?"

Vivi stumbled into the window and held her head. She was suddenly feeling woozy. "Knock…out…gas…" She glared at the doors as a figure soon walked through. She noted the lab coat they wore, as well as the gas mask.

They looked around at the office before settling their eyes on the weak-kneed archer. "So…you're the troublemaking conspiracy theorist Data wanted to get rid of? You've certainly caused a bit of trouble here."

Brea's eyes widened as she fell to the ground. She gritted her teeth. "…that _voice…_ " She couldn't say anything before passing out.

Vivi glared up at the mask wearing intruder as her arms wobbled under her weight. "Who…are…you?" Her eyes glazed over, finally succumbing to the gas and passing out at the intruder's feet.

The intruder looked around the room as the gas cleared out. He stuffed one hand in his lab pocket and muttered, "Well Data, you've put me through a lot of trouble, but looks like your hard work is paying off." He removed his gas mask and dropped it next to Vivi.

It was…Albert Gates.

The Cacturne crouched down and looked at the two unconscious 'spies.' "Now…what to do with you two?"

* * *

The last few weeks have been busy for the Rogues, as their final days in Grandis City were upon them. Their lair, with each passing day, became emptier with each new item packed away. All that remained were the crates that held their stuff.

All the Rogues were gathered in the main area, almost a crowded gathering. Norris stood on the crates and looked over the state of their base with narrowed eyes. "Never seen it so bare in ages…"

Mikayla stepped up to his side and patted his shoulder. "I know. It looks just like when we first relocated. Not that different from the first place, but…well, now we'll be getting a whole new lair to call our own."

Eli laughed, jumping up the tower of boxes with a cheerful smirk. "Soon, we'll be starting all over and working our way to the top. The kingpins of the criminal underworld! No one to stand in our way!"

Zoey smirked dryly and leaned back against a box. "Good. You better get us a place more luxurious than this dump. Nothing too much, but the stone floors and old hammocks just don't cut it anymore."

Eli snickered. "Don't worry, we'll have everything we could ever want and more."

Gordon yawned and stomped his hoof a couple times. "Can we hurry up already? When's that Cyrox fellow coming to pick us up?"

"Very soon, my friend." Eli folded his arms behind his back. "Norris, we should make sure everyone is accounted for."

Norris rolled his eyes, then glared at the gathering of Fusions. "Alright, listen up!" They stood at attention. "Is everyone accounted for? We're leaving with or without you. We can't afford to wait."

A collective murmur of acknowledgement spread throughout the crowd, not a single Fusion seemed to be missing. Norris was about to accept the joint response, until one Rogue raised their hand. "Uh, sir? I don't see that pixie girl anywhere."

Zoey's eyes widened. "Sunny?"

Norris glared. "Where the hell is she?"

Eli jumped down to his side. "I told her to check the entrances and for any Rogues that may have been late, but she should've been back by now."

The Golduck-Electrode sneered in annoyance. "Of course. Looks like we're going to search for her."

However, that wouldn't be necessary, as the Ribombee-Cottonee fluttered in with her eyes closed and a beaming smile. She waved to the crowd. "Hi, everyone!"

Zoey hopped down from the boxes and pushed through the crowd. "Geez, Sun, where were you?"

Sunny giggled and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, lost track of time. I was flying around and checking through the base like Eli told me to. I got caught up with an old friend of ours!"

Zoey raised her brow. "Old friend?"

Sullivan joined her side in equal confusion. "What are you talking about? We only ever had one person leave the Rogues."

Sunny giggled and tilted her head. "Whaaaaat~? Come on, you guys are pulling my leg." She opened her eyes and stared at them. "How could you forget our old buddy, Data?"

Zoey and Sullivan gasped and backed away from her. Norris, Mikayla, and Eli forced their way to the front and took notice of the cotton fairy's eyes. They had a red glow, glazed over. Norris gritted his teeth while Mikayla and Eli looked on in shock.

"Yes, child, good friends." A figure floated around the corner and joined the brainwashed fairy's side. A Beheeyem, with his arms folded behind his back. "So nice to see you all, Rogues."

Norris bared his teeth and snarled, signaling the younger of the Rogues to back away. "Who the hell are you? And what did you do to her?"

The Beheeyem raised his hand out to them. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am known as Data, a brilliant mind who wishes to cure this world of its toxic bigotry." A chorus of confusion was received. "You see, I sympathize with you Fusions. I have seen violence unlike any other in my time. And I see it hasn't ended since then. Such horrible deeds committed against the innocent. I will not allow for any more of that."

Eli raised his brow. "The heck are you on about?"

Data bowed. "I wish to create a better world for Fusions. A world only for Fusions."

Norris glared. "Excuse me?"

Eli slapped his forehead and laughed maniacally. "Oh, that's rich! Apparently, a crackpot broke into our lair!" He pointed at the scientist. "You want to create a world for only Fusions? How absurd! How utterly absurd!"

Data sighed and shook his head. "Yes, yes, laugh, my child. For now, it is only a pipe dream, but a reality that will come true, nonetheless. I've already been working to gather the final steps in my plan, such as leaving the Fusion Hunters' base of operations defenseless."

Braith, perched atop Gordon's head, blinked in surprise. "Wait, that sudden crime wave…?"

"Orchestrated by me. I thinned out the Fusion Hunters and, as we speak, their base is being overrun by their former prisoners. And soon, I'll be working to rid myself of the annoying pests that dare stand in my way of obtaining peace."

Mikayla glared. "So, why are you here?"

"For a partnership. I need some strong Fusions like you to help me weaken a common enemy we share. Do that and I'll guarantee a Fusion Utopia." He stuck his hand out to Norris. "What do you say? Sounds like a deal, doesn't-?"

Norris' face scrunched into a scowl. He didn't hesitate. He smacked the Beheeyem's hand away and punched him across the face. Data grunted and held his face while Norris declared, "Way I see it, you're some nutcase who broke into my hideout and manipulated one of my underlings."

Data peeked from behind his hands, unfazed from being punched. "I take that as a 'no?'"

Norris clenched his fists and ignited his wrist orbs. "I don't give a SHIT about what you want from us." He growled threateningly. "Leave…or I'll kill you."

Data sighed and resumed his normal posture. "I suppose this should've been expected." He patted Sunny's head. "Be warned, though…you will see things my way, whether you like it or not."

Attacks were aimed at him by each member of the Rogues, with the Beheeyem remaining completely unfazed. Eli readying a Toxic Bane, Zoey furiously holding out her Mirror Shot key, Mikayla preparing a Blizzard, and Sullivan arming for an Aura Sphere.

The Heatmor-Clawitzer glared at the intruding Pokémon. "He said 'Get the HELL out!'"

Data remained composed and silent, then floated high into the air, with their eyes locked on him in fury. He held his hands out, then began blinked his digits in a mesmerizing pattern that allured their full, undivided attention. Their eyes widened as the lights felt like they were projecting straight into their minds.

"Tell me, Rogues…how much do you hate Gappei Village?"


	53. Long Time Regrets

With the recent matters that came up through the day, the Fusion Council was gathered for a late-night meeting. They've mostly kept what happened a secret, though they had to let Wash's and Juniper's hut mates in on the matter, especially since York and Sheila came home to a hole in their wall. Tamara tried to volunteer herself to search for Juniper, but the council assured her everything was under control.

Though, they weren't quite as sure themselves.

Peregrine, the more vocal of the council, expressed his frustrations clearly with a loud groan. "It's late…I _should_ be in bed right now…"

Lewis ignored him as he paced around the room, looking quite anxious. "Juniper's missing and Wash has yet to report back to us on her whereabouts."

"And Quinn hasn't woken up yet," Gracelyn mentioned. "He could be out until morning for all I know."

"The kid must've hit him pretty hard," Cade commented. "Then again, I doubt he was expecting such an attack."

"No one was expecting it," Lewis muttered. He pinched between his eyes. "This is all my fault. If I had just been the slightest bit more cautious regarding this new information on Juniper, we wouldn't have to be dealing with this. We can't go around raising a panic that one of our own might be dangerous."

Abraham, clearly the more relaxed out of the five, leaned back into his chair and sighed. "We _say_ we would have everything under control while Liam's gone and look where we are now. Is this irony or is the universe bored?"

Peregrine gritted his teeth. "I'm not good with this shit. Let's just call Liam and get his opinion on this. He needs to know more than anyone else."

Lewis raised his brow in thought. "Actually, that makes me wonder. Liam should've checked up on us by now. He hasn't called once all day."

"Maybe he's being held up with whatever meeting he's at with Julian," Cade suggested. "It's not unlike him to get caught up in his work."

"No, but it isn't like him to not schedule time to check up on us." Lewis scratched his chin. "We've never had a problem without him up until now."

Peregrine grunted through his teeth and picked up the phone. "Look, I'll just call him and get this mess straightened out. I'm not wasting my whole night waiting for Juniper to show her face."

Cade raised his hand in objection. "Now Peregrine, you know Liam might be asleep-"

" _I_ SHOULD BE ASLEEP!" he screamed.

Lewis growled and covered his ears. "Pipe down and just call him!"

Peregrine didn't waste a second pulling up Liam's number and letting the phone buzz into his ear. He waited for ten seconds until it automatically went to voicemail, with the godly ape's voice asking him to leave a message. Instead, Peregrine immediately declined and looked up at the others in confusion.

"…Okay, that's not normal."

"He doesn't normally ignore his calls," Lewis muttered.

"Could've forgot his phone," Cade suggested.

"No…Liam never forgets it in case there's an emergency. And he's not a heavy sleeper, so he should've heard it." Lewis glared. "Very unusual…"

"What do you suppose this means?" Gracelyn asked.

Abraham raised his hand. "Three options I see fit. One, he lost/broke his phone by accident. Two, the reception out there is terrible. Or three, the one I rather not imagine…"

Peregrine sneered at the head teacher in annoyance. "You can't seriously be thinking…"

Abraham shrugged. "Is it wrong to worry that Liam might actually be in a spot of trouble?"

Peregrine laughed quietly and sarcastically. "You really are a looney bird, Abe. Liam? In trouble? HA! Please! You would need a heck of a lot of Fusions just to get him serious!"

Lewis swiped Peregrine's phone, much to his complaint, and dialed up Liam again. "But that still isn't a reason for him not picking up." The dial tone buzzed per normal, then went to voicemail again. Lewis declined and rubbed his face, adding more concern to him and the council. "Of all the days this could be happening…"

Abraham closed his eyes. "I fear something terrible might have transpired."

"We can't assume that until we're sure."

Peregrine growled and jumped up onto the table. "Okay, this is getting stupid! Listen to yourselves! Are we honestly going to believe _Liam_ of all people is in trouble?!"

Gracelyn sighed sadly. "Given recent revelations revolving around Juniper…is anything else unbelievable?"

"I…grr…" Peregrine took a deep breath, then let his wings droop against his sides. "…We can't do anything about it now. Best we can do is wait 'til morning."

Lewis sighed. "Unfortunately, he's right." He rubbed his temples to ease his stress. "The village will go into a panic if they hear any of this. Juniper… _possibly_ being a dangerous assassin, Liam going missing…what more can we deal with?"

A knock of the hut alerted their attention.

Lewis' arms drooped. "…This better not be me biting myself in the tail."

"Come in!" Abraham shouted.

The doors opened, with Eddie letting himself in. "Oh good, when I saw the lights on, I was hoping you all were still up. Listen, I won't take up too much of your time, but…have any of you seen Vivi? I can't find her."

"WHAT?!" Peregrine shouted on impulse. "Now that nutty brat's gone missing?!"

Eddie blinked in surprise. "Wait, what?"

Cade grabbed Peregrine by the head and slammed his face into the table with a forced smile. "Oh, nothing! He's just a little cranky! He needs his beauty sleep!" Peregrine flapped his wings angrily while muttering odious, muffled words.

Lewis crossed his arms. "When did you last see her?"

Eddie scratched the back of his head. "Back in our hut. She was still working on the case, then up and vanished when I came back to check on her."

"Why didn't you report this sooner?"

"I just thought she was hanging out with some friends." Eddie narrowed his eyes and looked away. "… _may have also been a bit tipsy when I came back…_ "

Peregrine pushed Cade's hand off and fluttered onto the panda's head. "Look, it's becoming one hell of a night already! We can't worry about that idiot doing something stupid! She's probably bonking her head against a tree or some shit!"

Gracelyn bonked him on the head, knocking his face straight through the table. "What Perry meant to say was…we're really busy right now, but we're sure Vivi is fine."

"You're more than welcome to search for her," Abraham encouraged. "She could be in the woods."

Eddie sighed and scratched his cheek. "Yeah, she might have gotten lost…again." He held his hips. "I'll grab Bartleby and we'll look for her."

"Good." Eddie turned to leave, but then Lewis stopped him. "Oh, hold on a second." The Hitmonlee Fusion looked over his shoulder. "By chance, if you see Juniper and Wash, can you bring them back with you? They're…kind of out on their own right now."

Eddie gave a thumbs-up. "You got it." He let himself out.

Peregrine pulled himself free from the table, then rubbed his head. "This is just not our day."

Gracelyn sighed and stood up. "I suppose now's as good a time as any to check on Quinn's recovery. I'll return momentarily." She left the four to themselves.

Lewis fell back into his chair and rubbed his face. "I didn't take up this job for this…"

Cade laughed awkwardly. "N-Now, now, let's not worry just yet. There's still time to turn things around. Try for some positivity! After all, it can't get-!"

"I swear, if you finish that sentence the way I _know_ you are, I will smack you square in the snout!" Peregrine growled in a low temper.

Abraham stood up and raised his hands. "Everyone, settle down. Getting riled up will not solve anything. I understand we're all tired, but we can't lose our wits."

"Well, what else CAN we do?! You just suggested our boss had a _hit_ placed on him!" Peregrine reminded. "Hard to keep calm right now!"

Abraham shook his head. "I never suggested there was a hit placed on him. I merely inquired the status of the situation and our unfortunate options. For as powerful Liam is, he has his own limits to overcome. Should he reach them, we must assume the worst." He closed his eyes. "All we can do is pray that everything will turn out alright."

Lewis sighed, then crossed his arms over his chest. "Right…"

* * *

"Living…weapons?" Wash muttered in disbelief. Of all the things for his girlfriend to admit, he didn't want to hear she was being used as some sort of tool for destruction. And yet…here she was, saying it with a straight face.

Juniper shrugged. "Kind of like what we do around here…only less ethical and more…murder-y." She sighed and laid her arms in her lap. "And nowhere near as homely."

It felt odd hearing this new range of emotions from Juniper. She still kept some of her joking nature alive, but now with the added twinge of unfiltered sadness. It felt off-putting at first, but…now Wash was beginning to see Juniper underneath.

He gulped and stared down at the floor. "So…you're saying you were a part of some sort of-"

"-secret organization designed to unleash the full potential of Fusions and turn them into unfeeling assassins?" She shrugged casually. "Pretty much." She did jazz hands and exclaimed, "Dramatic lightning!"

There was no lightning.

She sighed and rested her arms back into her lap. "Well, you get the idea…"

"That…That's horrible!" Wash exclaimed. "Who would even do something like that?!"

She shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. Never saw his face. We just referred to him as 'The Leader.' Short and to the point. Always hiding behind a dark screen." She clenched her teeth, inhaling a sharp breath.

He held her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She patted his hand. "Yes…thanks." She sighed and calmed herself down. "He liked me…a lot. He saw potential for me to be the best. I didn't really care. I just followed orders and did as I was told."

"How did you end up in a place like that in the first place?"

She looked up. "According to the Leader, I was donated to the organization."

"D-D-Donated?!" Wash shouted, visibly appalled.

Secretly, the sleepy panda appreciated just how concerned he was for her, but she was too drained to really show it. She sighed and leaned her head back. "…I never met my parents. Never met them nor have I seen their faces. All the Leader told me was that they gave me to him for his program. I was a baby at the time. Can't recall a thing."

"How…How can…?" Juniper felt the tension building in him. Suddenly, much to her surprise, he punched a hole straight through the floor, growling furiously. "How can anyone just DO THAT?! Giving away their own daughter?! What kind of parents were they?!"

Juniper frowned slightly, then patted his arm. "Washy…it's okay." She sighed and looked aside. "I really don't care. I…hardly had any emotional attachment to anything during those times."

Wash would've protested, but he saw the dreary look in her eyes. It pulled him down to earth with a calming sigh. "Sorry…" He closed his eyes. "…You said you were raised to be cold and heartless…"

Juniper nodded. "Trained since I was three years old. Trained to strike with the goal to kill. Raised alongside my fellow assassins, we were taught to be tough, focused, and unfeeling. And compared to them, I was no different." She looked down at her feet. "Imagine everything you know about me: kind, happy, adorable, and all that fluffy stuff…now delete all of it, because none of that mattered."

Wash's shoulders slumped. "You weren't allowed to express yourself."

"The Leader thought if I was too happy or too bitter, it would wane my progress. I couldn't get too emotional over trivial stuff, much less make a reason to be more than an assassin."

He closed his eyes and sighed in a shaky breath. "Jun…" He gritted his teeth. "You have no idea how hard it is to hear all this…it's not even your old occupation that bothers me. You…" He gripped his arm tightly. "You weren't allowed to have a childhood…"

Juniper frowned. "At the time, I never cared. Now? I feel like I missed so much of my life…I grew up too fast, now I'm trying to make up for it."

"No one was allowed to be happy?"

"We weren't allowed to sway from what was important. Too much personal connection got in the way of that. And the Leader saw me as his prized project." She opened her soda can and took a sip from it. The refreshing cola felt good on her dry throat. All this stress hasn't been the best for her head. She sighed and set the can in her lap. "…That was the kind of behavior I was surrounded by most of my life.

"I never laughed. I never had fun. I never…smiled." She curled her hand against her knee. "I did…what I was told and I didn't care. It was how I was raised."

Wash controlled some lingering anger still inside him, only for Juniper's sake. He didn't want to show how much her story was affecting him. It truly infuriated him that someone as amazing and sweet as Juniper was used for nothing more than a murder organization. It made him sick. She seemed so innocent, pure, and void of sinful actions. No wonder no one guessed her backstory up 'til now.

Who would ever pin her for an assassin?

"Why…would anyone run such a horrible organization?"

Juniper's lips twitched up into a dry smile. "Heh…you'd be surprised. Believe it or not…it's because the Leader wanted to prove that Fusions were the next step."

"Next step?"

"Evolutionary step. He was fascinated with the power of Fusions and wanted to bring our full potential out. Funded everything himself." She glared. "But he obviously had a dark side to his ambitions. Namely…he hated Pokémon who ruined the lives of other Fusions, specifically those who used their higher status against them. Those of higher authority could trample over the lesser Fusions any day. The Leader had a vendetta to uphold."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "So…all those assassinations he sent you out on-"

"-were ardent haters of Fusion kind."

"Yikes…"

Tears brimmed from her eyes. "No one deserves death like that…but I never cared…at least back then. Still…" She hugged herself and pressed her back against the wall. "In a way, years after and now, I still feel nothing…and that's what upsets me the most." She clenched her eyes shut. "I never cared enough to cry about it. But now…" She sniffled and held her shoulders tightly. "I-It pains me…that I never felt regret…"

She felt the ghost frog's arms immediately wrap around her. She accepted his hold and even leaned her head against his shoulder. He rubbed her arm and rested his chin atop her head. She shivered, but his hold made her feel safe. She shuffled closer and nuzzled into his chest.

She held his hand over her heart, feeling her breathing calm itself. "…It was a strange place…but who was I to care?"

* * *

 _A five-year-old Spinda-Mienfoo stood in the middle of dark room, lit in a low red light. Her head was low, but her eyes were observant on her surroundings. Observing her from above was a man, standing behind tinted windows. All that could be seen was his silhouetted figure as he held up a clipboard._

" _You've made good progress. Now it is time to see the extent of that progress." He clicked a pen and pressed it against the board. "Begin the test, now."_

 _The child lifted her head a bit and took quick glances at her opponents. Three different Fusions surrounding her._

 _A Seismitoad-Exploud. He looked like a normal Seismitoad, with some notable exceptions. He had blue, tube like appendages sticking out from his elbows and around his head, much like an Exploud's head. He had two twin tails, blue and very similar in size and shape to an Exploud. All of them were tipped in yellow. Finally, on his belly was the two yellow semi-circle patterns._

 _A Druddigon-Escavalier. He possessed metal plating over his body, with a yellow belly similar to an Escavalier's. He wore a helmet with a retractable face plate and solid red plumage on top. Two lances were strapped to his back, with the hilts shaped to be comfortably wielded by him._

 _A Mightyena-Midnight Lycanroc. She possessed red and white fur and the eyes of a Midnight Lycanroc. Both sides of her body had two rocks wrapped around her. She possessed a large mane that covered her back and went over her shoulders and head, shaped as a crescent moon and tipped with a large stone._

 _All three focused their sights on the young child, who was unfazed by their intimidating appearances. She narrowed her eyes and shuffled her feet, getting into a slouched, comfortable stance._

 _The Mightyena Fusion was the first to strike. Her claws scratched against the floor as she threw herself at the Spinda-Mienfoo, baring her sharp teeth. The young Fusion blinked, then dodged her attempted strike with minimal effort. The older Fusion spun around and fired Rock Throw from her mane. The Spinda Fusion weaved through the rocks and got up in the Mightyena Fusion's face._

 _The wolf prepared to bite down on her, but the younger Fusion slammed her palm into her cheek, rendering her immobile. She threw a quick flurry of jabs at her, too fast to intercept, then struck her in the side. She crashed into the wall and slumped to the floor._

 _The Spinda-Mienfoo felt the ground quake as the dragon knight charged her with his two lances. He thrusted both of them down on her, but she spun her foot and avoided them effortlessly. The Druddigon Fusion pulled his lances out and jabbed them in rapid bursts, all while the younger Fusion skipped backwards and made light shifts of her body to avoid them._

 _Finally, she caught them under her arms and forced them out of the dragon's grip. Before he could retrieve them, she grabbed his wrist and spun him around on one foot, then tossed him straight into the wolf Fusion just as she got up, smashing her between the wall and the heavy dragon._

 _The young Fusion relaxed herself, then glared over her shoulder at the remaining Fusion. Rather than attack her, the sound frog smiled lightly and raised his hands over his head. He spoke in a quiet tone, "I surrender."_

 _The Fusion officially relaxed while the Leader laughed in praise. "Very, very good, dear Spins. You've certainly exceeded my expectations. Soon, you'll be ready to take on real missions."_

 _Spins blinked up at him, then crossed her arms, looking down on the floor._

 _The Mightyena-Lycanroc pushed the dragon knight off her and rubbed her aching neck. "Aw geez, you couldn't have gone softer on us, Spins? I'll be feeling that one in the morning."_

 _The Druddigon Fusion laughed as he stood up. His voice was deep and full of pride. "Hehehe…I say she's officially ready to take on her first assignment."_

" _Not quite yet," the Leader interjected. "She still has some tests to take before I make that decision. But soon, she'll be helping you three cleanse this world of its sinful inhabitants."_

 _The Seismitoad Fusion walked up to the Spinda Fusion and patted her on the head. "Not a bad session, Spins."_

 _The Spinda-Mienfoo blinked up at him, then looked away. "Uh huh…"_

 _The Mightyena Fusion stretched her legs. "Kid's still not talking all that much. Well, that's fine by me. Less chatter means more progress." She yawned. "Speaking of which, I could go for a bite to eat. Yo Leader, how's about you get us some food already?!"_

" _There is no need for your hastiness, Ripper," the Leader lightly scolded. "A sound mind is required at all times."_

 _She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I got ya."_

" _A young little friend here will be going on missions soon enough. Perhaps in a week's time." They could feel the hidden Pokémon smirking behind the dark window. "After all, you are not a true assassin until you experience the thrill of your first kill."_

 _Spins blinked at him slowly, then bowed. "Then…what will be my first assignment, Leader?"_

" _We can start you off simple. Don't expect to get things done in a day. These things can take months, especially given the trail of dead bodies these three have left behind." Ripper and the other two Fusions smirked lightly. "For you, I've got something special._

" _We'll be starting you off in Unova, first."_

* * *

Wash shivered a bit from the detailed description of Juniper's old life. "Yeesh…I could feel the uncomfortable atmosphere in there."

Juniper shrugged. "It sounds uncomfortable, but I-"

"-never cared, yes, you said that over and over already."

Juniper smiled meekly. "Sorry…"

"It's fine." He gently patted her arm, still holding her close to him. "…Who were those other Fusions?"

"The closest thing I had to siblings." She sighed. "Ripper was like that older sister who was stuck going through her emo phase. Never cared for much but herself. Lance embodied a righteous sense of justice and honor and avenging the weaker Fusions. Though, given how he was raised as a kid, ethical codes are a little…twisted. Reverb is soft spoken and generally a nice guy to be around, though he shared a lot of the Leader's philosophies.

"…They weren't quite raised the same way as me. They were founded by the Leader, so they didn't have to grow up as uncaring and cold as he made me. Despite our goals and their ideals, they…always tried to reach out to me and show they cared…sort of like what siblings do." She sighed.

"…You remember them fondly, don't you?"

"Ever since I distanced myself and started living for once, I…gained some personal attachment to them."

"Where are they now?"

"Hard to say. I haven't heard much about the organization ever since I left. Certainly didn't find anything like that in the news." She narrowed her eyes. "I'm not quite sure what happened to everyone after I left."

"Do you miss them?"

"Maybe a little, but…not enough to feel homesick." She rubbed her wrist. "I lost all contact with them after I defected…though, I guess defected wouldn't be the right word, considering it wasn't my choice to leave originally."

Wash blinked. "What…do you mean?"

"I never left the organization. I was…kidnapped, actually."

"K-Kidnapped?!"

Juniper flinched under his tone. "Yeah, my…life takes some odd turns, doesn't it?"

* * *

Rousing from her sudden slumber, the groggy Vivi shifted around as her vision cleared up. Her pupils were still a bit hazy from the sudden sleep, but they quickly adjusted to the dark room she lied in. She rolled onto her back and yawned loudly.

"Man, oh man, I just had what HECK of a dream!" She tried to stretch her arms, only to discover they were a bit…bound to her sides. Lifting her head, she saw the thick rope tightly wrapped around her, restricting all movement from her arms and legs. "…Nope! It was real!"

Her lack of an indoor voice awoke Brea, also tied up beside her. She rolled onto her side and mumbled groggily, still dizzied from the knockout gas. "What the…?" She lit her eyes up in Psychic to try and remove the rope, but her power flickered out like a light. "Huh?"

She shifted her head around, then froze at the feeling of a solid metal wrapped around her neck. It was a Fusion Collar. Since they were designed to disable Fusions, it would make since the upgraded tech would work on her. Vivi also wore one, keeping both of them from escaping with their moves.

"Oh no…" the secretary muttered.

"You two weren't out for as long as I thought." The two moved their heads and looked up, spotting Albert sitting in Julian's office chair. "Though, I just needed you out for long enough to restrain you."

"HEY!" Vivi screamed, flailing her body furiously. "Let us go, you big jerk!"

"Only if you stop screaming," he sarcastically muttered.

Brea deadpanned. "That's not happening."

Vivi gritted her teeth. "You're working for Data, aren't you?!"

"Yes. And I assume you're that little conspiracy theorist that's been a little too nosy as of late." He narrowed his eyes. "Not what I expected. You seem too unfocused and…scatterbrained to be a serious thinker."

"Did you call me stupid?!" Vivi shouted. "I can handle Eddie and everyone else saying that, but I draw the line at YOU, Mr. Kidnapper!"

' _I should've gagged her.'_ Albert closed his eyes. "Doesn't matter. By the time someone finds you in the morning, this entire city will be under Data's watch. It'll be the starting grounds for his machine once we unearth it." He leaned back and pressed his hands together. "I say we've reached checkmate."

Vivi smirked. "Not so fast, Mr. Evil Dude! Once my friends find out I'm missing, they'll come looking for me!"

' _They'll have other things to worry about real soon, though.'_ "I'm supposed to be frightened? You think they'll come looking for you." He narrowed his eyes. "You don't seem all that special. I find all Fusions to be unique with the potential to grow beyond their roots…but you are all bark with no bite."

Vivi opened her mouth to scream some more, but Brea cut in and shouted, "Albert! Just what the heck do you think you're doing?!" She sat herself up and glared. "What did that cube do to you? The same thing he did to Julian, I bet."

To her surprise, he shook his head. "Data has the power to rewrite memories to get others to do his bidding. However, I'm no such case. I've been working for him from the beginning."

Brea's eyes widened. "You…what?"

"I had the files…I've been running things behind the curtains…" He glared to the side. "And, as we speak, with the Fusion Hunter Base now deprived of almost all of its top agents, I've given control over to Data." He smirked lightly. "I've been a very busy man."

Brea sat back, shocked and appalled by his treacherous behavior. He gained Julian's trust from all his hard work in the last few years. He had access to some of the important parts of the building. There was a traitor right under their noses and they were none the wiser. Albert has been completely innocent because that's what he wanted.

"W…Why?"

"To keep a promise." Albert held his cheek. "Three hundred years is a long time. A friend of Data's held the same view as him, but he lacked the brains to contribute. So, when Data went into hiding, he kept a promise that was passed down to each new generation, in hopes one day in the future we can bring his dream to life. And that's where I come in.

"Before I started working for Profectus Inc. seven years ago, I was busy with my own dreams to help Fusions. They didn't go as I expected and I had to turn to a new source. I realized then that I needed help. That's where Julian's concerned. I worked hard to become a head scientist for his company. It allowed me to get anywhere I desired with no suspicion thrown my way. I needed to find the right time to give Julian the file.

"After he declared his deal to Gappei Village, I took my chance to strike. I had to get the files to him without becoming suspicious. Once I did, it was only a matter of time before he and Data would meet."

"But…" Brea narrowed her eyes. "How did you get the files mixed in with the others? You had no access to that room."

"You're not thinking open-mindedly enough, Ms. Lackner." He glared. "I actually had the files on me when he called me in. The place was simple: shuffle them into the rest and cover my tracks so they couldn't be traced back to me. And it worked." He sighed. "Though, not as smoothly as I had hoped for."

"The Audino-Klefki and Ribombee-Cottonee," she stated.

"Never anticipated getting knocked out halfway through my plans. Thankfully, my plans didn't go up in smoke as hopelessly as I thought. The files still ended up in Julian's hand, making less of a trace to come back to me." Albert leaned back and crossed his arms. "Unplanned issues halfway through, but who am I to care?" He glared. "At the end of the day, I got what I wanted. And soon, Data will get what he wants."

Vivi sat up and smirked defiantly. "Well, too bad for you, Mr. Evil Guy!"

"How many nicknames do you have for me?"

"Your plan won't succeed because it's going to backfire!" She grinned childishly. "You might as well give up while you're ahead!"

"Empty threats," Albert rebutted. "You cannot grasp the complexity of our grand design."

"Complexity? Grand design?" Vivi laughed aloud. "Oh please, you think you've got us beat? Once I get out of this rope, you lose!"

Brea shot a quick glare at her. "Kid, shut up."

"You think creating a DNA explosion across the whole planet will stop all the hate? There are other ways to save everyone than going to next big extreme!"

Albert sighed and rubbed his face. "You're clearly a child stuck in a fantasy world." He stood up and folded his arms behind his back. "This isn't some childish game where the hero comes in at the last second and saves the day. By dawn, all of Gappei will be removed of its residents and were destroying that village."

"YOU are the child for underestimating Gappei Village! Once Data realizes he's outmatched by our superior numbers and forces, he'll think twice to use some stupid bomb to do good!"

' _Really…Really should've gagged her.'_

Brea knocked Vivi onto her side to shut her up, then glared up at Albert pleadingly. "Albert…please, reconsider. Do you realize what will become of you if this plan goes off? You'll be turned into a Fusion yourself. Do you realize how excruciatingly painful that will be? And worst of all…you'll be branded as a criminal for life. You still have a future to turn back to. Don't throw away your life on this drastic dream."

Albert narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sorry, Brea…but I've gone too far to turn back."

"You can still stop this. You haven't outed yourself yet."

Albert chuckled dryly, looking off at his reflection into the window. "Oh Brea…I'm already a criminal. Even if I could get away with this in secret…there's too much of my life that'll still condemn me. This will be the final nail. Once the world becomes a wasteland, maybe I can start my life over."

Brea gritted her teeth. "…And Julian…?"

"For all I know, he's on his last breath…and hopefully that ape, too."

Vivi sat up with wide eyes. "Chief Liam?"

Albert looked down sadly. "…I didn't want to send Julian out there, knowing what his vengeful mind was brewing. I…hoped I could reach out to him and make him reconsider his approach. Send stronger goons to do the job for him or…at least let me help him. If I used the Enhancer Serum on one of them, maybe all of them, he wouldn't have to…"

"Huh?" the captives sounded in confusion.

Albert shook his head and looked back at them. "In the end, there was no changing Julian's mind. I do wish it never came down to it, but…sacrifices must be made."

Vivi growled. "You're sick!"

"This is hardly the worst thing I've ever done." He glared. "Don't make 'silencing' you the top of that list."

Vivi grumbled, then glared. "It doesn't matter! Whatever you're planning, the village will be ready!"

"With what we have coming, I doubt that. Besides, you're overlooking a minor detail." He pointed out the window. "It's late at night. Your friends aren't all that ready for a nighttime invasion, I bet. With the army they have waiting for them, they won't be so lucky."

Vivi paled. "B…But…"

Albert chuckled under his breath. "I bet you don't even know what the countdown timer is for." He glared. "Oh, you'll know, trust me. Everyone in this whole city will know. By dawn, the village will fall."

"And you think everyone's going to give up hope, just like THAT?!" she shouted. "You can't possibly get rid of them! No matter how hard you hit the village, they'll bounce back!"

Albert loomed over her with a menacing glare. "You fail to see the intricacies of our plan. They'll be weakened by the time the second wave arrives. And they _won't_ be coming back to fight." He knelt down. "Stop acting like a stupid kid and get it together. This isn't some game…and there's no hero coming to save you."

Vivi snarled. "I have hope! Whatever you've got planned, our hope will keep us alive!"

Albert growled quietly. "…The funny thing about hope, kid…" She gasped as he picked her up by the rope and scowled right in her face. "…It dies hard. And I know that better than anyone else." He threw Vivi to the ground, who groaned in discomfort. "You can keep acting like a gullible brat all you like. By the end of tonight, you'll see just how pointless your 'hope' is." He headed for the doors.

Brea glared. "And where are you going?"

"All you need to know is that it involves large vans and restraint equipment." He pushed the door open. "The show's about to start soon." He left the females alone in the office, barricading the door behind him and locking it.

Vivi sat up and groaned. "Dramatic much?"

"You really don't get the seriousness of the situation, do you?" Brea scolded dryly.

Vivi rolled her eyes. "Oh please, what are they going to do? They've got the council and they're strong. What's the worse that could happen?"

"Kid…didn't you hear what he said? He said they'll be weakened before the second wave arrives."

Vivi shrugged the best she could. "So?"

"There's a first wave attack just to weaken the village." Brea glared. "If that attack is just to bring down their defenses, what are they sending to finish the job?" Vivi's eyes widened, as a sudden coldness struck through her soul.

Suddenly…newfound fear welled inside her childish mind…with the image of a wholesome village burning.

* * *

"Okay, okay…time out," Wash said, holding the sides of his head as he tried to comprehend Juniper's statement. "You, as an assassin to this secret organization, were kidnapped? Directly from the organization?"

Juniper scratched her cheek. "I didn't say 'directly' from the organization. Perhaps I should've been clearer on that. Actually, I was taken while on the field."

"Juniper, that's hardly the issue at hand here. You were kidnapped! Were you okay?!"

She waved it off. "I was fine, Washy. It's not as big a deal as you're making it out as."

"What do you mean?"

"I didn't tell you who kidnapped me. This is the complicated part because, ethically, it's wrong, but…you could say it was the best thing to ever come of my dull life. In fact…being taken away from that organization was probably the best thing to come of my life."

Wash blinked, then his eyes slowly widened in realization. "…It was your pappy."

Juniper smiled and poked him in the nose. "Correct!" She sighed and slumped forward. "You would think a strange man in a cloak taking you away _would_ be bad, but…I was lucky to run into him. He saw through him killer persona and…he saw me for what I didn't know: a child with no hope or joy.

"There I was, an eight-year-old, emotionless assassin with eight kills under her belt. I was on my way for number nine when…I ran into him."

* * *

 _In the late night of a small town, a Serperior was slithering hastily through the streets, panicked and short of breath as he was pursued by a small figure in the dark. He dared not look back as the child assassin hunted him down by the roofs, keeping constant pace with his pointless escape._

" _What the HELL is your problem, kid?!" He fired Energy Ball at her, but she merely backhanded it. He shrieked and turned a corner to flee into the darkness, but she wouldn't let him escape her vision. "Leave me alone!"_

 _Spins the assassin narrowed her eyes coldly at the grass snake. "Marcus Gray…ruining and framing innocent Fusions to get away with your own criminal actions. Your petty crimes have been realized by a higher power that has seen shame in you." She glared. "For that…I shall silence you for your sins."_

" _My SINS?! What sins?!" He leaped in the air and came down on her with Leaf Blade, which she dodged. "Why should I care about some hybrid freaks like you?! I'm in this to make a living for myself! And you freaks are easy bait to blame!" He lunged at her and went for another Leaf Blade._

 _Spins caught the energy blade between her palms, stopping him cold. His eyes widened in shock from the child's apparent strength and skill. "And for that, you shall be eliminated."_

 _She swung him around, then threw him straight into the sidewalk. He quickly pulled himself together and fired off a Leaf Storm. She leaped over the powerful scatter of leaves and struck down on his head with a merciless Force Palm, burying his face into the ground._

" _ARGH!" Marcus hollered in pain. He pulled his head out and tumbled back. His nose was bleeding and his tooth was chipped. The shadow of the assassin stretched over him in the pale moonlight, with only her cold, emotionless, swirly eyes peering at him. He shuffled back in a strain. "N-No! Stay away! PLEASE!"_

 _Spins lumbered towards him with her palm raised. "Your sins shall be your end…"_

 _She charged her palm with an attended, lethal Force Palm. Marcus quivered pathetically and coiled up, hiding his face and letting the tears flow down his cheeks. He felt her looming over him, fearfully waiting for all the light to vanish in a blink. Spins raised her palm and…_

" _Well, well…well…" Spins stopped, then glared over her shoulder, seeing they had a third member to the party. A cloaked man standing in the darkness. She could tell he was humanoid in stature, but not much else. What stood out was the blue shine coming from his chest. A gemstone, perhaps? "Haven't seen the old town in three years and look what I run into. A murder scene…well, an attempted murder scene."_

 _Marcus pulled his head out from his coils, then cried out and begged, "Please, please! Keep her away from me! She's insane!"_

 _The man held his hip. "Not everyday you see child murderers running around. And nowhere near as ruthless. Such a shame to see kids turn out like this…" He stepped forward, his presence doing nothing to intimidate Spins. "…or…are you instead lost, little one?"_

 _Spins glared. "Identify yourself."_

" _Just a wandering face seeking enlightenment back home." He crouched down and held his hand out to her. "You seem like someone who could use some enlightenment herself. Do you have a home?"_

 _Spins glared. "…I can kill you in a hundred different ways. Go away."_

"…" _The man sighed and stood up. "You are indeed lost." He looked to the Serperior. "Go home…get a job, you scumbag."_

" _Y-Y-Yes sir!" The Serperior quickly darted past Spins while she was distracted._

 _She tried to chase him, but the man stood in the way. "Why don't you take it easy, kid? Life's too short to be turning to the life of bloodshed."_

 _Spins sneered. "Leave…this doesn't concern you."_

" _It really shouldn't…" He rubbed his chin. "However, moral principles tell me I shouldn't let you continue with this little rampage of yours." He narrowed his eyes. "Those aren't the eyes of a scared child. This isn't your first time. You are lost, little one."_

 _She growled. "I'm. Not. Lost."_

" _Will you pursue that man?"_

" _He must pay for his sins against Fusions."_

" _A sin, you say?" He scratched his chin. "Oho…I should know…that a real sin is something you can never atone for. It's something you're stuck with…and something you must accept." He tilted his head to the side. "Sweet child…have you atoned for yours?"_

 _Spins glared, then held her hands up. "You will let me pass."_

" _I'm afraid I can't do that."_

 _Spins shuffled back cautiously, but she knew she had nothing to fear from this stranger. "I can see through any movement you make. Just try and stop me."_

" _Hmm…alright, then." Spins raised her brow as the man let his posture go loose._

'What? His stance has too many openings.' _She sighed._ 'This is a waste of time.'

" _Too stiff." Her eyes widened at him in confusion. "Your stance…it's too stiff. Relax a little more. Try not to treat everything like it's a death match." He narrowed his eyes. "What's the fun in a fight if you can't work up a smile?"_

 _She bared her teeth. "What kind of foolhardiness do you speak of?"_

" _You clearly weren't trained properly." His cloak fluttered up as a strange blue aura surrounded him. "Allow me to teach you the importance…of the first strike."_

 _Spins tightened her stance and focused heavily on him. However, out of the blue, she saw his form blur. He remained still, but she could've sworn she saw him move. Were her eyes playing tricks on her?_

 _Then…the strange shine hidden under his cloak flashed._

 _Spins' eyes widened as her body was furiously assaulted by a wave of blue strikes. She cried out in pain, each strike delivering a brutal blow to her stance's weak spots. Flashes of that strange blue aura burst through her like light beams. The strikes came from everywhere, yet…nowhere._

 _At the end of it all, the stranger's cloak fluttered down, then he let out a sigh. He straightened his posture and look upon the child in empathy as she teetered back and forth on her feet, covered in marks from the heavy blows._

 _Her face twitched in pain, as did her limp arms. "W-What…d-did you do?!" She dropped to her knees, her face molding into disbelief. "You d-didn't even…move…" She fell unconscious to the ground, everything going dark around her._

* * *

Juniper sighed. "…I eventually came to and…well…" She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "If we're being honest, I'm too tired to tell the rest."

"No need to…" Wash mumbled. "Your pappy took you out in one move? H…How?"

"If you ever meet him, the answer will come naturally." She held her head. "It was a real blow to my pride. I felt invincible and…then I didn't." She smiled to herself. "Pappy was the strongest Fusion I've ever met. And I've never stopped fighting him ever since. Days…weeks…months…years…" She shook her head and laughed. "I could never beat him."

Wash sweat-dropped. "That…explains how you were so good at fighting. Your training from the organization and…your time with your pappy."

"That first week wasn't easy, let me tell you. He remembers me fondly as a difficult child. He was testing me even when I still defied him." She smiled fondly. "But…in the end, he broke me."

Wash raised his brow. "You sound happy saying that."

"Because I am."

He smiled a bit. "You…sure you don't want to tell me the rest? I still want to know when… _this_ you started."

"I'd love to, but…" She yawned and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Emotional roller coasters make me sleepy."

His smile grew. "Heh…please, everything makes you sleepy."

"True." She grinned at him. "You know what always makes me happy?"

"Soda?"

"Okay, let me rephrase that. You know what's making me happy right now?" She snuggled into his neck. "You."

Wash smiled with a light blush, then gently wrapped her arms around her. "Oh Juniper…" He nuzzled her back. "You…do know we should be heading back and telling the others you're okay, right?"

"Five more minutes?" she asked pleadingly, nuzzling her nose against his as she reciprocated the hug. "I want to stay like this for a little longer."

His face softened at her adorable face. He stroked her cheek gently. "Well…I suppose five more minutes wouldn't hurt."

Juniper giggled and nuzzled into his chest. "Goodie…"

"You're lucky you're cute."

"You're cuter."

"We really doing this?"

"Yep!"

Wash chuckled. "You're my adorable goofball…"

' _ **UGH! Spare me this cutesy talk and just kiss her already!'**_

Wash flinched with a blushing smile at his annoyed split personality's comment. "Uh…hehehe…" He looked down at Juniper as she continued to nuzzle him sleepily. His smile grew warm as he tipped her head up. "Um…Jun?"

"Mhmm?"

They locked eyes with each other, staring in blissful silence. Juniper studied the gentle look in his eyes before a smile adorned her face, with her cheeks blooming red in excitement. That was the infectious smile that Wash wanted to see, the one that made his own feel giddy and alive.

Their eyes closed softly as they leaned their faces towards each other. Their heartbeats hastened with anticipation. Their faces went deep red. Their breaths were slow. Their lips were mere inches away from meeting. The gap was close to closing…

 _BOOM!_

Suddenly, without warning, they were abruptly thrown out of their romantic moment and toppled over each other in a shriek. The tower shook and rumbled from the apparent blast, rattling the roof's support beams. Smoke rose up into view of the observation deck.

Wash grunted and held his head. "Jun, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She glared over her shoulder with an irritated growl. "For the love of…!" She shot up and flailed her arms angrily. "HEY! We're trying to have our first kiss here, JACKASS! Either hold it off for five minutes or I'm coming down there myself!"

Wash's eyes were wide in surprise, with a sweat-drop going down his head. _'Well, that's new…'_

' _ **That girl has quite the mouth on her without a filter…'**_

Juniper gripped the railing and glared at the intruders, expecting them to be some random protesters. However, her anger quickly switched to shock at the real cause of the explosion. "Uh, Wash?! You might want to look at this!"

Wash immediately sprung to her side and looked over the railing, gasping in disbelief. "What in the…?!"

The gate was being overrun by a swarm of Fusions, pounding their fists against the reinforced gate. The couple stared at the Fusions in shock and curiosity before their attention switched to an increasingly bright light shining before them. A Dragon Pulse, being aimed by Sullivan in a tree.

"Hello, Gappei Wimps," he greeted darkly.

"The Rogues?!" they shrieked.

"Now Gappei Village…shall fall!" He unleashed the Dragon Pulse right at them.

Juniper suddenly tackled Wash as they were thrown off the tower in the explosion they collided into a tree and fell straight onto a thick branch. They groaned with mild scratches and burns over their bodies. "Are _you_ okay?" she asked.

"I've been better…"

They then looked down in horror as an army Rogues marched straight through the collapsed gate. They had their attacks charged and ready to fire once they see the slightest hint of a building. They could see some of the familiar faces, like Zoey and Gordon, among the group.

Juniper gulped, then turned to Wash. "Sssooo, uh…yeah…" He looked at her with panicked eyes. "This…may be the first time…I've had to actually face an attack…during my shift…" They stared at the marching Rogues with fearful eyes, dreading what will transpire soon.


	54. Gappei Village Vs The Rogues

Tamara lied in her bed, leg crossed over the other and arms behind her head, staring at the ceiling with a serious glare. She lightly kicked her foot as the seconds ticked by. She should've been asleep some time ago, but she couldn't get a wink's rest. She wasn't in a good mood.

' _Juniper…'_

A knock sounded off her door twice. She didn't respond to it, but it opened anyway. Ulysses poked his head through, looking apologetic for entering. "Um…sorry to disturb you, but…um…" He gulped. "You…"

"What?"

"…You look mad."

She clenched her teeth. "Yeah, well I have every right to be!" She sat up and crossed her legs. "Juniper has a lot of explaining to do after what happened earlier! Doesn't she know how worried sick we are?! It's not everyday you hear Juniper loses her cool!"

Ulysses held his hands up to try and calm her. "T-Tamara, p-please don't shout." He frowned. "I'm worried about her, too."

Tamara frowned as well, then crossed her arms. "…She's like a little sister, you know? Never had siblings myself, so…we argue a lot, but I care about her."

"Same…" Ulysses rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I mean, I'm not an only child, but…I see your point." He rubbed his wings together. "…I'm sure she'll be back soon."

Tamara jumped off her bed. "She better! She has a lot to answer for making me worried-!" They heard a loud banging coming from their front door all of a sudden. She glared. "Who's knocking at this hour?"

"Juniper?" he guessed.

"She doesn't need permission to enter her own-" She flinched and growled as the banging sounded again. "For legend's sake, WHAT?!"

"HELP!" Their eyes widened as a chain of explosions suddenly went off outside. "INVASION! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! INVASION-!"

The hut rumbled in a sudden jerk, throwing Tamara and Ulysses to the floor. Their eyes widened in shock. "Invas-?!"

The rumbling caused the support beams to give out, sending the entire upper half of the hut crumbling down on top of them. Ulysses threw his body over Tamara as they were instantly buried under the debris.

Their hut collapsed to pieces in a manner of seconds as the villagers were running around in a panic, with Rogues attacking and firing on them. Huts were on fire, the ground was turned into a scorched battlefield, and the entire place was swarmed with enemy Fusions. It was like a complete warzone just broke out in an instant.

Within the rumble of the duo's hut, movement came through the top, then Tamara smashed her way through, screaming heatedly with her fists raised. "WHY WAS I TRYING TO SLEEP DURING THIS?! The hero of Gappei Village cannot let these transgressions continue!"

Ulysses pulled himself to safety. A shiver crawled up his back as he stared with paralyzing fear. "A-A-A-Are those really all the R-R-Rogues?! Why are they attacking us all of a sudden?!"

"They've finally snapped, that's what!" Tamara got into a fighting stance. "How foolish and naïve of them to come all the way here to greet the Hero of Justice!" She scowled. "Now it's personal!"

"Tamara, wait-!" Too late, as she already took off to join the fight. Ulysses quivered and tapped the tips of his wings together. "S-S-Should I-I help?" He shrieked as a flurry of Air Cutter and Icicle Spears flew past him. "AAAAHHHH!" He bolted high into the sky.

* * *

Minutes after the fighting started, Dakota made quick work in barricading her hut, with the children gathered in the living area. They were bunched together, most shivering in fear and keeping their screams low to not alert their attackers. Dakota wasn't any better, frantically moving furniture in front of every viable entrance. She was worried about the place collapsing, too, but she had an escape plan for that.

Dakota sweated as she pushed a bookcase in front of the mountain of furniture stacked in front of the door. Getting it into place, she slid to the ground and panted tiredly.

"There…hopefully that buys us some time." She stood up. "Is everyone here?"

"Y-Yeah…" the kids murmured.

"Good." She crouched down and looked them in the eyes. "Listen carefully, you all need to stay calm. We'll be fine. You have nothing to fear."

Winona squeaked and hid her head under with little flippers. "It's so loud…"

Willy wasn't buying it, his eyes welling up with tears. "A-A-Are we…a-a-are we going to…?"

Dakota picked him up and shushed him. "You have nothing to fear, Willy. I won't let them lay a hand on you." Willy whimpered and cried into her chest. She calmly petted his head.

Harper pouted at the barricaded door, glaring. "Stupid mean Rogues!" She stamped her paw on the ground. "I'm not scared of them!" She charged for the barricade, but Dakota caught her by the tail and held her up. "Hey!" She flailed her legs hopelessly.

"No, absolutely not!" Dakota scolded. "Under no circumstances are you kids putting yourselves in danger!"

"But-!"

"No buts about it!" She set the Eevee-Ditto down. "Sweetheart, you have to trust me on this. It's my job to keep you safe and I won't let you-!"

Without warning, the hut blew open in a fiery blast, sending the kids into a panicked frenzy. Dakota kept them grouped together and behind her as they backed from the smoking hole. Two figures crawled through. A Ferrothorn-Torkoal, who looked like his iron body was made up of Torkoal shell, and a Flareon-Skuntank, purple with white stripes and mane, and a large, bushy tail.

Dakota's face paled in a matter of seconds. _T-T-Two Fire-Types?! Are you serious?!_

The Flareon Fusion narrowed his eyes. "I thought I smelled something in here. Thought you could hide from us?"

Before Dakota could beg for their lives, Harper, ran out from cover and charged right at them. "Me and you! One-on-two! Type Tackle!" Her body turned blue and her mane became that of a ring of water.

"Buzz off!" the fox skunk growled, shooting her with a Flamethrower.

"EEP!" she shrieked as she was thrown back at the group's feet.

"Harper!" Poppy shouted.

Harper, however, rolled onto her feet. "I'm okay!"

"Not for long!" The Ferrothorn-Torkoal suddenly swung his vine arm, powered with Power Whip.

Harper shrieked as the attack came at her, but Dakota threw herself in front of the attack using Defense Curl. It struck down on her and buried her into the floorboards. "Ms. Dakota!" the kids screamed.

Dakota uncurled and stood up, tears welling from the strike to her back. "O-Ow…" She glared at the intruders. "Y…You're not…laying…a hand on these kids…"

Flareon sneered. "Fine. We'll just go for you, then." He fired Flamethrower right at her.

Dakota held her hands out. "Crystal Mir-!"

Suddenly, the flames parted around her and smothered out. Dakota gawked at the light blue aura pushing against the flames. It was Psychic.

"Tsk. I'd appreciate it if you didn't harm these children." They turned to the hole in the hut and saw Hawkins with his hand out, lit with Psychic. He flicked his fingers and sent the flames blasting into Ferrothorn. Due to his typing, it was regular super-effective damage.

Dakota's face twitched in surprise, then a gracious smile came to her lips. "Hawkins…"

"Hawkins!" Wantanabe cheered.

A light glare was directed at Dakota. "Can't handle these two on your own? Can't you do anything useful?"

Dakota grinned bitterly, but still with thanks. She could hear his tone. He was relieved she and the kids were safe. He was just too proud to say it. "I'll leave the fighting to the professional, then."

Hawkins glanced dully at the two Fire-Type Rogues, with Flareon baring his teeth at him. "And just _how_ are you going to take us on your own? A mere Grass-Type hardly scares us."

Hawkins shrugged. "Then…it's a good thing I've been giving teamwork a fair shot." He cocked his head to the side, with a black water shooting out from behind him and grabbing around the Flareon's neck.

"AGH! What-?!"

"Look who I found during the chaos," Hawkins stated as Wash leaped over him, dashing straight at the suspended Fusion and slashed across his midsection with Cut.

"GAH!" The Flareon Fusion collapsed to the ground.

"Mr. Washington!" the kids cheered.

"You're okay!" Dakota exclaimed.

Wash nodded and held up his Cut blade. "So is Juniper. We got here as fast as we could before the fighting started. I came here as soon as I heard the explosion." He held up his blade to the two Rogues. "The entire village is infested with these guys."

Hawkins summoned Leaf Blade and spun it. "These two should be easy pickings."

Wash nodded, then his eyes flashed purple. He held his head. "Ugh! Barbatos, now is not the time for this!"

' _ **Don't give me that crap! Let me out and I'll put an end to this myself!'**_

"Like I'm falling for that!"

' _ **This place is getting trashed anyway! Let me cut loose for once if you want your friends to stay safe!'**_

"Since when have you been so sentimental?!"

"Wash!" Dakota shouted.

Wash turned and blocked a surprise Power Ship from Ferrothorn. The Rogue jumped, spun, and fired Overheat down on him. Wash blocked it with his Cuts, then stretched his shadow out for a Shadow Sneak. The shadow sprung from the ground and struck the Fusion in his exposed underside.

Hawkins saw the Flareon Fusion coming at him with Night Slash. He set up Reflect, passing the effect over to Wash, and took the attack with little worry. He raised his Leaf Blade, but it only made the fox skunk laugh. "That won't do anything to me!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I don't think so." He applied the yellow Sweetest Nectar and slashed the Fusion across the cheek.

As expected, the Leaf Blade alone did nothing. However, before the Flareon Fusion could taunt him, he suddenly felt his body locking up. Muscles contracting and certain nerves not responding. He felt his body stiffening, unable to move. "Wha…WHAT!?"

He was then picked up by the mane and got an eyeful of Hawkins' cold, unforgiving glare. "I grow tired of your disgusting presence." He dropped him and held his hand out. "Leave my sight."

Since Psychic wouldn't work on the part Dark-Type, Hawkins sent the Flareon Fusion flying with a Psychic blast against the air, digging him through the floorboards and crashing into the bookcase.

With the Rogues distracted, Dakota flexed her claws and looked to the children. "Alright, all of you, we're escaping!" She glanced at Caleb. "You're in charge! Make sure everyone's through!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" the rodent bat exclaimed. Dakota leaped, then spun downward through the floor with Dig, making a large hole for everyone to escape through. Caleb fanned his wings at it. "Single file! Hurry!"

Wash kicked the Ferrothorn Fusion across the room and spotted the kids fleeing. The hut was beginning to become consumed in flames, so he was relieved. He backed away from the rising Fusion and bumped into Hawkins. They were surrounded by both Rogues.

Wash crossed his blades. "Never expected to work with you."

Hawkins glared. "Shut up and fight."

They glared at their opponents, then unleashed fierce battle cries as they lunged into the fight.

* * *

Artemis bound a Rogue down and struck him right in the face, then slammed him into his approaching cohorts. She and Ren stood guard before the medic hut, defending it with their lives. "Ren, do not let them come any closer!" She unleashed her Pixilate powered Hyper Voice right into the group as they tried to get up.

Ren spammed dozens of Water Pulses into the approaching crowd. "Don't worry!" He activated Cut and, in a flash, crossed five Rogues in a blink. He raised the blade and swiped it lightly, then the Rogues collapsed to their injuries. "I won't let Quinn down!"

He looked up, then dodged an Ambipom-Bisharp that struck down at him. The monkey had armor over his body and head and blades on his hand tails. He stood up and smirked. "So, there really is someone in there? And injured, too? What a night!"

Ren glared. "I wish to give you a fair and honorable fight, but…" He reached behind his back and pulled out his sword, lighting it with Sacred Sword. "My friend's condition is of greater importance."

The monkey smirked. "How noble." He activated his Night Slash and sprung right at the frog knight. Ren met him halfway and collided with his Night Slash, breaking the air apart in their collision.

Artemis nodded in approval, then blinked as an odd child came over her. "Huh…this feels familiar…" She looked at her leg, with ice coating over it. "…Real familiar!" She jumped just as a Flamethrower fired her way. She flipped in the air before landing atop the medic hut. "Oh…it's you," she addressed plainly.

Through the wintery mist came Mikayla, smirking at the Sylveon-Scrafty. Behind the Rogue stood frozen villagers who she had defeated on her way here. Winter Storm expelled from her straw appendage. "I believe you owe me a rematch."

Artemis raised her brow and smirked. "Enjoyed getting your butt kicked that much?"

"This won't end the same as last time…"

"You're right. It'll be over in just three seconds." Artemis leapt off the roof and came down on her with a Moonblast charging.

Mikayla charged her own Moonblast. "That's what I'm counting on!"

They rammed their Moonblasts together at closed range, covering them in their blinding glow and blasting them apart in the explosion. They caught themselves and glared before charging back into the fight.

* * *

Spaz zipped around the village, taking out as many Rogues as he saw. He stopped by Crawford and Codex, who were doing fairly well in holding off the amassing group. "What is the recruitment process like?! I didn't know they had this many guys! It's probably well in the hudreds!"

"Well, the exact total is-" Codex began.

"I-don't-want-to-know!" Spaz shouted. "This-is-insane!"

"Truly unexpected, yes." Codex fired an Ominous Wind in the crowd.

Crawford, however, wasn't in agreement. "Ye kiddin'?!" He leaped at a Snorlax-Hariyama and bashed his head with a Dynamic Punch. "I'm havin' the time of me life! This is the best thing to come to us! Free faces to punch!"

"Crawford, this isn't a good thing!" Spaz shouted.

"Oi, what's got ye so twitchy?"

Spaz pointed to the burning hut right next to them. "OUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE!"

"Hmm…well, when ye put it like that…"

Their conversation was then interrupted by a consecutive chain of explosions across the village. They ducked as York flew right over them and crashed through their burning hut, followed by a blue blur shoving them out of the way.

Spaz's eyes went wide. "Oh…crap!"

York picked himself off the burning floor and rubbed his head. "D-Dang…" He glared up as Norris marched his way through the crumbling hut, shoving debris effortlessly and ignoring the burns against his hands. He snarled over the armored lizard.

"Never thought I'd see your mug again, traitor…" He raised his fist with a charged Explosion and slammed down.

York flipped back and avoided the blast. "Never expected you to amass a war out of nowhere!" He distanced himself across the room. "Why?"

"Change of heart." Norris pulled his fist out of the floor and cracked his knuckles. "I've been waiting to do this for a long time." His wrist orbs crackled with electricity.

York glared. "What…has gotten into you? For as long as I known you, you wouldn't start a full-scale war like this. You're risking the wellbeing of all the Rogues…for what?!"

Norris scowled. "Don't pretend you know me. Discharge!" He raised his wrist orbs and unleashed electricity across the area.

York zipped through the bolts and spun on his hand. "I don't know what's up with you, Norris, but I can't allow you to continue!" He slammed his Dragon Tail into the mad duck's side and threw him across the village before giving chase after him.

Spaz's group watched in in awe before the time mouse stated, "We should go help!" However, before he could take a step, a three shot of Mirror Shot fired at his feet, forcing him to jump back. "H-Huh?!" He looked around, then glared at the attacker. "Oh great, you again…"

Zoey twirled her Mirror Shot key on her finger while Sunny fluttered around her cheerily. They stood atop a roof. She smirked. "Hmph. You caused us quite the trouble since we last met."

Spaz and Codex remained cautious, but Crawford raised his fists in excitement. "Sweet! Now I get to beat the shit out of ye two! What a score!"

Sunny giggled innocently. "D'aww, aren't you a silly crabby?" She fired off Giga Drain at him, which he scuttled out of the way of. She fired in rapid burst beams as the crab jumped around to get to cover.

Zoey took hold of her Surf key and opened up a portal, unleashing a massive tidal wave straight at them. Codex got in front of it and spun, breaking the wave apart with a piercing Ominous Wind. He then flew at her and fired Tri-Attack. Zoey jumped out of the way, bouncing off her hand, and fired Mirror Shot at him. He zipped around and easily avoided her shots.

"Sunny!"

"Can do!" She fired a Moonblast at the computer ghost.

Codex's eyes lit up. "Lock-On. Zap Cannon." Locking onto the Moonblast, he fired the Zap Cannon at an angle and scored a direct shot on it, knocking it off course and sending it crashing into another group of Rogues.

Zoey grunted to herself, spinning her key on her finger. "This is going to be annoying…"

Spaz clenched his fist at her. "What's your deal?! Why are the Rogues suddenly waging war against us?!"

Zoey shrugged. "Not my call. Just following orders." She smirked. "Think of it as our final send off before we disappear for good."

Sunny giggled. "Plus, it's super fun!"

Zoey landed on the ground. "It's not my preferred style. Frankly, I rather manipulate my way to get what I want." She glared. "It's the only way to get things done, especially after what this world has put me through."

"Don't care! Punchin' time!" Crawford shouted, scuttling right at her.

Zoey smirked and opened her Secret Storage, reaching in and retrieving a familiar item. "Remember this thing?" She pulled out a stun stick, the same model she used in their first encounter. She clicked it on and jabbed it straight at the crab as he tried to halt his momentum.

However, a hand clutched the stick in time and pulled it out of Crawford's direction, earning a sigh of relief from him. Zoey glared at Spaz, who held the stick firmly.

"Not falling for that again." He smacked the stun stick out of her hand, caught it, then aimed it at her. She backed away, reacting out of fear. It surprised Spaz a bit, but he shook his head.

"Not then, not now." He gripped the stick and snapped it in two. "I'm not one to torture for victory."

Zoey sneered and stood up. "Torture? I have to use what I have to get things done. Not like I was abusing you with it. I have a heart, you know." She glared, then pulled out her Recycle key, but Crawford got her with a surprise Power-Up Punch, making her drop the key.

Crawford stepped on the key. "Not letting ye do _that_ again."

Zoey growled. "This is why…I hate playing nice. Sunny!"

"Righty-o!" She threw out a whole bunch of Pollen Puffs at the three. They scattered as they exploded randomly.

Zoey took one for herself, a healing kind. She picked up her Recycle key and aimed it at the stun stick. However…upon thinking about it, she glared and placed the key back on her key earring. "I can be strong with my own power…"

* * *

Dez leapt in the air and fired down Thunderbolt, stunning a whole group of Rogues. Emily took advantage of their immobility and gathered a bunch of them in a Play Rough, bashing them all over the area.

Three flyers went straight for Dez. He dodged and fired down Volt Switch, blinding the three. When their vision returned, they were struck with Charlie's Hidden Power, knocking them into a hut.

Charlie panted lightly, having sustained some battle damage in the fight. "They're destroying everything! Including the cafeteria!" he cried harder.

Emily pinned one Rogue to the ground. "Now is NOT the time to be thinking with your stomach!" She kicked the Rogue back and blasted them with a flurry of Ice Shards.

"Well, I'll be stress eating if we survive the night!" Charlie charged at a Drapion-Scolipede, leaped over his head, and slammed down atop of him with a Body Slam. "Fire Punch!" With the Rogue stunned, Charlie nailed his face with his blazing punch.

Dez slammed his side into another Rogue with Heavy Slam, then heard a sudden outbreak of fighting taking place inside the mess hall. Rogues were being kicked out through the doors and windows, dazed with bruised marks over their bodies. Sheila leapt out of the window with a Solrock-Lunatone (right half Solrock, left half Lunatone shaped for the Solrock body) chasing after her.

"Solar Beam!" He fired a beam of sunlight at her.

Sheila backflipped and flew right overhead. "Blackout Kick!" Wrapping her leg in darkness, she struck the celestial rock's face, digging him into the ground. She landed near the three and got into position. "Has everyone gone crazy?! What happened?!"

"We're as clueless as you!" Emily shouted before suddenly getting blindsided by a Gible-Bruxish. She bit down on the ice maiden's arm, gnawing with a grating sound in her teeth. "Get…off me!" She tried to fire Ice Shard, but the fish dragon's protuberance opened up and flashed a dazzling light at her, causing her to aim off course. "GAH!"

The fish dragon pinned her to the ground and smirked. "Dragon Pulse!" She charged for a devastating attack.

Emily, however, smirked. "Sucker Punch." The Gible Fusion to a hit to the side of her head, throwing her off Emily. "Iron Head!" She headbutted the Gible Fusion through the mess hall.

Charlie looked around cautiously. "There's still more of them crawling around…"

"Not just crawling, buddy boy!" Charlie shrieked as someone kicked him in the head and bounced off him like a springboard. Landing and spinning around on the mess hall's flagpole was Braith. The chameleon monkey snickered. "Oh sweet Gappei Villagers, how I pity thee…" She landed atop the pole. "I almost feel sorry that I have to _**tear you apart and dance on your tattered remains!"**_

The gang looked at her in shock, with Dez commenting, "Oh wonderful, we get the crazy one to fight."

Braith danced atop the pole, laughing, before springing at them. "You should think twice for insulting me! Acrobatics!" She rolled across the ground and kicked Dez across the cheek. She sprung off him and slammed her foot squarely in Charlie's face, then leapt at Sheila. "You're next, bunny lady!"

However, her kick passed through the Lopunny-Zoroark. She passed through an illusion, with the real one hovering above her, leg wrapped in darkness.

"Blackout Kick!" She struck hard in the monkey's cheek, deforming her face for just a split second in the impact.

Braith skipped hard against the ground and slammed the back of her head against the mess hall. "Ooh…wah…?"

Sheila aimed her hands out and fired Dark Pulse. Braith quickly recovered and avoided her attack. She sprung back at the illusion rabbit and struck with a flurry of Double Hits. Sheila matched her blows with Dizzy Punch. Braith tried to switch to Acrobatics, but Sheila suddenly ducked her head as Dez ran up her back and threw his weight against Braith with Heavy Slam.

Emily jumped in the air and fired Ice Shard, pelting Braith against the ground. "Dez, finish her!"

"Thunderbolt!" He charged his mane and fired a strong bolt of lightning at the chameleon monkey. It looked like it was going to make contact, but then inexplicably changed course and curved away from her. "What?!"

They traced the Thunderbolt to the galloping Zebstrika-Vikavolt. His body crackled with electricity. His nostrils flared as he stamped his hoof. "Charge." His stripes lit up, filling him with a surge of power. "I was hoping to find that accursed Raichu-Sneasel and Roserade-Meowstic first, but I suppose you all will have to do."

Emily glared. "You'll regret that decision very soon."

Gordon snorted, then raised his forelegs. "Discharge!" He slammed his hooves down and neighed with a powerful storm of electricity erupting from his body. The bolts electrified and broke through all the surrounding buildings, lighting them in his dazzling glow.

The four dodged as best they could, with Emily taking off into the air. "Spikes!" Her hidden maw appeared, puffed out, then rained a shower of red spikes into the ground.

Gordon switched to Flame Charge and galloped straight for her. Entering the field of Spikes, the ground exploded under his hooves. He persisted through them and slammed his head into her.

"GAAAAAH!" Emily flew back, with Charlie jumping in and catching her.

"Emily!" he cried out.

Her face twitched with pain. "That…really hurt…"

Gordon neighed and charged for them, using Flame Charge once more and with greater speed. "Burn to ashes!"

Dez leaped from behind. "Flamethrower!" He shot down a stream of flame onto the railgun zebra. _'Luckily for me, you're still part Bug!'_

It caused Gordon to slow his gallop a bit, just so Sheila could swoop in and punch him across the face with Dizzy Punch. Gordon flew back, but landed on his hooves. He spat on the ground and dug aggressively at the ground, flaring smoke from his nostrils.

"You! Me! Fight!"

Sheila sneered. "Gladly." She rocketed straight for him.

Gordon smirked. "Discharge!" He unleashed his electricity at her, once again covering the surrounding area in its radiating glow.

Charlie ducked into a hut with Emily still close in his arms. Dez took the electricity with little worry. Braith sprawled out on the ground and used Camouflage, becoming pure Ground.

Sheila weaved through the Discharge with her sharp reflexes. "Blackout Kick!"

"Flame Charge!"

They met attacks head on, meeting at a stalemate with neither side giving an inch. Black energy crackled off Sheila's leg while flames burned the grass behind Gordon.

Dez shook his head from the mild shock, then smirked. "Heh…if we weren't in mortal danger right now, this would be some fine sparring we'd be getting!"

Emily picked herself up, panting lightly as she regained her stamina. "Dez, now REALLY isn't the time for that!"

* * *

On the other side of the village, Asadi was running on all fours as she was being pursued by a Fearow-Excadrill and a Muk-Camerupt (a giant pile of sentient orange sludge with two volcanoes on his back). She fired off some Ice Shards to keep them from getting closer, but the drill bird weaved through her attacks easily.

"I have you now!" the bird squawked. "Steel Wing!" She soared down and struck Asadi in the back, throwing her off her feet.

"Ugh!" Asadi flipped off her hand and lightly slid on her feet. "Ice Shard!" She fired a wave of the sharp ice.

The Muk-Camerupt jumped and took the Ice Shards into his body, melting them into his insides. "Now…Eruption!" He aimed his volcanoes and fired the powerful eruption attack.

Asadi got low as it neared. "Feint Attack." She flicker-vanished and appeared in front of the Muk Fusion, kicking him right in the face. Some of his goop got on her foot, but at least it was enough to send him flying. "Phew…"

"No time to relax yet, child!" Asadi rolled out of the way as the drill bird spun down. Despite missing, she dug straight through the ground with Dig.

Asadi twitched her ears, listening out for the shifting of the ground. Feeling a low rumble under her feet, she jumped to the side and avoided the drill bird's attack. The Fearow-Excadrill extended her wings, then swooped down at her to use Assurance. Asadi quickly flicker-vanished with Feint Attack and struck the bird with her tail, then held her hands out.

"Ice Beam!" The drill bird squawked in pain, crashing into the ground and being sealed under a thick layer of ice. Asadi landed and wiped her brow. "Yeesh…I should be sleeping right now. What a drag…" She caught something from the corner of her eye. A pink glow coming towards her. She jumped back and saw the Moonblast fly by.

"Hahaha! Now you will face me!" Asadi readied her Ice Beam…then immediately stopped and stared at the new Rogue with boggled eyes.

A…Nosepass-Gardevoir. Complete with the flowing white dress, red horn on his chest, and green hair.

Asadi…was in a state of utter bafflement.

Nosepass didn't seem to notice. "Now you will face the true power of a Rogue!" His nose lit up, charging a Moonblast. "Come, so we can fight to our hearts' content!"

Asadi blinked slowly. "…I…don't know if I should be worried or pity you. That is the strangest combination I've seen to date."

The Nosepass Fusion ceased his charge up and flailed his arms angrily. "HEY! Don't you DARE mock!" He flicked his beautiful locks dramatically. "I happen to look quite _fabulous_!"

"You…sure?" she asked hesitantly.

Immediately fed up, the Nosepass Fusion charged right at her, making her throw her guard up. "I'll teach you to respect my godly beauty! Power Gem-!"

"Excuse me, but I'm gonna have to ask you to leave, miss."

Nosepass stopped and spun around. "MISS?!" Before he could properly inform the mocker about his 'unquestionable beauty,' he was sent flying with a strong Force Palm, sending him sailing through the air. "AAAAAHHHHH!" He crashed through a hut's roof.

Asadi blinked, then turned with a smile at her friend. "Juniper!"

Juniper lowered her arm and gave a short wave and smile. "Yo."

Asadi ran up and grabbed her shoulders. "I'm so glad you're okay! You have no idea how worried I was! I heard some crazy stuff happened earlier!"

Juniper brushed her hands off. "Yeah, but that's not important right now." She glared at the fighting taking place. "What a real mess we've got here." She clenched her teeth. "Damn Rogues…"

Asadi, understandably, jumped back at the sudden coldness in her friend's tone. "Whoa…Jun, where'd your warm and silly behavior go? And…are you frowning?!" _'I was right! First the Rogues, now Juniper's not smiling! The world's ending!'_

Juniper held her hip. "Some…stuff came up earlier." She sighed. "Sorry Asadi, but…this is more or less what I'm like for real." She smiled apologetically. "But, hey, it's…still me."

Asadi eased her brief paranoia and looked to her in concern. "…What happened while you were gone?"

"A lot of crying and cuddling with Wash, I can tell you that." She glared at the Rogues. "Now then-"

"I have RETURRRRRRRNED!" Nosepass shrieked overhead, with a large Moonblast over his head. Without looking, Juniper punched over her head and cracked his nose. His Moonblast canceled while he went completely rigid. "…Ah…" He fell unconscious by her side.

Juniper sighed, then looked at the Rogue…then her eyes widened. "Wait…that was a guy?!"

Asadi smiled lightly. _'Yep, that's her.'_

* * *

Rebecca blocked a punch from a Crabrawler-Golett and rammed against him with Flame Charge. Another three Rogues came at her, but she quickly removed them with a wave of her stick, which fired Aura Spheres. She was panting and hold her side, which was bruised from some hits she couldn't quite block. "I can keep going…"

A Hawlucha-Hakomo-o suddenly came down from the sky. "Hola señorita! Peleemos!"

"Pelee-?" Rebecca blocked a knee strike to her face, which pushed her back. She growled and cracked her knuckles. "You know, I'm not a violent person…but I do make exceptions! Extreme Speed!" She ran around the plated wrestler, much to his amusement.

"Me haces reir! Tu velocidad no es de interés para-!" From behind, he saw a teal glow coming from the aura fox's stick. He paled fearfully. "Oh mierda…"

Rebecca punted him across the village with a Psychic charged blast, screaming some she couldn't understand. She twirled her stick and panted lightly. "Good grief…Shane! Chris! How are you two holding up?!"

Shane bounced around the rooftops, firing Night Shades and Whirlpools while trying to keep his distance. "Fine, for the most part! But I'm not sure for how long!"

"Yeah!" Chris shouted, punching out a Ducklett-Hippowdon with his Comet Punch. "I'm starting to run out of steam myself!" He blasted back three other Rogues with his Vacuum Wave. "Any idea what could've started this?"

"War." Chris quickly turned and dodged a sudden Aura Sphere, but it tracked his movements as expected and shot him towards his friends. Rebecca and Shane ran to his side, then glared at the Heatmor-Clawitzer standing above them with his pincer locked on them. "This is only a fraction of our true power."

Rebecca gritted her teeth. "Oh come on!"

Shane bounced up and pointed accusingly. "Just leave! I know we're not on the best terms, but that doesn't mean you had to turn our home into a battleground!"

Sullivan sneered. "Too bad. Things got personal." He fired Incinerate at them.

Rebecca twirled her stick and deflected the shots in separate directions. Sullivan suddenly rocketed down with Aqua Jet and slammed his pincer into her, then used Fire Lash. It wrapped around her wrist and threw her off her feet, while also searing her skin.

"AAH!" She glared and fired an Aura Sphere into his back. She landed safely, then threw herself against him with Flame Charge. It did virtually nothing, but she needed the extra speed boost. "Close Combat!"

Sullivan turned in time to block the consecutive hits with his pincer, absorbing most of the damage with only some severe wounds to his appendage. He struck her across the face and fired Incinerate at blank point.

"Focus Punch!" Because Sullivan was distracted with Rebecca, it gave Chris plenty to charge his concentrated punch, which he slammed right into the anteater's face. Blood spurted from his mouth before being sent flying into the dirt.

Shane then bounced over him and lit his eyes in ghostly energy. "Night Shade!" He bombarded the sharpshooter with waves of crippling energy.

Sullivan shook against its power, but forced his pincer up and blasted the luck ghost with his Incinerate. Shane fell beside Chris, who charged into action with Night Slash. Sullivan used Aqua Jet and got to higher grounds.

"I'm not wasting my time on you lot!" He saw an Aura Sphere flying at him, so he countered with his own.

Rebecca readied a second Aura Sphere. "And why's that?"

"Don't think you have me beat just yet." Sullivan landed on a roof and smirked. "I'm not alone in this one."

All of a sudden, Rebecca felt a malevolent presence approaching them from behind. It sent her body into shock, locking her up as a tingling of shivers rushed up her spine. The force was monstrous and unforgiving. Worst of all…she remembered it all too well.

"N…No…"

Shane looked at his friend. "Rebecca, what's wrong?!"

She merely pointed over her shoulder in terror. Her hut mates turned their heads, then their eyes widened at the Minccino-Cofagrigus standing before them. His shadows hands were out, waving in an ominous matter. His mask was set and his eyes were glowing bright red.

Shane gulped. "Rebecca…is that…?"

"The kid Wash fought on the docks? Yeah…that's him…"

Augustus summoned a cluster of Shadow Balls in each hand and chucked them at the trio. Surprised, they scattered in a hurry to dodge them. The Shadow Balls that didn't land near them destroyed more and more of their homes.

Shane bounced quickly and fired off a Whirlpool. Augustus slammed his shadow hands down and threw himself over the vortex of water, then unleashed his Dazzling Gleam down on them. They were stunned by the attack, then were punched away by his fast-moving hands.

Chris dug his hands into the ground and stopped himself. "This kid is insane!"

Sullivan laughed to himself. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy myself." He aimed and fired Scald at them, forcing them to dodge and get hit by another attack from Augustus.

* * *

Wash and Hawkins took their fight outside the flaming hut and continued trading blows with the Flareon-Skuntank and Ferrothorn-Torkoal. While Wash was holding off against a Power Whip, Barbatos suddenly spoke up.

' _ **Wash, I'm sensing that kid. The one from the docks.'**_

Wash narrowed his eyes, then knocked the Ferrothorn Fusion back and kicked him away with Aerial Ace. "Hawkins, something came up! Can you hold them off?!"

Hawkins spun his Leaf Blades and channeled Sweetest Nectar through them. "Don't insult my talents."

"I'll take that as a yes!" Wash dashed off to find Augustus.

Hawkins focused on his two opponents and crossed his Leaf Blades. He glared off in one direction. _'None of these fools pose any real threat to me. My only concern is the kids…'_ He closed his eyes and sighed shakily. _'…and…Dakota.'_ He shook his head and glared. "She'll be fine." He dashed straight for his two practice dummies.

* * *

It was no surprise that the one taking out the Rogues the quickest was the resident hero herself. The second the invasion was announced to her, she made certain to teach the Rogues a lesson they'd soon not forget. Using the destroyed wreckage as vantage points, she was bouncing around in a rapid stream, taking out many Fusions in a surprise ambush.

One, a Throh-Bewear, tried to grapple her in a tight hold, but she slipped through his clutches and easily took him out of the fight. She landed atop a smoking hut and posed dramatically. "Villains! You made a grave mistake coming here! Now you will face the merciless wrath of the Scarlet Wind!"

A moment of silence came from her…then she screamed out in frustration.

"No, no, no! That's so stupid! _Scarlet_ isn't even a shade of blue! UGH!"

An irritating laughter sounded behind her. She eased her nerves and glared over her shoulder, meeting eyes with the dark poisoner himself. "So, this is the famous hero of Gappei Village? I believe this is the first time we get to meet personally."

Tamara glared and pointed intensely at him. "YOU!" A moment of pause, then Tamara blinked in confusion. "Uh…guy who's name I don't remember…"

"You're worse than the panda…" He bowed dramatically. "I am Eli, advisor to our leader, Norris."

Tamara raised her brow dryly. "Advisor, huh? And you suggested a foolish assault on our home?"

Eli chuckled condescendingly. "A small-minded cat such as yourself could never comprehend the power we hold in this world…the power we will soon hold." He raised his fist. "My dear, what you see before you is a symbol of progression. We are the becoming stages to a new era of Fusions."

"New era?"

"A chance for us to finally be freed from the tight coil of prejudice these Pokémon have bound around us." Eli closed his eyes and smirked. "I've had dreams of show business in my time. I wanted to be a star, to get my name out there and live it big. But I was canned from that dream by all other, stating I was a freak of nature. Only good I'd make is the monster. The loser for the hero to overcome." He glared at her. "And…the villain."

Tamara glared with sudden intrigue. "A villain, huh?"

"That's what this world has labeled us Fusions as. We're forced to play the role of villains in their eyes. Disgraces to their standards of pure blood. While many Fusions take that label with disgrace, I wear it as a title." He pulled on his crest in a villainous matter, noted by the malevolence in his face. "I decided that it was time I have the Pokémon what they wanted. So…I took their advice and turned it into my greatest role.

"I am the villain. And I'm proud of it."

Tamara smirked with excited. "So…I'm the hero and you're the villain?" She cracked her knuckles. "I'm liking this."

Eli smirked back. "You're no hero. You're as much a kid dressed in a cape. I, however, am a true villain."

"I AM a hero. And I'll show you by bringing you and your cronies to justice!"

Eli sighed, then raised his hand out, beckoning her. "By all means…let's see who is stronger: the hero or the villain."

Without a second to waste, they leaped at each other. A flurry of punches and kicks were thrown, blocking and countering the other's blows with great speed. They punched each other across the face, firm fists planted against their cheeks, then landed on the ground before immediately resuming the fray.

They bounced off the surrounding huts and took their fight across the village, spooking both villagers and Rogues at their display of speed. Each intersection met with a vicious clash of attacks, too fast to see for the untrained eye.

Tamara dug into a roof to stop her momentum, then lunged straight at the dark poisoner. Eli balanced out and fired his Toxic Bane, but Tamara weaved through them and swiped with Night Slash. Eli countered with his own, with the results slicing up the roof between them. They resumed with their exchange of blows after.

They crossed kicks, with Tamara commenting, "You're pretty fast!"

They pushed off, then Eli flew with Poison Jab out. "I knew you'd be one of the more dangerous Fusions, save your council. I had to be prepared with some speed boosts, courtesy of my Acupressure."

Tamara deflected his Poison Jab and threw a punch, which Eli caught. He reciprocated the exchange, meeting the same results from her. Tamara smirked boldly. "Hardly matters. No Pokémon or Fusion can challenge my speed."

Eli smirked back. "Another cocky brat of Gappei Village?"

"You've met Hawkins, I bet. News flash, I'm not just speaking out of pride!" She pushed against the dark poisoner, digging his feet into the roof. "I don't have to boast or pontificate my claims to get my point across! I am speed! I am a hero! I am a symbol of justice!"

Eli grinned with villainous intrigued. "What irritating heroism…" Tamara went limp, which threw Eli forward with his own strength.

"That is the spirit of Justice!"

Eli gasped out in pain as a heavy kick shot upward into his abdomen. Tamara appeared above and delivered the same force down on his cheek with a devasting punch. The blow sent him careening through the hut, taking the back down in seconds. Tamara landed before him, with the poisoner on his knee, trying to catch his breath.

Not wasting time, Tamara used Aerial Ace and shot her foot right into his chin, knocking him from the ruined hut. She matched his rise and used an Aerial Ace punch in his face, slamming him into the ground. High in the air, she came spinning down vertically with her foot blazing in Aerial Ace's energy.

"I am the hero who will save my friends!"

Her foot came close to striking down the dark poisoner's head, but he shifted to the side at the last second, catching her off guard. She gasped as he rose. In the time it took her foot to strike the ground, he raised his arm and flared his red claw with Poison Jab. She caught a glimpse of his villainous smirk under that crest.

"What good is a hero if she can't save herself?"

Tamara let out a disgusting gasp as Eli thrusted Poison Jab right into her stomach. The force could be visibly seen shooting from her back. The impact forced her to spit blood. Eli added in a quick Night Slash across the chest, cutting some fur and knocking her back.

Eli raised his claw, with trickled with a drop of blood. "You have this…voracious desire to be a hero. A never-ending greed that cannot be satisfied until you've…hmm, until you've proven to everyone how great you are." He smirked. "Just like how I take the role of a villain to prove the world wrong for their sins, to reflect the actions they've brought upon themselves, you seek redemption from the opposite spectrum.

"Yes, it's all clear. For the villain to see the dark side of pokemanity, you see the side of light I casted away. And as we all know, for every great hero comes a tragic backstory. I bet you're trying to make up for your own sins. It would certainly explain the obsession."

Tamara got onto her knee and laid a hand on the ground, panting lightly as she regained her breath. She gritted her teeth into a smirk. "Perhaps…hardly changes my point." Her front was scratched up with a light bloodstain on her abdomen. Otherwise, she still managed to strength to stand. "You're right. I wouldn't be a good hero if I couldn't save myself." She clenched her fist. "Too bad for you…I'm a hero too stubborn to stay dead!"

Eli smirked with excitement. "My blood is boiling with exhilaration."

"So is mine."

Eli gestured her forward with more enthusiasm. "Then let us continue this bout! I want to see which side truly reigns supreme!"

Tamara laughed proudly. "You'll be sorry!" They sprinted for each other and collided with Night Slash, baring dauntless smirks with their pride skyrocketing.

* * *

York was thrown through another hut (his guess? Quinn's) and smashed into a TV. He picked himself off the sparking electronic, then was lifted by the neck. He gripped Norris' wrist as the mad duck snarled at him. "Try all you want. You've had this coming for a long time."

He shoved the armored lizard's face into the floor, then kicked him across the stomach. York smashed through the upper level's ladder, snapping it in half. He flipped onto his feet, then dodged a surprise strike from Norris. "Norris, this is getting out of hand!" He kicked the mad duck back, then blasted him with Dragon Rage.

Norris flew back, but planted his feet down and struggled to keep from falling back. He forced himself up straight, panting slightly, then cracked his neck. "You gave me a chance to finally be happy for once in my miserable, useless life. What do I get for it? _You…_ turning your back on your team."

York gritted his teeth. "You went too far…I couldn't…"

"All of this for some girl…" Norris snarled. "Right…a story as old and dead as time…" He flexed his hand, cracking the bones. "Save me the sappy romance. A Rogue doesn't abandon his comrades…" He growled. "And you don't piss their leader off!"

York dodged his Explosion punches, barely deflecting a few that came too close. He spun on his hand and smacked Norris away with his Dragon Tail. Norris flipped off his hands and fired his Signal Beam. York leaped in the air, avoiding it, and stretched his frills, firing off a Flash. Norris seethed and covered his eyes.

"Parabolic Charge!" He formed a ball of electricity and fired it, zapping the angry duck and sapping away his energy for himself. York landed and fired a close-range Thunderbolt.

Norris' eyes snapped open, then he punched into the Thunderbolt. It sent the electrical attack scattering all across the hut. Norris roared and spammed Water Pulse. York ran around the hut as the Water Pulse destroyed everything, from the kitchen to the couch to the upper level of the hut.

"Thunderbolt!" York fired downward, emitting a flash that blasted the mad duck off his feet, along with the floor. He scaled the walls and jumped to the upper level, then fired Thunderbolt down on the duck.

Norris spun on his foot and wrapped the Thunderbolt around him, then fired it back along with his Discharge. York leapt along the hut's walls and upper level as electricity engulfed the building. Beds and bookshelves were lit up in fiery explosions, more of the hut crashed down with the rest, and fires were quickly spreading out.

York dodged some flaming wreckage falling on top of him, then caught a glimpse of Norris from his peripherals. "Soak!" He dodged the type changing water shot. Norris fired multiple of them at the fleeing lizard, which served to irritate him further. "Don't you DARE run away from me!" He fired a large Signal Beam at him.

York spun himself around midair and fired a Thunderbolt into it. "Norris! What has gotten into you?! STOP!"

"Not until you beg for _MERCY_!"

The Signal Beam overpowered his Thunderbolt and struck York outside the hut. His skin seared against the intense light of the attack. He was flung high in the air and fell straight into the ground, collapsing the dirt under him.

He panted with sharp pains in his chest. He only made them worse as he forced his body to dodge an Explosion from Norris, sending incendiary debris scattering about. Norris lifted his fist off the ground, covered in the scorch marks of his frequent Explosions. They were shaking from wear and injury.

York held his trembling arm. "You…certainly haven't been slacking…" He gritted his teeth worriedly. "Norris, please…you're only going to end up hurting yourself…"

Norris snarled. "No pain in the world amounts to the betrayal you've casted upon me…"

"Why? Why are you doing this? Do you know what will happen regardless of the outcome?" York looked upon him with sympathy and concern. "Norris, please don't go down a path you'll soon regret! This is insane!"

No sudden change in the duck's features. He kept a straight face with a cold gaze on his former ally. "Insane?" He stretched his hand out, relaxing the tense muscles, then clenched it into a fist. "I'll show you insane…"

York narrowed his eyes cautiously as a red aura seeped off the mad duck's body. A vile, dark red color. The aura expanded outward from him, making its presence known to the armored lizard. In such close proximity, he could feel the vile hatred projecting inside its spiteful form. It clicked what this was.

"…No…Norris, no!"

Norris sneered. "I'll defeat you…with all the rage in my heart."

"Norris, do you realize what you're doing?! Is this an Incomplete Fusion Mode?!" He raised his fist at him. "Do you realize what you're doing?! You're putting your body through physical and mental stress! The kind of backlash you'll face-!"

" _I_ can handle it!" Norris raised his fist and lit his wrist orbs in an incendiary glow of his Explosion. They were like flames blazing from his arms. "Now, shut up and give me everything you got!" He roared and charged full speed, hate spilling from his scowl.

With no choice of his own, York submitted to his only option and charged halfway to him, meeting his Explosion with his Dragon Tail.

* * *

The Fusion Council stood before their hut with grave looks to their faces. They watched as their villagers were either struggling to hold back the advancing army of Rogues or succumbing to their stacks of injuries. They saw many wounded Fusions across the battlefield. It was a heartbreaking display to witness.

Lewis clenched his fist. "This is…horrible."

Peregrine grinded his teeth together in rage. "Those little…!" He flapped his wings and bared his leek. "I say we beat the shit out of those little snots and teach them what for!"

Cade grabbed him by the tail feathers. "While the Rogues wouldn't be much of an issue to us, we have other problems." They flinched as more attacks fired off and destroyed more of their land. "Everyone's too busy fighting to notice their comrades are in harm's way of the action."

Gracelyn nodded. "If they let up for a second, it could be their single biggest mistake." She glared at Peregrine. "Our orders are to protect the villagers."

"But-!" Peregrine argued.

"There's simply too many for us to reasonably take on without any casualties to be met," Abraham stated. "In short, our primary objective is to secure the injured and get them to safety." He looked to Lewis. "Dakota and the kids are still missing, however."

Lewis nodded. "I will go in search of them, then."

Abraham looked to the others. "The rest of us need to secure the injured before any more harm is brought to them."

Peregrine grinded his teeth. "I should be fighting…"

"Have faith in them. They had a teacher like you to train them."

Peregrine close his eyes. "…Right." He glared ahead. "Alright, split and assist!" The council broke apart and went after their injured villagers.

* * *

Outside of the village, in the forest, the ground burst open into a hole. Dakota dragged herself out, panting with relief. Her hands were aching from the excessive digging. She pulled herself out and took a moment to rest herself, then reached down the hole. One by one, she pulled the kids out, mentally checking them off in her head.

Last to be brought out was Caleb, with the teacher asking, "Is that all of them?"

Caleb nodded tensely. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Dakota sighed and set him down next to the other kids. "Thank legends…" She stood up and held her knees, panting in relief. She and the kids were dirtied from their escape. Dakota's fur was messed up and thrown out of place, but it was the least of her concerns. "Now…we just need to hang out here until the fighting cools down. We need to stay quiet."

Winona rubbed her head against her. "Ms. Dakota…is everyone going to be alright?"

She bent down and patted her head. "Have faith in your fellow villagers. They can handle it."

Willy shivered fearfully, his gooey body jiggling uncontrollably and splashing goop over the ground. "B-B-But…w-w-what if th-they find us? Th-Those mean…mean F-F-Fusions…?" Tears dripped down his face. "I'm s-s-scared…"

Dakota lifted him into her arm and cooed soothingly. "Don't be scared, sweetie. Mr. Hawkins wouldn't want to see you with that face." She flicked a tear off his cheek. "You have to be brave. All of you do."

Willy whimpered quietly, then nuzzled into her chest. She patted his head. "I-I'm s-sorry…"

"Don't be. It's alright." She giggled as Willy nibbled on her little dangle, a sign of his affection. "Willy, cut that out," she said through her quiet laughter. She set him down between Wantanabe and Harper. "We're going to be fine. Just stick with me and I promise you won't be hurt."

"That's a fine promise, little lady!"

Dakota's eyes widened as a blue vine constricted around her neck, scaring the kids. She was lifted into the air and suspended over them while the vine tightened around her throat. She gripped it and tried to tear it off, but it was too strong. She looked over her shoulder and saw an Electabuzz-Tangela. He was like an Electabuzz that donned a set of blue vines for camouflage. His whole body was covered in them like an oversized poncho, even some on his head like an afro.

He grinned. "But who's going to save you?"

"Ms. Dakota!" the kids screamed.

Dakota flailed her feet angrily. "Let. Me. GO!"

"Why? The fun hasn't started yet!" He pushed her against a tree, then extended more of his vines for Vine Whip.

Dakota raised her arms over her face as the vines began smacking her endlessly. She didn't have any resistances to Grass-Type moves, meaning each hit was slowly chipping away at her stamina. However, they didn't hurt as bad as that fight with Peregrine.

She glared and raised her hands. "Barrier!" A white sheen came over her body, greatly reducing the damage she was taking.

Electabuzz brought her over and activated his Fire Punch. "Go ahead and resist. I've got all night!" Dakota gasped as he socked her straight in the gut. She coughed blood over his arm while a seared fist was printed on her stomach. "Hahahaha!"

"Leave her alone!" The Electabuzz was tackled in the head by Harper, who was now a Fire-Type thanks to her Type Tackle. It did little to hurt the Rogue, but it proved annoying.

"Little brat!" He grabbed her by the face and threw her against a tree.

"Harper!" Caleb cried out.

Electabuzz tried to blast her with Thunderbolt, but then felt an odd crawling on his legs. He looked down and screamed as small insects invaded his space. "AAAAHHHH!"

"Infestation!" Poppy shouted.

Electabuzz viciously whipped them off, then struck a vine around Poppy's arm. "You know, I wasn't thinking of killing you brats, but I'm having second thoughts!"

While he was distracted, Dakota pulled the vine just enough off her throat to scream:

"HAWKINNNNNNNS!"

* * *

Hawkins pinned Flareon to the ground when he heard the shrill cry of his coworker. He looked up with narrowed eyes. "Dakota…?"

* * *

Electabuzz wrapped vines around her mouth. "You should be quiet-GAH!" Ice coated around the vine, allowing Dakota to rip it off easily. "OW! That hurts!"

Wantanabe and Matthew headbutted the Rogue in the stomach, knocking him back a bit. Caleb fluttered around, firing Poison Sting. The poisonous needles stuck to his skin as he tried to gently bat them off. Harper then got around him and bit down on his tail.

"YOW!" He smacked Harper against the ground, then flung her into her friends. He snatched Caleb from the air and threw him at them, too. "You miserable little twerps! I'll-!"

"You're not hurting my students!" Dakota got her arms around his neck, doing her best to get him into a chokehold. It was one of the few passive self-defense techniques Hawkins was willing to teach her. She had her right arm around his neck while the other immobilized his head.

Electabuzz gasped, then scowled at the teacher. "Re- _ack-_ lease me!" He threw his back into a tree to hurt her, but her Barrier was still active. "Thunderbolt!" He erupted in electricity with a mighty scream.

Dakota merely growled. "What's the matter? Being beaten by a bunch of kids making you desperate? That's not going to work on me."

Electabuzz snarled. "There are other ways to hurt you!" He punched at her arms with Fire Punch. "Release…ME!"

"NO!" Dakota screamed, trying to hide the pain flaring inside her.

The kids watched in horror, with Willy quivering and crying a river. "Ms. Dakota!"

Harper bared her teeth. "Big jerk…!"

"Let's kick his butt!" Wantanabe exclaimed.

Caleb grabbed them by the tails. "Wait!" They all looked at him. "I have a better idea!"

Dakota panted as her arms began to give out from the pain. She tried her best to hold him down, but it simply wasn't lasting. He continuously bashed her against a tree while torching her arms in his blazing punches. "Give UP!"

"You won't harm my students!" Dakota shouted into his ear. "I don't care how much you beat me! I don't care how exhausted I am! I have a duty to protect these kids! Nothing will stop me!"

"Stubborn Fusion!" He got more vines around her neck. "I'll squeeze the life right out of you!"

"Leave Ms. Dakota alone!" Electabuzz turned around and saw a small, snake-like dragon of draconian energy. It circled over the Rogue's head. The Rogue looked at the caster, Willy, as he glared at him with tears flooding down his face. "LET HER GO!"

The dragon spun faster and faster until it turned into a small cloud. The Rogue stared at it curiously, then rain poured on his face. His face fell into an unimpressed stare at the rainbow dragon. "Kid…" His fur and vines started to sizzle. "You're gonna have to try harder than…" His eyes widened, noticed that his skin was burning. "What the-?"

The rain wasn't a normal rain, but an acidic kind. It drizzled over the Rogue, with light burns slowly building into unbearable sizzling.

"OW! GAH! H-HEY-OW!" The Electabuzz Fusion tried to flee the cloud, but it followed closely, never leaving him out of the rain. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

He had Dakota just out of its range, which he didn't seem to notice as he ran away from it. Dakota looked to Willy with wide eyes. "Willy…is that you're…?"

Poppy bounced around Willy. "It is! It's his Fusion Move!"

"An Acidic Rain Dance!" Harper exclaimed.

Willy's eyes watered, tears letting up, as he smiled a little at the acidic rain. "Wow…"

Electabuzz shook his head angrily and raised his vines. "You're going to get it now!"

"Ember!" Matthew suddenly blasted the Rogue's rump with the fiery embers.

"OW! MY BUTT!"

Matthew snickered cheekily and jumped away from a Vine Whip. Harper and Winona charged full speed and rammed their heads into his gut. Winona furiously slapped her tail against his cheeks while Harper, once again, bit him, this time in the leg.

"AGH! CUT THAT OUT!"

While Dakota was observing the chaos, she took notice of Wantanabe and gasped at the familiar purple light charging inside his mouth. "No…Wantanabe, don't use that!"

"Inner…" he said quietly, taking a deep breath.

Caleb swooped in from above and cut Dakota free with his Wing Attack. She immediately got to her feet and ran while Caleb said, "Everyone! RUN!"

The kids immediately bolted away from the Rogue, who shouted, "What's going on?!"

"…DRAGON!" The Eevee-Salamance fired a full-powered shot of pure draconian energy, barreling right towards the stunned Rogue as his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"WHAT THE FU-?!"

 _BOOM!_

Everyone was thrown into the air from the shockwave. A plume of the draconian energy rose up from the explosion, with a ring of dust hitting the kids and Dakota. They tumbled over themselves and rested on their stomachs, dazed and shook.

Wantanabe's legs wobbled as he gave a weak smile. "I…did it…" He collapsed onto his belly, drained from the burdening attack.

Dakota immediately raced over and scooped him up. "Wantanabe, that was insanely reckless! You could've hurt everyone!"

Wantanabe opened his eyes a little and smiled wearily. "I…I wanted to make you…happy…"

Dakota stared at him, then the kids, stunned as they nodded in agreement. She closed her eyes and smiled as a tear dripped through. "You kids…are so wonderful…"

"Yay…" Wantanabe mumbled, waving his paws.

Willy slid over. "Wan!"

"I'm…okay…"

Dakota stood up. "We should find the council."

"Not so fast!" A vine got around her ankle, scaring her and the kids again. The Electabuzz-Tangela rose from his crater, panting heavily. It was clear Wantanabe's attack did serious damage to him. His face and everything else was messed up from the blast. He pointed at them furiously. "No one's going ANYWHERE!"

Dakota handed Wantanabe off to Matthew, resting him on the fox raccoon's back, then got in front of the kids. "I won't let you lay another finger _or_ vine on them."

"BE THAT WAY!" He raised his vines and pointed them all at them. "Now watch in awe at the disastrous might of my Fusion Move! I'll have you all screaming for mercy!" The kids huddled behind Dakota while she kept a steely glare on the vines. Feet firmly planted and fists clenched, she wasn't moving from this spot, so long as the kids remained unharmed.

"NOW WITNESS MY ALMIGHTY FUSION MOVE! THUNDER WHIP-!"

 _Shiiiing!_

The Rogue's eyes widened as green slashes crossed his chest in an 'X'. The electricity coating his vines vanished, while he remained frozen with boggled eyes. The kids and Dakota also stared in shock, yet awe. The Rogue turned his head around, gritting his teeth furiously at the newcomer.

Hawkins breathed out, then stood up, with two Leaf Blades in hand. "…heh." He looked over his shoulder and smirked at Dakota. "When did a coward like you suddenly get so tough?"

Dakota smirked back, albeit nervously. "What took you?"

"You're not easy to track. Plus, using your tunnel would've taken too long." He glared at the Rogue. "Now you-"

"Vine Whip!" He struck out at the pompous warrior.

Hawkins deflected them with his Leaf Blades easily. He flung them in the air and held them with Psychic, as well as two more pairs. He crossed his arms. "I do not care for much. My motives are my own."

The Rogue roared and struck with a flurry of Vine Whips. With simple gestures of his fingers, Hawkins commanded the Leaf Blades to block and deflect his Vine Whips with no effort. He closed his eyes and walked forward, with the Vine Whips unable to reach him.

"However…I've grown attached to these kids…and even share some comradery with this teacher." He glared. "You disgust me with your actions."

"WHO ASKED YOU?!" He fired a Solar Beam at him, but it got cut down the middle with a Leaf Blade. "GRR! YOU WRETCHED FUSION!" With all the speed and power he could muster, he struck with a fury at the Roserade-Meowstic, with the guarantee of striking him down. "THIS IS THE END FOR YOU!"

Hawkins glared, then demonstrated his vastly superior speed. He ran through the Vine Whips without a single one touching him. The Rogue jumped back in horror and covered his face, expecting an attack, but none came. He peeked through his arms and saw nothing before him.

"Huh?"

"Now, as an act of generosity, let me give you a piece of advice."

He spun around and went still. A Leaf Blade was pressed against his forehead, with the pompous warrior glaring at him, with an uncomfortable mixture of calm and cold. The Rogue's jaw hung open at his imposing stare.

"Fall."

The vines used to attack him suddenly fell apart into hundreds of sliced pieces. Just like that, the Rogue passed out on the spot, whether out of fear or pain was anyone's guess, and fell onto his back.

Hawkins scoffed and dispelled his Leaf Blades. "You were hardly the challenge, you vacuous varlet." He looked over his shoulder. "Are you all unharmed?"

Dakota and the kids stared at him with wide eyes, then the kids all went, "SO COOOOLLLL!" He jumped back as they crowded around and jumped at his feet, praising and thanking him.

"Thank you, Mr. Hawkins! You're our hero!" Caleb cheered.

"Do it again! Do it again!" Harper pleaded with a wag of her tail.

Hawkins flinched at the attention, shooting a brief glare at Dakota as she giggled. He sighed and crouched down. "You are all safe. That's all that matters to me…"

Dakota smiled at him. It was odd that this was the same guy she got into fights with. Still do, but…she saw a real growth in Hawkins' attitude. He really has changed with his time as a teacher. It warmed her heart to see him growing alongside his students.

"There you all are!" They all turned and saw Lewis running up to them, one hand clasped over his seamitar. "Are you all okay?"

Dakota nodded. "We're fine." She took Wantanabe from Matthew and held him in her arms. "Hawkins saved us just in time." She smiled at the kids. "Though…the kids really did step on their own."

Lewis looked around and saw the mild damage caused, including the massive crater. "The kids did this, huh?" He looked at Hawkins. "It seems you really helped them find their confidence."

Hawkins rubbed his shoulder. "Hmm…guess I did."

Lewis sighed and crossed his arms. "I'm taking you all back with me. You'll be safer with the council."

Dakota nodded. "Of course, sir." She nodded at the kids. "This way, little ones." They followed Lewis, with Dakota and Hawkins monitoring from the back. She casted a smile at him. "I'm proud of you, Hawkins."

He scoffed and turned away. "I simply did it with the interest of finding a much more suitable opponent. Saving you and the children was just a necessary duty." He froze as the teacher gave him a side hug.

Her fur felt cool and smoothing against his side. He could feel the chilling, yet comforting aura she gave off. When was the last time someone outside his family hugged him? Even Wantanabe rarely did it, but he was practically family to him.

Dakota pulled away and smiled. "I know what you mean, you grump."

Hawkins blinked at her, then looked away with a light glare, trying to hide the embarrassment in his face. _You are a strange woman, Dakota._

* * *

Artemis dodged Mikayla's endless Flamethrower while throwing Focus Blasts at her. The frosty Fusion dodged them without stopping her attack. Artemis fired one through her Flamethrower, forcing her to dodge immediately. The devious Fusion then lunged at her and fired a close range Hyper Voice, making the Rogue's ears ring.

Mikayla tumbled across the ground, but caught herself on her hands and feet. "Ice Beam!" She blasted the ground and instantly froze it, reaching the devious Fusion's feet.

Artemis gritted her teeth as she flailed her feet against the frictionless surface, then fell on her stomach. "Ugh…"

"Winter Storm!" Mikayla expelled her freezing mist, covering the surrounding area.

Artemis hooked her feelers into the ice and threw herself through the mist, getting behind the Rogue. "Duality Dance!" Sliding across the ice, she spun on her back as a pink and dark aura swirled around her, switching her red and pink colors with each other.

Mikayla immediately turned around, remembering that move all too well. "Not this time!"

"Iron Head!" Artemis rocketed at her, with her head sheening like metal.

"Ice Beam!" Mikayla quickly formed a wall of thick ice. Artemis smashed through it, but it slowed her momentum down drastically. "Now, Dazzling Gleam!" Her eyes erupted with pulsing lights, throwing Artemis back.

Meanwhile, Ren and the Ambipom-Bisharp continued trading hits. Ren growled, unable to land a clean hit with his Sacred Sword. The monkey was far too slippery. "Stand still!"

The Rogue dodged another of his hits and kicked him in the face with Acrobatics. "You think that line will work?" He grabbed him by the arms, flipped forward, and chucked him into the medical hut.

Artemis jumped back and fired another Hyper Voice to push Mikayla and the monkey back. She growled at Ren. "Ren, that guy literally has a three times weakness to Sacred Sword! What the hell?!"

Ren stood up. "Guess the Rogues have been training…"

Artemis growled. "Fine! I'll hold him down! You deal the final blow!"

The bladed monkey laughed and sprinted at them with Night Slash. "As if I'd give you the chance to-!"

Suddenly, a black orb flew past Ren and Artemis. It struck the monkey and trapped him in an orb of darkness. He flailed his arms around, trying to escape, then became sluggish. Soon, the orb vanished and he fell to the ground, fast asleep. Mikayla jumped back. "What?!"

Ren and Artemis blinked. "Dark Void?" They turned their heads, then gasped.

Quinn was slouched against the door frame, one hand over his side and the other aimed out. He panted with sweat dripping down his forehead. "There…took care of that…"

"Spooks!" Artemis cried out in joy, throwing her forelegs around him and showering his face in kisses.

Quinn flinched a bit, but smiled. "A-Artemis, cut it out…"

She nuzzled into his neck. "I'm just happy you're alright!"

"Barely…" He glared. "What happened while I was out?"

"Rogues invaded us all of a sudden," Ren explained. "The entire village is swarming with them. Everything's being destroyed."

Quinn gritted his teeth. "And I was sleeping during all of this…"

Artemis pulled away. "Spooks, about Juniper…she…"

He shook his head, silencing her. "I feel bad about what I did. I'll talk to her later. We've got a village to save."

"But you're hurt!"

"'Tis barely a scratch!" He held his hand out. "Dream Eater!" He extended his physical shadow and ate away at the Rogue's dreams, healing off some of the injuries. He sighed. "Still got to heal some of them off naturally…"

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "Well, well…the whole trio is here." She smirked. "To think the first time Gappei Village and the Rogues faced each other. It started with you three."

Ren pulled his Sacred Sword out. "And we'll end it as a village."

She scoffed. "Try your best."

* * *

While the Rogues took to fighting with flying confidence, some were way in over their heads. Many ran out of the forest, as they were trying to flush out other stragglers, when they suddenly were under attack by a hulking beast of a Fusion. To them, it was a monster. To Eddie, his name was Bartleby.

The Golurk-Torterra stomped out of the clearings while Eddie kicked around any Rogues that got near him. "When did this all happen?!" Eddie stopped one guy's fist with his foot and struck them across the face. "Hope the others are doing alright."

Bartleby looked around at the fleeing Fusions. Raising his hands, he fired off a cluster of Shadow Balls, sending over the trees in the explosion. He kept looking around, though, almost like he wasn't paying attention to the Rogues.

"Bartleby, keep your head in the game!" Eddie shouted.

Suddenly, the wooden golem spun around and fired a Shadow Ball into a group of trees. A Steelix-Mamoswine, covered in fur with tusks, sprung from his hiding place and rammed into the giant. "Finally! A worthy prey to fight!"

Bartleby held him by the tusks, but still kept looking around. "…Vvvv…Vvvv…"

Eddie's eyes widened, then looked up at the giant. "Wait…huh?"

"Vvvv…Vvvv…"

"Bartleby…are you trying to speak?"

Bartleby groaned impatiently and lifted the Rogue by his tusks, slamming his face straight into the ground. "Vvvv…Vvvv…"

"All you're saying is 'Vvvv!' What is it?!"

"Iron Tail!" The Steelix Fusion tried to bash him, but Bartleby grabbed his tail and swung him over his shoulder. "Oh my gosh-!" He was thrown through a group of trees, knocking then down or breaking them on impact.

"Vvvv…eeee…Vvvv…eeee…" The Steelix tried to ram him with Ice Fang, but Bartleby vanished into a dark portal with Phantom Force, then struck him down from behind. "Vvvv…eeee…"

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Vi…Vivi?" The golem nodded. "Um…yeah, we're still looking for Vivi! Don't worry! She has to be around here somewhere!"

For a golem that couldn't express facial expressions, something about the way he spoke was dripping with sadness. "Nnnn…oooo…"

Eddie's eyes widened. "What…do you mean 'no?'"

* * *

Rebecca and her group were thrown back by the destructive wave of Shadow Balls flying at them. Rebecca did her best to reflect them, but they were being worn down by the impossibly strong child. Augustus kept his dark gaze fixed on them, never changing.

Chris gritted his teeth. "This kid is tough…"

"I can't even get a Destiny Bond off on him," Shane muttered.

Rebecca raised her stick. "We can't give up yet. There's still more Rogues to take care of."

"Then leave him to me!"

Augustus turned his head, then was struck in the face by an Aerial Ace kick. The blow dug him through the ground and smashed him into the debris of huts. He immediately sat up and glared at the newcomer, or rather an old rival of the docks.

Wash cracked his knuckles and glared. "Remember me?"

Shane smiled in relief. "Thanks, Wash!"

"You guys take care of the others! Rebecca, mind lending me a hand?"

She nodded. "Sure!" She ran up to him. "Shane, Chris! You two stay safe!" They nodded and dashed off to help the others. She stood by Wash's side and raised her fists. "So far, he's the only normal one from what I can tell."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Don't go easy on him just because he's a kid. Aerial Ace!" He rushed the kid down, fists blazing in the light blue energy.

Augustus threw himself in the air and fired down a wave of Shadow Balls. Wash flipped and spun through them, then heightened his speed to get above the kid and strike down on his back. Augustus spun around and blasted him with Dazzling Gleam, which made Wash use his hood to shield his eyes.

Rebecca used Extreme Speed to get close for a Flame Charge, striking Augustus in the face. It threw him back, but he managed an Echoed Voice against her, banging through her sensitive ears. He caught himself and fired off an Ominous Wind. Fighting through the ringing in her ears, she sped out of the way with Extreme Speed.

"Water Pulse!" Augustus used his shadow arms and blocked the bombardment of Water Pulses from the side. Wash got close and struck him with Aerial Ace. Augustus glared and blasted him back with a Shadow Ball.

Wash caught himself and landed next to Rebecca. "Can't use most of my moves against him…"

Rebecca glared. "Most of mine can hit him, but he's still pretty tough."

"Think we can beat him?"

"I'm just hoping we all survive the night."

Wash nodded. "Then let's give it our best." He shared a glare with the rampaging child, one of sympathy. _'Don't worry, kid…I'll try and help you out of whatever darkness that has taken hold of you…'_

* * *

Spaz fired his Chrono Shock at Zoey as she performed impressive dodges, showing off her reflexes and agility. She raced towards him and punched him across the cheek. The blow stung a bit, but hardly stopped Spaz. Using Quick Attack, he rammed her into the dirt, while trying to pin her arms down. He readied a Thunderbolt, but she used her legs and bucked him in the stomach, sending him over her head.

She flipped to her feet and panted slightly. "How does Sunny find this much energy…?" she muttered to herself. She dodged and jumped away from an attempted Close Combat from Crawford. "Thunder Wave!" She fired her Thunder Wave key.

Crawford scuttled quickly out of the way. "HA! Ye aim like a senile drunk!"

Sunny fired Moonblast after Moonblast at Codex as she chased him, giggling childishly. "Teehee! This is fun!"

Codex examined her attacks, then flew around her. "Zap Cannon."

Sunny screamed as the attack came at her, but Zoey jumped in front of her and used her Secret Storage to pocket the Zap Cannon away. However, while she was in the air, Spaz sprung off some debris with Quick Attack and tackled into her.

Zoey growled. "Surf!"

"Psychic!"

They traded attack, with Zoey thrown straight into the ground while Spaz crashed back into the debris, soaking wet.

Zoey panted and picked herself up before taking out her Wish key, as it glowed in preparation. "You…won't win."

Spaz picked himself up and shook himself dry. "Funny…coming from someone…who uses cheap tricks…"

Zoey gripped her arm and glared. "You think I do half this stuff just to be a jerk? You think I wanted to live on the streets and get bullied? Alone without family?" She bared her teeth. "Taken advantage of for my naivety. Charmed by charisma and backstabbed. That's the shit I've dealt with, and I was sick of it." She raised her Wish key and opened a portal of a night sky. "That's how I've survived for so long and it's the only thing that's gotten me out of a rut. And I'll keep doing it until I pay for it…"

Spaz blinked, then lowered his guard a bit. His ears drooped. "I…"

Zoey's injuries healed away, then she pulled out her Secret Storage key. "Tricks and cheap shots…that's all I've got." She aimed her key. "Now, Zap Cannon!" She ejected the attack right at him.

Spaz raised his finger to use Chrono Shock, but Crawford got in the way. "Power-Up Punch!" He slammed his fist through the Zap Cannon and nailed Zoey in the gut. Zoey coughed up spit before being thrown back into a pile of rubble. "Haha! Take that, ye lowly Rogue!"

Sunny gasped. "No! Zoey!" She glared at Crawford. "Giga Drain!" She fired a massive beam at him, too fast for him to dodge.

Codex intercepted, thankfully. "Tri-Attack." He fired the triple beam into the Giga Drain, meeting it at a standstill.

Their attacks seemed dead even, pushing back and forth between each other. Sunny poured all she could into the beam, with sweat dripping down her forehead. However, Codex wasn't nearly as exhausted as her and kept a steady pressure until his Tri-Attack slowly overpowered her Giga Drain. Sunny's eyes widened as the beams engulfed her.

"EEEEE!" she shrieked before being caught in the explosion.

The others covered their eyes before watching the cotton fairy crash beside Zoey, both weakened and out of the fight.

* * *

Dez and Gordon headbutted each other using Heavy Slam and Flame Charge respectively. They growled at each other as they pushed each other back. Dez fired Flamethrower, which Gordon countered with his Discharge, lighting the whole field in its blinding glow.

Braith, meanwhile, was giving the other three trouble with her monkey agility. Even with all the huts taken down, she was still able to perform crazy acrobatics around them. "Can't catch me! Can't catch me!"

"Hidden Power!" Charlie shouted before firing.

Braith slapped her tail against it like ping pong balls. "My serve!" She whacked them back at him.

Emily countered them with Ice Shard, then set her focus back on the chameleon monkey. "This kid's getting on my nerves!"

Sheila jumped overhead. "Night Daze!" She punched her hands together and emitted a strong dark wave while Braith was in the air. It hit her, but hardly slowed her down as she immediately bounced off the ground. "She truly is a tricky opponent!"

Braith laughed wickedly and landed atop a vertical support beam. "No one can touch me! I am invincible-!"

Time felt like it slowed to a crawl around her, as an uncomfortable presence was felt right behind her. A chilling mist wrapped itself around her, sending shivers up her spine. Wide-eyed, she turned her head and met a certain panda's swirly eyes.

"Yo…" Juniper greeted, raising her Ice Punch. "What's up?"

Immediately, Braith sprung back with panic in her eyes. "Y-You! You're that freaky panda girl!"

Juniper jumped off the beam. "Ooh, you read my profile, too?"

Braith gritted her teeth, then, upon landing, dashed straight at her with Double Hit. "I'll prove to everyone that you're not as invincible as you-!" However, she ended up tripping over her own feet and faceplanting with the ground. "WHA-?!" She gasped to see her legs were frozen, likely from the Ice Punch.

Juniper picked her up by the hair, glared at her, then set her on her feet. "…Consecutive Flow." She threw a rapid flurry of strikes into the monkey's abdomen, with noticeable marks showing up on the Rogue's body.

Sheila, Emily, and Charlie watched it shock. "Wha…?"

A few seconds in, Juniper ceased and turned her back to Braith. The monkey stared wide eyed with a shocked face, then collapsed unconscious onto her back. Juniper sighed, then cracked her neck. "So…who's next?" She felt a breeze from behind.

"Electro Obliterator!" Gordon fired straight down on her with his Fusion Move.

The attack would've surely done serious damage, but Juniper's superior evasiveness allowed her to swing out of the way and get under the zebra's stomach. "Sucker Punch." She struck without mercy into his underbelly, making him cough up spit into his muzzle plate.

The railgun zebra teetered around weakly. "D-Dang…" He glared furiously at a bored, dry looking Juniper, another unusual appearance for her. "You'll…pay for that…you murderous…little…"

"Heavy Slam!" Gordon gasped out as Dez tackled him in the side, throwing him back. "Now!"

Sheila and Emily nodded at each other and lunged with Blackout Kick and Iron Head while Charlie fired Petal Dance between them. Gordon shook his head weakly, then gasped before taking the full brunt of the trio of attacks. The force dug him through the ground before crashing into a collapsed hut.

The Fusions fell back and panted to catch their breath. "They were tough…" Dez commented.

"Agreed…" Emily said. She looked at Juniper. "Hey…Juniper."

Sheila narrowed her eyes. "That's an…odd look on your face."

Juniper's eyes widened slightly. "Hmm?" She grinned lightly. "Eh, sorry. Guess I'm not my usual self tonight. Long story." She glared to the side. "There are still some active Rogues running around. Let's end this quickly."

Charlie blinked. "Uh…s-sure."

Dez smirked. "Guess we can't sit around and waste time."

* * *

Tamara and Eli fought all around the village, never-ending in their endless exchange of blows. By now, they were starting to wear each other down from the persistent battering, but neither let up in their assault. Their quick clashes sounded like swords connecting. Their fight was far too swift for the normal observer to catch sight of.

Tamara landed on the ground and blocked a kick from the dark poisoner, then twisted his foot to kick him in the back. He balanced out before springing back on his hands and striking her in the face. They then drew their Night Slashes and clashed. The force of their slashes cut surrounding debris in half.

They separated from each other and continued to lock glares, with the fire in their eyes ever so prominent. Eli smirked. "You certainly aren't all bark."

Tamara smirked back. "Not bad for a showman."

He bowed mockingly. "I aim to please."

Tamara glared. "You will pay for coming here, however."

Eli chuckled. "What is the trouble but a little chaos? I believe I am enjoying what I see."

"But wanting this as your final send off before you 'disappear' forever. Seems a little risky."

Eli chuckled. "It was hardly planned, considering we intended to…leave here…earlier…" He narrowed his eyes as they started glowing red. "Wait…what…?" he mumbled to himself. _'Wait…weren't we supposed to see…Cyrox? What…wait, what were we…before we…huh?'_

Tamara paid little mind to his dazed expression and dashed at him. "Whatever! As the hero of my village, you will fall!"

Eli raised his head, snapping from his daze, and blocked her punch. "Hope for you village to plan you a respectable memorial. Venoshock!" He fired the green poison from his claw.

Tamara moved her head to the side, avoiding it, then kicked him across the face. "Do not underestimate the strength of my village!"

Eli landed atop a barely standing hut and crossed his arms. "Look around you, my dear, and tell me what you see. You see a prosperous land of hope. All I see is falsehood." He smirked. "All that promise and hard work to feel belonged, when it can all be erased…" He snapped his fingers. "…just like that."

Tamara growled. "Water Shuriken!" She threw four Water Shuriken, briefly breaking the air upon takeoff.

Eli dodged them quickly and aimed a Toxic Bane down at her. "All that hard work means nothing if it can be erased! That's the nature of the show! All pointless when everything comes crashing down!"

"Agility!" Eli's eyes widened as Tamara, without warning, was suddenly over him without any visual indication. "No matter how much you talk, no matter how many times our pride is torn down…I won't let the spirit of this village DIE!" She raised her foot. "Submit to the power of Justice! Aerial Ace!"

Eli tried to throw his guard up, but it was too late. She struck her foot square in his face. Falling at a speed that would make a Pidgeot jealous, he slammed through the ground with a sheer ferocity that made the ground split open. He certainly has taken worse, but he had to admit she hits like a truck.

Everything felt sore for the Rogue as he tried to pick himself up. Before he could plan his revenge plan on her, his eyes were glowing at maximum brightness before…flickering out. He blinked, confused for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock.

"Wait…wha…when did I…?" He looked at his shaking hand, then gritted his teeth. "That…That Beheeyem…he…he…"

Before he could question anything further, he suddenly remembered he was in a fight. Or rather, _was_ in a fight. The second he looked up, Tamara came down on top of him with a crushing Aerial Ace kick. The force was enough to take out what was left of his weakened stamina. He gasped out in pain, then collapsed to the ground, out cold.

Tamara panted slightly with a light glare. "Never…doubt the word of a hero." She sighed and fell onto her back.

* * *

While all the other huts were merely destroyed and torn down in the crossfire, the battle raging between Norris and York escalated to epic proportions. Everything around them was a smoldering crater of what it used to be. Belongings, homes, even ground, was nothing more than ash and molten rock against their collisions.

York slammed his Dragon Tail against Norris' Explosion. They were both showing signs of prolonged fatigue, though Norris was pushing through far stronger than York. All that rage bursting from him was giving him the adrenaline boost to outlast the armored lizard.

Norris bared his teeth. "Come on, York…" He flexed his wrist, cracking the bones, and curled his fingers tensely. "I'm not done with you, yet…"

York panted, falling onto one knee. "Norris…" A tear poked from his eye. "Please, just…stop."

"Not until you have paid for your treachery-"

"Not that! I mean ALL OF THIS!" York glared at him furiously. "What's wrong with you?! I expected more or less what you've been doing in the last several months, but THIS?! Look around, Norris! Both our sides are dropping! You're putting your own minions in danger!"

"They're expendable."

York bared his teeth. "Expendable?! That's not something that comes out of your beak!" He clenched his fist. "Mikayla, Sullivan, Eli, Augustus, ALL OF THEM! You care for each and every one of the Rogues, including me! Sure, you had your issues, but you never went THIS far!" His hand dropped shakily, as his eyes began to water. "Norris…what's gotten into you?"

Norris gritted his teeth. "Shut up…"

"This isn't you…"

"Shut UP…!"

"Just stop this…you're not yourself-"

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Norris roared, stomping his foot down. "That's all you people DO! Acting like you know _ME_ better than _ME_! Trying to dictate how my life should be! Acting like all of you are superior to me! I'm sick of it! SICK of ALL OF YOU!" Psychic energy blazed from his hands. "I'M TIRED OF THIS WORLD PUSHING ME AROUND!"

York could feel the mad duck's rage permeating the air. He gritted his teeth and expanded his frills, with blue electricity crackling off them. "Norris…"

"I'll erase everything that has brought me anger!" He held his hands out and channeled a condensed orb of psychic power. "And I'll start…BY SMEARING YOUR MERE EXISTENCE INTO PASTE!"

York glared. "Dragonic Thunder!"

"PSIONIC BOMB!"

The two unleashed their attacks. York's dragon-like thunderbolt collided into the powerful orb of compressed psychic energy. The two stacked up against each other, meeting at a tense stalemate. The ground and air shook with the sheer intensity as their attacks strained under each other's force.

Norris just stood back and crossed his arms, sneering as York tried to put up resistance. "Struggle all you want, York! I will make this world quake under my presence!"

The shockwaves of their attacks were pushing back any Fusions and Rogues that were nearby. All fighting had stopped, as all gazed upon the blinding blue light taking place that breached all eyes.

Wash, Rebecca, and Augustus, who were fighting atop the mess hall, stopped and looked on with wide eyes. Augustus' red eyes flickered out. "N…Norris?"

York fell to his hands and knees, still struggling to push back the Psionic Bomb. He could feel the pressure of the explosive sizzling with warning. Any second now, it was going to exploded in his face, unless he overpowered it himself. His muscles and body were crying for rest, but he refused to fulfil their demands.

"Norris…I'M SORRY!" York let out a mighty roar and used all remaining energy he hand, pumping it into his Dragonic Thunder.

Norris' eyes widened as the Psionic Bomb was being pushed back at him. Enraged, he ran at the power clash and pressed his hands against his Fusion Move. "NO! I WON'T LET IT END LIKE THIS!" He was losing his footing as the thunderbolt consumed his bomb. "It can't…I won't…you…you…" He bared his teeth.

"I…I don't…I must…I WON'T BE FORGOTTEEEEEEEEEEN!" he screamed as the Dragonic Thunder completely engulfed him.

In a peerless flash of blinding light, the combined Fusion Moves released an explosion so great that the entire village could feel the immense shockwaves. The ground split open, trees were viciously uproots, and destroyed homes at their broken belongings and material scattered into the air, raining down on the dumbstruck villagers and Rogues.

A blue blur flew through and smashed straight into the Fusion Council hut, breaking down the front entrance with it. All nearby onlookers gazed in horror at the fallen state of the Rogue leader himself. A defeated, unconscious Norris.

York panted heavily, then collapsed to his knees. "Norris…" His eyes glazed over. "It…wasn't supposed…to end like…this…" He fell to the ground, no longer finding the strength to rise.

Augustus withdrew his mask and cried out in shock. "NORRIS! NO!" Tears drizzled down his eyes. "You…You're not supposed to lose! NORRIS!"

"Kid…" He froze up as Wash and Rebecca came near him. "Augustus…just calm down…"

Augustus looked at them with fear-stricken eyes, then extended his shadow arms around wrapped himself in a thick Haze. They tried to grab him, but he was gone before they could.

"Augustus?!" Rebecca shouted. "Where are you?!"

"Augustus!" Wash called out.

Sullivan, standing at the highest vantage point he could find, stared at the commotion in disbelief. "Norris…lost?" He looked around and saw he wasn't the only one.

Mikayla was pinned by Artemis. Eli was downed. Zoey and Sunny were out of commission. Braith and Gordon were completely slaughtered in their fights.

"No…" He glared and looked straight to York. "You fiendish traitor…" He took aim with his Fusion Move, charging it up. "You will-!"

A blur came before him and struck him merciless with a hard object. He tried to combat it, but it overpowered him immensely, finishing him with a sharp strike the knocked him through the ground and out cold. The Rogues gasped as Peregrine landed atop the vantage point and scowled at the Rogues.

"You all are _so_ dead…"

In a panic, the remaining that stood made a break for the gates, but were found surrounded by the remaining villagers from all sides. Taking charge of them was Tamara, having recovered from her fight. She cracked her knuckles. "Going somewhere?"

The Rogues faced the numerous scowls surrounding them with mixtures of panic and fear. No longer finding the will to fight, as well as the terrifying presence of the Fusion Councilman himself, the Rogues dropped to their knees and bowed their heads in surrender.

The Rogues…were done.

* * *

Soon after the fight, the police were called in to have the Rogues taken away. They were slowly gathered and brought to the numerous vans, with disabling collars around their necks and handcuffed. They had to bring in a flatbed truck for the Steelix-Mamoswine.

All the active villagers watched as the Rogues were placed into the vans, their numbers slowly dwindling with each passing. Zoey walked by with her head low, even with tears dripping down her cheeks. She shot a sneer at Spaz, who was nearby, before being loaded into the van.

Spaz's ears drooped. Crawford noticed and punched him in the arm. "Oh, don't be like that! This is a celebration!" He laughed aloud. "I'd say that little thief and the lot of them got what they deserved!"

"Yeah, but…" He was pulled from his thoughts as the police brought a wailing Sunny, who was locked in a small cage. She shook the bars with tears drizzling down her face.

"NNNNOOOO! I'm too _young_ for jail!" she cried. They set her gently beside Zoey, then closed the doors.

Quinn hobbled over on a crutch, with Artemis walking by his side with her feeler around his hand. He looked on in slight disbelief. "I…I honestly can't believe what I'm seeing."

"That we finally caught the Rogues?" Artemis nodded in agreement. "Yeah, can't say I'm feeling any different…"

An Aggron officer walked up to the group. "On behalf of Grandis City, we would like to thank you all. The people will be able to sleep easier knowing the Rogues are no longer a threat."

Wash smiled a little. "We're happy to have helped, but…" He looked at Juniper, who was equally sad as him. He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "…at what cost?"

The villagers' moods dropped in unison as they turned to their homes. Everything was in ruins. All their belongings, their shelter, their food, and all the hard work they placed into building up this beautiful home of theirs…it was all gone. They fought hard for their sake, but now they lost everything that made up what they wanted protected.

The Aggron narrowed his eyes. "Our…condolences for your home. I'm afraid the police force doesn't have much to offer for your loss…"

Lewis shook his head and faced the officer. "Getting the Rogues taken away is the only thing of importance right now." He looked to his villagers' dejected faces, feeling his own forming. "We'll…manage something."

Just then, an officer wearing full body armor and a tinted face mask walked up to them with a clipboard in hand. Flipping through the pages, he said, "We've gotten all statements from the villagers. All accounts of each Rogue taken. For the most part, we've got them all…save one."

Rebecca gritted her teeth. "You couldn't find Augustus?"

"Afraid not. We had our canine officers do a full sweep of the area. If he was here, they would've caught his scent. He's long gone by now."

Wash clenched his fist. "Dammit…" Juniper patted his hands gently. He rested his chin atop her head. "I can't imagine what that kid is going through right now…"

"We'll find him, Wash, don't worry," Juniper reassured.

The somber silence was broken up by a ferocious, muffled growling. The villagers looked in shock as the officers were pulling a heavily restraint Norris by leashes. And they couldn't blame them. The mad duck was beyond _mad_ now.

His arms were strapped tightly to his sides while he had an iron muzzle clamped over his beak. His eyes were bloodshot with rage, actually fighting against the pull of _ten_ officers. They couldn't get any footing with him!

"Um, we need help here!" an Urasring officer cried out.

Norris glared at the villagers, making them flinch. He shook his head and shouted through his muzzle, "HT BAWSTRD! THT FKIN BAWSTRD!"

"What the hell is he saying?" Emily mumbled.

A Vileplume ran up and shot Norris with Sleep Powder…a lot of it. Norris was resisting the effects as he screamed furiously, trying to get something across to them. "HT BAWSTRD! HT BHYEM! HT FKIN BHY…em…" The overexposure to Sleep Powder finally caught up to him, knocking him out and dropping him to his knees.

The officers sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…" They picked Norris up and placed him in the final van before shutting the doors.

Dez sighed. "Glad he's gone…"

Sheila narrowed her eyes sympathetically. "I understand they've been trouble, but…am I the only one who feels sorry for them?"

Tamara closed her eyes. "I can't say they deserved their fates, or the pasts they were given."

Aggron waved their concerns off. "Don't you worry about them."

The armored officer added, "We'll be sure to take good care of them. They'll get the help they deserve. Maybe one day, they can rejoin society with a fresh start."

"Let us hope for the best, then," Abraham said, giving them a respectful bow. "Thank you, again."

The officers nodded, then turned to leave. Before they got into their vans, some ran out of the crowd, panting. It was Eddie. "Wait! Hold on for a second!" The officers stopped and looked at the Fusion, while he bent over and caught his breath. "Wait…before…you go…have…any of you seen a Ledian that's part Decidueye?"

"Hmm? A Ledian-Decidueye?" the masked officer repeated. He looked up for a moment, then shook his head. "No, we didn't. We searched the woods for all Rogues, but never came across that particular Fusion."

Eddie narrowed his eyes. _'Bartleby was right…she's not in the woods…then, where is she?'_

"If anything comes up, though, we'll be sure to inform you," the officer reassured.

The Aggron nodded. "Until then, you all have a…um…well, try to have a good night." They tipped their hats, then got into their vans.

One by one, the vans took off out of the ruined village and left the forest. Once the last van was gone, all was silent. An uncomfortable silence that hung over everyone's heads, staring at their feet and daring not to look up in fear of gazing upon their ruined home.

They heard someone walking up through the crowd. They took a small glance and saw it was York, who hobbled forward on crutches. He stared at the narrow path through the forest, unable to see the vans anymore. His face was blank and devoid of emotion. He was still, in his own silence.

Ren reached out and touched his shoulder. "York?"

"…Would this have happened?" he muttered aloud. "…Would this have all happened, even if I was still with them?" he asked with greater clarity. They could hear the cracking in his voice.

Dakota narrowed her eyes. "York…"

York looked down, sniffling. "I never…w-wanted this to happen…if I s-stayed with them, I…I could've stopped this from…from…" He broke down on his hands and knees. Tears dripped from his eyes, clutching into the dirt. "I'm…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"

The villagers stared at him with empathy. They didn't know who he was directing his apology to. The village…or his old friends. Maybe both. His sadness was infectious, as some of the others started to tear up as well. Artemis leaned her head against Quinn, who held his arm around her. Tamara looked away with narrowed eyes and…a sense of defeat. Spaz clenched his teeth, with his wings buzzing irritably.

The council saw the collective somberness of their villagers, and it was rubbing off on them. Cade looked at the village with sad eyes. "Guys…" he mumbled.

Peregrine nodded. "We know…" he said through gritted teeth.

Lewis clenched his fists, growling under his breath. He was hurt the most. Unlike the others, he could feel the sadness and heartbreak coming from each and everyone of his villagers. It overwhelmed the senses, being able to feel the shared sadness of each individual aura.

"And it was going so well for us, too…"

* * *

Eli was slumped against the interior of the van, jolting up when the van ran over a bump. He grimaced, then opened his eyes. Everything felt sore. He could barely remember what happened before he blacked out. He had to give the ninja cat props for being so darn tough.

He gazed around and saw he wasn't the only one here. Zoey, Sunny, and a few other Rogues were locked up with their heads low. Zoey was doing her best to calm down Sunny as she cried into her hands, sitting inside her cage.

Eli propped himself up and groaned. "…You've got to be shitting me…"

Zoey narrowed her eyes sadly. "I can't believe this is happening…" Sunny rubbed her head against Zoey's hand, finding some comfort in her touch. "What got into us? Why did we start a war with those jerks?"

Eli closed his eyes, then bared his teeth. "…That Beheeyem." The Rogues looked at him. "He messed with our heads. He made us think we wanted to get back at Gappei Village for everything they've done. Must've amplified our regrets or something…"

Zoey glared, then looked down. "…No wonder I was extra pissed tonight…"

Sunny sniffled. "I-I-I don't w-want to go to jail…"

"We'll be fine," Eli reassured her. "I knew a guy who was in jail once." He glared. "Just need to find the toughest guy in the joint and beat their ass…"

"That is not helping…" Zoey grumbled.

The divider between them and the driver's seat open, with the masked officer poking his head through. "Hope you're all comfy. It's going to be a long ride between here and the facility."

Eli rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, it'll feel like an eternity for a five-minute drive…"

"Oh…you all think you're going to jail, aren't you?" The Rogues raised their brows at him. "Hehehe…actually, that's not where we're heading."

He took off his helmet and threw it down at their feet. Eli, Zoey, Sunny, and the other Rogues gasped. In that moment, they realized they weren't be held captive by the police, and something told them it was far worse.

It was Albert Gates.

He crossed his arms and leaned against the window. "Tell me…ever heard about a rumor where certain, uncooperative Fusions are mysteriously taken away from the Fusion Hunters? The ones that don't reform?" He glared. "Well, congratulations…that's where you're heading."


	55. We Still Have Each Other

The hour had settled in after the aftermath of the vicious battle that took place. The moon was still high above them and the night was still young. Despite this, no one was able to go back to bed. Too many thoughts were rushing, too many aches and pains, and…simply too much destruction to bear the sight of it all.

All their hard work making this village great was…torn apart in less than a half hour.

Everyone took to salvaging what they could, though in rather sluggish manners. It was hard to work when they were so exhausted and distraught. Things like precious valuables, family heirlooms, photo albums, personal keepsakes…stuff like that was ruined. It was hard to accept for most.

One of the many Fusions digging through their homes was Spaz, as he pulled apart parts of the toppled hut to find something that he hoped survive the battle. He smiled when he found sheets of paper under some wood. However, when he pulled it out, it turned out to be blank, wrinkly paper.

He sighed and bunched it up, tossing it over his shoulder. "…This has to be a nightmare or something. It just has to. Darkrai…decided to curse us with bad dreams…"

Codex floated over. "I can assure you, this is all reality."

Spaz facepalmed and slid his hand down his face. "Thanks, Codex. Always can count on you…"

"My pleasure." Codex floated off to simply observe the state of the village.

Spaz grumbled under his breath. He normally doesn't act irritated with anyone, but he hasn't been able to sleep and is still fretting over something still buried under his home. "Keep it together, Spaz…don't act like a jerk or anything…find your happy place-"

"NNNNNOOOOOO!" Spaz jumped as Crawford stared at a spot in horror. "This is the worst thing imaginable!"

"Oh my gosh, what?!" Spaz shouted.

"Me secret stash!" He held up shattered bottles to the time mouse. "It's all gone!"

Spaz blinked, then swatted the bottle out of his pincer. "You had alcohol hidden in our kitchen?!"

"I can't drink this stuff without ol' Peregrine breathing down me neck! Of course I need to bootleg this stuff in!"

Spaz held his face and just exhaled all the bottled-up frustrations inside of him. "Crawford, I…I just can't with you right now…"

* * *

Artemis used her feelers to dig out their smashed belongings. One of the things she snagged was their videogame console. She stared at it with a deadpan look. "Well, all those high scores I worked for are completely worthless now…" She chucked the console over her head. "Quinn, you doing okay?"

The Charmeleon Fusion hobbled over the debris, with clutching his crutch. "I'm fine…" He picked up a shattered plate. "…Well, at least we don't have to do dishes, right?" he joked tiredly. He sighed and set the plate down.

"…Aww…"

"What's wrong?" He hobbled over and looked at the item delicately held in her feelers. He frowned at it. "Oh…"

It was a picture of the two, holding each other, cheek to cheek, with big smiles. It was a picture of them taken the night they became a couple. They could see the fresh feeling of love in their eyes with how they held each other. A moment they both remembered fondly.

The frame, however, was broken and the photo itself was bent and wrinkled. There was a big rip around Quinn's face, which Artemis caressed. "Your cute face is ruined…I really loved this picture…"

Quinn wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him. "Yeah…me too." She nuzzled herself against his head.

"Is it bad that this is the one thing I hoped didn't get ruined?"

"No…because I was hoping the same." He looked over at a bookshelf that had some books he read, now torn up. "…It's just stuff, right?"

"Hardly the point…"

Ren was sitting around, holding up his tattered and burnt book of Ivan Faust. "…I didn't think Fusions would be the cause of all this." He hugged the book against his chest. "It'll take forever to fix all this…and some of this stuff isn't replaceable…"

Quinn narrowed his eyes softly. "Would Julian even pay for the damages? All of this was a slow process to get."

"Where are we going to sleep?" Ren asked with wide eyes. He pulled on his scarf. "We don't have beds! We don't have roofs!"

"Way ahead of you!" The trio turned and saw Dez, Emily, and Charlie walking over, carrying a bunch of blankets and pillows with them. Dez dropped his down and explained, "They won't be as comfy as our beds, but we can make some with all the blankets. Sure, they're a little tattered, but we can make due with what we've got."

Emily held her hips. "Figured a little campout wouldn't be the end of the world, right?"

Artemis raised her brow. "Trying to put a positive spin on this?"

"Emphasis on _trying._ "

Artemis shrugged. "Well, I guess camping isn't a bad idea…we have plenty of material to make tents." She groaned and rubbed her eyes. "I'll miss my futon couch, though…"

Dez sighed. "Best we can do on such short notice. And we still have a lot of injured being taken cared of." He nodded his head towards the groups of Fusions laying on the ground, being treated by the more medically experienced of their numbers. "Medicine and supplies were destroyed, too. And we don't have a whole lot of cash on us."

"Could always steal it," Artemis suggested.

"Artemis…" Quinn grumbled.

"Kidding, Spooks…" She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Sort of…" She closed her eyes. "…Ugh, I just realized we'll be tight on food, too."

Charlie whined, remembering that the mess hall isn't in any better shape. "Not the food!" He fell on his belly. "I'm going to starve by morning!"

Emily pulled him up. "You'll be fine. We're not going to let this put us down forever. Sure, we had our homes razed, but now's not the time to be complaining. Let's just get through the rest of the night and hope some good comes out of it. The council said they'll be working on some short-term solutions."

Ren wiped his eyes and jumped off the rubble. "If you're certain…" He breathed out, then pumped his fists. "Alright! Let's get started on those tents!" He pulled out debris and rushed off to get to work.

Quinn smiled tiredly. "At least his spirits refuse to die…"

* * *

"There you are!"

Following the aftermath, Tamara did a double check just to make sure everyone was accounted for. One Fusion, however, was mysteriously absent during the whole event. Well, maybe not mysteriously, because she full expected something like this to happen. She just couldn't believe he actually _did_ do that something.

And by something, she meant _nothing._

Hiding out near the woods was Ulysses, who Tamara had to drag back into the village while he whimpered shamefully. Tamara wasn't having it at the moment. "And just where the hell were you?!"

"C-C-Cowering in fear…"

Tamara gritted her teeth angrily and held her hips. "We were fighting for our homes and you just up and abandoned us to HIDE?!"

Shane and Chris happened to walk by when they heard the ninja cat's aggressive tone. Chris flinched. "Whoa, Tamara, calm down."

"Why should I?! Our homes have been wrecked and now-!"

Ulysses cowered back and hid his face behind his wings, tearing up. "Tammy…I-I-I-I'm s-s-sorry…"

Tamara's scowl quickly washed away at the pitiful state he was in. She blinked, then held her face and growled at herself. "Ulysses…"

The lack of sleep and stress had her on edge. She dug her claws into her skin. This wasn't how she should be acting. What kind of hero was she if she took her anger out on her friends? Much less someone she closely considered her brother? She hated herself for such a sin.

"…I shouldn't be yelling at you. I shouldn't be angry with you. Everyone was scared…" She frowned apologetically and hugged him. "I'm really sorry…"

Ulysses wiped his eyes, then wrapped his wings around her. "I'm s-sorry, Tammy…"

"Don't be…I have no reason to be angry with you…" She pulled away and sighed. "Maybe I'm asking for too much, for you to step up from your comfort zone."

Ulysses whimpered and covered his face. "…I'm ashamed of myself…I _did_ fly off and hide. I let everyone else fight while I c-cowered like a scared child…" He wiped his tears as more surfaced. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Tamara pushed her hand through the gelatinous layer and held his cheek, gently petting him. It managed to calm him down as he got a good look at the ninja cat. It was normal to see her with this brave and proud look in her eyes, but not so normal to see such tenderness in them. For all her bombastic and showy behavior, it was comforting when she showed more of her softer side.

"Ulysses…don't cry…please."

Ulysses sniffled and wiped his eyes. "…I'm sorry…"

"I know…" She helped him up and pulled her hand from his bird layer. "Come on, you can help the others dig through the debris."

"O…kay…" He tapped the tips of his wings together. Just as the ninja cat prepared to dash off, he blurted, "Wait!" She stopped and faced him. "…Are the kids…okay?"

Tamara blinked, then smiled at him. "…Yeah…they're safe."

Shane smiled. "They're with Dakota and Hawkins." He frowned. "They're…taking what happened pretty hard, as you can imagine."

Ulysses looked down sadly. "Those poor kids…"

Chris sighed. "Can't imagine what they're going through. They've never had to deal with something this big. For us, it hurts. For them, it feels like their whole world fell apart. That security they're used to was torn down before their eyes…"

Ulysses bit his lip worriedly. "No…" He looked at Tamara and pressed his hands together, beggingly. "Can I please go and check on them? I want to make sure they're okay."

Tamara patted his wing, showing a warm smile. "You don't need my permission. Go help them." Ulysses nodded and flew off. Tamara narrowed her eyes and sighed.

Chris held her shoulder. "Hey…maybe you should be getting some rest yourself. We can take over, if you want."

Tamara chuckled dryly and shrugged his hand off. "A hero watches over the innocent. I…I don't want them to feel unsafe." She clenched her teeth. "I can't let another slip-up like that happen again…"

Shane frowned. "Tam, no one could've been prepared for this. Maybe I would've known, but…who knows what worse they could've done."

Tamara gripped her arm, staring off into space with a dark gaze. "I still feel like I could've done more…" Chris and Shane looked at each other and silently agreed to give the cat her space. They walked off to search for stray medical supplies for the wounded.

* * *

A lot of Fusions were upset with the destruction of their homes. Hard to say who was feeling worse. However, most will agree that of all the villagers, the Heliolisk-Haxorus was taking it the worst.

York Krie wasn't in the best spirits. One might say he was depressed, having basically done the unthinkable. Despite parting from the Rogues for years now, never did he imagine this ghost from his past would come back to haunt him. He wanted to help the Rogues find the better path, to stray away from crime, to maybe be a family without the hate.

The anger from Norris told him everything. He was unwanted by the Rogues.

He sat by his lonesome in the rubble of his home, hugging his legs up to his chest and burying his face into his knees. Any who could hear him heard the soft sniffling between short breaths. Everyone agreed he was taking the aftermath hard.

Those who kept watch of the depressed lizard were Sheila, Juniper, and Wash, who had his arms around the sleepy panda from behind, holding her close. They had nothing but their sympathy for York, understanding this was a hard revelation for him to endure.

Juniper gently held Wash's arm. "Do…you think he's okay?"

Wash closed his eyes. "He…basically sent his old friends to jail, so…" He sighed. "The emotions that must have been running through him when he fought Norris…"

Sheila hugged herself and gazed upon the ground. "We knew, eventually, the Rogues would either have to give up their criminal behavior or be sent to jail for it. I'm sure York knew this…but I doubt he wanted them gone under these circumstances."

"Think we should talk to him?" Juniper asked.

Wash shook his head. "I don't think he wants to see anyone right now…" He sighed. "I…don't know if he could've stopped this if he was still with them…the Rogues made their choice and went down with it."

Sheila sighed. "Best to give him his space. We don't want him feeling worse than he is."

"Agreed." Wash took hold of Juniper's shoulders and turned her away.

"What are you doing?" the panda asked.

"Giving York his space." He narrowed his eyes. "That gives us time to get something done."

"Such as…?"

"You still owe a certain someone an apology."

Her eyes widened, then she looked at her feet, biting her lip nervously. "Um…" She tugged on her sleeve, gripping it with a strong hand. "…I can't…"

"You can't avoid him forever…"

"I'm not sure I can…I just can't face Quinn right now…"

Wash sighed and turned her around, looking her in the eye. "Jun, I know it's been a rough night so far, but…you don't want things between you and Quinn getting worse. You owe him an apology for earlier."

Juniper looked away from him. "Wash, I'm sorry, but I just can't-"

"Um…hey guys." Their eyes widened at the sound of the newcomer. The trio turned their heads and, to their surprise, stood a familiar looking Charmeleon dressed in her usual hoodie. She looked at them awkwardly. "How…are you?"

Sheila narrowed her eyes. "Casey? What…?"

"What…are you doing here so late?" Juniper asked.

She stepped up to them, hands clasped before her. "I was just getting ready to fall asleep when some commotion came up in the apartment complex I stay at. It sounded like everyone was going nuts. Heard something about the news, so I turned the TV on and…" She bit her lip. "I saw smoke coming from your village…"

Sheila blinked. "That…was all on the news?"

"Everything was covered. I was clutching my pillow in terror until the Rogues were finally escorted out. I tried to call York several times, but…I guess his phone was broken." She closed her eyes. "…I had to come. I was worried about you all…" Her cheeks glowed. "…and York."

Sheila looked at her with understanding. "I see…"

"I'm sorry about what happened to your village."

Wash sighed and glanced quickly at the damage. "It's alright. No one was killed, that's all that matters…can't say no one was unharmed, though…we had a lot of casualties to deal with."

"At least they're alive." The music artist looked around them and spotted York sulking by his lonesome. Somehow, she wasn't all that surprised to see him like this. "…Is he okay?"

Wash shook his head. "Not particularly…"

Juniper continued, "He and Norris fought pretty hard across the village. They didn't leave off the best of terms…"

"He's taking it pretty hard," Sheila added. "We're just giving him his space since…" She sighed. "None of us don't know what to say."

Casey gripped her hoodie tightly. "York…"

"Casey, you should go home," Wash suggested. "We've got things handled over here."

Casey, however, stepped past the three and gazed upon York with greater sympathy. "…Let me talk to him."

Juniper blinked, then shook her head. "Come on, Case, he just needs time to think things over…"

Casey remained adamant. "I feel I'm partially responsible in him quitting the Rogues. I'm sure he wants to be alone, but…right now, I also think he needs a friend to comfort him."

The three looked to each other, exchanging their thoughts in mere looks. It took only a moment for Sheila to say, "Well…I suppose if there's anyone who needs a shoulder to lean on, it's you. He does care about you a lot."

Casey blushed lightly. "So do I…" With ginger steps, she advanced towards the armored lizard.

York was in his own bubble of solitude, ignoring all outwardly forces and interactions. However, the second the Charmeleon entered his space, his head twitched in acknowledgement. Casey could see him looking to her from the very corner of his eye. It was small, but she could see the sadness in those eyes. She felt sad just looking at them, but she didn't want him to feel worse.

"…Hey York…"

"…Hey Casey…"

"Is, um…that spot taken?" she asked, pointing to his left. A nearly unnoticed shrug came from his shoulders. She accepted it as a 'Sure' and took the spot next to him. "…Want to talk?"

"…Not really…"

Casey frowned, not liking the progress they were making. Determined, she shuffled closer until her side was pressed up to his. The contact made them both blush, looking away from each other.

The music artist sighed and rested her arms in her lap. "…I heard what happened between you and Norris…how are you holding up?"

"…Terribly."

She closed her eyes and breathed out. "…York…I'm sorry for what happened between you and the Rogues…" She looked around at the razed huts. "…and for your village."

York shook his head. "You have nothing to apologize for…this was all just…" He gripped his legs tightly. "…one horrible day."

"York…"

He pressed his face into his knees. "I just…I just can't wrap my head around _why_. Norris…Eli…Mikayla…all of them. They weren't…it's subtle, but they weren't acting like themselves. They…They acted normal…surface value, but…I _know_ them. Norris is hot-tempered, but not an idiot. And Eli…Eli wouldn't have allowed this…"

He gritted his teeth. "Have I really been away from the Rogues for _that_ long? All my old friends…changed…they…th-they…" Casey's eyes narrowed at the tears dripping from his eyes. "…I…I know…they had to answer f-for their crimes at…some point…e-everything they've d-done recently…the weapon dealing…but…" He held his face and wept. "I didn't want to end it like this!"

Casey held his shoulder. "Let it out, York…"

"I was a thief! One of the best! I thought we could make a difference, but…I saw how far they were willing to go to…to make a point…" He clutched his head, pressing his fingers against his skull. " _You_ were the final straw…I didn't like how the Rogues were doing things. Becoming more…violent with their words…their actions…" He hung his head and sniffled. "I just…I just wanted to belong somewhere…"

He felt arms wrap around him. He was pulled closer to Casey, with his head against her shoulder. "You could use a shoulder to cry on…"

York sniffled and wiped his tears. "Casey, I'm fine…"

She squeezed him firmly, yet caringly. "You're my friend…I _do_ care about you, you know?"

He clenched his fist tightly until all the tension just…flowed out in one breath. He wrapped his arms around Casey and leaned his head against hers. "…Do you think…I could've prevented all of this…if I just stayed with them?"

She shook her head. "Was there anything you could've done?"

"…I don't know…"

She rubbed his back. "Treasure those good times you've had with them. Those are the memories that should count." She smiled sweetly. "You saw some goodness in their hearts. You said yourself that Norris only ever opened up with you. From what I know about him…that's quite an accomplishment from you."

"Heh…I guess…"

"Don't let this bad impression stop you from helping them…you wanted to end things off peacefully. Don't you want to see them shine brighter?"

"I just…I don't know what to do…"

She nuzzled against his cheek, avoiding his axe tusks. "Listen…I'm sure the police will do all they can to help them reform. I'm sure they won't deny you visiting hours." She smiled. "If they reform…you can try and patch things up with them. Maybe then…you'll have the best of both worlds. Isn't that what you want?"

"…I just want my old friends back…"

"Give it time…they'll be back." She pulled back and gazed into his eyes. "And, if you need it, I'll stay by your side all night and give you my support."

York wiped his eyes and looked at her with concern. "What about your manager? Won't he be mad once he realizes you're gone?"

She waved it off. "Let him. You're more important right now." She pressed her forehead against his. "You're important to me."

York did his best to smile back at her, with a blush to his cheeks. "Thank you…Casey."

She grinned with her own blush. "Always worth it to see you smile."

They leaned against each other and gazed up at the night sky, with their hands delicately wrapped together. Watching the scene intently was Juniper, who was tearing up from Casey's kind words to York. She sniffled and wiped her eyes into her sleeve.

"Always worth it to see you smile…" she mumbled under her breath. _'Pappy would say something like that to me when I was feeling glum…sometimes…you just need a friend to…give you a smile.'_

Wash noticed the panda's trembling. "Jun?"

She sniffled, then glanced up at him. "…Wash?"

"Yeah?"

"…I think I'm ready…to apologize to Quinn."

Wash smiled, then kissed her forehead. "Alright…let's go see him."

* * *

Sitting off to the side, taking a small break, were Eddie and Bartleby. They watched the villagers dig through their homes to collect what remained of their belongings. In truth, Eddie didn't have much to lose. All he brought was a hyperactive archer and a once silent golem with him. He didn't have much to be upset about, though he sympathized with their losses.

"Really do feel bad for them. Families and friends live here, after all." He leaned back, arms behind his head, and gazed at the night sky on his back. "Guess things aren't going my way. Ever since I met the kid, my life became hell." He sighed. "And yet, I look after her. Why? I don't know." He glanced at Bartleby for a moment, then sighed. "Basically having a one-man conversation…"

"Vvvvv…eeeee…vvvvv…eeeee…" Bartleby groaned. He's been mostly repeating those same sounds for the last hour and it was ticking the flame kicker off.

"Yes, yes, I get it, you're worried about Vivi." He sat up and rubbed his neck. "You think I'm not?" He crossed his arms. "The officers scoured the entire forest and she's nowhere in sight. She wasn't even here before the attack." He groaned. "This just isn't right…"

"Vvvveeeee…"

"Ugh, look, I don't know where she could've gone! Frankly, for all I know, she got herself lost again! In fact, that's exactly what she did! She got lost!" He held his head and growled. "Why can't that kid just _think_ for a moment? Maybe then, she wouldn't be such a scatterbrained brat. She probably did something stupid and wound up getting herself lost." He groaned. "I swear, one of these days…"

"Nnnnnooooo…" Bartleby groaned.

"No?" Eddie questioned. "Buddy, I'm going to need more than one syllable." Bartleby grumbled in frustration. "Oi, don't get snappy with me! I just want to find the kid…then maybe teach her to read a map for once in her life! She's lost!"

"Nnnooottttt…lllooossstttt…"

Eddie raised his brow. "Not…lost?" Bartleby nodded. "What do you mean?"

"Nnnnooottttt…llllooossstttt…"

"What do you mean 'Not lost?' Of course she's lost! She's missing!"

Bartleby shook his head. "Nnnooottt…lllooosssttt…Vvveeevvveee…"

"Not lost Vivi…" Eddie narrowed his eyes. "Vivi's not lost?" Bartleby nodded. "What does _that_ mean? She's missing!" Bartleby nodded again. "So…you're saying she's not lost, but she's indeed missing." Another nod. "…Is your head still in the deep cooler?"

"Vvv…Vvv…Vivi…nnoott…lllosst…"

"Bartleby, what are you saying? Lost and missing are the same freakin'-!" Eddie's eyes widened suddenly. "…Vivi's…not…lost…" He narrowed his eyes. "That darn kid…barely knows her way around a hallway if it has too many directions. But…you're saying she isn't lost."

Bartleby nodded. "Nnoott…lost…"

"But…it almost sounds like a paradox. Someone who's always lost doesn't end up lost, but is labeled missing. There's no way that would make sense unless she was…" Eddie's eyes began to narrow suspiciously. "Bartleby…is there something you know that I don't?"

"Vivi…mmmm…shhhhh…iiiinnnn…"

"Vivi…mission?" Bartleby nodded. Eddie rubbed his chin. "Vivi didn't wind up getting herself lost, but…you're saying she's missing." Another nod. "If you remove her directional impairment, she's…not lost. She…would know exactly where she is. She knew where to go. That kid knows where to go if it means finding the truth, even if she winds up in the wrong place. To be in the right place means…she's not lost…if she hasn't returned yet, that means she's…"

A chill ran up his spine, with his eyes shrinking.

"…missing. Vivi's…oh no…something happened to her!" He jumped to his feet and started running. "Bartleby, we need to find out where she went and FAST!" Bartleby walked after him, taking big steps to keep up, as they hurried to their conspiracy hut.

* * *

Like a nervous kid stepping out of their comfort zone, Juniper clutched to Wash's arm as they stood a distance away from their intended target. Quinn was busy doing something with Artemis, Ren, and Dez's group. She guessed they were making small shelters to sleep under.

Wash gently pried her hands off and pushed her forward. "Well…go on," he encouraged.

"R-Right…" She breathed out, then took a step forward. Then another. Then a third step. By the fourth, she suddenly spun around and briskly walked in the opposite direction. "Actually, I should really check and see my soda stash wasn't destroy-AH!"

Expecting this kind of escape, Wash wrapped his arms around her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides, and lifted her. "Nice try, but you're not chickening out."

"HELP!" Juniper shrieked, flailing her feet in 'distress.' "MY BOYFRIEND IS HOLDING ME HOSTAGE! SEND HELP! AAAHHH!"

Wash rolled his eyes and carried her over to Quinn. "Don't be so dramatic…"

Over with the others, Quinn leaned against his crutch and evaluated their small shelter with a critical eye. What they had set up was a few wooden boards crudely nailed together with a blanket draped over it. It wasn't the prettiest looking tent, in his opinion. "So…"

"What do you think?" Artemis asked with a proud grin.

"Looks a little cramped."

Artemis pouted. "Well, _excuse me_ for trying so hard!"

"You just pulled some boards out of the wreck and nailed them together."

"And it was a LOT of work!" she insisted.

Emily scratched her head. "We may need the construction crew's help with this one."

Ren shuffled into the tent and poked his head out. "I don't know, it feels nice. I'm sure we can all fit in here."

Quinn shook his head. "From my best guess, the three of us _could_ fit, but we would be squeezed together."

Artemis grinned flirtatiously and pressed herself up against Quinn. "I wouldn't mind getting close to you~." Her boyfriend rolled his eyes with a light blush and smirk.

"UNHAND, YOU CUTE GHOST FROG!"

"Juniper, stopped flailing so much!"

The group looked over at the commotion and saw Wash heading towards them…with a screeching Spinda Fusion in his clutches. _'What the…?'_ the six thought, perplexed by the sight.

"Juniper, you _said_ you needed to do this!" Wash reminded sharply.

"Did I forget to mention I hated being responsible?!" she shouted, bonking her head against his.

"You already do that!"

"Um…guys?"

The two stopped, seeing they had an audience of the two groups. Staring blankly, they gave short waves and a simple, "…Hi."

"Hey," Emily mumbled, still wondering what was going on.

"Yo…" Artemis muttered. "So…what's hanging?"

"Well, currently me, but-" Juniper was cut off when Wash dropped her onto her butt. "Ah! Rude! You are rude!"

He held his hips and shot her a firm glare. "Jun…"

She sighed and stood up, dusting herself off. As soon as her eyes casted ahead, she was greeted with a familiar pair of blue eyes. She and Quinn stared at each other, one with awkwardness and the other with stoicism.

"…Hey Q."

"Hey…"

Juniper tried to back away, but Wash took hold of her shoulder and held her in place. He leaned to her ear and whispered, "You'll be fine. I'm right here."

She gulped, then resumed her original place near the nightmare lizard. "Um…" She rubbed her arm, wary with the Fusion's unchanging stare. It gave her the creeps and it didn't make apologizing any easier. "Um…Quinn? I…I wanted…I want…t-to say…I…I'm, um…I-EEP!"

No warning given, Quinn threw himself into Juniper and brought her into a tight embrace. The panda was paralyzed with shock, eyes wide with confusion and nervousness. Her arms fell to her sides while her jaw hung open.

"Q…Quinn?"

"I'm so glad you're okay…" he whispered gratefully. "You have no idea how worried I was…" Wash and the others smiled at them.

Juniper, however, didn't smile. Instead, she pulled herself away from Quinn and looked at him with teary eyes. "Quinn…" She closed them tightly and sobbed. "I'm…I'm so _sorry_ for hurting you! I never meant to-!" She stopped talking when he gripped her shoulders a bit.

He shook his head. "No…I'm sorry. You were…clearly stressed out about your past and I…didn't respect your space. I should've stopped…I shouldn't have pushed you the way I did." He held her hands in his. "You know I would never try and hurt you…" He smiled sincerely at her. "I'm not mad at you…I never was."

Juniper blinked, then clenched her eyes shut as tears poured faster, briefly confusing the Fusion. "You…You big…jerk!" Quinn blinked, then smiled as she pressed her face into his mane and hugged him back. "I-I'm the one…th-that's supposed to be apologizing!"

He patted her back gently. "Heh…when did you get so teary-eyed?"

Juniper chuckled through her sobs and pulled back, wiping her eyes. "It's just…me being me…"

"D'aww!" Artemis jumped between them and hooked her forelegs around their necks, pushing their cheeks up to hers. "I'm so glad to see you two making up!"

Charlie grinned. "We're happy you're doing better, Juniper. How do you feel?"

Juniper pulled away and rubbed her eyes with a light smile. "Better…much better…" She smiled brighter at Wash. "And I have you to thank for it."

Wash smiled back. "Anything for you."

Dez raised his brow. "Where were you two before the Rogues attacked, anyway? You rushed back pretty quickly."

Juniper waved her hand around. "We were the first ones to spot them, actually. We didn't quite notice them since Wash and I were about to…to…" Her face went red at the sudden reminder of what they were doing before the Rogues interrupted them. "Oh…um…" She glanced at Wash, who seemed to have the same idea.

Wash held his hip and grinned. "We…never did get around to that, did we?"

Suddenly bashful, Juniper covered her face and giggled girlishly, wiggling in place. "Hehehehehe…no~!"

Artemis glanced at the two, then smirked with intrigue. "Ooh~! What am I hearing~?"

Emily smirked as well. "Should we give you two some time alone?"

Juniper scratched the back of her head, grinning like a goof. "Hehehehehe…maybe~…"

Quinn chuckled, then started pushing the others away. "Alright, let's go."

"Aww, but I want to embarrass them…" Artemis pouted with her forelegs crossed.

"Have fun, you two!" Charlie exclaimed right before they were out of sight.

Now to themselves, Wash brought his arms around Juniper and pulled her up to his chest. She hung her arms over his shoulder and nuzzled into him for a moment. They stared at each other with adoring eyes, wanting to continue where they left off.

…But they couldn't.

Juniper frowned and looked away. "I…I'm not sure now's the appropriate time to…I'm just not feeling it like earlier…"

Wash sighed and leaned his head against hers. "Guess the mood was killed…" He smiled a bit. "I'm sure we'll find a more suitable time to have our first kiss."

Juniper grinned with a bright blush. "I'm willing to wait…" She nuzzled into his neck. "Thank you…for being there for me…for listening to me, for encouraging me…"

Wash held her head in one arm and nuzzled back. "Just returning the favor."

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"Yes, but I don't mind hearing it again."

"Hehehe…you're amazing."

"You're adorable."

"I know I am." Juniper pulled back, then wrapped her hand around his. "Want to help me dig out my soda?"

"Sure. You can help me dig myself out, too." Hand in hand, they walked towards their huts with their heads leaning against each other. "Say…you never did tell the others the truth."

Juniper shook her head. "Not yet. I rather not drop the news now. For now, it's for your ears only. I'll…tell them when I'm ready."

Wash kissed her on the forehead. "Take your time."

* * *

The Fusion Council sat near the wreckage of their council hut, assessing the damage while overlooking the villagers as they recuperated. Lewis sat atop the wreck with his arms crossed, almost scowling. "Abraham…what's the damage?"

Abraham was jotting the numbers down on a notepad, cringing every so often at the math. "Julian said maintaining this village was expensive, but doable. He's…not going to be happy with these numbers." He sighed. "And with the mess hall shot, we're short on food."

Cade frowned. "We're going to have a lot of hungry villagers in the morning."

"We could make a quick run to the market," Gracelyn suggested. "We have some cash on hand."

"There are hundreds of Fusions here. We don't have that much money to provide breakfast for all of them, much less a whole day." Lewis sighed. "And if we haven't been able to contact Liam, contacting Julian might be even more difficult."

"We'll figure something out," Gracelyn assured. "At least the villagers are coping with the damage."

"They're still taking it hard," Cade reminded.

"The pride and joy of their world was torn down in less than half an hour," Lewis grumbled. "Our pride and joy, too…"

"We'll have to get a construction crew out here soon," Abraham suggested. "But without any money or Julian's approval, we'll be stuck like this for a while."

Peregrine growled through his clenched teeth. "I knew those Rogues were trouble from the start. No good criminals who were bound to cause us misfortune."

"Don't be like that, Perry," Gracelyn lightly scolded. "This was a shock to all of us."

"If the villagers' wellbeing wasn't our main concern, I could've beat the shit out of those troublemakers in a second." He sighed and slumped his wings. "Couldn't be helped, I guess…"

Cade closed his eyes. "We just need to keep together and we'll be fine."

"I suppose…"

Gracelyn nodded. "Nothing we'll take that away from us."

"There's still the issue of Liam's disappearance," Abraham reminded. "We've reached a point where this is beyond a simple cellular connection issue."

Peregrine bared his teeth. "I refuse to believe that overgrown ape is in danger. It makes no sense."

"We can't ignore the facts. This is the first time we've had trouble contacting Liam." Abraham narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "And on this particular night, no less."

Lewis sighed. "But if we can't contact him, what can we do?"

"Simple: track is last known location." The group looked to Abraham, who was holding up his phone. "Get Codex. We'll need his help."

* * *

Dakota rubbed her weary eyes as she kept watch of the children, who were huddled together on a blanket. It took her a good part of the hour to calm them down. They were devastated when they saw the state of their hut. She was heartbroken to see them cry over their lost toys, treasured belongings they held dear to their hearts.

She rubbed Winona's head, who lightly squeaked with quieting whimpers. Dakota yawned and slapped her cheek a bit to keep herself awake. "Poor babies…"

Ulysses sat across from her, petting Willy's head, who was still a bit restless. "I could try and repair some of their stuffed toys. I'm pretty good at sewing."

"They'd appreciate that." She lifted Winona, kissed her on the forehead, then set her beside her friends. Her eyes drooped steadily. She pinched herself and jolted awake. "Ugh…they didn't deserve this. They're only kids…"

She felt a blanket drape over her back. She gripped it, then sighed.

"Hawkins, I'm fine."

Hawkins held his hips, with Asadi standing by his side. "Go to sleep."

"The kids…*yawn*…might need me…"

Asadi shook her head. "No, you need to sleep. The three of us got this covered."

"N-No, I…I…"

Hawkins grabbed her shoulders, dragged her away, and rested her on her back. "Just sleep. You've got enough wrinkles as it is."

Dakota yawned and curled up on the ground. "I-I'm not…that much older…than you…" Her eyes drooped close and she was out in an instant.

Hawkins rolled his eyes, then crouched by her side. "She's so tense…"

"Takes one to know one," Asadi joked.

"Watch your tongue."

Asadi shrugged. "You know I'm right." She smiled at him. "I have to say, I never saw you two becoming friends." She smirked. "Maybe you're becoming fond of her."

Hawkins shook his head. "Haha, very funny…"

"Come on, you know it's a change for you. For once, you're actually concerned about others. A pacifist, no less. Normally it's all 'me, me, me!'"

Hawkins' eye twitched. "There better be a point to this incessant mocking…"

Asadi held her hips and sighed, looking serious. "You really did show a change. You rushed to Dakota and the kids the second you knew they were in trouble. You weren't thinking for selfish reasons. I know you were generally worried about them."

Hawkins sat down and propped his knee up. He closed his eyes. "Didn't want to lose anything else important in my life. Some of my family's prized swords didn't come out well." He looked over the kids, then smiled fondly.

Asadi grinned with intrigue. "That's an odd look for you."

"Dakota told me what they did. They actually stood up for themselves. They took my teachings to heart and fought as a team." He scratched his chin. "I feel...strange."

"Like a proud papa!" she exclaimed.

"Something like that." He smirked a bit. "Feels nice…to feel pride in others inspired by you."

"Aren't kids amazing? They can do incredible things…" She laughed and pointed at him. "Like making you step out of your comfort zone!"

He rolled his eyes. "Uh huh…" He looked down at Wantanabe, then scratched the little Eevee Fusion's head. "…Guess you're right."

* * *

Relentless in his search, Spaz dug through his hut, taking small breaks in between to get his strength back up. The lack of sleep was impairing his thoughts, but he persisted in his desperate search. More than anything, he just needed this _one_ thing to survive.

Joining him were Chris and Shane, who were curious by the time mouse's frantic digging. "Hey Spaz, how's it going?" Chris asked.

"Uh huh…" Spaz mumbled, throwing wooden planks out of his way and pulled out a drawer. He grumbled after searching inside and tossed it away.

"You need any help?" Shane asked. "We didn't have anything too valuable, so…"

Spaz shook his head. "I'm fine. This is something I need to find myself."

"Hey, we really don't mind lending a hand-" Chris started to say before they were suddenly interrupted by two angry voices.

"Come back here and face me, you insensitive computer head!"

"Who do you think you are?!"

Spaz's ears drooped as he sighed. _'Codex, what did you do?'_ He turned around and saw Codex flying over with Artemis and Emily marching behind him.

Codex looked at them straight-faced. "I am simply stating the facts. There is no need to engage in angry dispute."

Artemis waved her balled up feeler. "I lost precious photos of Quinn and me! I lost some of my birthday gifts!" She held her head and growled. "My precious pranking kit is gone forever!"

"Then you go acting like the children are crying over nothing when they lost their toys!" Emily shouted. "Their stuffed toys were like friends to them!"

"I find all this illogical," Codex stated unfeelingly.

Spaz ceased his digging and raced over, getting between them. He knew if Artemis or Emily's tempers got any worse, Codex would be among the injured. "Hold up! What's going on here?"

Artemis pointed at Codex. "This emotionless jerk called us a bunch of greedy Fusions for caring over 'materialistic' possessions. He's acting like we just didn't lose anything!"

"You have not," Codex stated. "All of that is replaceable."

Artemis nearly lunged at him, but Spaz held her back. "I can't get those pictures back, you ungrateful-!"

"Artemis, calm down," Spaz firmly ordered. He pushed her down to her feet. "Let me talk to him. Just…don't tear off his head."

Artemis glared at the mouse, then huffed. "Fine…"

"Thank you…" He breathed, then turned to Codex. "Codex…you shouldn't be saying stuff like that to these guys. We just lost our homes. Have an ounce of sympathy."

Codex's eyes blinked with light. "Material possessions are merely objects that you place meaning into, when they are nothing more than items of little significance." He tilted his head. "And your homes are also replaceable. All can be rebuilt."

Spaz sighed and held his head. "Okay, buddy, I get you aren't up to date on the whole emotion thing, but you have to understand that, while you don't care, they do. There IS meaning in those things we keep." He gestured to Artemis. "Quinn means a lot to Artemis and she wants to hold the memories that made her happiest. Sure, she'll always have the memory and it'll be just as special, but being able to see that glimmer of happiness brings her joy." Artemis smiled at him.

"And the kids aren't any different. They're young. A lot of their toys hold special places in their hearts." Spaz frowned. "We found some of those kids on the streets with little to their name. Some of them only had blankets, or stuffed toys. It's more than just _stuff_."

Codex blinked, then looked up. "How truly bizarre."

"Think of it like this. How would you feel if…all the data you've collected over the years just suddenly vanished?"

"Well-"

"And ALL of your backups vanished as well!"

Codex tilted his head. "That is just illogical. I plan for every possibility."

"Do you?" Spaz asked. "Can you safely say you plan for every possible bad thing? Even what happened tonight? Did you see _this_ happening?"

Codex blinked. His eyes glowed as he processed his questioned. "…I cannot say I have. I suppose, if this hypothetical scenario were to happen, it would put a dent in my years of observations."

"Exactly!" Spaz sighed and sped back over to the hut wreck, resuming his digging. "We place meaning into things because we hold them close to our heart. Even if it's 'replaceable,' you lose what made the journey so special. It'd…be like losing someone you love."

Codex hummed to himself and thought it over. "You pose a curious argument, my friend. Perhaps I should look more into what you mean by the 'emotional' sciences."

Spaz smiled tiredly. "You do that…"

Codex floated down to Artemis and Emily. "I believe I owe you two an apology. My conclusions seem insufficient with this new data."

Artemis looked away and grumbled, "Not the apology I wanted, but…fine, you're forgiven."

Emily crossed her arms. "Gee, how have you not gotten your butt kicked yet?"

"I have a long history. I have recorded many interactions from rather boorish individuals-"

"I FOUND IT!"

They, along with Chris and Shane, immediately snapped their attention to Spaz as he threw apart some planks and pulled out a green folder. It was scratched up and bent, but his glee told them the contents likely inside were still safe and sound.

"Thank you, Arceus!" He hugged the folder and sighed in relief. "I was so worried I lost this…I poured all my heart into making this." He smiled fondly at it. "All my hard work wasn't wasted…"

"Ooh~! You've got me curious now~!"

Spaz's blood went cold, suddenly remembering he had an audience behind him. Quickly, he spun around with the folder hidden behind his back and a nervous smile to his face. "Uh, nothing! It's nothing!"

Chris raised his brow, smirking a bit. "You sure? You're looking a little red there."

Spaz felt his warm cheek, then laughed it off. "C-C-Can you blame me? My…face is trying to keep warm in this cold night-AH!"

He felt the folder slip from his fingers. He held his face and internally screamed as Artemis brought it over for all to see. "Oh, don't be so shy. Is it your diary or something?"

"N-N-No, it's-something-more-important, so-!"

"Then I have no regrets opening this!" She opened the folder, with everyone looking over her shoulder. Meanwhile, Spaz was trying not to faint from embarrassment.

Shane quickly scanned his eyes over the stacks of paper inside. "Heeey! This looks like a story!" He grinned at Spaz. "I forgot you did a little writing Spaz. When were you going to show this to us? Bet it's a good read!"

His smile became more and more terrified. "Y-Y-Yeah, sure, whatever! Please-give-it-back!" His speech was distorted from his speed talking.

Emily traced her finger along some text. "Hang on, what's this? _'Standing atop the highest point, a pair of vigilant eyes scanned the streets. The feline agent of the night, with her beauty and grace, stood proud and tall.'"_ She glanced over and raised her brow at Spaz, who was sweating profusely. "…Feline agent of the night?"

"Um…" He could fill five buckets with how much he was sweating.

Artemis brought a playful smirk to her lips. "Huh…that almost sounds like a fancy way of saying…ninja cat-EEP!" The folder was swiped from her feelers.

Spaz held the folder behind his back again, with a tighter grip, and laughed it off…in fear. "Nothing! Don't read too much into it! PLEASE DON'T!"

Codex tilted his head. "I am detecting signs of your heart rate increasing and a release of cortisol from the hypothalamus."

"Corti-what now?" Artemis asked.

"Stress hormone," Emily answered. "You know, the fight or flight response?"

"Ooohhh!" Artemis then smirked. "Aww, Spaz, are you embarrassed about this?"

"About what?! Nothing to be mortified about at all!" His eye twitched.

Shane chuckled. "Dude, there's no reason to be scared. We all know you have a crush on Tama-!"

"Don't say that out loud!" he screamed. "She might hear you!" His face brightened. "Not…that I care! Because I don't! Because…this story isn't about her! At all! Nuh-uh!"

"Mmhmmmmm…" they sounded with smirks.

Spaz, blinking a couple times, ran away, snagging a backpack he dug out along the way.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Geez, no wonder he hasn't asked her out yet."

Artemis laughed and lightly shoved her. "I think they'd be cute together!"

Out of nowhere, Crawford scuttled over with a beer bottle in his pincer. "Aha! One survived!" He guzzled half of it down, then wiped his mouth. "Ah…hey, what did I miss?"

* * *

Tamara sat over the remains of her hut, legs brought close to her chest with her arms wrapped around them. She kept watch of everyone, a habit of hers, and made sure they were safe. Though, it wasn't the only thing she was doing in the moment. She was also…sorting things out.

It was a known fact that Tamara loved comics, even though she didn't seem like the type to read them. She wanted to be a hero that can inspire hope. She wanted to be her village's savior in times of danger. Protect the weak and serve the public, bringing justice to those who deserved it.

' _What a fine job I did…'_ She glared. _'I could've stopped this…'_

"Hey." She glanced up, greeted with Rebecca's presence. She gestured to the spot beside her. "This seat taken?" Tamara was silent, but took a moment to scoot over and make room. "Thank you." She sat down and relaxed her aching body. "That Augustus kid sure does pack a punch…" She frowned. "I really hope he's alright, wherever he is."

"I'm sure he's fine. If he doesn't turn up…well, you can count on me to help out," Tamara mumbled.

"And that's what a lot of people like about you, Tammy." Rebecca smiled. "Everyone needs your brand of optimism in their lives."

"You should be asking Juniper for that kind of advice." She sighed and slumped her chin onto her knees.

Rebecca stared ahead, mindlessly tapping her fingers on the wooden planks. "…so, whatcha' thinking?"

"Stuff."

"About the village?"

"That…and my performance." She gritted her teeth bitterly. "I should've been on the alert. If I knew about this sooner, I would've taken those chumps out before they got anywhere near the village."

Rebecca shook her head. "Tammy, you and I both know you're fast, but not…SuperMewtwo fast." She tapped her cheek. "Uh…that's the right superhero to reference, I hope." She shook her head. "Back on track. Point is…no one saw this coming. Not even you could've."

"I'm insulted."

Rebecca chuckled. "Hey, be grateful everyone's alive. Isn't that what a hero wants at the end of the day?"

"We won the battle, but we still lost in the end…" She sighed. "I couldn't stop this…and that's what irritates me. Heroes are suppose to stop this kind of collateral damage from happening…err, mostly." A few snippets of comics featuring the city being turned into a battlefield flashed through her head. "N-Not the point!"

Rebecca sighed. "I get it. The next few days…weeks…maybe months are going to be rough. We don't have much food and it may take awhile before we get a steady supply of it back up. Not to mention our homes." She narrowed her eyes. "Liam did say we should consider living out on our own when we're older. Some of us are still in our teens, but…worth considering."

"The world needs a hero, I guess…" Tamara gripped her arm. "I'm starting to wonder if I'm cut out for the job…"

"Tammy, don't say that. You're a great hero! Have some positivity in your life!"

Tamara smiled bitterly. "Right, sure…" Her face turned serious. "Although…I can't help but wonder."

"What?"

"Something about this whole invasion is rubbing me the wrong way. It felt too…random, even for the Rogues. All that inactivity and they decided to strike without warning, or without an escape plan." She glared. "It felt too last minute a plan."

"Huh…you know," Rebecca brought up, "York seemed pretty upset with what happened. I'm sure he of all of us would know the Rogues best. He seemed genuinely convinced this wasn't typical behavior."

Tamara glared. "My whiskers are twitching…the spirit of Justice inside me tells me that something is wrong…"

"Eheh…" Rebecca patted her back. "Or you've been reading too many comics again."

Tamara sighed and rubbed her eye. "Maybe I do need sleep…"

"Even heroes need sleep!" Rebecca exclaimed. She smiled softly and stood up. "Besides, I think we all do…" She headed off to help some of the other Fusions.

Tamara blinked, then looked off into the distance with a solemn stare. "…Right."

* * *

When Fusion Hunter HQ went into lockdown, many Fusion Hunters returned as fast as they could. However, none were able to stop the escaped prisoners. As quickly as they got in, they found themselves in the prison cells, stripped of their equipment and abilities.

The new 'warden' of the prison cells was Rewan, who spun his pendulum with a playful grin, strolling around and whistling a merry tune. The hunters were not amused.

"We practically walked ourselves into these cells…" one grumbled.

"Why else would we need to lock him up away from the others?" another growled.

A radio on Rewan's side buzzed. He pulled it to his ear and answered. "Alright Rewan, enough horsing around. The jet's prepped and ready for takeoff."

Rewan put the radio away, then waved goodbye to the new prisoners before walking off to join his friends in the hanger bay.

* * *

Some wondered if he was still alive. Some wondered how he could've survived. He wondered that very question himself. All he remembered were dozens of vengeful Fusions taking turns, beating the shit out of him. It was a horror show of pain and misery, with years of torture thrown back on him like a sickening display of karma.

No one can say Cragtail wasn't a survivor, that's for sure.

The Golem was on his knees, a bloody pulp from the vengeful thrashings. His face was horribly bruised and bloodied, his rock shell was cracked, and he didn't have the strength to stand on his own two feet. He took staggering breaths, sounding like an engine struggling to start up. His hands were handcuffed to the ground.

He wasn't alone. On the monitor above him was Data, who looked down on him with his arms crossed. "...Isn't it a beautiful day, Cragtail? We get to make history tonight. Or tomorrow, I guess, based off the time." He chuckled. "I should thank you for 'generously' letting my minions take your jet. It should be _just_ fast enough to get them to Grandis City before dawn. Hmm?"

Cragtail lifted his head with great struggle, garbling something incoherent.

"Hmm…didn't quite catch that. You'll have to speak up."

"Y…Y…Y-You…baw…bas…" He gritted his teeth and flared his nostrils, then involuntarily spat blood.

Data shook his head, then heard his radio buzz. He held it up, greeted with Gideon's voice. "Hey, why do we need to keep him alive? He lost his right to live a long time ago."

Data chuckled. "Fret not. We won't be making any sacrifices with this one." His sensory digits blinked forebodingly. "I have one last purpose for him."

"B…Bas…t-tard…" Cragtail spat blood as he spoke.

"Try not to speak too much, friend. We wouldn't want you keeling over too soon." Data held the radio up. "Gideon, is everyone on board?"

The Abra-Hoopa chuckled. "Yes, sir."

"Then you're free for takeoff. Raid the Rogue's base first, then head to the police station before you begin the mission."

"On it."

Data put the radio away, then noticed the Golem snarling with great pain. "What…are…you…up to?"

Data chuckled. "Heh…three hundred years is a long time…yet it only felt like a few weeks." He tapped his head. "My memory is still fresh."

"Three hundred years…?"

"I used to be an activist for Fusion Rights. I wanted what was best for these poor creatures." He crossed his arm across his chest. "My motives were honest to the common man, but revered, they were not." He held his face and sighed. "Nothing I tried helped. Simply being nice wasn't enough. I was a scientist, who went by the name 'Data' to keep my experiments private. I was fascinated with Fusions and wanted to learn more. I meant no harm with my interests…" His arms drooped. "Until those Fusion-hating monsters forced my hand…taking away the one thing that kept me anchored…"

He sounded angry, perhaps furious. Cragtail narrowed his eyes. "Wha…?"

Data sighed. "Turning the whole world into Fusions…truly sounds like science fiction. But, as I've learned by your time, when does sci-fi become reality?" He shook his head. "Mason called me mad, but I knew my goals. My plan will be flawless. It is nothing but flawless. This world has brought its fate upon itself.

"All I need to do is get Gappei Village out of my way. Just long enough to complete my plans."

Cragtail gritted his teeth. "Why…are you…telling me…this?"

"What fear do I have of failing when no possibly will come to light? Not like you are a threat now."

Cragtail pulled himself up enough to sit on his rear. "You think...getting rid of...those Fusions...will solve your problems?"

Data held his chin. "Well, do not mistake my intentions. This serves a double purpose. I want them all gone before dawn to avoid any…casualties. I want that physical land free of them."

"W…Why?"

"Before I placed myself in that cube, I buried away two objects for my project. The machine, hidden in the mountains, and the Fusion Sphere...hidden under what was once bare land."

"Wha…?"

"Oh, trust me, you will see it for yourself. I just need to rid those Fusions from the land." He chuckled and held a hand over his heart. "I'm desperate, but I'm not a mass murderer. It wouldn't be right. I have a heart."

"Hard…ly." Cragtail growled, hurting his throat. "You…can't…beat them…"

"My most recent status update from Dr. Gates says otherwise, so I have doubts." He waved his hand around. "But it doesn't matter. Strong, weak, somewhere in the middle…I don't care. I don't need to beat them." He stared down at Cragtail ominously.

"...I just need Gideon to not miss any shots."


	56. Times Are Changing

In light of his recent discovery regarding Vivi's absence, Eddie had rushed back to the 'crime scene' where Vivi likely was last seen: their conspiracy hut. Of course, finding anything in the wreckage was rather difficult, for a number of reasons. Any evidence that _could_ lead him to her whereabouts might be destroyed. There was also the issue with who he was looking for. Vivi doesn't think things through and likely darts off the first chance she gets.

Saving time, Eddie was kicking up debris for what felt like hours. Might have been, but it was still dark out. He wasn't sure when the sun was going to rise, actually. How close were they to dawn? It was a mystery to him, but he'd rather make sure Vivi was safe before then. He didn't want to spend every waking hour looking for her. Hell, he wasn't sure if he would be able to sleep if he doesn't find her.

However, after minutes of straight kicked and pulled through debris, Eddie's feet were getting sore. He plopped on the ground and massaged his aching feet. "This isn't going the way I hoped. I didn't come here just to start worrying about that scatterbrained nutcase."

Bartleby, due to having big hands compared to the wreck, was pulling pieces one at a time between his fingers. "Eeeddd…eee?"

Eddie sighed. "Why do I even bother? Vivi always gets herself into these types of situations. I'm not surprised she bolted off without telling me and is probably in some kind of danger."

"Vvviii…vi?"

Maybe it's because he was stressed and wasn't giving it too much thought, but he felt like he could understand the golem's single word questions. "Yeah, of course I worry about her. She's impulsive and…pretty much an idiot who can barely take care of herself, but I just have to worry about her." He looked up at the sky. "I don't know the area too well. My luck of finding her is about as good as her sense of direction. Guess she wouldn't know either, making her extra lost." Eddie scratched his cheek and sighed. "Good freakin' grief, that kid is going to be the death of me. Why I put up with her is beyond me."

"Wrrr…iiied?" Bartleby groaned.

"…Why do I worry about her if she causes me stress?" He shrugged. "Sense of obligation? She's such a pest that she'll wind up in danger? Maybe sympathy?" He pinched between his eyes. "It's like dealing with a teenage daughter…only amped to eleven."

Bartleby groaned in agreement, then lifted another plank from the wreck. However, something appeared caught on the wood. Curious, he shook the piece lightly until the item fell off, landing near Eddie.

The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion raised his brow at the item. A small journal, brand new despite the scuff marks. "What do we have here?" He took the book and flipped through the pages.

A few key words popped out, such as 'conspiracy,' 'Data,' and 'solving the mystery.' He could hear the bubbly tone that was clearly tacked on with how energetic it was written. Safe to say whose journal this was.

"Should've expected the kid to leave a journal lying around. Must've hidden it for personal reasons." He narrowed his eyes. "Hang on, these entrees are all dated. Hmm…I wonder…" He flipped to the last written page, with today's (or yesterday's) date written in Vivi's usual chicken scratch. It read:

" _A new break in the case! That secretary lady might be my ticket to finding out more about Data and his nefarious ways! Can't be too hard to get through the city! Just look for the tallest building and I'm good! But I need to do this alone! A stealth mission such as this requires my totally awesome ninja skills! Eep! Eddie's coming! Need to hide this!"_

Eddie blinked in confusion and maybe bewilderment. "Huh…I think I remember her shoving something away when I last saw her." He narrowed his eyes. "So, does this mean she found something on Data?" He glared. "And what's this talk of a secretary lady?"

Bartleby shrugged, likely just as confused. "Vvii…vi…no…sssenssse…"

"That's something we can agree on." Eddie scratched his chin at the writing, giving it more thought. "Hmm…something about a tall building. If she's meeting with a secretary…where would a secretary be working?"

Pieces slowly fell into place. The bigger picture was beginning to show itself to Eddie. He has a hunch Vivi did something crazy and dangerous again.

Eddie dropped the book and jumped to his feet. "That kid really is going to be the death of me. Bartleby! Stay here and hold down the fort!"

Bartleby tilted his head. "W…Where…yyyou…?"

Eddie sighed. "I'm going to pull a Vivi." He started walking, then broke off into a full sprint through the forest, with a sharp look to his eyes. _'I've got a bad feeling about all this…'_

* * *

York and Casey weren't sure how long they've been resting against each other. They probably dozed off a couple of times, but they were happy just being by each other's side. It was the only comfort that could mend the aches and woes in the armored lizard's heart. The pain was still beating inside, relentless, but Casey did her best to make him comfortable.

What did York do to deserve someone as great as her…despite being just like the Rogues at one point?

Casey felt the tension in the Fusion's body dwindle. She straightened up and rubbed his back. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible…"

"Feeling better than earlier?"

"…I suppose…" He sighed, then rubbed his eyes. "…I'm sorry if I'm being a burden on you."

"I came to _you_. You're not a burden."

York closed his eyes, a slight tremble in his posture. "I shouldn't be getting this upset, should I? I'm the one who walked out on them…I know what kind of danger the Rogues bring. They've gotten into so much trouble over the years that I should feel ashamed for considering myself one of them…" He covered his face.

"But you can't…" Casey said.

He took a moment to respond, likely trying to keep himself from tearing up. "I'm sorry if I'm…getting too emotional…it's like waking up from a bad dream over and over again…I want to hope this is all some nightmare…"

Casey closed her eyes. "…I'm sorry, York. I really wish there was more I can do to help."

York rubbed his eyes, then forced himself to smile. "…You being here…is enough…" He patted her hand. "…You've always been a big help to me…you really helped me turn my life around…"

Casey smiled. "Of course I helped you. I want to see the best in all Fusions. I don't want to brand them all like monsters. I've gotten to know the real you from our time together." She flicked a small tear from his eye. "Even if you were mean and crabby from the beginning, it shows there's a heart underneath all that bitterness. A coldhearted thief like you managed to become something more in his time…"

York smiled at the ground. "…You really are something, Casey."

She giggled softly, then looked up at the stars. "…I still remember."

"Remember what?" he asked as he leaned back on his hands and gazed upon the stars as well.

"The first time we met. You remember?"

York bit his lip and glanced off to the side. "A part of me wishes I could forget…"

Casey chuckled. "Come on, you weren't that bad."

"I broke into your apartment just when you were getting set up in the area. I thought you'd hate me after all of that…" He sighed. "You're too nice, you know."

"Is that a bad thing?" she asked teasingly.

He smirked a little. "In my case, no." He scratched his head. "Just wish we met under better circumstances. I didn't leave the best impression."

"How did a guy like you become the village guidance counselor again?"

"Heeey…"

Casey chuckled. "I'm kidding. Besides, I don't think you should hold any regrets. I wouldn't change how we met for the world."

"You're serious?"

She sighed and waved her hand around with a disgruntled look. "Young music artists like me get picked up by big shots who want to make you a star." She narrowed her eyes. "I was still pretty young when my manager signed me up. I didn't have a lot of people to talk to outside of him or soon getting hounded by the paparazzi. I had no one…normal to talk to.

"That is…until you came into my life." She smiled at York. "Didn't have to worry about coming to you. You always seemed to be around my window when I wasn't looking."

York scratched his head. "Heh…"

"It did upset me when you didn't stop by my window the last few years. Felt like that was the last time I saw you. Though you left for good." She shook her head. "I never imagined you actually live in Gappei Village."

"I had to keep a low profile after I quitted the Rogues. Guess the time slipped away from me…" York's eyes widened, then he quickly said, "N-Not that I ever forgot about you!"

Casey chuckled. "I know, you big dork." She shrugged. "Heck, a part of me was hoping you were somewhere in disguise." She smiled. "I never did get to thank you. You helped me learn to blend in and not draw attention to myself."

"One of the perks of being a thief," York said with an awkward chuckle, still recovering from his minor freak out. He then smiled with genuine care. "I guess it's reminding me more of how we met."

Casey grinned. "Good old times, weren't they?"

* * *

 _Bright daylight out in Grandis City as the renowned thief of the Rogues was stalking through the streets, keeping his head low. He wore some clothes to hide his more obvious features that stuck out to his form, like his armored scales and awe tusks. He appeared quite annoyed at the moment._

" _Fan-freakin'-tastic. I decided to bet my relaxing day on a game of rock-paper-scissors with Mikayla, and now I'm out hunting for food." He rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna have to find a way to get her back…maybe next time, a bet less luck based in my favor…"_

 _He ceased his grunting and checked around for viable options for pickpocketing and purloining precious products. He weighed his options with the fruit stands, about five. Stealing from all five of them would certainly be acceptable, but even he couldn't swipe that many before getting caught. Plus, he neglected to bring a bag with him._

 _He sighed and scratched his cheek. "A good start, but maybe I can do better."_

 _His eyes wandered a bit before settling on the apartment complex across the street. His eyes traveled up the side and spotted the open window at the top most floor. That particular floor had the better rooms, meaning whoever stayed there was bound to have precious goods in stock._

 _York mentally smirked._ 'Oh happy days, oh happy days. Wonder if anyone's home.' _He rubbed his greedy hands together and walked across the street._ 'I'm sure the resident won't mind if I take one or two things…or all of it.'

 _He took quick glances around to make sure he was in the clear. He stretched his legs, then made a dash for the building. He parkoured up the windowsills expertly and reached the top window before diving through._

 _He stood up and dusted his jacket off. "Hehe…too easy."_

 _He took a gander around the apartment and saw how clean and tidy it was kept. Nothing wrong about that. Though, he noticed some of the expensive items around the apartment. Nice electrical appliances, paintings on the wall, some pieces of furniture he could tell were high priced, and other small things here or there._

 _He whistled quietly. "I just stepped into the rich people territory. I'll have to take some of these paintings with me and see how much they sell for." He patted his cheeks. "First things first, I've got food to swipe."_

 _He dug through the kitchen a bit before coming across one of those reusable shopping bags. The ones with the recycle symbol on the front. He spun it around his wrist._

" _Now, how am I a bad thief? I steal and care about the planet." He laughed to himself and began his raid on the fridge. And what a score it was._

 _Berries, milk, vegetables, some small treats, etc. There were some frozen goods stocked in the freezer, too. Though, while various, it wasn't all that much. Probably enough for one person, if he had to guess. A bit of a shame, but they were planning a big heist on another berry truck soon, so no harm._

" _Thank you, random stranger, for leaving your window open like a complete idi-" York heard a creak directly behind him in the floorboards._

 _His instincts kicked in, spinning him around and blocking a surprise strike from a baseball bat. He pushed on the bat with his arm and glared at the Pokémon looking down on him. A female Charmeleon wearing a blue hoodie._

 _She glared with grit teeth. "You know, it's rude to waltz on into someone's home without permission!"_

 _York scoffed under his breath. "Let me make up for my apparent rudeness."_

 _He shoved the bat, then pushed her back. Casey nearly tripped over her feet, but found her footing and held the bat up once more. York chuckled to himself._ 'She has guts. What a delusional Pokémon.'

 _Casey waved the bat at him. "Get out of my apartment!"_

 _York narrowed his eyes. "Aren't you a little young to be living on your own?" He pulled on his disguise and extended out his frills._

" _Aren't YOU a little young to be a thief?"_

" _You're never too young to live a free lifestyle."_

 _Casey growled. "What do you think you're doing?!"_

" _Pretty obvious. Free lunch." He slung the bag over his shoulder. "What's mine is mine, and what's yours is mine. That's how it works." He flicked his hand at her. "Now then, be a good little girl and get out of my way."_

 _He expected the Charmeleon to comply and cower off in the corner, like so many others who often fear Fusions. However, much to his surprise, Casey shuffled closer to the window and blocked his escape. "Oh, I don't think so! You want out? You're getting out with either a head injury or some bruises. And don't think about escaping through the door. Security cameras will catch you."_

 _York wasn't worried. She had bravado, but it was hot air for all his concern. He held his hip and sighed. "You really are a delusional brat. Make like a good girl and get out of my way, or I'll have to rough you up. What will it be, little lady?"_

 _He was pushing her buttons, and it was working. "You asked for it!" Casey pushed her foot off the floor and sprinted across the room._

 _York dodged the first few bat swings effortlessly. They were like dodging the typical Slakoth after a night on the town and suffering from a hangover. Hardly worth the concern. He caught the bat in his hand and threw it out of Casey's hands, then kicked her straight in the gut._

 _Casey nearly doubled over as she held her stomach, gasping for air. York walked past her casually, getting ready to jump out the window. However, Casey recovered faster than he anticipated. She lunged onto his back and grabbed him by the neck, forcing him backwards._

" _H-Hey!" He threw the bag to the side, grabbed her arms, and threw her in front of him._

 _She rolled onto her feet and blasted him with a close-range Fire Blast. York gasped as the flames wrapped around him, burning at his disguise and armor. The tattered remains dangled over him while the rest burned to ash. Casey raised her fists and glared sharply, but all her bravado washed away when she saw what laid underneath the disguise._

 _She gasped and backed away, covering her mouth. "Wait! That armor…those tusks…" York shook his head and glared at her. "You're…a Fusion!"_

 _York growled and lunged at her. She flinched as she was lifted off the ground by the jacket. "You're going to pay for that." He extended his frills and charged them with electricity._

 _Casey gripped his wrist and shook her head. "N-No! Please, wait!"_

" _Begging me to stop? What happened? You seemed ready to beat me over the head a minute ago!" His grip tightened._

" _W-Wait, just stop!"_

" _I don't take orders from a Pokémon…" His frills sparked with electricity. "Advice: clench your teeth and get ready to be shocked unconscious."_

 _Casey continuously shook her head. "Please, you don't have to do this! I mean nothing bad to you Fusions! I'm on your side!"_

 _He scowled and pulled her closer. "That's a load. You, on my side? All you Pokémon do is point at us and call us abominations. Born as freaks, unnatural to your world. You have some nerve thinking you can trick and expect me to trust you."_

 _Casey gritted her teeth, but ultimately sighed in defeat. "Fine…you win…take the food."_

" _Don't go bossing me arou…!" York's eyes widened. "Ex…cuse me?"_

" _You heard me. Take it. All of it." She clenched her fist. "I don't want there to be any reason for us to be enemies. If it means I have to spare with my food just to make you happy, then that's fine by me."_

 _York blinked in confusion, but grunted and dropped her. "Naïve little…" He turned and grabbed the bag. "Don't try being nice to the enemy. You can only trust those who understand you." He slung the bag over his shoulder and headed for the window. "If you tell anyone what happened here…"_

" _I won't."_

 _York closed his eyes, then placed his foot on the windowsill._

" _Just…" He stopped, but didn't face her. "Just…be careful out there. I know you all have it rough. I don't want to make things tougher on you or your friends."_

 _York stood silently at the window, then leapt out._

* * *

Casey sighed and looked up at the sky. "After that…you always seemed to be 'accidentally' stopping by my window. Sometimes knocking on my window to see if I was there."

York looked away with a big blush. "Heh…right, uh…accident."

She smirked. "They…were accidents, right?"

"W-Well…"

"Why _did_ you keep coming back even though you made it clear you wanted nothing to do with me?"

York didn't even want to know how red his cheeks must be getting. "Just…so I m-made sure you kept your end of the deal! So…when I h-happened to be in the neighborhood, I'd check and…also, see if your window was open! So I can steal more food!" He deflated as she laughed into her hand. "…You're not buying this, are you?"

"Nope."

"Um…"

Casey grinned with a twinge of red in her cheeks. "So~?"

York tapped his fingers together meekly. "I…guess with my frequent visits, I've…grown quite attached to you."

Casey scooted closer until their sides touched. "That so?"

York shivered, patted at his hot cheeks. "Heh…" He looked at the ground with a sad smile. "…I've seen a lot of Pokémon who fear Fusions for our misdeeds of the past. All we've done to be recognized and it landed us in less of their good graces. But…you were the first one to…open up to me."

Casey smiled. "Of course I did. I always found Fusions fascinating, even when I was a wee Charmander."

York smiled to himself. "C-Cool…"

She looked ahead with her bright grin. "I never found a reason to hate Fusions as a whole. Especially…" She leaned her head against his shoulder. "…after meeting you."

York smiled back. "…You're too nice…"

"Said something similar when we first met…"

"You know it's true…"

"I don't see that as a bad thing."

"And still as naïve, I see…"

"Shut up." She rested her hand atop of his. "And you know…if you ever have something you need to talk about…ever, at all…my schedule's always open for you."

York looked at her. "You sure?"

"Positive."

York smiled with a light shimmer in his eyes. "You're the best, Casey." He squeezed her hand gently. "Thank you…"

She nuzzled his cheek. "Anytime…"

The action left them both feeling embarrassed, looking away with bright blushes and bashful smiles. Even so, their hands didn't separate.

* * *

Codex, having been requested to meet with the council, blinked at the phone held in front of his face. "My task is to trace the last known whereabouts of Chief Liam's cellular device at the time of his supposed disappearance?"

Lewis nodded. "That's what we're counting on. Think you can handle it?"

"A simple task for one such as myself." He took the phone and scanned it over.

Lewis sighed. "Thank you…" He sat down and crossed his arms over his knees.

Peregrine glared. "Well, this was one hell of a night of coincidences. First our boss more or less winds up out of action, now we've been on the receiving end of a poorly executed invasion. I'm now expecting the meteors to fly in and just wipe us all out where we stand."

Codex's eyes lit up as he jacked himself into the phone. "If I may interject, all of this seems rather suspicious. If Chief Liam were still present, perhaps this invasion would not have gone off as simply for them."

Cade glared. "Liam could've ended all of this in a matter of seconds, maybe even stop it before they reached the village."

Abraham raised his brow. "But can we really say this is all just coincidence? Fact of the matter, the Rogues attacked without any clear indication of their motives. There was spite in what we saw."

Codex nodded. "Precisely. With recent events taking place, a lot has happened. This talk of a Fusion extremist, the sudden crime rate, and now this. I have been working closely with Miss Vivi and even found a connection relating to these sudden attacks by Fusions. All not strange occurrences as of late?"

Gracelyn hummed in concerned. "There has been a number of strange things going on, but causation doesn't equal correlation."

Peregrine raised his brow. "Yeah, but what other correlation is there? We have reason to believe someone is planning to turn the world into a Fusion Paradise at the low, low cost of the planet's core. But ignoring that, what does all of THIS have to do with anything? What does having the Fusions running rampant and the Rogues have to do with some extremist? More importantly, what does it have to do with Liam?"

Codex's eyes blinked green. "Perhaps the answers lie in his phone, because I have just traced his last known location."

"Where?" asked Cade.

"His phone was last active in…Johto."

Peregrine glared. "We know he went to Johto with Roteman, but that doesn't tell us much."

"The exact location is an unnamed part of Johto that has long since been abandoned," Codex then brought up. "An old city that has been noted for many gang wars started by the Fusions."

"Gang wars…?"

Lewis glared. "Liam's old stomping ground…"

"And by extension, Julian's." Abraham added. He held his chin with a quizzical expression. "What an unusual spot for a meeting, especially somewhere so out of reach and…abandoned."

Gracelyn was getting worried, as were the others. "…What else can you tell us?" She dreaded to know the answer.

Codex provided with his usual brand of bluntness. "Well, looking over the web, I'm finding numerous articles pertaining to the incident."

The council's eyes widened. "What…incident?" Cade asked carefully.

Paraphrasing, Codex said, "This abandoned city was found in ruins due to what appears to be a large-scale battle. Damages were sufficient. Entire buildings collapsed and crushed under each other. There were signs of the standard Fusion Arena Dome activated during the time of the attack."

Peregrine growled. "Fusion Hunter equipment…"

Abraham narrowed his eyes. "Now that's grounds for suspicion."

"You don't think…!" Cade exclaimed.

Gracelyn bit her lip. "Did Liam and Julian…get into a fight?" It sent a chill through their spins.

Peregrine, however, wasn't having it. "BAH! Don't be ridiculous, you paranoid ninnies!" He swung his leek. "A fight?! AS IF! How could those two get into a fight?! Liam would've creamed that fancily dressed businessman!" Though, seeing their unconvinced faces, doubt started to set in. "…Right?" No one had a clue what to say.

"There is more," Codex continued, not picking up on their worries. "A search team investigated the entire battleground. No bodies were found in the wreckage. Eye witnesses say two individuals were in a heated fight, but none were found."

Cade gritted his teeth. "That must mean it has something to do with Liam and Julian…"

"How can that Machamp even compete on even grounds with Liam?" Peregrine muttered.

"More importantly…" Lewis stood up and glared. "Where the hell did they go?"

"Kidnappers are a viable possibility," Abraham suggested.

"Then let's go beat the shit out of those kidnappers!" Peregrine shouted.

Gracelyn pushed the steel duck down as he flew up. "Perry, we don't know if they were kidnapped." She looked to the ghost computer. "Codex, what else ca you tell us?"

Codex shook his head. "I only know as much as these news outlets allow me. This is all I can provide."

Peregrine glared. "There's still that little jumping bean, Vivi. If this does have any connection to recent events, she may know something."

"But she's missing as well," Cade reminded. "No one's been able to find her."

"I almost feel partially responsible," Codex brought up. "She managed to evade my own detection before slipping away…however, I have noticed a sudden lack of the Hitmonlee-Typhlosion known as Eddie."

"Vivi's guardian…" Lewis mumbled. "Where the hell is he?"

* * *

"RAWR!" Vivi slammed her head into the office door for the…umpteenth time. She lost count after twenty or thirty. She has tried a myriad of times to break open the door, but her skull was simply not strong enough. How long has she been at this? Many some hours, she couldn't quiet remember. She panted with exhaustion, but it didn't deter her from throwing herself into their escape again.

Brea was laying on her side. Having nothing better to do, she has been trying to fall asleep for the last few hours. Impossible to do with rope snugly wrapped around her…and Vivi's constant growling. She groaned and glanced over at the archer. "Kid…give it a rest. We're locked in."

"Not…YET!" She threw herself with more force and slammed her head into the door. Her body jolted, then she fell back with a huge red mark on her forehead. "Ow, ow, ow, ow…"

Brea sat up and shook her head. "It's useless. We'll be stuck in here until someone comes to check the office." She sighed. "Though, by then, I'll probably have been turned into a Musharna-Beautifly or something."

"I'm not quitting!" Vivi exclaimed. "There's always a way out of danger! I've toughed the toughest of toughs and the bravest of braves!"

"Have you EVER taken a basic English class?"

"I have done things many Fusion would be jealous of! If I can survive in the wilderness on my own and rescue an ancient Fusion from the military, I can escape from an office building!"

"What was about the military?"

"Very long story!" She banged her head against the door once more, aggravating her injured forehead.

Brea groaned. Not that she was the best company in the world, but she would rather not see the archer injure herself. She was probably five hits away from a self-induced concussion. "Kid, just stop, now," she demanded firmly. "We can't do anything like this."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" Vivi shouted, angrily flailing her feet. "Not while Data is out there scheming a scheming scheme!"

"Read a thesaurus or something, please…" Brea rolled her eyes. "Even then, we have no way of contacting anyone like this."

Vivi pouted, then glanced over at Julian's desk. When she saw the computer, a lightbulb dinged in her head. "Wait…did that Cacturne ever turn off Julian's computer?"

"I don't think so…"

"It must be still logged into his email!" She fell over and squirmed over to Brea.

"And your point?"

Vivi sat herself in front of Brea and turned her back to her. "Quick! Bend down and pull out one of my quills with your teeth!"

"Pardon?!"

"Hurry!"

"I am not putting one of your quills in my…!" Brea paused to take a deep breath, then groaned in defeat. "This is so demeaning…" She bent over and leaned her head to the bottom of the archer's cloak. She snagged a quill and plucked it out. "Ugh…you better have showered before you came here."

Vivi took the quill in her mouth and squirmed towards Julian's desk. With great difficulty, she plopped herself into his chair and straightened herself up. She maneuvered the mouse with her chin, pulling the device out of sleep mode, and opened a new email. After that, she flipped onto her back and held the quill between her soles.

Brea raised her brow and squirmed over, able to see the archer typing out a message with the arrow quill. And she did it with surprising ease. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"This is not the first time I've been tied up, believe it or not." Vivi rolled her eyes. "My brother was a REAL prick. So, I passed the time by messing with a typewriter."

"Your family still owned a typewriter?"

"It was an antique."

"Right…well, what are you doing?"

"Sending a message to Codex. I have his email address. He should get the idea with our secret codeword. I just need to tell him where I am and what's going on. And fast! The countdown timer's an hour away from reaching zero!"

"What?!"

"Yeah, so I need to make this quick!" She bit her lip worriedly. "I have a feeling something REAL bad is about to happen…"

* * *

With their usual guard duty out of order, some of the Fusions had to take turns keeping watch despite not being part of guard duty. One such Fusion was Artemis, who had to share a shift with Shane. She wasn't happy with sitting on her rear and staring at nothing. Tamara would've done it, but she was forced to take a break due to all she did during the initial attack. Juniper had to sit out because of her possible emotional state. All the other guards were either injured or taking later shifts.

She inhaled, then exhaled with a deep groan. "This. Is. So. BORING!" She threw her feelers up, "This is boring! I'm so bored!"

"I'm getting the impression you're bored." She deadpanned as Shane bounced up to her with two glasses of water. "You've got me to keep you company, at least."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Yippee…" No offense to Shane, by any means, but they barely hung out. She took the water from him. "Thanks…" She downed the drink in one gulp.

Shane sat down beside her. "Trust me, I've heard from some of the other guards that it can get boring if you don't have a way to pass the time. Some just bring games or puzzle books."

"Don't have any of those…anymore."

"Err…twenty questions?"

"…Sure."

Shane grinned. "Okay, great!" He tapped his chin. "Hmm…okay, I got it. Go!"

"Is it a living thing?"

"No."

"Does it use knives?"

"Uh…no?"

"Is it something that is now broken in the village?"

"Err…I suppose so."

"Is it a TV?"

"Um…wow, yes, actually."

Artemis sighed with a tired smile. "You're bored, too, aren't you?"

He nodded sheepishly. "When I can't sleep, I just watch TV until I start nodding off."

"Condolences." She scratched her cheek. "Alright, my turn." She thought it over. "Okay, I'm ready."

"Is it Quinn?"

Artemis laughed. "You are not the first person to start with that. Also, no, it isn't. Keep going."

"…"

"…Shane? You, uh…going to ask something?" She looked at the luck ghost and saw him staring off into space. An all too familiar look. "Ugh, really?!" She waved her paw in front of his face. "Legend's sake, you're doing that weird 'bad luck sensing' thing again!"

* * *

Lewis walked back and forth, trying to piece together the puzzling situation. "What I can't wrap my head around is the purpose of the Rogues. Why go through the trouble of attacking us when it only succeeded in them getting captured?"

"We still don't know if the two events are connected," Cade reminded. "Though, with the manner they behaved in, it seems similar to the recent Fusion attacks."

Lewis glared. "Actually…you might be on to something, Cade. All the Fusion attacks around the world are seemingly…irrational."

Peregrine grunted. "That only adds more confusion onto the pile. Why cause all this trouble just to destroy our livelihood?"

Codex tapped his chin. "Could be an underlying strategy that we are not seeing. This attack seemed all too…well-timed with the recent occurrences we have gone through."

"What strategy, though?" Abraham asked.

"I am unsure, but…" Codex's eyes lit up suddenly. "Oh! I appear to be receiving an email from…Julian Roteman."

Cade raised his brow. "Julian? But…didn't we establish he was missing?"

Lewis glared. "Codex, open the email."

Codex opened his personal email and looked the message over. "Huh…hmm…I see…" He looked to the council. "This is not from Mr. Roteman. It is from Vivi."

"Vivi?!" the council exclaimed.

"There is the codeword 'Bubble-Trouble,' which she asked me to record in case of an emergency."

Peregrine blinked, then groaned. "Ugh…yep, that sounds like something the kid would write…"

"But, why is she on Julian's email?" Gracelyn questioned.

"That is the least of our concerns," Codex said as he projected the email on the ground. Their eyes widened at the message. "I am afraid Vivi has discovered some crucial information."

* * *

Artemis snapped her digits in front of Shane's face, growing annoyed with the silence. "Shane, if you don't wake up, I'm going to get cranky." Her ears twitched from a sudden noise coming towards them. "Huh?" She turned around and saw something coming out of the darkness. She glared. "Hey! Identify yourself!"

To her surprise, it was a Carnivine…wearing a police cap. He walked towards the village with his head low. Artemis eased up, though she had this uncomfortable chill at the back of her neck.

"Um…" She darted her eyes. "Everything alright, officer?"

The Carnivine lifted his head a bit, then smirked darkly. "Oh yes…everything is just…fine." He reached behind his back and, to Artemis' horror, pulled out a Sharpedo shaped gun, aiming it at her.

Artemis stepped back. "Wait, isn't that a…?" She froze at the chorus of laughter sounding from within the forest. All bone-chilling and conniving.

Her eyes widened when the Carnivine lifted his head and revealed his red eyes. Soon, the entire forest behind him lit up with those same red eyes, all coming from officers stepping out into view. They were all holding various Fusion weapons. She cautiously wrapped her feelers around the entranced Shane.

Soon, some officers parted and let another figure through, this time a Fusion. Artemis gasped at the sight of the Hypno-Malamar taking the lead. He held up his pendulum, swinging it teasingly at her. He caught it in his palm, then, with a wicked smirk, snapped his fingers.

Artemis immediately shoved Shane to the ground as the officers opened fire on the village. Impact with the ground caused Shane to snap from his trance and gasp at the mayhem taking place.

"We're under attack!" Shane shouted.

"Move it, Bouncing Boy!" She shoved him before running to the village, deflecting blasts with her feelers. She flinched as some of the shots left lingering burns on her poor extensions.

As they ran, Rewan laughed through his puppets while he just continued to smirk. The Carnivine officer matched his smirk and pulled out a radio. "Syndony, we got their attention. Trap them."

The whole village was immediately alerted to the new attack coming down on their village. Their wandered to the air and saw a blue dome washing over the sky, entrapping them inside the forest and village.

Juniper and Wash stared at the sky in horror, with Juniper shouting, "Now what?!"

Tamara ran to Artemis and Shane as they got to cover behind some debris. "What's going on?!"

"A series of unfortunate events!" Artemis screamed.

The mind-controlled police force advanced on the village, blasting at everything that remained standing. The charge was led by Rewan, while the heads of the Fusion Renegades (as they call themselves) advanced alongside him. Gideon oversaw things from the air. Syndony and Alasdair joined by Rewan's sides while Cruella rode atop of Alasdair's head. Joining the Fusion Renegade was the other formerly imprisoned Fusions, walking alongside the police.

Gideon grinned darkly. "We're corralling them into the village. There's no escape."

Syndony licked her lips. "Good. Let the show begin."

The council ran to the front of their cowering villagers and took a stand as the approaching army stopped before them. Lewis unsheathed his seamitars and held them up with a glare. "Identify yourselves."

Syndony held her paw to her lips and chuckled quietly. "I was hoping there'd be some resistance from this quiet little village."

Tamara glared and jumped to the council's side. "He said identify yourselves, villains!"

"Villains?" Cruella repeated. She grinned evilly. "Ooh~! Kekekekeke! We're villains, guys! Awesome!"

Alasdair glared at them. "On behalf of the world and the peace, we are the ones who will restore order to the Fusion world."

Cade's left eye and arms lit up as he growled intimidatingly. "You are to leave the premises immediately or else."

Gideon narrowed his eyes. "The Fusion Council…remarkably strong Fusions. Would be unwise to take them on all on our own." He smirked. "But how far are you willing to go when your own police force is being used against you?"

Peregrine waved his leek at them. "Enough of your riddles! What are your intentions?! Why have you come here?! Are you in league with the Rogues?!"

Syndony let out a haughty laugh. "The Rogues? I suppose so, but they were hardly important." As she talked, York and Casey made their way towards the front of the crowd. "They were nothing more than fodder for the real threats. A small sacrifice for the bigger picture."

York stared at them with wide eyes, then clenched his teeth together tightly. "You…!"

Gracelyn, showing a rare sign of anger, raised her fist at them. "You are responsible for the Rogue attack?"

Syndony smirked evilly. "And we will be your end."

Tamara set her fists ablaze in Aerial Ace's energy. "You think we'll let you destroy more of our home?! You've picked the wrong night to test our patience! You want a fight, you'll face the wrath of our justice!"

Syndony set her eyes on her with a devious glint. "Ooh…I like you."

Gideon showed off his green eyes with a light smirk. "Your defeat is inevitable." He glared ominously. "But please…feel free to struggle. It'll make your tears all the sweeter."

The village bared their teeth, as hundreds of evil eyes were set on them and only them. Even if there was some hesitance among the village, they raised their fists to the best of their ability. The council remained confident, as they were the last line of hope left in the village. With what little energy they all had left…

They'll use it to defend what remains of their home.


	57. The Fall of Gappei Village

There has never been a more appropriate time where saying 'It can't get any worse than this' will indeed jinx everyone.

Just when they thought the worst was behind them, all of Gappei Village went up in flames, figuratively and literally. Everyone was running away in a blind panic as the sudden army of Fusions and mind-controlled police officers converged on their destroyed village. The Fusion Renegades, as they are all called, fired on the village with their attacks while the armed officers fired with their new Fusion Arsenals.

With everyone so weak from the previous fight, many couldn't put up a decent fight. The village, however, wasn't completely defenseless as some of their bravest sacrificed their personal health to fight hard and protect the weak. Tamara went in, fists flying, kicked down any enemy in her sights. Chris charged through dozens of officers with a barrage of punches. Emily went wild speeding through them and withering their stamina down with various attacks.

Hawkins crossed his Leaf Blades and blocked a strike from an Alolan Marowak-Cubchoo. "Psychic!" His eyes erupted with light, pushing the Fusion away in the air. Hawkins flicked his finger downward and smashed him head first into the dirt, then flung him into a group of officers.

Asadi was by his side, immobilizing a group of Fusions with Ice Beam. She shrieked as the officers forced their way up off the ground, like they weren't just beaten down and injured. "We hardly slowed the police down!"

Hawkins crossed his blades. "This is bad…must have something to do with that hypnosis Fusion." He darted his eyes around quickly. "Shit, where are the kids?!"

"They're still with Dakota!" Asadi struck down multiple Fusions with Electro Ball.

Hawkins slashed three officers down, growling with worry. "Shit, shit! Dakota better wake up and protect them, I swear!"

Asadi used Feint Attack and got behind a Mamoswine. "Go to them! I've got this covered!" She kicked the mammoth away.

Hawkins blasted back several Fusions and officers with Psychic. "Don't have to tell me twice!" He turned and dashed off to find Dakota and the kids.

Meanwhile, Wash was dodging several attacks flying at him, including a missile launcher firing Spearow shaped missiles. He fired them down with a round of Shadow Balls, then pulled out his Cut blades as he became surrounded.

' _ **Dammit, you shitty frog! Let me out! There's no way you can beat all of them without going all out!'**_

' _Shut up! I can handle this!'_

Wash felt a hypnotized Hariyama behind him, who wore some sort of battle gloves. He pulled his fist up, ready to squash the ghost frog like a bug. He threw the fist, but something fast came at him and deflected his punch right into his face, then was furiously jabbed in the gut and punched away.

Wash didn't need to turn around to tell who it was. He raised his blades. "You and me, huh?"

Juniper grinned and got into her stance. "Yep! I've got your back!" She pressed her back up to his. "How you holding up?"

"Groggy, but I'll manage. You?"

"Heh, like I'm not used to fighting with deprived energy."

Wash closed his eyes and smirked. "You hardly use any."

"Got me there." She glared ahead. "Trying to keep good ol' Barbo under control?"

"Yes, but he's making it increasingly difficult. He's been anxious to fight ever since the Rogues showed up." He grunted. "Any more agitation and I might not be able to hold him back…"

Juniper chuckled. "Eh, just stick with me and we can take these guys."

"Kekekekeke! In that case, I may have to keep my eye on you!" They looked up and saw Cruella staring down at them, floating on her stomach. She smirked wickedly at them. "Hello~!"

Wash glared. "She was at the front of the army."

Juniper held his fists up. "So, she's one of the leaders."

Cruella laughed out loud. "You say that, but my companions think I have too many screws loose to be an effective leader!" She held her cheek and snickered. "But I do enjoy me some fighting!" She floated down and swirled her hands in red and pink flames. "So, pardon the intrusion…but I can't have nuisances getting in the way. Mystical Fire!" She fired a vortex of flames.

Wash and Juniper jumped out of the way and sprinted straight at her. Juniper threw an Ice Punch, but Cruella teleported out of the way. Juniper gasped as she was blasted in the back with Psybeam.

Wash appeared behind Cruella with Aerial Ace, but the tricky witch teleported once again. He felt her appear behind him, snickering. "Bye-Bye!" She spun and assaulted him with Magical Leaf. Wash cried out in pain and slammed into Juniper.

Wash grabbed her and spun his body around, taking the full hit of the impact with a collapsed hut. Juniper picked herself up and held her head, then looked down at Wash with concern. "Wash?" She shook him lightly. "Wake up. Wash?"

Cruella laughed and floated in the air. "Fun, fun, FUN! Let's make a bonfire! Mystical Fire!" She fired down on them with the magical flames.

Juniper glared and readied to use Ice Punch, but Wash suddenly sprung up and pushed her away. He countered the flames with a massive Water Pulse, instantly canceling each other and covering the area in steam. Juniper covered her face against the steam, then looked at Wash with narrowed eyes.

Wash had his hood up, and she could see that his eyes were glowing purple. Barbatos finally had control.

He stretched his arms and growled. "Finally out. Let me show you how you get the job done, Washington." He walked through the steam.

Juniper glared cautiously at him. _'I better keep my eye on him.'_ She glared over at some other villagers who were being overwhelmed by sheer numbers. _'As Tamara would say, duty calls.'_ She dashed over to help.

Cruella watched her flee. _'Data warned us about that one.'_ She smirked at 'Wash' as he stepped out of the steam. "Got anymore of those petty tricks up your sleeve? I love to see you try~!"

Barbatos glared and rotated his arm, loosening it up. "Then you haven't met anyone like me, girly…"

Cruella's eyes shimmered. "Ooh! You're tough! Last tough guy I faced was my ex!" She activated Psybeam through her hand. "You look like a fun toy~! Let's play!"

Barbatos clenched his fists. "Gladly."

* * *

Ulysses pushed back against multiple Fusions with his Psychic, while Dakota was trying to keep the kids from running off in a panic. They cowered and cuddled up next to her with eyes wide in fear. Ulysses hesitantly punched a few officers away with Power-Up Punch!

"Sorry!" he shouted, hoping they don't remember any of this. He flapped his wings and blew them away with a Psychic wind. The heavier Fusion and the Dark-Types pushed through, with an officer firing with a Remoraid pistol. Ulysses cried out and fell to the ground, holding his wing.

Dakota gulped, then felt Winona and Poppy hugging her sides, with tears in their eyes. Dakota stared at them with empathy, then crouched down. "Everything's going to be alright…believe in your villagers." She glared and faced the approaching army. "No one's laying a finger on these kids!"

The officers drew closer and raised their weapons, fingers over the trigger. Dakota breathed icy breath in a hostile manner, ready to fight back to the best of her ability, when the officers were suddenly struck down by four flying Leaf Blades, controlled with Psychic.

"Hawkins!"

An Octillery with a sword tried to slash down their surprise attacker, but Hawkins leapt over him and cut him down instantly. A Dragonite officer with a pair of Skarmory armored wings and a Flygon with a large club slammed into him with their respective weapons. Hawkins gritted his teeth, canceling the force of their weapons. He had his Reflect up.

"Now, Leaf Storm." He flicked his fingers up and blew them away with the scattering of razor sharp leaves. "Ulysses!" Hawkins threw his hand out and bombarded the remaining officers and Fusions with Psychic, which Ulysses followed suit on. They were thrown in the air and disappeared over some rubble.

Dakota sighed in relief and dropped to her knees. Harper patted her side. "Ms. Dakota…"

Dakota looked at her and smiled weakly. "Just tired, sweetie…" She looked at Hawkins. "Thanks…"

Hawkins dispelled his Leaf Blades. "You can thank me after we get the children to safety. I shouldn't be spending the whole night saving you."

Dakota smiled dryly. "You know you like me…"

"Don't flatter yourself." He looked at the kids. "Now, all of you, do exactly as I say and we'll get out of…" His eyes widened. "Hold on…"

"What?" Dakota looked at the kids, then her eyes widened in fear. "Wait…WHERE'S WILLY?!"

"He must've ran off int the confusion!" Ulysses shirked.

"I only took my eyes off them for a second!" Dakota pulled on her dangles with tears filling her eyes. "WILLY!"

* * *

The rainbow dragon cried as he slid through the chaos. The noise scared him. Every explosion felt like a clap of thunder booming in his ears. All he wanted was to hideaway somewhere safe. He wanted to stay with the others, but he panicked and ran off without thinking.

"WANTANABE! HARPER! MS. DAKOTA!" he screamed. He whimpered in terror, then cried out, "SPAAAAAZ!"

He found himself at a dead end, cut off by some scattered debris. He shook, jiggling with fright, then went stone cold as footsteps came up from behind him. Hesitantly, he looked behind him, then his eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. Three officers, wielding Fusion Arsenals, stalked up to him with less than comforting faces.

A Mr. Mime (though, it was really Rewan) pulled on a glove that sparked with electricity. "End of the line, kid…"

Willy was petrified. His heart was racing with panic. He didn't know what to do but defend himself. "Stay away!" He fired Dragon Breath, but his lack of focus made him miss entirely. "PLEASE!" He fired again, only nicking the mime in the cheek. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The officer smirked. "Don't worry, kid…" He reached out to him. "This won't hurt a bit…"

Willy whimpered as the hand came closer. All out of options, all the dragon could do was inhale, with tears drizzling down his eyes, and cry a defenseless, "WAAAAAAAAAH!"

Suddenly, a massive Thunderbolt came down on the officers, who cried out in pain. Willy immediately ceased shrieking and stared at the lightning bolt with teary eyes, a slight quiver in his lip.

Stepping through the smoke of the knocked-out officers, Spaz came up to the cowering dragon, with a tight grip on his backpack. He smiled caringly at the dragon and crouched down, holding his hand out to him. "It's alright, Willy…I got you…"

Tears built up in Willy's eyes again. "Spaz…" He bit his lip, then bounced into the time mouse's arms and cried into his chest. "SPAAAAZ! IT WAS SO SCARY!"

Spaz rubbed his head and whispered softly to him, "You're safe, Willy…I won't let anyone hurt you…" He looked around at the battles going on and clenched his teeth. "Need to find Dakota and fast…" He set Willy down, then took off his backpack. "Quick, get in here. Be gentle with the folder inside."

Willy sniffled, then slid into the backpack. It was like a pile of oobleck sitting in a cup with how he fitted. Spaz slung the backpack back on, making sure it was opened enough for air, then raced off through the crowds.

' _Two attacks in one night? This is crazy.'_ Spaz ducked as an Incinerate flew over his head. _'We've been attacked enough. What do they want out of us now?'_ He clenched his teeth. _'May Tamara can help me get Willy to safety. If anything, I'd be a lot safer with her-'_

Spaz's eyes widened as someone flew over his head and slammed into a collapsed hut. He stopped and, along with Willy who peeked out, gasped at who it was.

"Tamara?!"

Tamara clenched her teeth, having hit her back upon impact in an uncomfortable way. She sat up and shook her head. "D-Dammit…!"

"Tamara!" Spaz ran over to her and grabbed her arm. "Are you okay?!" He froze at the sound of sinister laughter echoing behind him. He could feel from the shivering in his backpack that Willy was facing Tamara's opponent.

Cautiously, he turned his head and was approached by Syndony. The Liepard-Houndoom licked her lips as she strutted towards them confidently. "Now then…" Her red eye gleamed with an uncomfortable glow. "Look what I stumbled upon now."

Spaz gulped, but he couldn't look weak, not in front of Tamara and especially Willy. Taking a page out of the ninja cat's book, he faced Syndony and puffed his chest out, doing his best to look brave. "W-Well, aren't-you-a-sore-sight?" The involuntary fast talking probably didn't help. "What-are-you-supposed-to-be? A-demon-cat? Or-a-rejected-Saturday-morning-cartoon-villain?!"

Syndony flashed her pointed teeth at the shivering mouse. Her red eye gave off a shine that left an afterglow trail. It was freaky. "You know…big cats like me _eat_ little mice like you, right?"

Spaz's ears flopped. _'Shit…she called my bluff.'_

Tamara's eyes darted to Spaz's backpack and noticed Willy inside. She gritted her teeth. _'Willy…he must be terrified…'_ She glared and flipped to her feet, then pointed dramatically at Syndony. "Villain…I will not permit you to come any closer!"

Syndony licked her lips. "Villain, huh? What's so villainous about me?"

Tamara blinked, then gestured all over with a look of bafflement. "Have you _looked_ at yourself in a mirror?! Or ever hear your own voice for that matter?!"

Syndony closed her eyes and chuckled to herself. "A villain, huh? You've got your facts mixed up if you think what I'm doing is evil." She smirked. "And what are you supposed to be? The village hero?" She looked around. "I've got to say, you've done a fine job. Look at all the collateral damage left behind…and all the injured that can't defend themselves." She snickered behind her paw. " _Some_ hero…"

Tamara's gaze sharped, while her claws poked out from her digits. "What was that…?"

Syndony chuckled with a dark gaze. "Tell me, why has everything fallen under your watch, 'hero?'"

Spaz's eyes widened, then he quickly turned to Tamara. "Tamara, don't listen to-!"

Too late. With her pride and heroism being question, Tamara speedily dashed at the demonic leopard with her Night Slash. "You're going to regret those words!" She moved so fast, she nearly vanished.

Syndony laughed as her form faded into the air, with her red eye leaving and afterglow. "So predictable…"

Tamara slashed through the illusion with wide eyes. "Wha-?" She was suddenly struck in the cheek.

"Sucker Punch!" Syndony battered Tamara across the ground. Tamara caught herself on her hands, but she wasn't prepared for the Liepard Fusion's quickness. "And…Assurance." She struck Tamara in the gut, with her leg wrapped in a dark energy. It felt worse than the Sucker Punch. She was able to attack immediately after her Sucker Punch.

"Tamara!" Spaz shouted. He glared angrily at the Fusion Renegade. His cheeks sparked to match his mood. "Leave her alone!"

"Oh?" Syndony faced him and smirked. "And what are you going to do about it?"

"S-S-S-Spaz…" Willy quivered.

Spaz settled his angry gaze. "Hold on for just a little longer, buddy…Thunderbolt!" He blasted across the ground, pushing up dirt from the pressure.

Syndony laughed as the Thunderbolt passed right through her as she faded. "Speed is nothing against my stealth…"

Spaz stumbled back. "Double Team…"

"And now…" His ears perked up and his eyes shook as he felt hot breath whisper into his ear. And he means… _really_ hot breath. "Inferno."

With Willy's safety on the mind, Spaz quickly spun around to dodge, but couldn't fully escape the encompassing dark blue flames. He cried out as it caught his right arm, but he was able to keep Willy unharmed. He flipped off his good hand and landed beside Tamara, who picked herself up after using Recover.

Tamara picked herself up and growled. "Spaz…get Willy out of here."

"Oh, leaving so soon?" Their eyes widened as Double Team copies of the demonic leopard trapped them in a circle. They all smirked at the trapped duo. "We're just getting started. Come at me…wannabe hero."

* * *

The villagers were struggling to fight back, which made the invading army assume they had the upper hand. The sad truth of the matter is, they were a delicate stream compared to the raging typhoon that was the Fusion Council.

Using Razor Shell, Lewis dashed through a hoard of Fusions and flipped them into the air with a single slash of his seamitars. He dodged numerous Thunderbolts, Charge Beams, and Razor Leaves, then took down these Fusions with a flurry of Aura Spheres.

"Play time's over, Pops!" Lewis sensed a Gabite-Sharpedo flying at him with Dragon Rush.

Lewis, however, spun around and canceled it with his blade before glaring the Fusion in the eyes. "Counter."

He slashed his blade and redirected all the force of the attack back onto the Fusion, who cried out in pain. "GAH!" He managed to keep his footing and balance, but the slash marks on his chest stung like hell.

"Copycat." A draconian aura blazed around Lewis as the mental image of the Dragon Rush played through his mind. Suddenly, a cloak of draconian energy blazed around him, then he slashed the Fusion with the force to send him flying through dozens of trees.

Peregrine wasn't going all out and just simply bonked the Fusions and officers on the head like he was discipling them. Rather effective, because they were clutching their heads and rolling around in pain. He scowled. "I expected more from you fools. Someone needs to teach your manners." He glared as a second wave closed in on them. "They just don't give up."

Cade cracked his knuckles while his left eye blazed to life, as did his arms. "Spiral Wave!" He punched the air and fired a green and purple twister at the Fusions. They were shocked as it engulfed and, except the Normal-Types, drained them over their energy in a near instant. They dropped to the ground, utterly exhausted.

Abraham jumped from the trees using Feint Attack and delivered surprise strikes while their guard was down. "How do they keep getting back up like this? I'm certain we've taken out half these Fusions already."

Peregrine sneered as the officers rose. "And these guys are taking the pain pretty well."

Lewis crossed his seamitars. "The Hypno-Malamar's doing, no doubt. His Fusion Move must be suppressing their pain."

Peregrine blocked a punch from one of them. "Yeah, and stronger, too!" He pushed them back, then slapped them across the face. "If we take him out, there goes half their forces."

Lewis dodged a hypnotized Snorlax and kicked him across the face. "We should make sure everyone's getting out safely, but that damn barrier is still an issue."

"Let me worry about the barrier," Abraham stated. "The rest of you hold off these guys."

"That will not be happening." They glared and watched the army part, with Alasdair marching past them with a hard glare. "I…will be your opponent. Nothing will ruin our glorious plans."

Peregrine clutched his leek tightly. "Oh goodie, another fool who needs severe discipline."

Cade glared. "He was at the front with the Hypno Fusion. He must be one of the leaders."

Alasdair glared. "I shall eliminate the Fusion Council."

Peregrine smirked. "Buddy, you're asking for a death wish."

"Hold on." The council turned to Gracelyn, who cracked her knuckles. "This particular Fusion may require a delicate approach." She glared at her fellow councilmen. "Worry about the villagers and that barrier. Allow me to divert this one's attention."

Abraham nodded. "A wise move. Move out!" He dashed off into the forest.

The others turned and ran, with Lewis shouting, "Try to go easy on him! We don't want him dead!"

Gracelyn stretched her arms. "Of course."

Alasdair raised his brow. "Just one? I am insulted."

"Then let us not waste time." True to her word, she got in close quickly, deceptive for her size. "Brutal Swing!" She swung her arm into him and pushed him back.

He dragged his feet into the ground and halted himself. Only a scratch was left against his hard head. "What? That is it?" He stomped his foot down, shaking the ground. "I am the ultimate in offensive and defensive power! My potential knows no bounds!" He glared virulently. "If you cannot promise me stimulation in this battle, I will tear this entire village to the ground."

Gracelyn glared calmly. _'With the sudden vicissitude of actions we've experienced tonight, I cannot afford to bring more harm to the villagers. Whatever these boorish Fusions have brought for an attack, I must end it quickly.'_

"My apologies, dearie. Allow me to correct my insensitivity." She rushed him again, this time with the intention to really hurt him. "Hammer Arm." With her arm blazing in a white aura, she swung it down on top of him.

However, that's what Alasdair wanted. Spreading his legs out, he shouted, "Counter Boost!"

With contact, Gracelyn was thrown back by a sudden wave of pressure. Fortunately, her vast strength allowed her to resist it with ease. She glared suspiciously as Alasdair seemed to be powering up under the bursting cloak of blue aura.

As the aura blazed, he explained, "Counter Boost…my special Fusion Move. I nullify all damage delivered to me, then boost my power. First all attack power until it has reached its limit, then defensive, then speed…before I become…perfect." He glared at her. "No one has been able to defeat me once I reach full perfection. It makes the likes of a Fusion Mode utterly pointless for the likes of me."

Gracelyn, not at all worried, narrowed her eyes in intrigue. "Fusion Moves these days just seem to get more creative and more dangerous, don't they?"

Alasdair huffed in annoyance. "Spare the small talk. My perfection cannot be matched!"

Gracelyn tilted her head, showing a neutral gaze that was unnerving for the likes of her. "Then show me this offensive power you so possess."

Accepting her challenge, Alasdair charged right for her. "Zen Headbutt!" He kicked off his back legs while his head vibrated with the psychic energy.

Gracelyn pulled her arm back. "Hammer Arm."

They collided attacks and demonstrated their raw strength. The sheer force of their might shattered the ground and forced the trees to bend back. It almost seemed even, but Gracelyn broke the power tie effortlessly and flung the 'perfect' Fusion backwards.

Alasdair growled. _'I have not achieved my ultimate form yet! I must become stronger!'_ He landed and rushed her again. "Iron Head!"

Gracelyn surprised him by clapping the air, which not only stunned him, but sent him flying backwards _again_ due to the shockwave. _'He's attacking me head on because he knows I won't fall for his Counter Boost again. He might get me when I least expect it.'_ She glared, then pulled her arm back. _'Unfortunately for him, I'm a patient doctor.'_

She breathed in and started channeling power into her arm. A flow of yellow energy collected around her fist. As time passed, the muscle in the arm began to expand.

Alasdair shook his head and glared. "I do not know what you are doing, but I will not allow it!" He charged at her again. "Zen Headbutt!" His head vibrated with psychic energy.

Gracelyn narrowed her eyes. "Regardless of how powerful you boast to be, your Counter Boost is utterly useless if it can be predicted." She lunged at Alasdair. "For as perfect as you claim to be, you can't seem to use that move simultaneously with your others.

Alasdair canceled Zen Headbutt. "Counter-!"

"And there is a window of time where the shift from moves is exploitable, leaving you defenseless." She ground her foot forward and swung her fist. "Megaton Punch!"

She met the Fusion's skull and, to his utter shock, overpowered him with a swift blow. It sent him flying straight in the air, possibly breaking the sound barrier. He wasn't sure how high he flew in the air, but he knew as he began to fall, it would be a rough landing.

Alasdair braced himself and crashed into the ground, uprooting trees and earth in the violent shakes. His legs barely withstood the impact of the landing and he was shaking from the shock of his survival.

His eyes widened as he felt a crack in his hard skull. _'Sh-Shit…'_ He glared straight at the doctor, who waved her aching hand.

She glanced at him, like she just batted a ping pong ball with her hand. "I think you've met your match, dearie."

Alasdair glared, refusing to accept this woman was stronger than him. "…Then let us continue."

* * *

Meanwhile, with all the action going on, Vivi and Brea were still being held prisoner inside Julian's office. Though, with the countdown closing in on zero, Vivi was getting anxious.

"The village is in danger…I can FEEL it…" the archer stated.

"And that timer will be reaching zero soon," Brea mumbled. "Whatever the hell it's for."

Vivi sat up. "Ugh! Now I know they're in danger! Codex should've informed the village I'm being held prisoner by now! Why isn't the cavalry here yet?!" she whined.

Brea groaned and sat up. "Keep your voice down. It's like listening to forks scratching plates…" Vivi pouted at her. "The fact of the matter is that something's holding your friends up. We can't expect help to arrive anytime soon."

Just then, they heard feet hurriedly running from outside the office. They exchanged confused, yet hopeful looks at each other, then gasped as the doors were suddenly knocked off their hinges…and rather violently, at that!

Landing in the room, with his feet ablaze, was Eddie. A fire was burning from his back with a cool sway to it, like watching a hero come to the rescue at the last second. He glared straight at Vivi. "You…are the worst, kid."

Vivi grinned brightly. "Eddie! You came to save me!"

"I'm right here, you know…" Brea grumbled. "Just get us untied!"

Eddie ran over and started undoing the rope. "Everyone's going to be relieved once they find you."

Vivi's eyes widened. "Wait, when did you leave?"

"Some time ago, why?"

"You mean Codex didn't send you?!"

"No, I found out where you were on my own…" He looked up at the computer and squinted. "What's with the countdown going on?"

Vivi gulped. "Eddie…" He looked at her, noting her concern. "…I think everyone might be in danger."

* * *

Ren was in heated conflict with a Togetic-Doublade. He used his Cut blades to counter her swords. For the most part, they were evenly matched, though Ren was still exhausted from the long night. He already managed to take down a number of officers and Fusions, though they kept getting up after a while with most of their stamina regained.

The Togetic Fusion fluttered her wings and leapt over Ren. "Fury Cutter!"

Ren tried to block, but her attacks managed to pierce through his guard with no effort. He clenched his teeth. "No Guard…" He stumbled back, leading her to attack while he was off guard. However, he took his shield and flung it at her. "Fling!" It bashed her across the face, side effect of No Guard's perfect accuracy, then Ren slammed his elbow against her chest. "Water Pulse!" He blasted her away, exploding her in water.

Rebecca was nearby, taking out multiple baddies with her Close Combat. One tried to grab her, but she knocked them away with a slap to the face, with the added force of Aura Sphere. She jumped over a sandwiching tackle between two officers and slammed her foot down on them with Flame Charge.

The aura fox flipped backwards and landed beside Ren. "There's too many of them…" She saw a Nidoking-Skarmory flying at them. She caught him by the wing, gripping to it tightly. "I can't hold out for…much longer…"

The Fusion was blasted away by a Dark Pulse. Quinn was keeping watch from the air, firing Dark Pulses every so often. His eyes were constantly shifting with activity. "With our numbers dropping, the council's our only saving grace."

Ren took out his sword and slashed down three Fusions with Sacred Sword. "This'll just be a repeat of earlier last night!"

"Oh no…it'll be much worse." Shocked by the voice, they looked around vigilantly. That's what Quinn felt the sudden appearance of the teleporting Fusion, Gideon, behind him. He had his floating arms crossed over his chest, smiling cockily. "Don't think all high and mighty of yourselves, villagers…we have initiated our real plan yet."

Quinn turned around and glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Gideon smirked. "You're just pests that need to be sent away. If I were you, I'd watch your backs. You won't even see it coming."

Quinn blasted him with Dark Pulse, but he teleported away in time. The nightmare lizard clenched his fist. "Portentous threat…"

"What was he talking about?" Rebecca asked.

"Nothing good, unfortunately…" Red quivered.

Quinn narrowed his eyes. _'They sent the Rogues to weaken our defenses. We weren't allowed enough time to full recover. Do they plan on eliminating us one by one? Something about that comment he made…why specifically did he say 'sent away?''_

Suddenly, he heard a violent brawl take place that blew past Ren and Rebecca, startling the two. Quinn watched the brawl as the two fighters were moving at high speeds. Or…rather, one of them was moving at such speeds while the other was being pummeled at those speeds.

Quinn glared. _'Barbatos…'_

* * *

With full control over Wash's body, Barbatos was able to cut loose against Cruella. The witch was using quick fire attacks to sponge the damage of his strikes, as she wasn't all that good as a physical fighter. Barbatos went for the Shadow Ball, but Cruella managed to teleport out of his sight.

The ghost frog stopped and glared all over the place. "Fight me like a Fusion, you coward!"

"Dear froggy…" He looked up, then immediately used Cut to slashed apart a bombardment of Magical Leaves from the air. Cruella laughed, hovering above him. "A capricious, little firecracker such as yourself shouldn't throw around such nasty words. You might hurt my feelings~!"

Barbatos jumped and used Aerial Ace. "I'll gladly break your bones instead!"

Cruella teleported and appeared on the ground, preparing to fire Psybeam, but Juniper popped up behind her and struck her with Ice Punch, right in the shoulder. Cruella skidded back on her feet, with part of her arm encased in ice. She glared at the sleepy panda as she bounced on her feet, giggling. "Hehe…I'm light as a feather!"

Cruella's wicked smirk returned. "Aww, you two watch each other's backs like a cute couple!" She fired Psybeam at her, which she naturally dodged with simple movements. "I'm _sssooo_ jealous~!" Her gaze turned dark. "Kekekekeke…but such feelings are so _FUN_ to twist!"

Juniper dodged another Psybeam and got right up in her face, readying Sucker Punch. "You're hundreds of years away from ever matching me." She punched Cruella, but she teleported before it could do serious harm. Juniper glared ahead and saw numerous villagers getting crowded by invading Fusions. "Barbatos, you handle her! I got this!" She ran to save the villagers.

"I don't need your permission!" Barbatos sprinted around looking for the witch. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Aww, don't be mean, nasty little frog!" Barbatos dodged a surprise Psybeam, with Cruella levitating in the air. "We can have so much fun fighting until our last breaths!" She tilted her head with an unnerving smirk. "So proud…so strong…so pitiful."

Barbatos formed Water Pulse and Shadow Ball. "Who asked you?!" He threw the attacks at her in rapid succession.

Cruella speedily avoided them while laughing. "Man, you're so easy to piss off! I wonder how far I can push you!"

Barbatos growled. "Will-o-Wisp!" He fired the ghostly flames at her.

Cruella wagged her finger. "Ah, ah, ah! Magic Coat~!" Her body glowed in a mystical aura and bounced the Will-o-Wisp back at Barbatos. He quickly used Cut and blocked the reflected flames. However, when he lowered the blades, Cruella was right up in his face, channeling red and pink energy through her hand. "Gotcha!" She fired.

At the last possible second, however, Barbatos was able to dodge it. However, the beam headed straight through the crowds and scored a new target. With Juniper keeping her focus on so many goons, she was unable to dodge the beam from striking her.

"GAH!" she shrieked on reflex. However, despite stumbling from the blast, it…didn't seem to do anything to her. She patted herself and saw she was perfectly fine. "What the…?" However, she couldn't stay on the subject as more Fusions came up at them. She turned to the Komola-Musharna she was defending. "Run to cover! Hurry!"

She gulped and nodded. "Yes ma'am!" Her pink mist self retreated back into her body before rolling away from the danger.

Barbatos didn't really care about Juniper, seeing that she was fine. He focused solely on putting a stop to Cruella. "Are you afraid that I'll beat you to a pulp?!" He jumped across wooden beams that were still erect and tried to hit her with Aerial Ace. "Playing your little tricks won't save you!"

Cruella laughed as she teleported to safety again. "All tough and angry, are we?" She fired Psybeam down on him, which he blocked with Shadow Sneak. "You think throwing your little tantrums will save you, froggy?" She smirked. "Face it, you're just some guy lashing out in anger. You have no control of your emotions, especially your anger! I have perfect control of my emotions! My therapist said I was crazy! That I was unstable" She threw her head back and laughed. "Who's crazy now, Gladys?!"

Barbatos spammed Shadow Ball at her. "I'll erase you from existence!"

Cruella teleported again. "Aww! Not interested in playing a game?!"

"I've had enough with your childish antics!" He raced at her with Aerial Ace, but she disappeared again.

"Looks like I hurt the little froggy's feelings~!" Her irritating laugh was echoing all around from her rapid teleporting. "How sad...how truly pathetic you are...all that pent-up rage and you think you stand above everyone. Can't you see you've already lost?"

However, much to Cruella's surprise, Barbatos managed to speed up behind her while she gloated. He pulled back his Aerial Ace charged punch. "I told you, I'm not playing your stupid games! Now die!"

He didn't show remorse as he struck. Cruella instinctively flew back when she saw the punch coming, but it was too swift. Not giving a damn, Barbatos struck her in the leg. Hard. He had every intention to break every bone in her body just for pissing him off. And he was going to enjoy laughing at her misery as she whimpers in pain and cries for mercy.

So then…why was she laughing?

Barbatos glared suspiciously as his punch was clearly pressing with all its might into her leg, but she didn't seem the least bit fazed. She smirked evilly. "Too bad…you've already taken your turn."

"AAAAHHHH!"

Barbatos' eyes widened. With the brief seconds he was in the air, his eyes darted over to Juniper, who was hopping on her left foot while cradling her right leg. To his horror, it looked bruised. Severely bruised. Like it was broken.

Cruella grinned. "Ooh~! That's some domestic abuse there~! Shame on you~!"

"Jun…iper…" It wasn't just Barbatos speaking. Wash's voice was mixed in with his. The purple glow in his left eye faded. His voice was cracking. "You…You…!"

Cruella teleported above and readied Magical Leaf. "Let me put you out of your misery!"

Suddenly, Wash's hand clutched her wrist and she was flung straight into the ground, hard enough for her to sink through. She coughed from the dust and tried to get up, but Wash struck down on her abdomen with Aerial Ace, cracking the ground.

She cracked her eyes open and saw the furious scowl in the ghost frog's face. His right eye was back to normal now, but his left one was blazing with that spooky purple glow, projecting from the eye in fiery wisps.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Wash screamed in vehement rage. His entire aura could be felt giving off a vengeful aura.

Cruella blinked, then smirked, despite being in great pain. "Never knew you'd get this pugnacious…but that's to be expect-GAK!" Wash clutched her by the throat and shoved her deeper into the ground.

"I'm going to make you _suffer_ for hurting her!" A tear slid down Wash's face through his angry demeanor.

Cruella wasn't deterred. She was ecstatic, in fact. "Yes, yes, let all that anger out!" She grinned wickedly. "You'll only be doing me a favor."

Wash glared over his shoulder and saw Juniper was suffering quite a bit. She was fighting hard, but her injured leg left her susceptible to attack. She took a Fire Punch to the stomach, throwing her onto her back. She landed on her injured leg, making her shriek in pain.

Cruella absolutely enjoyed the misery on Wash's face. "We figured she'd be a troublesome one to deal with, so we had to make precautions." She smirked. "Spell of Desire~!"

Wash glared at her. " _What?_ "

"That's my Fusion Move. I transfer all my pain into another. I intended to blast originally, but plans changed. How fortunate was I…and unfortunate for you that I managed to strike your precious girlfriend!" She smirked. "All attacks, whether they be moves or just normal punches, won't do anything to me for about three minutes, though I had to learn Magic Coat because it doesn't reflect Status moves. Quite a pain, in fact."

"You…!" Wash resisted the urge to punch her.

"She's a good fighter…but I wonder how long she can handle herself until the effect wears off." Cruella threw her head back and laughed. Laughed the hardest she has in a while. A shrieking cackle that could bring nightmares to children.

"Grr…RAWR!" Wash slammed his hands down on her and engulfed her in Will-o-Wisp, which she didn't bother to reflect. He turned and ran to help Juniper while the witch laughed in madness and pain.

Over with Juniper, she was on the ground, trying to comfort her throbbing leg as the Fusions and officers closed in on her. She gritted her teeth into a tense smile. "Heh…come on, jerks…I can take you…"

They readied for the attack, but Wash swung in and beat the shit out of them, exhausting all his pent up frustration onto them. He'll regret this later since he is also harming police officers who are doing this against their will, but right now, he just need to protect Juniper.

With little resistance put up, they crumbled under their sudden injuries and collapsed to the ground. Wash panted and held his knees. The blaze in his eye died out, thought his left eye seemed to be a shade of purple now.

He breathed out, then turned to Juniper with a guilty look. "Jun…" He helped her up, mindful of her injury. "I…I'm so…sorry…" His eyes welled with tears. "If I knew she did that, he…I…wouldn't have…"

Juniper closed her eyes and laughed weakly. "So, that's what that beam did…isn't that funny?"

Wash gritted his teeth. She was in clear pain, but she could work up a smile and laugh. "You're…laughing?"

"Masks the pain, you know."

Wash narrowed his eyes, then helped her onto his back. "We need to get you to someone, now!"

"Wash, I'm fine, don't…" She clenched her teeth as her leg acted up again. "Ow…ow…" A few tears dripped from her eyes.

It broke Wash's heart to see her like this. He looked ahead, eyes clenched shut. _'She said it transfers her pain to Juniper…I…I did this to her…'_ He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts away, and ran through the chaos to find her medical help.

* * *

York ran through the fighting while dragging Casey along. With his injuries still healing, he wasn't moving at his normal speed. He wanted to stop and catch his breath, but Casey's safety was of top priority.

"York! Slow down!" Casey yelled, nearly tripping over her feet. "You need to rest!"

"No time to rest!" he retorted with heavy pants. "You need to leave!"

"I'm not leaving with you like this!"

"There's no time to-!" York stopped and ducked back as a tentacle swiped over his head. He slipped from his feet, but Casey caught him. York grimaced a bit, then glared. "Oh great…not you!"

Rewan walked up to them with his hands behind his back. His two tentacles were raised over his head. He casted a villainous smirk at the two. York and Casey backed up, with armored lizard putting a protective arm around Casey.

"Got nothing to say? Leave or else!"

"York, you're still recovering!" Casey warned.

"Can't worry about that now!" Rewan held his hand out and dangled his pendulum, swinging it in front of their faces. York gasped, then he covered his and Casey's eyes. "Casey, don't look!"

"No, he isn't-!"

York gasped as a Night Slash slashed across his shoulder, chipping his armor. He stumbled forward, then was grabbed around the neck. He pulled on the tentacle constricting around his throat while Rewan just stared at him with a cold stare and smile. He swung York around, then threw him into Casey. They crashed into a discarded sofa, thankfully.

"Ugh…" York gripped his aching shoulder. "Casey…run."

Casey shook her head. "No way! Not without you!" She pulled him up and got his other arm around her shoulder. She froze as Rewan stepped closer, spinning his pendulum casually. She growled with flames building up behind her clenched teeth. "If you hurt him again…I'll…"

Rewan smirked and raised his pendulum to hypnotized her for real this time. It swung back and forth and sent its hypnotic waves at her. Her eyes were wide and starting to lose focus. York growled and tried to extend his frills out.

"Cas…ey…"

Rewan raised his tentacles and powered them with Night Slash, snickering silently. He raised them over their heads when, out of nowhere, a barrage of Shadow Balls bombarded into his back.

The shock snapped Casey out of her light trance. "Wha-huh?! What hap-AAAHHH!" A large wooden hand wrapped around her and York and pulled them into the air. "Wha-What's going…on?" She looked forward and stared back at their savior, Bartleby. "…Um…hello?"

"…Friennnd…" Bartleby dropped them into the tree on his shoulder.

Casey blinked, keeping close to York. "York…"

He grunted. "Casey…meet Bartleby…"

Rewan shook the dust away, then glared up at the wooden golem. He rushed right for his legs and slashed them with Night Slash. They did nothing but irk Bartleby, who arched his leg back and kicked the hypnosis Fusion across the body. He slammed into some of his officer puppets.

"Wha…huh…" the officer groaned as they held their heads.

Rewan jumped up and tapped their heads with his tentacles, administering a red jolt that reengaged his control over them. The officers stood up, with one of them wearing a matching scowl to Rewan's. "There was no mention of a giant golem in this village. What the hell?"

Bartleby formed a cluster of Shadow Balls and threw them into the hypnosis Fusion. Rewan held his hand out and projected Protect, nullifying the damage. Bartleby turned and stomped off.

Casey sighed, then helped York up. "Hang on…" She dug through her jacket and pulled an Oran berry out. "A midnight snack, but I think you need it more."

York took it and munched it down. He gulped, then sighed. "Not much…but it'll have to do." He looked down. "Bartleby, make sure the others stay safe!"

"…Yesss…"

York glared around, then felt Casey tapping his shoulder. "York, that one Fusion's been giving me the creeps. What's he doing?"

York followed her claw and saw the Abra-Hoopa flying around, like he was observing the fight. "What the…?"

* * *

As the Fusions and officers approached on Dakota and the kids, Hawkins forced them back and reduced their numbers, but some of them kept getting back up. "There's just no end to them! Why won't they just accept defeat?!" Hawkins slashed down an Aloan Exeggutor-Reshiram, a Mawile, and a Shiftry-Venomoth.

Caleb then shouted, "Mr. Hawkins! Look!"

Hawkins glared up and saw an Aromatisse-Comfey nearby, releasing a green mist with sparkling pink dust. Hawkins growled as the scent seemed to be rejuvenating dozens of fallen Fusions and officers.

"A Fusion Move with an area of effect healing rate…" He gritted his teeth. "How annoying…no wonder they haven't dropped yet! She's bringing them back to full strength!"

Dakota was sweating profusely. "Then what chance do we have…?" She felt the kids coming closer to her.

"Ms. Dakota…I'm scared!" Winona squeaked.

"Me too!" Poppy cried.

Hawkins slashed the air and gave them some breathing room with Psychic. "Quit your sniveling! We'll get through this!" He glared. "I'm going after that pesky healer!"

"Now, you see…" Hawkins stopped and, along with Dakota and the kids, looked up and saw Gideon hanging over them with a raised brow. "I can't allow that to happen."

Hawkins glared and pointed his Leaf Blades at him. "Oh really? By all means, come down here and say it to my face. I look forward to making an example out of you. Your army is useless."

Gideon smirked. "Our intentions were to weaken you further until we could initiate our true intentions. Removing you from our sight."

"What…?" Dakota mumbled.

Gideon teleported to the ground and held his hand out. "Let _me_ make an example out of all of you." The golden ring around his wrist floated off. "I'll be sure to end this quickly for all our sakes." The ring expanded and channeled a swirling blue energy in the center.

Hawkins stepped back. "Some sort of attack…"

Dakota got in front of him. "It's like a Special Attack. I'll take care of it!"

Gideon's smirk grew. "Listen up! All of you!" Villagers, allies…anyone who heard him stopped their fighting and looked in his direction. "Observe your fates, Gappei Village! Let me show you just how easy it is to disrupt your precious bonds!" He opened his eyes. "Now…Translocation Beam!"

He fired a solid blue beam straight at Dakota, Hawkins, and the kids. Dakota glared, then threw her hands out. "Not a chance! Crystal Mirror!"

The beam struck her, allowing her to absorb it. At least…that was the plan, except one problem: it wasn't an attack.

Dakota and Hawkins gasped as the beam ignored her Fusion Move and engulfed them and the kids in the blue light. Hawkins crossed his arms over his face. "The hell?! What's going on?!" He looked at his arms and gasped. They were dematerializing into blue particles. "Dakota!"

Dakota gasped as her body was evaporating into nothing. "Wait! WHAT IS THIS?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Gideon showed his bare teeth into a grin. "Why…I'm getting rid of you."

Dakota fell over as her legs disappeared. "No…NO!" She looked to the kids as they huddled together and cried, evaporating like their teachers. Dakota looked through the beam and reached out to her friends. "PLEASE! SOMEONE! HEEEELLLLP!"

Everyone covered their eyes as the beam flashed brilliantly over them. When the light died down, they stared back with a look of horror. Dakota…Hawkins…all the children that were with them…

They were all gone.

Dead silence took over, with everyone staring to process the shock they were witnessing. Asadi covered her mouth with tears welling in her eyes, seeing both Hawkins, Dakota, and even little Wantanabe disappear before her eyes. Rebecca, who was close with Dakota, had a shaking fist clenched. The council, unfortunate to witness the event, were in utter disbelief.

Of the present three to witness it, Peregrine's reaction was the most prominent. Eyes bloodshot, teeth clenched, wings shaking with unbridled fury, and a growl so monstrous, it wasn't of this earth.

"You…WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!" Peregrine rocketed straight for the teleporter. The air pushed hard against him from his wrathful speed.

Gideon reached into a portal from his ring and pulled out a Toxapex shaped grenade. He chucked it into Peregrine's face and let it explode, teleporting from the gas.

Peregrine flew back and coughed. He gritted his teeth, feeling a sudden queasiness come over him. "B-Bastard!"

Gideon appeared above the village, arms crossed with a smug attitude. "Even I don't know what became of them." He smirked. "But now, they won't be causing anymore trouble for us." He threw up four rings above the village. "Including the rest of you!"

Translocation Beam fired down on the village. Everyone went into a panicked frenzy as the beams teleported scattered debris to whatever location they would end up. Anywhere that didn't have an ally of his, Gideon fired onto every suspecting Fusion in sight.

Groups of villagers cried out as they were engulfed in the teleportation beam, disappearing like the first of its victims. Whether they be groups or singles, anyone was fair game.

Artemis jumped out of the way of one, watching the unfortunate fate of a Mankey-Alolan Sandslash and Nuzleaf-Scyther vanishing before her eyes. "This can't be happening!" A beam came straight at her, but Sheila scooped her up in time before it touched her.

Sheila bounced around hurriedly. "We need to escape!"

"But the dome is still up!"

"Oh no, I forgot about that!"

Lewis and Cade sprinted for the teleporter, burning with anger. "Take him down!" They jumped, using Razor Shell and Bullet Punch respectively.

Gideon narrowed his eyes and teleported away from their attacks. "I'm not wasting my time with you councilmen." He fired Translocation Beam at them.

Lewis formed Aura Sphere and threw it against the beam. As he hoped, while Dakota's Crystal Mirror didn't have the desired results, his Aura Sphere parted the be to split around him and Cade. He flipped off his hands upon landing, while Cade fired Spiral Wave at the teleported, who once again teleported.

Peregrine shook his aching head and glared around at the Fusions. "Everyone! Focus fire on the Abra-Hoopa! He's top priority!" He flinched and held his side. "D-Dammit…"

Lewis glared at Cade. "Use Torment on him so he can't spam that move!"

"Right!" Cade landed and focused his left eye on the teleported. "Tor-!" Suddenly, a Mamoswine-Donphan slammed into him from his blind side. "GAH!" He pushed against the spinning Fusion as he pushed him away from the battle.

"Cade!" Lewis sneered at the teleporter, then shouted, "Someone shoot him down!"

Tamara took her attention of Syndony and used Aerial Ace to get in close with Gideon. She was just as pissed as Peregrine. "I'll make you pay, you heinous-!"

Syndony appeared in front of Gideon, shocking Tamara. "Bad kitty." She struck her in the face with Sucker Punch.

Spaz used Psychic and caught Tamara before hitting the ground. "Are you okay?!"

"No, I'm not!" She glared at the demonic cat as she landed before them again.

Syndony smirked. "We're not finished yet."

Upon Peregrine and Lewis' requests, every active villager, regardless of strength or power, fired on the teleporter with all they could. Gideon used his Teleport and Hyperspace Hole to evade and redirect their strikes, while still firing off his Translocation Beam, though not as fast, thankfully.

York fired Thunderbolt from atop Bartleby, but to the same results. "Dammit! We can't hit him!"

Wash growled as he ran by with Juniper. "We need to slow him down!"

' _ **We have no choice, idiot! We need to go all out if we want to take him down! I can't believe I'm saying this, but you and I need to work together!'**_

' _But what about Juniper? She's still-!'_

' _ **She's going to be teleported to who the F knows where if we don't do something!'**_

Wash clenched his teeth, then glanced over his shoulder. "Jun, I-"

"Don't say it." She smiled. "Just try."

Wash smiled thankfully at her, then set her down. He looked around, then called out, "Shane, Asadi, Dez!" They ran over to him. Wash pointed to Shane and Asadi. "You two! Keep an eye on her! Make sure she stays safe!"

Asadi saluted. "Roger that!"

Shane nodded. "You can count on us!"

Wash glared at Dez. "Care to lend a paw?"

Dez cracked his neck. "With pleasure."

Wash pulled his hood up and, with a little focus, set his left eye ablaze in the purple energy. "Don't hold back."

Dez's horns crackled with electricity. "Wasn't planning to."

They broke into a sprint and raced towards the Abra-Hoopa. Gideon spotted them and focused two rings on them, firing Translocation Beam. They broke apart, avoiding the beams, and used the debris from the huts to leap into the air. Gideon teleported from their dual assault, appearing below them. He fired his Fusion Move straight up at them.

"Throw me!" Dez shouted.

Wash pressed his feet against Dez and kicked off him, throwing them both away from the beam. Wash bounced off some wood and lunged straight at Gideon with Cut. Gideon smirked and let the blade pass through him.

"What? Did you think that would work?"

"Nope…" Gideon gasped as Wash grabbed his shoulder, holding a Shadow Ball over his head. "But this will!" He smashed it on top of him and threw him straight into the ground.

Dez dived through the ground and dug under the teleporter. "Take this! KAMI VOLT!"

Gideon pushed himself up and saw bolts of lightning shooting out of the ground. He tried to use Teleport, but the ground exploded too quickly, throwing him into the air, crying out in pain from the electricity and flying debris of rock. He crashed into a collapsed hut.

Dez pulled himself out of the ground, with Wash landing beside him. They nodded and raced for the downed Fusion with Heavy Slam and Shadow Ball. "This ends now!"

Gideon pulled himself out and grunted. "Geez…you two are fast…" He glared and held his hands up. "Trick Room."

A psychic field came out from under him and encased them in a cube. Wash and Dez felt their movements slow drastically while Gideon was able to move as normal. He opened two rings and stuck his hands through them.

"Hyperspace Hole!"

Two fists slammed into their chins and threw them back. Their eyes widened as a Meditite-Tentacruel (a Meditite with a Tentacruel for a hat) appeared above them, aiming his hand at them. "Hydro Pump." He blasted the two into where Juniper and the other two were laying, crashing hard into the ground.

Juniper gasped and sat up. "Wash! Dez!"

"Uh, Jun!" Asadi cried out. Shane's eyes widened.

They looked up as a ring appeared over their heads with a blinding blue light. Before they could react, the beam came down on them. Their screams were muffled out before they vanished into thin air.

"JUNIPER!" Ulysses and Tamara cried.

"Shane, no!" Rebecca screamed.

York grounded his teeth together. "No!" Ignoring his injuries, he jumped off of Bartleby and raced into action.

"York, what are you doing?!" Casey shouted before climbing down after him.

York fired Thunderbolt at Gideon, but he reflected it back at him with Psychic, sending him crashing into Casey just as she got down. Gideon narrowed his eyes. "I will not allow you to interfere with Data's vision."

As Codex was taking out some of the other Fusions, his eyes lit up with intrigue. "Data?"

Gideon readied his attack. "So, who's next?" He spotted a ghostly Ominous Wind flying at him. He teleported out of the way, then dodged a Zap Cannon.

Codex flew for the teleporter with his eyes lighting up. "I ask that you relinquish this information about Data immediately. Compliance will result in a swift and painless defeat." He fired Thunder Wave.

Gideon teleported from the paralyzing move and appeared quite far away. He held his aching side. _'Those other two left me in quite a bit of pain. I can't deal with anymore nonsense.'_ He snapped his fingers. "Attack."

Codex's sensors picked up an incoming attack, identified as Zing Zap, the signature move of Togedemaru. However, he saw not just one, but four heading straight for him. He used Hex and casted the Zing Zaps away with his ghostly cry.

The Zing Zap canceled, revealing the Togedemaru-Magneton. She looked like a regular Togedemaru, minus the magnet tattoo on her front. However, what stood out was the three Magnemite sentries floating around her, just without the eyes. She stood atop one and crossed her arms while the other two hovered around her.

"Target acquired. Magnet Bomb." Her sentries' magnets sparked and fired miniature, light blue orbs at the ghost computer.

Codex quickly read their movements, then countered with Ominous Wind, scattering and blowing them up. The shockwaves perfectly flew around him. "You are an interesting opponent. I look forward to collecting data on you. Zap Cannon." He threw the powerful electrical orb.

The Togedemaru Fusion glared. "Thunderbolt!" Her sentries countered the attack, detonating it on impact.

Seeing the teleporter momentarily distracted, Emily and Charlie rushed in with their attacks ready. _'We've lost enough friends already!'_ She scowled. _'Hang in there, Dez! I'll beat this guy, then we'll find you and the others!'_

"Hidden Power!" Charlie fired the blue orbs at Gideon.

They were sure to hit, but a Snorlax-Hariyama took the hit by slapping them with his big hands. It was like he was wearing orange gloves made for a Hariyama. The explosions didn't seem to faze him, either.

Sheila hopped in the air straight towards the sumo Fusion. "Blackout Kick!" She struck with her Fusion Move, but the Snorlax Fusion countered with a mighty Arm Thrust. Black sparks flew with the connection. Sheila gritted her teeth. "D-Dang it-AH!" The Fusion's Arm Thrust beat her Blackout Kick and slammed her into the ground.

"Ice Shard!"

"Water Pulse!"

"Aura Sphere!"

The Snorlax-Hariyama took multiple attacks to the back of the head. He turned to retaliate, unaware that Charlie was right behind him when he landed. He was struck with a Petal Dance that the Munchlax-Lilligant fired with all his might. He wasn't all that strong, but every bit help.

However, the natural bulk of a Snorlax allowed the Fusion to strike Charlie with an Arm Thrust. "GAH!" Charlie rolled until plopping on his stomach.

Emily growled. "Don't you DARE hurt him!" She flew at full speed with Iron Head, with Ren and Rebecca following her lead with Cut and Flame Charge.

To their shock, the large Fusion was surprisingly nimble. He leapt over their heads, leaving them directly under him. To further their horror, he came down on them with a crippling Heavy Slam. Suffice to say, it hurt like hell. They cried out in pain before being thrown over to Charlie.

Codex analyzed their situation, then faced the Togedemaru-Magneton. "Forgive me, but I must cut this short. Call of the Rotom!" He summoned an arc of electricity around her that took shape into his alternate Rotom forms. He fired their signature attacks.

They made direct contact, but Codex's sensors picked up on an anomaly. When the attacks hit, the Fusion seemed to explode into a gas. His eyes widened as he felt a presence pop up behind him. "Substitute…"

"Correct. Magnet Bomb!"

The magnetic orbs exploded into Codex's back. His eyes sparked out before crashing straight into the downed group of Ren, Rebecca, Emily, and Charlie. Not wasting time, Gideon fired on them with Translocation Beam. They covered their faces as they, like their friends, disappeared without a trace.

"REN!" Quinn and Artemis cried.

"Rebecca!" Chris shouted.

Crawford's eye twitched, then he roared and punched his pincers together. "I will avenge you, Cody!" He scuttled at full speed towards Gideon. "You and me! One-on-one!"

Gideon flicked his finger and sent him flying with Psychic. "Don't make me laugh."

Back over with Tamara and Spaz, they were speedily striking Syndony while keeping as much distance as they could. However, despite a lack of speed, the demonic cat was good at leading them into traps. No matter how fast they were, she seemed to have an illusionary double up to throw them off.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Water Shuriken!"

The attacks collided with yet another Double Team clone. Tamara's eyes scanned the ground swiftly, then she dashed for Syndony as she reappeared. Syndony intercepted her Aerial Ace with Assurance, sending sparks of blue and black flying.

Spaz appeared behind Syndony. "Grass Knot!"

Grass sprouted under Syndony and wrapped around her leg. "Eh?"

"Volt Tackle!" He ran on all fours, wrapped in a cloak of electricity. Willy screeched and hid inside the backpack, shivering.

"Night Slash!" Tamara dashed at Syndony, ready to sandwich her into the two attacks.

Syndony narrowed her eyes. "Protect."

Their attacks slammed into the impenetrable green barrier and bounced them off. Syndony dealt a swift blow to Spaz's gut with Assurance, then sprinted to Tamara and bit down on her arm with Thunder Fang. Tamara clenched her teeth, screaming on the inside from the pain.

Syndony grinned deviously. "Listen closely, 'hero.' The village is growing quiet." She slammed her down, then jabbed her with Assurance. "Tell me…when was the part where you save the day?"

Tamara grunted through her teeth, then sat up. "Shut…up!"

Syndony purred mischievously. "You're just like the rest of your puny village. You're just some loudmouth who wants to be revered for her heroism. You're all talk. You say things without meaning them. You're just pretending to be a hero…"

Spaz stood up and glared at her. "You shut up! Tamara IS a hero! She will be the greatest hero of all time!"

Syndony looked over her shoulder, licking her lips. "Children should learn when to step out of their fantasy world. This is the real world…kid…" She looked back with a raised brow. "Hmm?"

Tamara's hand twitched with tension, before balling into a tight fist. No words, her fist lit up in the energy of Aerial Ace. She glared up with a dark, unforgiving glare. Her eyes were sharp and cold, seeing nothing but the demonic cat in front of her.

Willy was peeking out from Spaz's bag and shivering. "T-T-T-Tamara's scary when she's angry…"

Spaz gulped. "With you there, buddy…"

Tamara roared and kicked off with a burst of speed, flying over the ground and straight towards Syndony. She showed her toothy grin as dark blue flames built up behind her wall of teeth. "Where's your justice, 'hero?!' Inferno!" She fired the flames at the ninja cat.

However, at the last possible second, Tamara used an Agility and appeared right over the demonic cat's head. The Fusion's eyes widened as Tamara pulled her fist back.

"This…is the spirit of justice!"

She bashed her fist down on the leopard's head. The force it created turned the ground under them into a crater, cracking violently. The energy released into a strong shock wave that shook the air.

"GAH!" Syndony's face slammed into the ground. She rolled on her back and cradled her head. She could feel it swelling already. It stung with the lightest grazes. "You…You little…!"

Tamara stood over her and held her fist up. "I'm all talk, huh?! You clearly don't know what it means to be a hero!" She growled. "You're just a villain who picks on the weak! A villain who preys on the weaknesses of others to get her way!" She pounded her puffed out chest. "My job is to make all that TALK a reality! That's what it means to be a hero!"

Spaz stared at Tamara with eyes sparkling in admiration. "Tamara…"

Tamara stamped her foot down and punched her fists together. "Now get up! I'm going to show you what happens when you challenge the innocent! This fight, you lose!"

Syndony scowled her way, actually feeling true anger at the ninja cat, but she allowed herself to calm down and breathe. She stood up, weakly, and chuckled evilly. "Strong passion, kid, I'll give you that. You have conviction." She glared. "But…does it really matter?"

Tamara tensed up at the dark flames building up in her mouth. It wasn't an Inferno, this time. It was something…stronger. Much stronger.

"All that junk is worthless if you can't protect the innocent. Even if your passions hold true, you're wasting your time." Syndony smirked. "If the hero falls, then everyone loses. In other words…" Her eyes flickered over to Spaz and Willy.

The time mouse gulped and put an arm around his backpack. _'Why is she staring at us?'_

"…If the hero fails, or falls…then we win. And that…is a hero's greatest failure." She lurched her head back.

Tamara's eyes widened, then she cried, "SPAZ! RUN!"

"Demon Flame!" Syndony fired dark purple flames, shaped like a demonic cat, straight for the time mouse and hidden goo dragon.

"CRAP!" Spaz turned and sped away.

Normally, running away from an attack was the end of the story, but this one didn't care for his conclusion. The Demon Flame chased after Spaz, perfectly following his path. Worst of all, despite his speed, it was closing in on him. He could outrun just about anything, but now that wasn't an option.

"Thunderbolt!" He tried to cancel it out, but the Thunderbolt just passed through. It wasn't going to stop until it struck something, and he doubted he could pull a fast one on it.

No…that wasn't the worst of it. The contents in his backpack. The folder with his story…and Willy. The sweet, innocent dragon who was probably crying his eyes out in terror.

Spaz clenched his teeth, then stopped. He threw the backpack off and faced the flame with his arms crossed. Willy popped out of the bag and shrieked, "SPAZ!"

Spaz clenched his eyes shut, feeling the heat of the attack. _'I'll protect you, Willy! I won't let anything happen to you!'_ The light through his eyelids intensified. It was seconds away from striking him. _'As long as Tamara keeps Willy safe, I'm willing to-!'_

His eyes shot open as someone landed in front of him. Arms spread out, they took the impact of Demon Flame. He was kicked back before the flames could graze him. He rolled onto his side, then immediately sat up. His heart sank as he made out the silhouetted form underneath the flames, and the shrill scream of agony of his…hero.

"TAMARAAAAAAA!"

The flames parted a moment after. Tamara's trembling form had her arms spread out, with staggering breaths escaping her lips. Her body was darkened by the flames, with a large black sear across her front. Her arms fell to her sides, then she weakly glanced over her shoulder.

Spaz quivered at the pain in her face, but her eyes reflected gratefulness to see him and Willy unharmed. Her eyes glazed over, and she fell to her knees.

Spaz's eyes widened. "No…no, don't…" Tears welled up in his eyes. "Please…"

Tamara collapsed to the ground…defeated.

"NO!" Spaz ran over to her side. "Tamara! TAMARA!" He lifted and held her in his arms. "PLEASE! GET UP! NOT LIKE THIS!" Tears fell from his eyes and onto her face. "Tamara…"

Willy crawled out from the bag, tearing up at the sight of her. "No…"

Spaz let the waterfall run down his face as he wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her shoulder. "Tamara…I…I…" He shuddered and nuzzled against her. "I'm so sorry…"

He pulled his head up as Syndony laughed at his misery. She held her paw up to her mouth. "Well, I'll give her this much, she went down protecting the innocent. Too bad she was too weak to last much longer. Now everyone is defenseless without their wannabe hero."

Spaz's jaw hung up in silence, then it tightened shut. He gently set Tamara down, then stood up with his arms shaking. "How…could you?" His teeth were bared as he breathed heavily through them. His voice sounded strained, holding back a lot of emotion. "She took the shot…for Willy and me…and you just…you just…"

Syndony smirked. "Did I do something wrong, mousey?"

Suddenly, she was caught off guard when Spaz spun around and spammed Chrono Shock at her in rapid succession, screaming with rage. She split off with Double Team, but he shot down all the clones in sight. Syndony had to resort to old fashion dodging as he fired onto everywhere she went.

Nearby, York and Casey were close to the retaliation and dropped down as a Chrono Shock flew over their heads. "Spaz! Stop!" York called out. Another bolt flew past them. "We need to get Willy and Tamara to safety!"

Casey nodded. "Right!" They pulled themselves up and ran around the line of fire.

Syndony kept dodging, but some of the beams managed to nick her. She clenched her teeth. _'This kid's nuts!'_

A stray bolt managed to hit her in the forehead. Her eyes widened as her speed slowed drastically until she went into the time stasis state. She collapsed to the ground, completely frozen in time.

Spaz readied to slam her with Volt Tackle, but York grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms. "Spaz, calm down! You got her!"

"NOT YET!" He tried to vibrate out of his hold. "SHE HURT TAMARA! TAMARA TOOK THAT HIT FOR ME AND WILLY! SHE GOT HURT BECAUE OF US! BECAUSE OF ME!"

"Spaz, please!"

Casey slung Spaz's backpack on, with Willy back inside, and picked up Tamara. "I got her. Let's get out of here."

"Allow me to assist you." Everyone, including Spaz, froze and looked up to see a golden ring over their heads, building up the swirling blue energy. Gideon narrowed his eyes. "Goodbye."

York's eyes widened. "SHIT! Everyone RU-!"

The beam slammed down on them and evaporated them on the spot.

"YORK!" Sheila called out.

Ulysses' eyes watered in terror. "First Juniper…now Tamara…no…"

The time stasis around Syndony finally wore off. She stood up and shook her head before glaring up at Gideon. "A little late, don't you think?!"

"I thought you had it handled. Besides, I wanted a bigger target."

"Those two were a lot rougher than I thought."

Gideon glared around. "We're thinning their numbers. Start pushing them back." The Fusions and officers nodded and advanced on the remaining villagers.

Peregrine was by Lewis and Cade, coughing into his wing due to the poison. "Not feeling well, lads…when's Abe taking out that damn dome?!"

Lewis crossed his seamitars and stood before the remaining villagers. "All of you! Stay behind us! We'll keep you safe!"

Artemis kicked some officers away. "What about the others?!"

Chris punched back a Krookodile-Talonflame and staggered back. His arms were shaking. "Guys…I'm getting really tired…"

Gideon narrowed his eyes. "Quit delaying the inevitable. We have you outmatched in numbers and stamina. You can't keep this up forever."

Peregrine grinded his teeth together. "No good punks…"

Artemis bared her teeth. "You want a bet?!" She fired Moonblast at him.

Rewan leapt in front of it and split it in half with Night Slash, sending it past Gideon and letting it explode behind him. The Hypno-Malamar landed, then waggled his finger at Artemis in a condescending manner.

Sheila and Chris nodded at each other, then fired Ice Beam and Vacuum Wave at the teleporter. Gideon held his hand out and deflected them with Psychic. He pulled up his ring to blast them, when he suddenly heard a cry of pain coming close to them.

The Fusion Renegades turned around and flinched as Alasdair suddenly hit the ground beside them. He looked pretty beaten and worn out. They looked ahead and saw Gracelyn emerging, gripping her aching arm.

Lewis blinked, then took hold of one seamitar while they were distracted. "Esoteric Water Blade!" He sprinted at them with the weapon wrapping itself in glowing water, reminiscent of mystical energy. He spun and slashed through the whole group in a single swing, with a wide spread reach of the blade. They were thrown back from the impact.

Crawford punched his pincers together. "That's showin'em! Water Fists of Fury!" Watery fists appeared around him, then he punched the air and commanded the fists to slammed into the faces of his enemy for brutal damage.

Gideon glared and teleported out of the way. _'These councilmen are proving to be annoying!'_ He fired Translocation Beam, forcing the gathered group to separate.

Artemis swung across some debris and threw her at him with Iron Head. "HIYA!"

However, her attacked was intercepted by Cruella, who teleported in front of her. She was covered in burns, but otherwise still grinning like a look. "Hello~!" She caught Artemis in a blank point Mystical Fire, resulting in a huge explosion of flame that rocketed her into the ground.

Chris and Sheila tried to get the drop on the witch, but Rewan managed to snag them and punt them into the ground, followed by Night Slash for good measure.

Artemis pulled herself up and went for a second attack. "Not YET!" However, a tail managed to snake around her waist and stop her.

She was held upside down by an Electivire-Conkeldurr. He was an Electivire with violet bands around his shoulders and wrists and covered in muscle tendons around his arms and torso. Artemis could tell this guy was strong, signified by his tense muscles as he pulled his fist back.

"Thunder Punch!" He slammed it into her and knocked her into the downed Chris and Sheila.

Crawford scuttled at him from behind and bashed him in the back of the head with Power-Up Punch, knocking him forward a bit. "How do ye like that?!" A tail wrapped around his pincer. "Oi! I call foul-!" The Fusion slammed him repeatedly into the ground, then chucked him into Artemis.

Gideon expanded another ring. "And this is the end of the line for you four."

Quinn's eyes widened. "NO!" He ran towards the downed group.

"Translocation Beam!" He fired it onto the Fusions.

Artemis sat up and felt her forelegs dematerializing. She looked through the beam and held her feeler out. "QUINN!"

"ARTEMIS!" He jumped and reached out to her.

He could feel her feeler around his hand for the briefest second as they locked horrified gazes with each other. Everything crumbled for the nightmare lizard as his girlfriend vanished before his eyes. He faceplanted with the ground, remaining unmoved for a moment.

He dug his claws into the dirt. "Artemis…" He punched the ground and screamed at the sky, "ARTEMIIIIISSSSSS!"

Gideon floated down, with his four comrades joining his side. "We've got quite a lot done, my friends. Just look at how much more peaceful this village is."

Indeed, a lot was lost. Many villagers were stripped away from their home without a chance to save themselves. There only remained the few. The active councilmen, Ulysses, and Quinn. In addition, the only other villagers left were the Komola-Musharna, Dodrio-Zweilous, and a Gogoat-Trevenant. Finally, there was…

"WAH!" Cruella shrieked as a cluster of Shadow Balls bombarded on her.

"What the-?!" Gideon dodging a punch from the wooden golem, Bartleby.

"That thing?!" Syndony shouted.

"How the hell did I miss him?!" Gideon yelled.

"Get rid of him!"

Gideon fired Translocation Beam, but Bartleby vanished into the darkness. "He has Phantom Force!"

A fist came from a dark portal and struck Syndony from behind. Bartleby stepped out, then struck the ground with a green aura wrapped around him. He used Frenzy Plant and struck all the nearby officers and Fusions with the thorny vines.

Syndony and Rewan came down on him with Assurance and Night Slash, pushing him forward. He spun around and literally slapped the two with the back of his hand, batting them into the ground. Bartleby crossed his arms as the officers opened fire on him. Bartleby stood between them and the remaining villagers, taking the blasts for them.

Ulysses cowered behind Cade. "There's too many of them!"

Peregrine clutched his side. "And we're running low on gas…me, especially…" He nearly collapsed from the poison running through him. "D-Dammit all…"

Cade looked up, then smiled. "Wait! Look!"

They looked up and saw the dome flickering weakly before completely shutting down. No longer did the pale barrier separate them from the dawn sky. No more dome meant they could escape.

Lewis smirked. "Perfect! Razor Shell!" He jumped and performed a downward slash atop of Gideon.

Cruella teleported between them and canceled it with Magical Leaf, which threw Gideon back. He growled. "Someone hold them still!"

A Simipour-Ariados flipped overhead and spat gooey webbing over them that kept them from escaping. Quinn tried to use Flamethrower, but the spider monkey spat web on him to keep his mouth shut.

Gideon shook his head, then took aim. "No more tricks! I'm ending this!" The villagers' eyes widened. "Translocation…!"

Deep in the forest, a figure was hopping through trees as quickly as she could. She had an arrow drawn as she got closer, before seeing the object of her attention in her line of sight. She stopped and aimed the arrow. She released and let the arrow sail through the branches.

"…Beam-!" Gideon readied to fire, but an arrow exploded into light on his back, destroying his focus. His team covered their eyes from the flash.

Syndony growled. "Now what?!"

Suddenly, Eddie jumped out from the trees with his leg lit in Scorch Release. "The second Abraham dropped the barrier, we rushed over here as fast as we could." He glared. "Seems we're too late, though." He flew down, doing some flips, and landed on his hands before striking Rewan in the gut with a Scorch Release-enhanced Mega Kick.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" the officers screamed as they felt Rewan's pain. He clutched his burning stomach and collapsed onto his back, rolling around in agony.

Vivi flew out of the trees and rained arrows on their enemy. "Take this, suckers!"

She surrounded them in Supersonic arrows, which emitted a low noise that caused distortion for all of them. It won't last forever, but it was a good distraction. She landed besides the others and shook her head.

"We need to get out of here!" she shrieked.

Eddie nodded in agreement. "We need to find somewhere to hide from these jokers. Abraham told us to follow him by the edge of the forest, northeast of here."

Lewis clenched his teeth. "We can't. They'll just follow us."

Peregrine stared hard at the ground, then stepped forward. "No, they won't." They looked at him in confusion. He held his leek up proudly. "All of you! Get out of here! These punks are mine!"

Gracelyn gasped. "Peregrine, you're not well! You won't be able to take them all on by yourself!"

Peregrine smirked and looked back at them. "Who gets to tell me what I can and can't do?" He held his leek over his shoulder. "This old duck is going to teach these punks some manners." He clenched his teeth. "Above all else, you three keep them safe."

"Peregrine…" Cade mumbled.

"There's no time for debate! The longer you run your mouths, the greater our chances of being teleported to who the HELL knows where! Now GO!"

Lewis glared at the steel duck, then sighed. "We have no time to argue about this. Just make sure they don't follow us!" He turned to the forest. "Everyone, let's go!"

The remaining villagers followed after him, with Ulysses grabbing Quinn and the Gogoat-Trevenant carrying the Komola-Musharna on his back. Gracelyn looked back at Peregrine with a worried look. "…Make sure you come back." She resumed following Lewis.

Peregrine stared at the ground with a heavy gaze. "…No promises." He glared at the hundreds of Fusions and officers, with the duck standing between them and their targets.

Syndony smirked. "Just one guy? What a joke. We can handle one poisoned councilman. We can't let the rest escape, though."

Peregrine sneered, then spun his leek and slashed it across the ground. "See this line?" He tapped his leek on it. "You're not crossing it. None of you."

Cruella giggled evilly and teleported in front of him. "And who decided that?" She brought her foot over it…then found herself smacked past her comrades and into a pile of wood. She laid sprawled out across the debris with a huge smack across her cheek and little blood on her lip. "What…anyone…get the number of that…bus?"

The Fusion Renegades looked back hesitantly at the duck as he held his leek over his shoulder with a calm scowl. Gideon gritted his teeth. "How? That poison should be slowing him down. You shouldn't be able to fight back!"

Peregrine spat on the ground. "And _who_ decided _that_?" He raised his leek over his head. "The only one allowed to decide such things…is _me_." A cloak of blinding blue aura wrapped around him. "…Subsonic Slash."

The Fusion Renegades let out cries of pain as the steel duck sped past them in less than a second. The force of his slashes had flipped them into the air, with a huge blue slash crossing each of them.

Gideon spat out blood. "D…DAMMIT!" He glared and pointed at Peregrine. "SOMEONE STOP HIM!"

The airborne Fusions fired their strongest attacks at the steel duck. He growled and flew towards them, breaking through them with swift cuts. He went all out against them. He slashed, slapped, pummeled, smacked, jabbed, battered…he did it all with all his fury into his leek. Brutal precision and speed was his game, and they were all losing.

Peregrine dive-bombed Alasdair, who proudly took the duck's hard blow. "Now I got you! Metal Burst!" He reflected the damage back onto Peregrine in a blank point shot, detonating in his face. He smirked. "That is the end of-!"

His eyes widened as Peregrine's leek slashed through the smoke and smacked against his face. For such a small bird compared to him, Alasdair was thrown off his feet and skipped across the ground like a stone against the water.

Rewan rushed in with Night Slash and struck down, but Peregrine blocked with his leek effortlessly. Even weakened, Rewan couldn't beat the duck's absurd strength. The hypnosis Fusion smirked and raised his pendulum, emitting Flash from the reflective surface, blinding the duck. Peregrine jumped back.

"Nice job, Rewan! Now take him down!" Syndony shouted.

Rewan went for Night Slash once more, but Peregrine suddenly countered with his own Night Slash. When they connected, however, the force through Rewan into the sky and onto a tree.

Gideon's eyes widened as the red aura around Peregrine. "Shit…he has Defiant!"

Peregrine rubbed his eyes, then sneered at them with an unnerving grin. "Come on, you lousy punks. Let me have more fun."

Syndony growled. "Now _you're_ pissing me off! Trying stopping this! Demon Flame!" She fired the flaming cat attack at him.

Peregrine saw how this move worked when it was used against Spaz. So, as a show for how freakin' fed up he was with them, he flew _straight through the Demon Flame_ and struck her in the throat. Syndony hollered a raspy gasp before having her head shoved into the ground.

Peregrine growled in agony as the flames seared his feathers and skin, but didn't bother to care. He saw larger Fusions gang up and jump on him, but he swung his leek and blew them all away with a single spinning slash. He roared out in fury and pain, striking down every Fusion in sight with a lust for battle and revenge. No matter the pain inflicted onto him, no matter the exhaustion he bared from the poison, no matter how much damage his body took…

"THIS IS FOR MY STUDENTS! UNTIL I DROP, I'LL MAKE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU EXPERIENCE THE PAIN YOU'VE BROUGHT UPON THIS VILLAGE! Learn your place AND FALL!"

In a sudden turn of events, the weaker of the enemy was now running in terror as Peregrine chased them down. The strongest stayed and fought, using what they could to bring him down, but the persistence and stubbornness that was Peregrine was boundless.

Screams echoed through the village with violent shakes, quakes, and surges of dirt and debris. All was observed from a safe distance by Data. No one but the Renegades knew that he was hidden among the trees, partially thanks to a cloak device from Fusion Arsenals. It blended him in with the trees and rendered him virtually undetectable by the basic senses.

Data held up a phone while observing the carnage. "Not going to my original calculations, I'm afraid…" He looked at the countdown on his phone, fifteen minutes away from reaching zero. "…but at least the bombs will be here soon. After that, it'll be time for my grand unveiling."


	58. Where is Our Hope?

A village once populated with hundreds of Fusions looking for a better life was vanquished in repeated attacks of a single night. In that night, hope flickered, until all the cries of anguish vanished in an instant. All that remained were the invaders, hundreds of Fusions and mind-controlled officers, against the single protector with nothing left to lose.

In his anger, despite the odds being stacked against him, Peregrine proved himself to be the victor, at a cost.

With the last of his energy, Peregrine utterly brutalized their invading forces. It was him vs. them all, and he kneeled on the ground as the victor. His rage petered out as he panted heavily. His worn body quivered under the stress he was pushing through his muscles. Blood trickled down his wing, after taking repeated beatings. Burns covered his body, though they were hardly noticeable to him.

It was nothing compared to what he did to everyone else. Syndony was collapsed on her side with a bruised abdomen and a broken hindleg. Alasdair had his face shoved into the dirt, with slashes all over his body. Cruella hung from her legs in a tree, with bruises over her body and a bloody cut over her arm. Rewan was tied up in his own tentacles with a black eye. Gideon was resting against some debris and, despite his arms being liberated from his body, his right arm was twisted and broken.

This was basically the same treatment delivered all over the invaders. Peregrine stabbed his leek into the ground and panted with his final breath, with the last of the flames in his eyes smothering out. "You're all lucky…I'm not…in top condition…" He collapsed onto his bruised stomach, finally out for the count.

Gideon grimaced, then tried to get up, but the pain in his arm shot through and prevented him from rising. "He's…some sort of…freak of nature…"

"I see stars dancing around my head…" Cruella groaned.

Syndony picked her weakened form up and looked to the forest, then flinched. "We've got company."

Those who could retain consciousness were greeted by the sight of their boss, as he floated into the battlefield with his arms behind his back. He examined the damages with his unchanging eyes before stopping over Peregrine. He could sense the steel duck had no strength left to fight.

"…All of you couldn't take one of him on?"

Syndony pressed her weight against some wood and pushed herself onto her legs, keeping pressure off her broken hindleg. "Maybe…you should've warned us a bit more…than just saying this guy was their second strongest!"

Data shook his head. "I though you would get the message. Even poisoned and heavily outnumbered, he proved why he was formerly the third strongest."

Gideon's eyes widened. "T-Third?"

"Julian revealed quite a bit about the original council. The Farfetch'd-Empoleon Fusion before you isn't their second strongest, but their third. Their old councilman left sometime ago in their early years."

Gideon's eye twitched. "You…have got to be kidding me…"

Alasdair pulled himself free. "All of that fighting…and we lost to the third strongest…even with a handicap?!"

"And it seemed our friend here proved why he is so strong. None of you were able to slip by him. Now we have a rogue gang of Fusions on the loose, along with the remainder of their council."

Cruella fell out of the tree before shooting to her feet. "We'll get them, boss, just you wait-ooh, head rush!" She teetered around before collapsing.

Gideon gripped his broken arm and rose up. "Allow me to track them and finish the job."

"In your condition, you'll be eliminated in mere seconds, and that's me being generous." Data looked up at the sky. "Besides, there won't be any need for that. We've made our point."

The Fusion Renegades turned their attention to the sky as the sound of helicopters approached the area. Data held up his countdown timer, seeing it was close to reaching zero. He placed it away and floated towards the Aromatisse-Comfey.

"Think of this as a learning experience for…improvements." He psychically picked up the Fusion and dusted her off. "You. Start reviving our fallen soldiers and get them off this site immediately."

"Y-Yes sir…" She ran to their fallen comrades and used her Fusion Move to spread a wide range healing aroma, spreading towards even the main five.

Data picked Peregrine up with Psychic so he couldn't get a whiff of the dust. "Though, credit where credit is due…you managed to apprehend one of their strongest fighters. One eliminated from the equation and now one in our possession."

Syndony walked to him on three legs, feeling the healing aroma numb the pain in her leg. "What shall we do with him, sir?"

"He's more useful to us alive than dead. We'll be sending him to Dr. Gates." He placed his hands behind his back again and floated away from the village just so he could be out of range. He watched the Fusions evacuate the village site as the helicopters drew closer. "Right on time."

The helicopters appeared overhead, stirring up a fine wind the rustled the leaves. There were seven in total and each of them carried a cylinder-shaped bomb with a drill head attached to the end. The drills started up as the helicopters detached the bombs. Drills pointed down, the bombs struck the down and burrowed their way deep into the earth of the village.

The Fusions ran off the site, taking the weakened officers with them. Data floated above the trees to get a fine view of the destroyed village. He wanted to savor the last few moments of this momentous achievement in Fusion history. He saluted to the village with a dark gaze. _'Thank you, Gappei Village, for clinging on to the last bit of decency in this world. Your legacy will live on in the new world.'_

* * *

The biggest question for the Fusion Renegades was 'What became of the remaining Fusions who managed to escape?' Thankfully, with how far out the village was and how much land that existed within and outside the forest, there were grounds for a number of hiding places to take refuge in. Their hiding point was a cave made into the side of a rocky hill.

Everyone, even Brea, huddled deep inside the cave, even managing to squeeze Bartleby in. Gracelyn chipped away at the rock until they were able to manage a sealed doorway that acted as a natural camouflage. Now within the quiet cave, they were allowed a moment of clarity.

Abraham set a kerosene lamp down, one of the few things thankfully unharmed in the initial attack, and lights it on. "I am thankful to have found this cave some years back."

"We're all thankful…" Gracelyn quietly agreed. "This was the only place we had left to go…"

"This doesn't feel right…" Lewis mumbled, hugging his legs close. "I'm a fighter…I shouldn't have left Peregrine to take on all those Fusions by himself…" He closed his eyes. " _We_ should've done better for the village."

Cade patted his best friend's back. "It's been a long night, Lewis. None of us were at our best. They had a tactical advantage with those weapons."

"That isn't an excuse for running away…"

Abraham shook his head. "It's not running away, it's survival. We live to fight another day."

"But now that they know what they're up against, they'll surely be prepared for a rematch…"

Abraham held his chin. "I believe Peregrine's exact response to that would be 'Don't be such a Debby Downer. We'll just beat the shit out of them next time we see their ugly mugs.'"

Gracelyn settled her arms into her lap, eyes drooping sadly. "Oh dear…Perry. What do you think will become of him?"

"If these freaks are somehow involved with what happened with Liam, I fear his safety…" Lewis clenched his teeth. "Actually…I'm more worried about the villagers…"

Gracelyn sighed. "Some good news to clear the dread…all the village children were either transported away with family, other adults, or, best case, Dakota and Hawkins. Everyone else who was transported alone should be fairly competent in fending for themselves."

"Let's hope in the 'better' parts of Unova, should it come up…" Lewis glared at the ground. "…I'm worried about them."

"How will they be able to get back?" Cade wondered.

"That's far from our current worries." Everyone turned their heads towards Brea, who stared at the cave ceiling with a dry look. "Data is planning on resurrecting that weapon of his. Assuming he has everything he needs to improve it, we may be seeing that DNA bomb spreading across the planet in a month." She glared at them. "And they'll likely have defenses to keep us from meddling."

"Meaning…they'll be ready for us." Lewis held his face. "…Is there anything from Profectus Inc. we can use to fight back?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if Data has that entire place on lockdown when they're done. He'll probably have his base of operations hooked into the mainframe." She crossed her arms. "Not much we can do."

"Argh! This is all Data's fault!" They saw Vivi march over with Eddie and plop herself down beside them. "He played us all for fools, dangling his victory in our faces without us realizing!" She punched her fists together. "He'll pay for making a fool out of ME!"

"Not the hardest thing in the world, granted…" Eddie mumbled. He looked over at Bartleby, who was just small enough to sit down in the cave with his head barely grazing the ceiling. "How you holding up, big guy?"

"Saaad…" he groaned.

Eddie sighed. "I'm with you there…" He sat down besides Vivi. "…Vivi's right, shockingly. Data wasn't just making things up as he went along. He may not have been able to predict the Fusion Hunters or being found by Roteman, but he went over every possible scenario that could help him achieve his goals. From where it stands, he succeeded. It was a combination of luck and preplanning that got him this far. Now that he has all his pieces set up the way he wanted them, he has placed us in an unwinnable situation."

Cade narrowed his eyes worriedly. "Annabeth and Marion…" He held his face. "Oh Arceus, if that DNA wave hits them…" He clenched his teeth with shaky breath.

Lewis patted his arm, then glanced at Eddie with concern. "By the way…how are the others?"

Eddie darted his eyes to his left. "Not holding up well…the big guy is surprisingly holding up better than I thought, but…" His silent expression and the state of his aura told the whole story to Lewis.

Of the remaining villagers were Quinn, Ulysses, and the three others they managed to get to safety: the Komola-Musharna, Dodrio-Zweilous, and Gogoat-Trevenant. The tree goat had bark covering his body, which was made up of black shadow like a Trevenant, though resembling fur more. He retained his grassy mane and head color, though with a wooden mask over his eyes with a single red eye.

Ulysses and the three Fusions were sitting by Quinn, who was in a wreck. He was curled up on the floor, crying through his tightly closed eyes. "Ren…A-Artemis…" He covered his face and sobbed into his hands.

Ulysses whimpered in sympathy. He was just as beat up about losing Tamara and Juniper and he really wanted to cry, but seeing Quinn so emotionally distraught encourage the cellular avian to keep a brave face for his sake. All he could do was gently pat the lizard's side in hopes of calming him.

The Komola Fusion floated around Ulysses in her dream mist state, with her arms crossed. "Poor guy…I wish there was something we could do to help…"

"This is all we can do…" Ulysses mumbled. "Just let him cry…he needs the relief…"

Four of the Dodrio Fusion's heads were equally sympathetic, though the fifth one glared off to the side and growled. "This is so unfair! We finally get to Gappei Village and it gets eradicated by those JERKS!"

"Trent, calm down!" one of the heads shouted back. "Do you think we're not just as upset? We could've died last night!"

Another head gulped. "Don't remind me…"

"We'll be fine, Todd," one of the heads told the nervous one. "The council is certain we'll be safe in here. I think we should put some trust it them."

The Gogoat-Trevenant settled down on the ground and stared sternly at the sealed entrance. "We should've stayed and fought. We could've gone down with honor."

Komola floated over with her arms crossed. "I'm SURE that would've been the brave thing to do, but I'm perfectly fine being a coward if it means I get to stay alive longer!"

"You tell him, Anette!" the head known as Tommy exclaimed.

"Guys…can you please keep your voices down?" Ulysses asked. "Quinn needs some quiet…"

"Sorry…" they murmured.

The others watched them for a moment before returning to their conversation. Eddie sighed. "Can't blame the kid. I'd be bawling my eyes out to if I watched my friends disappear before my eyes…"

Brea glared. "To go as far as orchestrate that elaborate ruse and manipulating Julian the way he did…Data has a lot to answer for."

"The problem isn't even fighting Data," Cade brought up. "This guy doesn't sound like a powerhouse, so he would be easy to overthrow. The problem is all that tech at his disposal. Everything built by the Rogues and Profectus Inc. is now in his possession."

"The entire city must be freaking out after what happened to the police," Lewis mumbled.

"Then we need to come up with a suitable counterattack," Abraham advised. "Our best bet is regrouping with the others, but…if the one who sent them away doesn't know where they could've gone, then we have a problem."

Gracelyn had her phone out and was typing a few numbers in. "…And it doesn't seem like their phones are working either."

"Guess we're on our own…" Cade inferred.

Brea held her chin. "I still don't know what that countdown timer was for."

"Countdown timer?" Abraham asked.

"Oh yeah!" Vivi remembered. "I was snooping through Julian's files- long story there- and I found a timer that indicated something was going to happen…well, right around now, actually."

Cade raised his brow. "Why would he go through all that trouble to remove us off the village? We don't have anything of value to him. Even then, the initial attack basically rendered everything useless."

Eddie held his chin. "It couldn't be for his tower. He would've had to dig up a ton of dirt to bury that thing under the land. The only possible thing he could've buried there would be that-"

Everyone went immediately silent as a loud boom sounded from outside, rumbling the cave. Ulysses shrieked and covered his head while the other Fusions huddled together. The blast was extremely powerful, based off sound alone. From how far they were, such a shockwave wouldn't be felt by normal explosives.

Quinn, brought out of his grief, stood up and wiped his eyes, then gazed at the walls with dread. "That…sounded like it came from the direction of…"

The Gogoat Fusion's eyes widened. "They didn't?!"

"Did they actually just…?!" Cade couldn't get the words out.

Eddie glared, then placed his hand on Vivi's head. "Kid, up for a little recon?"

Vivi nodded seriously. "Yeah. Ms. Gracelyn, remove the seal."

* * *

From the resulting boom came a geyser of jet black smoke rising up into the light sky, as the first signs of dawn came about. What was once a peaceful village that suffered much strife through the night was now a chasm of fallen memories. A deep, dark abyss where the remains of their homes either rested inside the pit or scattered across the woods. With such a loud explosion, it aroused those from their slumber or those alert from the events of earlier. The smoke was much more prominent than the invasion of the Rogues. Many discerned the worst for the state of this village.

Bravely floating near the smoke was the mastermind of this operation, Data, as he peered down into the chasm with cold eyes. His subordinates were stunned by the blast, coughing on the smoke as it blew in their general direction via the wind. Even though they knew what would become of this dawn, to see it for their own eyes was indeed astonishing.

They have opposed the Fusion Hunters for the longest time. To see that this kind of firepower was at their disposal showed them just how far they would go to get results. An absolute last resort, maybe, but it still bared frightening implications.

Syndony waved the smoke from her face with half-open eyes. "Oh my Arceus…those Fusion Hunters don't mess around…"

Data chuckled under his breath. "It's amazing how useful the benefits of others can get you in the grand scheme of things." He held his arms up. "Witness the beginning of a new era. With this destruction comes the rebirth of the world!"

Cruella stumbled forward. "Boss…what about those runaways?"

Data floated down. "They won't try for a sneak attack so early after. I made this plan to keep them up all night. Their minds are probably worn out from all the fighting. If they tried for a third battle, not even that council could survive." He paused. "…Though, given your current status…I suppose I'm heavily underestimating things."

Gideon…well, he wanted to cross his arms, but rejected the idea. "What was all this for, then?"

"The key to my device."

Deep down in the crater remained one thing intact from the blast. While all else was charred and seared to a crisp, only one thing remained unharmed in the incendiary eruption. A mechanical chest greatly resembling Data's old cube in design. Aside from the burn marks crossing over it, it withstood the force of the bombs.

The lock was odd, containing three holes spaced out in the shape of a triangle. The holes were perfectly sized for Data's three digits, which he stuck into the lock. The gears whizzed and whirled as he turned his hand around into the mechanism, with light hums here and there. A few moments of clicks and turns unlocked the sealed chest and revealed his prize.

Data chuckled as he reached in. "I enjoy irony. Who would've thought my magnum opus, buried over the last three centuries, to end this foolish bigotry would end up under a village that supports the freedom of Fusions? Coincidence? Nay…I call it fate."

He pulled out a glass sphere the size of a volleyball. Inside was a rainbow of colors, though the shine was weaker than he remembered. Still, he took the time to observe and appreciate its magnificent glow.

"The Mewgenetic Activation Core. My ultimate creation." He turned it around a few times before sighing. "It still needs more energy. It won't have enough energy to shoot across the entire planet in this state." He floated out of the chasm. "Fortunately…that's what Dr. Gates is for."

Unbeknownst to the Fusion Renegades, they were being observed by the surprising elusive Vivi, who watched them with eyes shaking in fear. _'That's the orb Bartleby was warning us about…'_

Data stopped next to his followers. "We got what we came for. Now we need to send a team to retrieve the tower. But first…we must head back to Fusion Hunter HQ."

"Why?" Syndony asked.

"Two objectives: test the orb…and send a message to the world."

Vivi turned away, having heard enough. She kicked off from the three and flew back to the cave. _'This isn't good!'_

* * *

Upon returning, Vivi made her explanation quick since she was running on pure will at this point. They could see how tired she was getting, but she refused for her body to quit until everything was disputed. Thankfully, everything she found could be summed up quick and short enough.

"…calls it the Mewgenetic Activation Core! It's what Bartleby was trying to warn us about!"

Cade held his chin. "And this is supposed to be the tool that'll help him mutate all Pokémon?"

"Yes!" Vivi pulled on her cloak strings. "He said he was going back to the Fusion Hunter's HQ to run some tests!"

"Does that mean he's going to use it on the Fusion Hunters?" Anette asked worriedly.

Abraham shook his head. "Illogical assumption. Being so low on power, Data wouldn't want to risk using it on so many test subjects. One test is probably all he needs."

Lewis glared. "And you said he need to go to Dr. Gates to get more of the ethereal energy…"

Brea clenched her teeth. "How infuriating…I cannot get over the fact he duped us all this time…" She sighed. "Yet…he truly looked regretful for the deception against Julian…" She shook her head. "All of this for a fantastical utopia…"

Eddie glared. "And what was that crap about…sending a message to the world?"

"Can you even do that?" Vivi wondered.

Gracelyn tapped her chin. "…The Fusion Hunters have emergency broadcast systems in case of a global emergency, like a dangerous Fusion hopping between regions. That…would get any message across."

"What could he have to tell everyone?" Quinn grumbled aloud.

"We may have to find a radio and figure it out for ourselves," Cade suggested. He sighed. "What do we do until then?"

Eddie sighed. "I'm going to regret this some time down the line, but…Vivi, do you have a plan?"

Vivi grinned, then punched her fists together. "He can't do anything without that stupid tower! I say we find it first and smash it to pieces!"

She was met with baffled stares. Ulysses raised his wings. "I'm…sorry, but…I see multiple problems with that plan…"

Quinn nodded. "They'll be expecting us, we don't know where it is, and we're too weak to fight back. Who knows if that was their whole army or not? What's to say it's even here in Kanto? It could be in Sinnoh or Kalos or at the bottom of the ocean."

"And there's no guarantee we can leave the city without getting caught," the Gogoat Fusion pointed out.

Lewis nodded. "Vance is right. Data has everything accounted for. He might even try and keep us from getting to the airport or boats. We're trapped in Kanto for the most part. Though…we don't know how far his influence will spread."

"We could try an attack of our own," Cade suggested.

"That is true," Lewis agreed, "but there's an added layer of trouble with the Fusion weapons. One was able to render Peregrine mostly weak. While he still managed…well, since Vivi clearly didn't find him, we have to assume he has been taken prisoner. If he's out, we either need to get stronger quickly or tactically avoid anyone with those weapons."

Quinn glared. "You guys can take them! You're the strongest Fusions around!"

Gracelyn patted his shoulder. "We appreciate your faith in us, Quinn, but we're just as winded as you all. Sooner or later, they could cause serious damage to us that would require more than just a berry to heal off."

"Then…what CAN we do?"

Abraham sighed and straightened up. "Unfortunately...we have to wait. From the sound of it, we still have some time before they fire off that machine. It'll give us time to recover and plan our attack." He glared seriously. "From the size of our party, there's thirteen of us."

A chorus of _"Ahem!"_ sounded.

"There's seventeen if you count the Dodrio-Zweilous, but we are still a thirteen-body team. And now that they know their limits, they'll likely adjust against them. Peregrine effectively bought us time, but if they scale their improvements around his fighting style…well, you all need to learn fast is what I'm saying."

"But…how can we get strong in a short period of time?" Quinn asked.

Cade raised his finger. "Aha…haven't you forgotten? You all still have one ace left up your sleeve. Fusion Mode." The Fusions' eyes widened. "Quinn, Ulysses, you two have been training the most to use it. You need to put what you learned to the test."

Lewis nodded. "With all the chaos of protecting you kids, we couldn't risk even the slightest second of using our forms if it meant one of you getting hurt. We managed without them now…but that may not always be the case later."

Ulysses frowned. "But we haven't mastered them yet…and it's only just us…we can't do anything to help…"

Cade frowned back. "I know it's rough…we all have demons that need to be conquered…"

Quinn stared at the ground, then glared. "…Artemis wouldn't be quick to give up…neither would Tamara…and Ren…and everyone else." He stood up. "Everyone has been scattered somewhere across the planet and are probably wondering how they'll get back to us. They're probably worried…I'm worried…but now…I refuse to sit here and mope for my friends when there's a world that needs to be protected. And so should they. This village was more than just a home for outcasts like us. It's a place where bonds are created and strengthened. Data made the mistake of attacking our home, because now he has hundreds of angry Fusions waiting to take everything back and stop him from unleashing this crazy plan of his. Even if it takes everything we have, we'll beat our fears, unlock our Fusion Modes, and stop Data from destroying our planet!"

Everyone stared at Quinn in awe, with the council smiling back at him. Gracelyn clapped. "I believe you've taken the first step, dear Quinn…" Quinn smiled.

Anette rubbed her head. "What about us? We're not as experienced…"

"True," Cade agreed, "but every little bit helps. There are no weak Fusions in this. We're sorry your short time in the village was met with tragedy, but now we need your strength to take it all back."

"Yeah!" Vivi shot up and raised her fists. "What are we waiting for? If Data wants to start a revolution, we'll start a counter revolution! This means WAR!"

Eddie closed his eyes and chuckled. "You're crazy, kid…"

"We're not going to let him step over us! We will stand and fight! For our loved ones! For our freedom! FOR OUR HERITAGE!"

"YEAH!" the Fusions exclaimed.

Vivi beamed proudly. "Then let the revolution begin…right after I pass out!" She fell onto her face, anticlimactically ending her uplifting speech.

Eddie facepalmed. "Dammit, kid…"

Lewis sighed. "We're all tired…we haven't slept peacefully all night."

"Then let us rest for the day and decide our next course of action for later," Abraham suggested. "First things first is acquiring food and water to survive out here."

Everyone nodded and started nestling up onto the cave floor. Not the most comfortable surface in the world, but you take what you can get, especially after everything they've been through. They were out in seconds, though Gracelyn kept her eyes open for a moment longer as she gazed upon the ceiling.

'… _Oh Liam…we really need you right now…if there's anyone who can inspire confidence in anyone, it's you: the man who bears the Symbol of Hope…'_

* * *

Surviving an epic duel between two close friends was a feat in of itself. Living through it was another, especially considering the battle between Liam and Julian. The godly ape thought for sure he would be done for after he gave in to his exhaustion. His concern, however, lied with the health of his manipulated friend whose fate has been left up to chance.

Shaking from his long slumber, Liam grimaced with discomfort as he held his aching head, with his eyes half open. Everything felt like a blur. A fog that obscured the events of last night, but Liam has been through that fog. One could say that fog was his doing, just to block out the horrible thoughts as nothing more than a vague nightmare.

' _What…happened?'_ He rubbed his head, then his eyes widened a bit. _'Wait…Julian was…crushed under that…'_

His shifting caused him to evaluate his current place. Unless the fighting of last night had reduced all rock within the last hundred meters to dust, he wasn't on the ground. It was a bed, and a rather soft one. A warm blanket was draped over his body. He lifted it and saw he had bandages wrapped over some cuts, but the worst of his injuries were only superficial. He'd hate to have a ruptured stomach or bruised kidney.

Liam narrowed his eye suspiciously. "How…did I get here?" He sat up and glanced to the side, seeing his staff leaning against the bed. Speaking of which, a quick look around the room showed it was pretty plain. No pictures hanging on the walls and it was a typical beige. Only standout thing was the orchid sitting on the drawer across from him, giving the plainness some color.

A bright light came through the blinds of the window. He couldn't tell if it was morning or something time in the afternoon. If the latter, then he has been out for a while. He held his head and quietly contemplated what was going on. His first rational thought…

' _Oh good lord, don't tell me I'm dead…'_ He swung his feet over the bed and stretched his arms. He winced and settled them back down. _'Ugh…nope, not dead. Everything feels like it hurts…'_

"Oh good! You're awake!" Liam turned to the door and saw a Reuniclus float in. He bowed before the godly ape. "We are happy to see you well. You have been out for over thirteen hours. You must be fully rested by now. Do you require sustenance?"

"Wait, wha…? W-We?" Liam rubbed his temples, trying to reel in the throbbing headache and back pains he was suffering from. "H-Hold on, I need answers. Where am I? How did I get here? Who are you?"

Understanding of his curiosity, Reuniclus bowed to him. "Terribly sorry. I should've started with introductions. I am Chadwick, master of the temple and of the Reuniclus clan. We sensed a disturbance coming from the town you and your friend were fighting in. We hurriedly came and retrieved you. We have some of the finest healers among us."

"Reuniclus clan?" Liam scratched his head, trying to find familiarity with the clan. He heard it somewhere before. If they were all a clan of Reuniclus as he says, then that could mean… "Wait…you're…Ulysses' family, aren't you?"

Chadwick blinked. "You know of Little Ulysses?"

"Yes, he's one of my villagers. I am chief of Gappei Village, Chief Liam."

Chadwick's eyes brightened with joy. "Oh, happy days! Little Ulysses has sent us many letters in his time at your wonderful village! How is he?"

"Last I checked, he was doing fine…still a timid, but kindhearted fellow."

Chadwick sighed. "That's him, alright. A gentle soul who wishes not to harm others, but spread love and kindness. Unlike many, he was lucky to find the safety of our clan upon his birth. We bring in many Reuniclus to our small clan to exercise peace and happiness. I feel it did wonders to help Ulysses, though the outside world truly frightened him."

Liam nodded. "He's a good kid, that's for sure."

"When he was of age, we allowed him to go off on his own to search for a place where he would feel welcomed. I never thought he would find a place to call home other than here, but…" He brought his hands together and bowed to Liam once more. "I'm so thankful for all Gappei Village has done for him!"

Liam rubbed his head. "It's…the least we can do."

"Then consider our services more than just a simple act of kindness. We are grateful for you helping Little Ulysses grow in confidence." Chadwick pointed out the door. "Now, I'm sure you would like to know about your friend…"

The moment before he blacked out crashed head first into him. "GAH! Julian! Is he alright?!"

Chadwick frowned, drumming his fingers together. "Well…you see…"

Liam held his face and panicked, picking up an implication from his tone. It drove his heart wild. "No…no, no, no, NO, NO, NO! It can't be! He can't be gone! He can't! I never wanted this to-!"

Chadwick quickly stopped him before it got out of hand. "Oh, no! No, no! He is not dead! Very much alive! Awake, even!"

Liam held his breath for a moment before exhaling in relief and holding his chest. "Oh, thank heavens…"

"We managed to treat most of his injuries…" Chadwick looked down solemnly. "However…" Liam raised his brow. "It's…best if you see for yourself. We…tried the best we could." He floated out. Liam hesitantly stood up, grabbed his staff, and hobbled after him.

He was given a small tour of the temple as he followed Chadwick. It was made mostly of a white stone, though he couldn't tell what it was. Probably not marble. However, there were no walls aside from the rooms, allowing a fresh look at the beautiful outside. It was a particularly warm day out.

Their journey around the temple led them to an outdoor garden. Various types of flowers, a water fountain in the center with a Reuniclus statue standing atop it, a hedge maze up ahead; it was a beautiful garden with plenty of sunshine.

Liam's eyes wandered around until he spotted Julian sitting around a bush, talking to one of the Reuniclus. Liam quickly ran to him, despite his legs aching with pain. "Julian! Julian, thank goodness! I thought something terrible happened to you! Are you…?" He slowed down once he ran around the bush, then his eyes widened in disbelief. "…No…"

Julian was in a red robe with only two sleeves. His upper arms were through the sleeves while the other two were folded over his lap. He pretty much got the same treatment Liam got for injuries, except for one thing. What he thought was a bench Julian sat on…wasn't a bench.

It was a wheelchair.

Julian patted the plaid blanket resting over his legs, then sighed at the ground. "Hey Liam…"

Liam covered his mouth. "Julian…what…?" He looked to Chadwick for an explanation.

Chadwick sighed. "…His legs were crushed under a lot of heavy debris when we found him. Normally…a Machamp can take a lot of stress to the muscles. At worst, he would've gotten a broken leg or two. That, however, was our hope when we found him. But…it's far worse than we thought. We don't know how, but there was a lot of stress put on his body when we found him. His muscles were nearly torn apart."

Liam's eyes widened. _'Julian's power-up…'_

"We had to do some surgery for his upper body. He's on painkillers right now. That was treatable. His legs, however…loss their nerve functions. All that stress and the weight of that debris was the end of them."

Liam looked to Julian with regret. "You mean…you can't walk anymore?"

Julian looked away. "…Afraid not." He sighed. "Better than dead, I suppose…"

Liam bit his lip. _'What have I…?'_

Chadwick felt the tension between them, then bowed his head. "I'll…leave you both to talk amongst yourselves. I shall prepare a late lunch." He floated off.

Liam took a seat on the bench across from Julian. They avoided eye contact with each other. It was clear what happened last night wasn't the way they wanted things to go down. An ideological debate turned into a bitter fight to see who lives. Neither of them wanted that. All they wanted to do, more than anything, was say something they should've said years ago. None of this feuding. None of this tension.

It could've all be avoided.

"Liam…"

"Julian…"

They exchanged stares, with tears dripping from their eyes. Stares filled with sorrow and regret…for a brother.

"…I'm sorry."


	59. There Can Still Be Hope

_I'm sorry._

Those words seemed to echo in the open space of the small garden, contained between the two former enemies. Enemies…what a harsh way to describe a friend, but it was the truth. They were words they would dare not say to each other, but those words were felt from the actions they carried out against each other. Despite years of cooperation, they knew of that underlying tension they refused to tackle without bringing up the past. What did years of bottling up emotions give them?

Anger…

Grief…

Regret…

One of them had to be the bigger man and just say those two words: I'm sorry. One of them would've apologized and all the years of anguish could've been ridden of. They refused to say those words because of their own stubborn pride. But was there pride in holding on so desperately to a belief that it causes friends as close as brothers to turn on each other?

Liam was hurt by Julian's rash decision making, suggesting something as outrageous as putting those damned collars on every Fusion in sight so they could be 'better behaved.' It enraged him, it still did, but…was his way any better? He took action through inaction. A wise proverb, sure, but hardly useful when trying to establish peace. He helped make a name for Gappei Village, but he refused to tackle the problem directly. The Symbol of Hope for Gappei Village didn't have any hope in changing the minds of others.

Julian wasn't any better, but he knew what he did. The second Liam left his mark across his chest, his eyes opened. He kept to making the Fusion trapping tech to better control crime, but completely scrapped his plans to monitor Fusions like they were in prison. He gave everything he could to Gappei Village, but he would be lying if he said a part of his old self didn't reside inside him. Maybe that was how Data got the better of him. He played off his tainted thoughts and used them to turn on his brother. He wanted to tackle the situation head on, but never stopped to consider helping Fusions until…Liam showed him the way.

They were two powerful creatures, either through power or financial success, but they were also the biggest idiots to ever exist…for letting a petty squabble tear them apart.

Saddest part of it all…it took a death battle to beat some sense into them.

With the silence growing uncomfortable, Julian decided to break the ice. It was an odd way of describing the situation, but it does feel like the first time they could sit like…normal people for a change. At least without brainwashing on the table. Rubbing his head, the Machamp said, "You…hit like a truck…you know that?"

Liam sighed. "Why else wouldn't I want to fight? Stuff like this happens…"

"Yeah…" Julian traced his finger over his large scar. "I've noticed…"

Liam winced. No matter how many times he will wash his hands, the blood on his hands will never go away. "I'm…so sorry for-"

"I was out of my mind when I suggested that stupid scheme all those years ago," Julian mumbled. "You were in the right to put some sense back into me…I was grieving…and I should've taken your warnings to heart." He sighed, then grinned a little. "At least it makes me look cool."

"Julian…"

"Just saying, I don't show this thing to everyone. Think I can pass it off as a war scar after a grueling battle? Easiest way to explain my disabled legs!"

"Julian…" Liam pinched between his eyes. That was dark humor he wasn't in the mood for…so why the hell was he smiling at the corner of his mouth? "Must you make a joke out of this?"

"Takes away from the sad truth I will no longer be able to skip majestically across the beach," he continued to joke.

"Couldn't you make yourself…I don't know, exo legs or something? You have the money."

Julian shrugged. "Wearing a pair of automatic legs would solve the problem…but let's be real, it's hardly a solution. I could cut my legs off and just make straight up robotic legs. I…wouldn't notice the difference, right?" He shrugged. "Although, I have to say, this makes me feel…smarter. A sophisticated man who focuses on his intellect at the ripe old age of…his fifties." Julian sighed. "I don't know, the look reminds me of some character from some weird show."

Liam sighed, chuckling under his breath. "How can you…still be making jokes…when you just lost your ability to walk? What is wrong with you?"

"Part of my stunning charm, clearly." Julian looked away with a somber gaze. "…I rejected you…because of my irrational fears and hatred of Fusions…all because we lost Pa…"

Liam shook his head. "I wasn't any better. I rejected you…and forced you to make Gappei Village."

"Eh, not like I regretted my decision. Though…I went too far with the ultimatum. I got everyone so worked up, even if the results came to their benefits." He rested his arms in his lap. "I just…felt like I didn't add much contribution aside from a large check. It was…our dream and I felt…pushed away."

Liam closed his eyes. "…I was a fool to hold a grudge for so many years. I saw you as my light to the future…and then it all disappeared. But…I never wanted to hate you." He held his face and shuddered as he held back a sob. "That…shouldn't be the ideal principle of a leader…"

"Hey…you got off easy." Julian sneered to the side. "I went behind your back and took part in a conspiracy. I made shady deals with the Fusion Hunters. I placed my trust in a mysterious cube that I had absolutely no idea who he was."

"Data…"

Julian sighed. "He's the cause for all this trouble."

"I can respect the man's ideals, but…not like this." Liam looked at Julian. "Do you know anything about him?"

"He used to be a prominent activist. He didn't show his face a lot to the public. He just did good deeds for the sake of good deeds for Fusions. He never told me his real name…though he said he saw some books about him over the internet. I never looked into what books he was talking about." Julian shook his head. "Hardly matters, but…ugh!" He gripped his head as a splitting migraine came about.

Liam's eyes widened. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm…fine, nothing to worry about." He grunted and kept from shaking his head in fear of further aggravation. "…That last hit you gave me knocked the brainwashing commands right out of me. I have no idea how he does it."

"Beheeyem."

"Eh?"

"You weren't under a typical mind control like with some Hypnosis users. I may not have given you the time of day, but you were acting like your old self when…that part of you has become less relevant these days. You had certain memories that didn't make sense…Beheeyem is the first Pokémon that comes to mind with that kind of power."

Julian blinked, then held his head. "Now…that I think about it…those sensors of his flashed green, red, and yellow a lot…just like a Beheeyem's digits." He held his face and groaned. "He took advantage of me…right under my nose."

"How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm absolutely _livid_!" He slammed his fists down on his lap and glared. "That manipulative bastard USED me like some puppet! He sent me to eliminate you without any regard to my safety! I swear, the next time I see him, I'm turning that cube of his into paper mache and strangle him for everything he put me through!"

Liam leaned back and held his hands up. "Okay, I understand you're very angry right now, but…a little harsh, even for him."

"I feel justified for my rage!" He huffed an annoyed breath, then bowed his head. "But you're right…it isn't my place to take revenge and kill him. Regardless of him being a three-hundred-year-old mastermind, he's not getting off scot-free. This, I swear."

Liam sighed in relief. "Much better, I suppose…" He scratched his head. "We both screwed up trying to prove each other wrong…" He closed his eyes and shuddered with grief. "I wish I could take it all back…take back what I did to you…take back everything. You wouldn't have that scar…you wouldn't be bound to a wheelchair…" He held his face and teared up. "All this fighting…and what did it bring us…?"

Julian smiled sadly at the godly ape. It was no secret that, underneath that tough persona the Fusion built with his intimidating stature, even holding a grudge for so many years, he was still the same sympathetic Fusion he knew through his childhood.

Julian wheeled up to the ape and took his hands in his. "Liam…" Liam looked down at him, tears dripping down his face. "There's no need to cry. I've forgiven you…"

Liam stared at him with sorrowful eyes, then went into a second wave of tears and brought the Machamp into a tight hug. "My b-b-brother…my dear, sweet brother…I m-m-missed you…so much!"

Julian teared up as well, just happy to hear that name again. He wanted him to call him that for the longest time. It filled his heart with the utmost joy. Julian laughed and wrapped his arms around the ape. "Let it all out, brother…let it all out…"

It was a strange sight to see the large Fusion crying over the much smaller Pokémon, but it was a moment they could cherish as the day was still young. Years of pent up aggression finally relieved of all its tension, replaced with the sweet release of love and compassion these two shared at a simpler time. What's done was done and there was no way of taking anything back.

Despite it all, they weren't deterred to rebuild where they left off in their brotherhood, before the conflict arose. They could go home and things would go back to normal, maybe even improve. No longer will they settle arguments with petty compromises for what is right for the Fusions of Gappei Village. All that mattered now was their best interests for their success. It was a new day of rebirth for the two brothers and they won't let anything tear them apart ever again.

Liam finished off the last of his sob, leaving a big wet stain on the Machamp's robe. He pulled away, with Julian rolling back a bit, then he smiled kindly to his brother. "We have so much to catch up on…so much time to make up."

Julian smirked and held his cheek, ignoring the tears still dripping down his face. "Heh…we could always go to the pub and pick up women."

"I'm not doing that."

"Come on, you did it when we were in our twenties!"

"That was then…" Liam chuckled and leaned back. "My sights are on making the Fusions' lives better."

"Typical." Julian laughed and shook his head. "Well, I shouldn't have expected less."

Liam glanced off to the side with a worried look. "The council is probably worried about me. I would've given them an update right about now. Hopefully the Reuniclus have a phone I can use."

"You don't have a phone?"

"Do you really think that battle we had would've left anything intact?"

"Fair point, never mind. Can't say mine is in any better shape."

Liam sighed and rubbed his shoulder. "I'm not in any condition for long distance travel. I can't find the strength to ease it with Slack Off, either. Ugh…" He felt something crack as he massaged his shoulder, making him groan in pain. "Darn it…I've never been this exhausted in my life. Actually…I never fought like that…ever."

Julian smirked. "Is that so?"

"Yeah…ugh, is it normal for muscles to be this sore?"

Julian clapped his hands and laughed. "The most powerful Fusion in the world and this is your first time actually experiencing fatigue and muscle strains."

"Hush, you…"

Julian shrugged. "Don't blame me for spitting the truth. Maybe you should hit the gym, pump some iron and junk."

Liam smirked. "Are you calling me flabby?"

"Well, you're no Machamp…and you do have a big belly, so…"

"If you weren't injured right now, I'd flick you across this garden."

Julian laughed and slapped his knee. "I believe you!" He leaned forward and rested against his arms, laughing quietly before letting out a deep, content sigh. "I missed this…I missed this a lot…"

Liam smiled. "Same…"

Just then, Chadwick floated in with two trays of food. He smiled upon seeing their content expressions. "So, how are we doing?"

"Much better, thank you."

Julian nodded. "Just catching up…and mending some old wounds."

Chadwick grinned. "Exquisite!" He psychically placed a fold out table between them and set down their trays of food. "Please enjoy your meals. If there's anything you need at all, feel free to call me." He bowed his head and floated off.

Julian picked up a berry. "I could get used to living here. This is the clan Ulysses came from, right?"

"Yes, it is," Liam confirmed as he took a sip of his juice. "I think we can see where his good behavior came from."

"Maybe that's something we should do. Just…have a family day at the village. Bring everyone's parents and family they still keep in contact with."

"That's actually not a bad idea."

"What? You never did it?" Julian asked as he picked up his drink.

Liam shrugged. "Well, we considered it, but we never got around to it. Plus, it wouldn't feel right for some of the other Fusions. Everyone else was content with keeping in contact the usual way."

"Fair, but it's always welcomed. Good for positive growth and-" Julian's eyes suddenly widened. His glass slipped from his fingers, shattering to the floor.

"Julian?!" Liam shouted.

"…Oh no…" The Machamp's tone was filled with dread. Liam could see the terror coming to life in his eyes, as a horrid thought just donned on him from all the pleasantries. "…I just realized something…Data…he sent me to…get rid of you…"

Liam narrowed his eyes. "Yeah…?"

"He specifically ordered me…to lure you away from the village…" He looked up in grave realization. "Liam…he saw you as a threat because you were the one Fusion he feared the most…he needed you out of the village…he wanted the physical land…"

Now Liam was becoming frightened. "What…does that mean…?"

Julian shuddered at the horrible experience of being the madman's puppet, but he recalled key words Data used in his explanation. "I've heard things from him…he's gone mad with grief…" He narrowed his eyes. "He couldn't handle the loss…it killed what was left of a sound man…"

"Julian, what are you saying?!"

The Machamp gritted his teeth. "There was something important under your village…deep underground…" He looked at Liam once more, panting. "Liam…he wanted you gone…he made a deal with the Fusion Hunters…he has experimental bombs…"

All the pieces were coming together. Liam's breath stopped cold, as the horrible image of Gappei Village going up in flames crossed his mind. "…No…"

* * *

Returning back to the Fusion Hunter HQ, Data put the Fusions to work by dismantling all the consoles, save for the emergency broadcast system, which was currently being set up. He planned to go live soon and proclaim his message to the world. Though, his experience with hundreds of movies told him this was a bad idea, seeing as how this will just rile up anyone who plans to get in his way.

However, as cliché as it was, he had nothing to worry about. His time within his metal prison allowed him to think up every possibly contingency in case of a sudden invasion on his plans. Once he was finished getting his minions ready for battle, he'll make sure no one ever comes near him or his masterplan.

Speaking of which, his reason for dismantling the HQ was part of a secondary part to retrieving the activation core. He had one other design to its creation, but lacked the material to make it true. Fortunately, he had all the material he could ask for, along with plenty of time to mentally map out the construction. Everything was going his way and he will keep it like that.

As he worked, Syndony came up to him, wearing a headset with a mic close to her mouth. "Sir, we've gotten word that three of the Fusion Hunters have yet to return. It's Cragtail's A-Team."

"Hmm? Ah yes, I believe I saw them last I was here." Data reached around before picking up a welding torch. "They're the elites of the Fusion Hunters, correct?" Syndony nodded. "A slight problem, but hardly worth my time. We have the superior numbers and access to their equipment. Still, I'm impressed they caught wind of the deception."

Syndony narrowed her eyes. "And you're also sure you can gather more than just us as reinforcements?"

"Assuming my memory alteration is still in effect, there will be plenty of Fusions around the world who will want to see my plans come to life."

"What about the remains of the villagers?"

"They, too, are hardly a concern. I'll make sure they won't be able to return to Grandis City, much less get into Kanto."

Gideon, who had his arm in a sling, smirked. "With most of the village scattered across the world, we've eliminated our main threat."

Data turned to them. "All I need now is to retrieve the tower I hidden away. After that, it's a simple matter of putting in the activation code."

"Activation code?"

"Yes. With a weapon so powerful, I couldn't let it go off wildly without a controlled trigger. It's the only thing that'll get the tower to fire. If it's rendered useless, we'll have some trouble." Data chuckled. "Not that I'm worried. After that, I just need more power for my activation core and we're good to go."

Syndony smirked and bowed to him. "Well, as long as you follow along with your end of the deal."

"I haven't forgotten. Despite your recent blunder with the duck, you've all done well. You will be rewarded handsomely for your troubles."

Cruella jumped into the conversation, grinning wickedly. "Great! I have some demands that need to be made!" She pulled a list out of nowhere. "My first demand…is to be King of Unova, so that I may torture everyone who I hate!" The others just groaned. "What?"

Gideon held his face. "Cruella, for the last time…you wouldn't be king! You would be queen!"

Cruella smirked. "Aww, but King Cruella sounds much better!"

"GAAAH!" Gideon slammed his head into the wall.

Syndony leaned over at Data and whispered, "Promise us she gets professional help. She is the last person we need running a monarchy." Data hesitantly nodded.

They heard a tired grumbling coming from within the room. Ah yes, how could they forget? In light of their soon-to-come broadcast to the entire world, they felt it best to bring the man who so foolishly led to the Fusion Hunters' downfall. Data held his hip and looked at the kneeling Cragtail, who was now only bared recovered from his injuries.

He had a dead tired expression as he stared at the ground. "You think you're so smart…you think…that you've won?" He glared up at the Beheeyem. "Arrogance…and I should know…"

Data faced him, then shook his head and sighed. "Stubborn old fool. I've spent many days watching reruns of movies with varying quality. This kind of talk is often said to a villain who is delaying their plans to gloat. Well, let me make one thing clear: I'm not gloating...I'm here to get my work done and let Fusions become the dominate species. It's just fact."

Cragtail bared his teeth into a smirk. "Heh…I'm a man of war, freak. I've been in battles…and I know from experience that you just made powerful enemies with your actions." He sneered. "You destroyed Gappei Village…how long until someone comes barreling in for payback?"

Data's eyes glowed green with annoyance. "I never took you for a man who cared for them."

"Let me get one thing straight: I'm not the biggest fan of Fusions. I've seen plenty who've caused nothing but trouble and misery to other deserving folks. I'm an asshole to them…established that much. However, I created this organization specifically to stop that bad behavior. Despite my actions, I've had nothing but the worst of them in my best interests. I've helped Fusions get back on the right track. Starting a witch hunt would've just caused complication." He glared. "What you did is nothing short of destruction and terror. You started a war…"

Data turned his back to him and resumed cobbling together his latest invention. "War is inevitable. With my actions alone, I will cause global mayhem that'll send everything into a tailspin. Once I have everything in lockdown, I can work in peace."

"And you think proudly stating all of this over the air will help your case?!" Cragtail growled. "You're just asking every military in the world to open fire on you!"

"It will show them that I'm in control."

"Grr…like what? Some kind of warning?"

"Not to warn…this is a self-made prophecy of mine. They will learn to accept it."

"News flash, genius! No one is immediately going to jump on fixing the planet after you wipe out the core! Everything will be cold and dead!"

"We've adapted to the worst this planet has to offer. Fusions are marvelous creatures with near limitless potential in numbers. They'll work together to save the planet. It's the ultimate forced cooperation."

Cragtail frowned. "Forced cooperation…heh, that sounds about right."

"Oh? How so?"

"You're mad."

"And you're closed-minded. What is your point?"

"That you think this means anything more than what you've done. If it's not the military that will stop you, it will be those Fusions."

"They will have no chance of reentering Kanto."

Cragtail smirked. "You think crushing their hope will save your skin?"

Data briefly glanced at him before returning to his work. "I've discouraged them by showing my superior forces. Those who hold all the guns are the ones in control. Isn't that a metaphor for a war-torn world?"

Cragtail shook his head, snickering through his clenched teeth. "You really are a smug prick. All of that babble about winning and you think you rigged the cards to play in your favor. Just you wait…you'll slip up and I'll be here laughing! Just you wait!" He smirked again. "I bet that's why you got rid of the ape. You were scared of him. You knew any altercation with him is instant death. He's the reason they will come for you."

Data's eyes glowed again. "And why is that?"

"That Slaking-Arceus may just be one of the most powerful Fusions to come into this generation. He gave those Fusions purpose to a sad existence. Once he gets to you, you'll be begging for mercy. Then we'll see just how smug you really-!" Syndony stuffed napkins into Cragtail's mouth, shutting him up.

Data sighed. "Thank you, Ms. Syndony."

"Anytime."

Data locked two pieces of metal together, staring down at them with a somber gaze. "Hope…you say it like it's the ultimate weapon against evil, but it's a powerful tool that can turn on the innocent. I wish not to crush the hope of others…but in order to regain hope, one must destroy it." He sighed. "After all…I lost hope a long time ago."

Cragtail raised his brow. _'Huh?'_

"I thought nothing bad of pokemanity for the longest time. I gave them a chance to change their ways, to see that this hatred was misguided. Pokémon...don't learn. Hate spreads...infects Fusions. Now everyone hates each other. A conflict that'll never end all because everyone wants to be right. Pokémon are cruel...Fusions are destructive...all of it is overblown nonsense that everyone has caught themselves in. They can't just take two steps back from their damn pride and realize how awful they really are.

"We as living beings can do horrible, horrible things without realizing the errors of our actions. My time was a simple, yet soundless one. There was no justice. There was no reason. Nowadays, I feel like it has grown worse. Some aspects better, but the feelings are still the same. We do horrible things to those we distrust…to anything we distrust. And no one remotely hateful can look past their actions and tell themselves 'I'm an awful Pokémon/Fusion.'"

Cragtail narrowed his eyes, noticing that Data was tearing up. Data gripped the edge of the table tightly, shuddering from a strong breath.

"Those Fusion Trials…gave nightmares. Seen as a way to…thin out the 'plague.' So awful…I've seen every manner of horrible action." The room shook from a strong psychic pressure coming off Data. "Even to the point… _where the murder…of a small Fusion girl…is seen as righteous justice_!"

Cragtail's eyes widened in horror. _'…What?'_

Data breathed heavily as the tears came pouring down. He vigorously wiped his eyes and leaned against the table. "...No remorse...no regret...a world where no one feels regret for their actions...a world where everyone has to act smug and superior...that they can do whatever they want because someone's better...neither side is 'better.' They're all prone to the same flaws. I'm just evening things out for the Fusions. They've been through enough crap…" He pulled away and stared intensely at the tied-up Golem. "That…is my justice."

Cragtail was sweating nervously. _'What is he up to?'_

Data grabbed hold of the activation core and held it up. "I worked tirelessly to mend the rift between Pokémon and Fusions. I never wanted to go this far…but now society has forced my hand. I'll make this world see reason my way." He stared at the orb. "And we've made perfect headway into my plans."

Alasdair walked over to him. "What does your science device do, sir?"

"Upon creation, it was first made with the intention of holding the ethereal energy given off by Pokémon and Fusions, though Fusions are much more variant and easier to gather." He psychically lifted his other project. "However, if worked through a suitable conduit, it has far more applications."

It was a black torso plate made from dismantled consoles. He placed it onto his body, feeling certain parts lock onto him. He psychically moved the orb to the back, where a large port was presented to fit it in. He glided it in, where it was securely clamped down and kept in place.

"A little insurance in case I have to take matters into my own hands." He looked to Cruella. "Bring me a Fusion Hunter."

She saluted. "On it!" She teleported away for a moment, then came back with a restrained Grumpig. "Here you are!"

The Grumpig snorted furiously. "Release me!" Cruella kneed him in the gut, bringing him to his knees. "Ack…!"

Data raised his hand and lit it in a rainbow-like aura, blazing like a gentle flame. "Answer me this, my fellow Fusions. What makes a Fusion and Pokémon so special?"

Gideon scratched his head. "Their abilities? Their type?"

"You've got the right idea. Now…what happens when you take all that away?" Suddenly, he blasted the Grumpig with the energy.

The Grumpig through his head back and yelled a horrific cry as the energy spread across his body. He was wrapped in a thing layer of rainbow light before being sucked back into the beam. Taken away from the Grumpig was his colors. Stripped of all the color from his body, his form flickered into different shades of gray that left him completely drained. He collapsed to the ground and breathed tiredly.

Data retracted the energy back into his hand, with the orb glowing with brighter intensity. It settled after a moment before resuming its normal glow.

Data blew on his hand, then flexed his three digits. "Thank you, Dr. Gates, for your research notes." He stared down at the weakened Grumpig. "My, my…you aren't looking so well."

Syndony was shocked. "What did you…?"

Cruella stared at the pig with bewildered eyes. "Holy moly…I can't sense any psychic energy coming off this guy."

"Exactly."

The Grumpig snorted roughly as he tried to pick himself up. "You…bastard…what did…you do to me?!"

Data chuckled lightly. "Why…I stripped you of your Psychic-Typing. Your ability to generate the energy to use your moves. Everything. A Grumpig who can't even perform basic telekinesis. This is what I intend to do should I have to deal with any threats personally. Can't stop me if everyone is about as effective as a Magikarp on land."

Syndony blinked a couple times, then held his paw to her lips with a devilish smirk. "Ooh…I like this."

Data bent down and patted the Grumpig's head. "Don't worry, you'll get it all back…and more, once the new era arrives." He glanced at Cruella. "Take him back to his cell."

Cruella saluted, then teleported away with Grumpig before reappearing a few seconds later. "Done!"

Cragtail muttered angry words through the napkins stuffed in his mouth. _'You've got to be kidding me with this shit!'_

Data seemed to get what he said. "Like I said, I won't let anyone interfere with my plans. I can't afford any chances, not after what happened with Peregrine."

Alasdair sighed, still feeling the soreness in his body. "No kidding…"

Data's eyes glowed ominously at Cragtail. "As for you…" Cragtail growled hostilely. "What? Don't feel threatened. Consider this poetic justice as you step into the realms of the creatures you so despised." Data could've laughed when he saw the change in expression from the Golem. "Oh yes…you know exactly what I intend to do to you."

Cragtail's eyes darted around fearfully while the Fusions caught on to Data's scheming. Syndony laughed behind her paw. "Oh my…what a fate for such a passionate man. I hope he transforms in a half-Garbador just so he knows what it's like to feel like trash."

Cragtail tried to flee, but he still remained tied down and unable to flee on his own. Data caught him and held him up with Psychic. "You're struggling is amusing, but hardly worth the effort. Think rationally, Cragtail…you brought this upon yourself. Now you shall feel only a fraction of the pain all Fusions suffered through the agony of centuries. How good is your pain tolerance? If it isn't the transformation that'll do you in, the pain will be far worse."

Beads of sweat trickled down Cragtail's head as the Beheeyem reached out to him. The rainbow glow of his blazing hand reflected off the Golem's eyes. He could feel the heat of the energy. It felt so chaotic. He could feel the presence of so many different types of energy mixed in with each other. It was a hodgepodge of fusion waiting to be unleashed. He didn't know how much energy that thing could hold, but he knew it's potential to mutate the planet was no exaggeration.

"Welcome, General Cragtail. Welcome to the world of Fusions."

Data grabbed Cragtail's face and sent forth a wave of energy across the Golem's body. Immediately, Cragtail's pupils shrank as he felt the surges of power inside. He could feel his bones creaking, his organs aching, and his everything searing with growing discomfort. His breathing started in slow flares through his nostrils, then gradually worked their way up to intense breathing. Sweat dripped down his face as he bit into the napkins.

Data retracted his hand and crossed his arms behind his back. "Well…how do you feel, Cragtail?"

Cragtail forcibly spat out the napkins and let out an agonizing, "GWRAAAAAAAaAAaAaaaaA!" He fell backwards and screamed like a possessed entity, with waves and pulses of unbridled pain and suffering pumping through his veins and organs. He twisted and contorted his bound limbs, fighting against the tight restraints placed on him.

With each pulse of suffering that pounded through him, vibrant rainbow sparks surged over his external form, like an intense form of paralysis after being struck with Thunder Wave. They crackled wildly like sparks from an overloading generator ready to burst. It felt like his head was on fire, burning at the inside of his skull.

The Fusions watched this with mixed reactions. While none of them were at all sympathetic for the general, it was quite the sight to witness. Some were in awe, some were disgusted, and Cruella…was videotaping the darn thing, snickering. "I'm so putting this online after I become King of Unova!"

Syndony looked to Data for answers. "I assumed the transformation would be instantaneous, like when we evolve."

Data shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. I'm completely rewriting his genetic signature through the forced reactivation of his Mewgenetic Code. Simply making it active won't cause the instant change. He'd be long dead by the time anything different naturally occurred. This is speeding up the natural process in accordance to our experienced evolution."

"GRAWWWWWGH!" With the pain pumping adrenaline through his body, the stress Cragtail pressed on his cuffs was enough to break them apart. He got on his hands and knees, digging his claws into the ground as tears streamed down his eyes. His eyes were nearly blanked out as the energy surged through his body, violently shooting upwards. He could feel his heart pumping hundreds of times a minute. Why wasn't he dead yet?!

"That looks excruciatingly painful," Alasdair commented.

Data sighed. "An unfortunate side effect. The speed up process is not painless, but he will soon adapt to the pain with enough time."

"Yes, but…" Alasdair glared. "His screaming is very annoying."

"It'll be a week or so before the transformation settles." Data turned his back to the suffering Golem. "Fear not, General Cragtail…we'll make sure you're left to yourself in my absence." He glanced at Cruella. "Place him in isolation."

"On it!" She grabbed Cragtail, then waved her phone at her. "Loyal subjects of Cruella Land, as your king, you will be asked to follow _my_ rule or there will be dire consequences like this grumpy old guy!" She teleported away with Cragtail, allowing peace to return to the room.

Data dusted himself off. "Now then…I think it's time I made my grand announcement to the people of Earth. Rewan, man the station." The Hypno-Malamar gave a thumbs up as he turned on the broadcast console. Data looked to Gideon. "And the Fusions I left behind are setting up?"

Gideon smirked. "Like you said…no one's getting in or out of Kanto. Everyone will be relaxing in front of the tele in their homes, waiting for the future to begin."

Data nodded, then glanced at Syndony. "Are we ready?"

She set up the camera, then smirked. "We go live in five minutes."

* * *

When they caught on to the deception from the emergency alert back at base, it was obvious the Fusion Hunter A-Team couldn't return without a proper form of an attack. They booked themselves a motel room in Hoenn, trying to figure out what's going on.

Maddock was the only one not actively participating as he flipped through TV channels with a look of boredom. Dario and Archie sat on the other bed, trying to contact any Fusion Hunters that were still active.

Dario groaned and put his phone away. "Nothing…"

Archie glared. "Does that mean they've all been captured?"

"I'm afraid so. The base is still under heavy lockdown." He glared. "We've been completely shut out."

Archie slammed his fists down on his legs. "Dammit! How could we let this happen!"

Maddock shrugged. "We got played _hard_."

"It was more than that," Dario corrected. "This was a calculated attack on the Fusion Hunters so they could gain access to our base. With all the Fusion Hunters out of commission, there will be more of those manipulated Fusions running amuck."

Archie crossed his arms. "What can we do, then? Even with our superior training, their numbers will eventually overwhelm us."

"Made worse with that hypnosis Fusion on the loose," Maddock mentioned. "I looked into his case files and he is potentially one of the most dangerous inmates we took in."

"How so?"

"In battle, he's fairly average, nothing special. It's his Fusion Move that's the problem. It's labeled as 'Conqueror.' When a target is placed to sleep, he zaps them and gains full control over their minds and bodies. They get a slight power increase and are pretty resilient to pain. Only way to take them out is to damage him enough." He glared. "That Fusion Move can turn entire armies into subjugated allies."

"Is there a limit?"

"I'd imagine it becomes harder the more minds he controls, unable to defend himself with complex strategy. Also…Hypnosis isn't the most accurate move in the world, so just putting someone to sleep is challenging enough." Maddock sighed and sat up. "And that's just him. There's the rest of those dangerous Fusions we need to watch out for." Maddock continued flipped through channels.

Dario looked at Archie. "If you want to beat a Fusion for good, you need another Fusion…" He glared. "Still…those attacks were clearly an elaborate diversion. All of this was way too coincidental to happen in roughly the same time. But…who would go so far for such a global diversion?"

"Uh, guys?" They turned to Maddock, who stared wide-eyed at the TV. "You…might want to look at this…"

They turned their attention to the TV and saw it flickering uncontrollably, then switching to an aerial shot of Gappei Village. Or…rather, what was once Gappei Village. For all to see was a deep abyss made into the ground, having cooled after a day of rest. The A-Team was shocked to see this.

"That's…Gappei Village…?" Archie mumbled.

"Dude…that's not even a village anymore…" Maddock added.

Dario glared. "What's this all…?" The screen flickered again, then cut to a Beheeyem floating in front of some consoles. "Huh? Who's that?"

Maddock shot up. "Hold the phone, those consoles! That looks like our stuff!"

Archie glared. "Is he the one who initiated the attack?!"

Data bowed to the camera. "May I have your attention, please? I'm sure all of you tuning in to this channel are probably wondering who happened to your regularly scheduled program. Rest assured, you will be able to return to your mundane lives after you've listen to my announcement.

"I've gone by the codename of Data in my time, to hide my identity from the public three hundred years ago. That is the name I use…because I am a man of cold hard calculations who simply wishes to spread peace and tolerance to a world so full of hatred. There are those of you growing impatient, asking what this weirdo is wasting our time with. Well, I'll stop beating around the bush.

"This is the end of all Pokémon."

The A-Team's eyes widened. "Wha…?"

* * *

 _Grandis City…_

Pokémon walking through the streets stopped as the screens from TV displays switched to the same broadcast with Data. They were watching with a mix of confusion and worry.

"Now, if you're all done laughing at the madman in front of the camera, we can get down to my point. I was an ardent Fusion Rights Activist in a much worse time from today. I assure you, underneath this body of cold calculation and logic, I do care for emotion. I am a Beheeyem who has seen the worst this world has to offer. It seems no matter how much progress we make, there will always be hate and violence that turns the most civil into monsters.

"Three hundred years ago, I wanted nothing more than for Fusion kind to live in harmony with Pokémon. I loved Fusions. I adored them. They were...the next logical step to evolution. We shouldn't have been fearing them as monsters, we should have been integrating them into our society...seen as equal. We could've all lived in peace. We could've avoided the violence."

Data raised his fist. "But I underestimated a Pokémon's ability for irrational violence. I underestimated a Fusion's patience before retaliation. All because Fusions are seen as inferior freaks of nature, that they aren't pure like Pokémon. It makes me sick to have heard such words in my time, and even some to this day still hold that belief. But now…it seems the damage has warped public perception into thinking all sides are monsters. Fusions turning to crime because of bad homes or kicked out onto the street. Mistreatment, illness, harassment…I could go on all day.

"Such unimaginable sins have been committed through these actions. Such bigotry is beyond spiteful and leads to actions that many of you would frown upon today...but those from then see it as an act of justice for plaguing the bloodline. That…was the very nature of the dreaded Fusion Trials."

The Pokémon were muttering in concern, even backing away from the TVs. They could see the rage in his unmoving eyes, as they glowed with the ominous green light.

"The final straw was broken, when a certain Mary Faust was murdered by activists who saw justice in ending her existence, simply for her Fusion heritage." His eyes glowed brighter. "That…was all I had left of my sanity." The Pokémon clenched their teeth in confusion and panic, fearing the intensity behind his voice.

"Mary Faust...was my daughter! I am the Fusion Rights Activist of three hundred years ago, who worked in secret to help the lives of other Fusions! The very one who disappeared without a trace! I am the man who wanted to change everything for the lives of Fusions!

"Hear my name, all of you! I am Ivan Faust!"

* * *

All across Kanto, local airports were being invaded by groups of Fusions, whether corrupted or not. They fired on the Pokémon, forcing them to flee the premises immediately. Pokémon were screaming and tripping over each other as they rushed out. Management had to get in contact with airborne flights to turn back around immediately.

"That was the day I lost everything. Mary was the most precious thing that came into my life. She was all I had. A sweet, young Elgyem-Beautifly with big dreams. She was my light. My joy. She meant the world to me and I wanted to help remake the world so she could live in it peacefully with other Fusions. Sadly…I lived in a world full of monsters. Fusions were seen as sins that needed to be cleansed…I was horrified…when I saw what those monsters did.

"They treated it like they saved her from a curse…like she was suffering as a Fusion. It was their righteous justice. The most overzealous bastards who hated Fusions wanted to remove all of them to save the bloodline. I…was beyond disgusted. I was fed up a long time ago with those dreaded trials, but this…this was where I broke.

"I made a vow…to help heal this broken world. To reform the wicked…to save all of you from your poisonous minds. Three hundred years in the making, waiting for my time to shine again. With my return, I shall reset this world to become what it tried to destroy.

"I have built a device that will mutate every Pokémon across the planet into a Fusion. You will all suffer through the pain you've inflicted through this violence and will deal with the consequences by reforming from your hatred. A world where we don't make snide remarks for being different! There will no longer be 'pure-blooded' Pokémon. Now…there will only be the glory of Fusions!"

* * *

 _Far off village, Hoenn…_

A small, humble village living outside the nearby city were turned to the attention of the news. A group of children and adults gathered in a straw hut watched the broadcast in shock and awe.

"In due time, my machine will spread its mutation wave across the entire planet, and you all shall become one with the Fusions. Reborn as the very creatures your ancestors have tortured for centuries."

A female Serperior who was watching bit her lip worriedly. "Oh dear…" She heard a thud outside the straw hut. She turned and saw a hard, green berry rolling by the door. It was large, almost the size of a rugby ball. Someone walked over and picked it up. "Simon."

Simon picked up the berry and tucked it under his arm. "Yes, Mama?"

"Come look at this."

The Fusion walked in. He was a Passimian that seemed to have green shoulder pads and body armor over his body, almost like a rugby player. His fur was much shaggier than a normal Passimian. "What's going on?"

"This man on the tele. He is saying the daftest things. Turning Pokémon into Fusions. Can you believe it?"

Simon knelt down and stared at the TV with a confused glare. "Huh…that's something you don't hear every day. Do you suppose he is serious and wishes for disarray?"

"I would hope not. This sound downright insane."

Simon narrowed his eyes at the Beheeyem on screen. "Yes…"

* * *

 _Mountains…_

A radio sat atop a rock as someone was digging through the dirt. It was tuned into the emergency broadcast.

"If you have any sense of respect, you will take this fate as a sign. This is an act of Arceus that I intend to carry out to make the world a better place."

The Fusion lifted her head and wiped her brow. She appeared to be a Delcatty with a mostly black body and white fur, along with some unusual traits in her appearance. She was examining gemstones as she listened to the broadcast, with an intrigued grin on her lips.

"An act of Arceus, eh? These overzealous types are truly remarkable." She glanced her strange, almost cybernetic eyes at the radio. "I never heard of a machine capable of inducing Fusion transformation. I'm curious now."

Ivan continued to speak, "I will make sure my influence is heard. Any who resist will be met with Fusions who seek justice for your inpokemane crimes. But to all Fusions of the world...this is a time of rejoice! You will gain the freedoms you so rightfully deserve!"

The cat chuckled. "He says that like it's a threat." She smirked with great intrigue. "If that's true, I suppose I should resist. After all…powerful Fusions working for a madman? Where there's Fusions...there's data to collect." She dropped her gemstone and walked up to the radio. "New types of Fusions to explore...I can't wait to experiment on one."

* * *

 _Snowy town, Sinnoh…_

"Some of you scoff at my grand design. Some of you see this as yet another fool making foolhardy threats. I assure you, these threats are not shallow. I am the one who will bring unity to this dying world that you have all plagued with your hatred."

The one listening to the radio broadcast sat on a torn-up couch in an alleyway, with a neat shelter built around it. It was like a small living room with odd junk laying around. The Fusion had a ghostly aura that gave off a bitter cold, colder than the snowy winds raging outside.

He sighed, exhaling a cold breath that formed frost over his face. He didn't mind, though. The cold was his element. He lived in the cold. It called out to him like an ally.

"Someone's asking to start a war." He raised his claws, slowly forming frost around them. "I would feel pity for this man should he step onto my turf. Not many who cause trouble last that long out here." He leaned back, folding his arms behind his back. "Of course…it's understandable if one were to face me."

* * *

 _Something rocky plain…_

A tent was pitched out in the middle of nowhere, where someone was sleeping under a sleeping bag while listening to light jazz. Well, she was, until the radio switched to the broadcast.

The ramblings finally pulled her awake. "Waz dat…?"

"This is destiny...the destiny we all deserve. A sacrifice of the planet to bring true unity to this dying world!"

"Huh? Did I switch to that wacky talk show station again…?"

"There will be no resistance to this. I have been planning this for years. And nothing can stop it. Not the Fusion Hunters. Not the Pokemon. And certainly not the Fusions of Gappei Village."

The Fusion sat up a bit and reached her insect leg out from the sleeping bag, turning off the radio. "Yep…definitely the talk show…" She groaned and nestled back into her sleeping bag. "They'll let anyone onto that damn talk show…"

* * *

 _Far off temple…_

A humanoid figure was sitting in front of a TV, holding a can of Diet Cola in his hand. He took a light sip as he watched the Beheeyem make his announcement.

"With your compliance, we can heal this world. Heal it of all its sins. So...join me, brothers and sisters, and we can heal this dying world-" He switched off the TV and stood up.

He stretched his legs and sighed. "…So…when Juniper said something strange was going on…this must've been what she was sensing." He finished off the last of his soda before chucking it into the nearby recycling bin. He walked away from the TV. "Ivan Faust…history wondered what became of you after your disappearance." He paused for a moment to yawn. "…Credit where credit is due…you certainly thought of everything."

He stepped out onto a balcony where he got a good view of the town below the mountain his home resided on. He saw a Sawk-Dialga. While he looked like a normal Sawk, he had a metal chest plate containing a blue diamond in the center. He had metal plating on the back of his hand.

He leaned against the railing, resting his arms atop it while holding his chin in hand. He had a soft, amused gaze as he looked over everything. "Make no mistake, Mr. Faust. As much as I sympathize with you…if you've done anything to my daughter and her friends…you'll be making one more enemy today."


	60. Separation

It felt like hours since York was last awake. His memory was a bit fuzzy from the sudden blackout he underwent. It was difficult to fully realize what transpired after that blue flash of light struck him. It felt weird being transported. Felt like his cells were individually moving at high speed, separated, yet still connected. If something had gotten in his way, his cells would've been scattered across the world. What a disturbing thought that thankfully will never happen…hopefully.

It took him a moment to adjust to his groggy awareness of everything. Once consciousness rolled in, his first instinct was to open his weary eyes. His vision was blurry, but gradually fixed itself. He couldn't quite figure out where he was, but the ground felt loose under him.

"Huh…?" He rolled onto his back, a light groan escaping his mouth from the aches and pains, then clutched his pounding head. "What…happened?" It was a bit of a rhetorical question to himself. If he had any chance back there, he would've clobbered that teleporting Fusion for what he did to his friends.

It seemed he wasn't alone, either, though he knew he was teleported with four others. He heard a soft murmuring by his side. Turning to the left, he found Casey fast asleep on the ground, curled up with her tail close to her face. Being the first living thing he saw upon waking, it pulled York up from his aching slumber.

"Casey!" he shouted. He crawled to her with his hands, but his previous injuries acted up and he fell over, nearly landing on her flame. He growled softly and pushed himself up again until he was sat up. He grabbed Casey's arm and lightly shook her. "Casey!"

Very soon, the Charmeleon's eyes fluttered open. With a soft groan, she sat herself up and rubbed her eyes. "Y…York…? Is that you?"

York threw himself into her and hugged her tightly. "Yes, yes! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Casey, now with her bearings in order, blushed and hugged him back. "Oh York…" She felt him flinch and lurched back, grasping his aching arm. "York…" She sat still for a moment before touching his shoulder. "…How bad is it?"

"At this point…could be broken. Surprised I can still move a finger." He sighed. "More importantly, are you okay?"

She rubbed her head. "A little headache, but I'll be fine."

York leaned against her, nuzzling her cheek. "I'm so glad. I'd panic if anything bad happened to you."

She held his cheek. "I appreciate the concern, but you should worry about your friends, too. They're bound to be in worse shape than me."

York sighed. "Guess you're…wait!" He looked around with sudden wide eyes. "Crap! The others! Spaz, Willy, and…oh Arceus, Tamara was injured!"

Casey searched around, but didn't have to look far once she spun herself around. The tension in her shoulders slumped with her. "…Oh…"

York followed her line of sight and spotted their friends, safe and sound. Aside from them, Spaz was the only one awake. He was sitting by Tamara's side, with his head hanging. Willy slept against his side, with Spaz keeping one protective arm around him and giving the occasional, gentle scratch. Further examination showed Tamara had grass bandages wrapped around her burns. There wasn't any grass for miles from what York and Casey could see, so Spaz must've been responsible.

Even in his slump, his hearing still worked. He gave a light glance their way, then returned his eyes onto Tamara in a downcast. "Hey guys…"

Casey helped York to his feet, with the armored lizard asking, "Spaz…is she…how is she doing?"

Spaz shuddered a bit, likely choking back a sob, then straightened up. "I did the best I could. I woke her up a while ago and told her to use Recover for a bit, then I used my Grass Knot to…" He paused to wipe his eyes. "...to make bandages for her. I...hope something from the grass will...help her heal a bit..." He closed his eyes.

Casey stared at the time mouse with sympathy. York, while also sympathetic, was sneering at the ground. "Those…bastards!" He stomped his injured foot down, then immediately regretted it. Casey adjusted herself to keep him supported. "Dammit…"

Casey narrowed her eyes sadly. "…We lost the village…we failed."

Spaz's ears drooped. "…We did…"

Despite not knowing what fate has been brought upon their home, they knew in their cracking hearts what became of it. Everything was lost to them. Those memories to make a home of their own, ruined and taken away from them in a single night. No room to process or cope. The stress, the survival, the fighting…they were unprepared for a victory.

York was cracking inside, too, but he refused to break. Fist clenched tightly, he lifted his head and growled. "No…I'm not going to accept this!"

Spaz's somber gaze never left Tamara. "York, just stop…we lost…"

"I said, I'm not going to accept this! As if I would let those bastards beat us down and get the last laugh! They invaded our home and took it from us! Next time I see them, I'm going to bury them six feet under and-!"

He stopped as he felt Casey's hand wrap around his. He gazed at her glossy eyes, sniffling a bit in understanding, but also silently begging him to calm down. The tension washed out of him and he was left slumped against her, holding his head.

"You almost sound like Norris…" Spaz mentioned.

"Guess his attitude finally rubbed off on me…"

Casey wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her head under his chin. "York…everything's going to be alright…we'll get through this…"

York narrowed his eyes somberly, then wrapped his arms around her. "…I…I just…" He heard someone stirring close by. "Huh?"

Their eyes fell on Tamara, who was shifting around a bit before her eyes fluttered open. She looked weak and tired from the constant battling from earlier, not helped by the injury she sustained. She groaned quietly and held her head. "Morning…"

Spaz's ears perked up, then he broke into a wide grin. "Tamara! You're awake!"

Tamara flinched and rubbed her ear. "I'm not deaf, either…" She sat up, but nearly fell back over from the striking pain in her stomach. "Ugh…" Spaz reached out and kept her from falling back. "Thanks…"

York smiled gratefully. "We're happy to see you're alright…"

Tamara held her arm around her stomach. "I'm honestly surprised I'm alright, too…" Spaz raised his brow. Something about the way she said that…struck him as strange. He half-expected her to wave it off like it was nothing. She sighed and looked around. "This doesn't look like Gappei…and it seems we were the only ones to get teleported together…"

York nodded. "Yeah. We got teleported a little after you were…taken out…" Tamara's ears and eyes drooped, something he caught in her body language.

Casey decided to change the subject. "So…anyone got a clue where we landed?"

It was definitely nowhere near Gappei Village, or Grandis City for that matter. It was long stretches of land that seemed to go on for miles. Dusty looking plains with not all that much plant life to spot.

Tamara stood up, keeping her arm around her stomach. "Could be the desert."

Spaz stood by her, with Willy in his arms. "We won't last long out here without food and medicine." He quickly looked to Casey. "Casey, you're…rich and famous, right? Don't you have a phone? You can call us a private jet or something, right?"

Casey scratched her head, then reached into her pocket. "I doubt I have cell service out here, but it's our best option." She groaned. "My manager is going to kill me when he finds out about this, if he hasn't already…" She held her phone up for a moment, then bit her lip. "Oh boy…"

"No signal?" York guessed.

"Worse." She showed her phone to them. The screen was cracked and flashing with random colors, while making an odd buzzing sound. "I think that teleporting beam scrambled my phone."

"Ah shit…" Tamara groaned.

"Just wonderful…" York mumbled.

Casey pocketed her phone. "Maybe we're close to civilization?"

"I would've checked," Spaz admitted, "but I was the only one awake and…I couldn't leave you guys alone, not even for a second. I only did some mild searching while you were still in range of sight." He paused as the rainbow dragon started to stir awake.

Willy opened his eyes a little, then gave a soft yawn. "…Is it time for breakfast?"

Spaz smiled sadly. He couldn't just say they didn't have food. It'd break the little fellow's heart. He patted his head and softly assured, "We'll eat soon, buddy. Promise." He flinched as his stomach began growling. "Ugh…"

"Now there's a problem. Where are we going to find food?" York wondered aloud. "Spaz?"

He held his head and sighed. "I didn't go too far, but…I saw some trees in the distance. They could have berries hanging off them." He pointed around before fixing on one direction. "That way."

Casey slipped her hands inside her pockets. "Alright, looks like I'm gonna have to be the adult here and get them myself."

"Casey, are you sure?" York asked, holding her shoulder.

"Two of you are seriously injured and we have a child with us. Spaz should be here to protect you and Tamara." She held her chest. "I promise, if anything bad happens, I call out to you guys. I'm sure Spaz is fast enough to reach me in case something does happen. Besides, he needs his rest, too."

Spaz sat down. "Thanks Casey…"

York sighed and sat down. "Fine…but please be careful." She nodded and headed off to where Spaz pointed out the trees. York looked over at Spaz as he petted Willy. "How's he holding up?"

Spaz smiled gently. "He was crying earlier, so I had to soothe him back to sleep. He's doing much better than I hoped." He sighed. "…I'm worried about the other kids, too."

"Everyone is, but I'm sure they're fine. They're with Hawkins and Dakota." York rested his arms in his lap. "We just need to keep hope alive…"

They sat in a semi-comfortable silence, just taking to their own thoughts. Willy lay soundly in Spaz's lap as the time mouse stroked him. He looked up towards Tamara, who had her back to them. Her head was slump. She was barely moving. It made him nervous.

"T…T-Tammy…" he called out quietly.

Tamara looked over her shoulder and took one glance at him. Her eyes were emotionless. They didn't have that same care she carried inside them. They didn't have that wonderful spark that made him feel…protected. They were now dull and lightless. They exchanged stares for a solid thirty seconds before Tamara turned away and sighed to herself.

Willy recoiled back into Spaz's arms with a soft whimper. "Tammy…?"

York and Spaz looked at the slump ninja cat, picking up that she wasn't in her usual spirits. It then occurred to York that…she wasn't showing off her usual mannerisms. Right about now, she would be declaring that they would take back their home from those no-good villains and proclaiming something about justice and an overly complex name for herself that would be immediately shot down.

If Liam was their Symbol of Hope…Tamara was their Symbol of Heroism. So…why wasn't she expressing that heroism?

York took a guess she was still on what happened back in the village and, frankly, he could understand why she wouldn't be in a talkative mood. It was his job as a counselor for the village to get to the root of these issues.

"Tam…" He didn't get a response, but he didn't expect one. "Look…we took some big hits the other day. We're all weak and tired and maybe our morale is low, but we can't let that stop us from getting back into action. Those guys need to pay for taking our home away."

There was a moment to let it sink in, then she spoke…though not with the response he expected. "And how do you propose we do that…?" The way she asked was so…uncharacteristically bitter.

It was so off-putting that York couldn't quite articulate a solid answer. "Well…we could…or we could…um…" He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "What does it matter how?! The point is, it's too early to give up!"

Tamara glared. "What good will that do us? We failed…"

Spaz bit his lip, now becoming uncomfortable. "Tamara…are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she answered sharply.

York narrowed his eyes. "No…no, you aren't. Last I checked, Tamara is a big time show off who wants to prove to everyone she is and will be the greatest hero of all time. She never lets a bad situation get her down. She fights through it with a blazing justice that never burns out. Where's that spark that's always igniting in your heart? Where's that sense of justice that refuses to let you give up?"

"Burnt to a crisp back home…" Tamara brought her legs to her chest and hugged them. "…I failed as a hero. All I ever wanted was to protect others, but the second Hawkins, Dakota, and the kids were taken away, everything spiraled out of control. I'm supposed to be the fastest one in the village. I shouldn't have let that one Fusion distract me."

Spaz frowned. "Don't tell me you also regret saving me back there."

Tamara glanced at him, then turned away. "Of course not. I did what any hero would do. I had to save you…you were the only one I could save." She closed her eyes. "I should've been able to take them all on…"

York turned and faced her. "Tamara, no one expected this attack to happen. We were all caught off guard."

"I shouldn't have…I should've been prepared. I should've stopped it."

Spaz gritted his teeth. "Tamara…that Liepard-Houndoom was just shiftier and stronger. She wouldn't have let you save anyone."

"I should've been faster…" she growled.

York glared. "It's not always that easy. You can't be better than everyone."

"Exactly…that's why I NEED to be better than everyone else, otherwise stupid mistakes like that are made!" Tamara extended her claws and pressed them into her skin. "I should've been quicker! I should've been stronger! I couldn't let those jerks get away with what they did and I let myself fall! Now everyone's gone all because I couldn't make all my TALK a reality!"

"Not even you could've stopped them all-" York started.

" _THAT'S A LIE!"_ she screamed into his face, scowling furiously.

York recoiled back, eyes widened in shock. Spaz gasped while Willy quickly got behind him. Tamara breathed heavily through her teeth, eyes flickering with a vicious fire. That rage died down after a few blinks, then her expression softened into one of regret. She closed her eyes tightly and looked away from them.

York recovered immediately after, then reached out to her. "…Tamara-"

"Just leave me alone."

He pulled his hand back, then gripped his wrist. "…Mistakes are made. We've all made them." He sighed. "I know how that feels."

Tamara didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on the ground.

He moved a bit closer. "…I was brash and overconfident back as a Rogue. I wanted to make a statement to the Pokémon, thinking my actions will prove our point." He glared. "Being a criminal, however, wasn't the right way to go. I almost realized that too late." He glanced at her. "Tamara…you give others hope to stand and fight. What happens when they see their hero…gives up?"

Tamara hugged her legs tighter. "…Am I a hero?"

"…Only you can answer that." He patted her shoulder. "I know you have your pride…and I get that you think you've failed…but you can't always win the day on your own…"

"…Then what's the point of me trying…if my own power can stand on its own?" Tamara held her face in her knees. "I should've tried harder against the Rogues…I should've tried harder against those horrible Fusions…"

"Tamara-"

"York… _leave me alone,_ " she ordered firmly.

York frowned, then scooted away. "I'm…just trying to help…" He stood up and rubbed his arm. "Look…I'm going to see if Casey needs any help carrying food back." He headed off to find her.

Spaz stared between the two before resting his eyes on Tamara. His eyes watered for the ninja cat. Willy nudged against Spaz, feeling sympathetic for her as well. The time mouse rubbed his eyes, then pulled off his backpack. He reached inside and pulled out his green folder. He opened it and looked at the first few lines of the paper inside.

' _Tamara…there's something I've always wanted to tell you. The words I kept for you…in my heart.'_

* * *

Snoozing quietly on her back, leg twitching in the air, was Artemis. She has been out for a while and probably had no intention of waking up any time soon. However, the gentle touch of the tiniest snowflake landing her nose irritated her into a waking sneeze, jolting her upright.

"A-CHOO!" she sounded, lurching her head forward and nearly headbutting the ground. She sniffled, then wiped her nose. "Ugh…" She took a moment to recollect her thoughts, then glared at the trees around her. "Good freakin' grief. Teleportation…easy mode of transportation, but completely unreliable! Negative two out of five stars!"

"Ah, good, you're awake." She looked over her shoulder and saw her friends nearby, with Chris waving her over. They were around a small fire with Sheila roasting berries over it. "Worried you weren't going to wake up until the next morning." He shrugged. "Any other day, that's usual, but we wouldn't want you catching something out here."

Artemis looked around and saw they were in a small forest of pine trees covered in frost, with a light snowfall sprinkling atop them. She stood up and made her way to the small fire. "How long was I out?"

"For a day," Crawford grumbled. "We had to drag yer sorry behind with us until we settled down for camp!"

Artemis sat down and raised a dry brow at him. "Someone's feeling crappy without their daily fix of rum."

"Yer darn right, I am!"

Sheila sighed as she poked at the roasting berries with a stick. "If we can all just calm down, that'd be nice. We still have no idea where we ended up. Just in the colder reaches of the world, it seems like."

Artemis, again, gazed at the snow-covered forest, then groaned. "Ugh, snow. Just when you think I was done with the cold, it always finds a way to reel me back in." She threw her paws up. "Thanks for throwing me back in the Arceus damned winter, stupid teleporting Fusion!"

Chris sat down and hugged his legs. "We were all pretty shaken when we woke up. How are you holding up, anyway?"

Artemis forced a grin as her left eye twitched. "Oh, just _wonderful_! Sure, we lost our home, got the shit kicked out of us, we're stranded who the hell knows where, and the last thing I saw was my boyfriend trying to save me with that horrorstricken face of fear and doubt!" Tears brimmed at her eyes, showing a far more strained smile. "So yeah, I say I'm a- _okay_!"

Her friends blinked at her, slightly bewildered by her response, but also sympathetic. She was stressed like the rest of them. Sheila pulled away from the fire and slid over to her, wrapped her friend in a warm embrace. "…It's okay if you need to cry."

Artemis sniffled, then wiped her tears. "I don't cry…" She frowned at the ground. _'Only Spooks is allowed to see me like this…'_ Her feelers went limp, laying in the thing patch of snow.

Chris dug his clawed hand at the snow with a narrowed gaze. "I'm worried about the others, too. Don't act like we aren't feeling pressured by all this."

Artemis blinked sadly, then rubbed her eyes. "Sorry…"

Crawford punched his pincers together. "Right! Save that feeble sadness for the real fight! We're goin' back to those wannabe Fusions and beatin' them into submission!" He jabbed at the air and swung with an uppercut. "Like that!"

Artemis glared. "Oh, I wholeheartedly agree." She punched her feelers into each other. "I'll break their kneecaps for what they've done to us!"

"Then let's march back to home and beat them up!"

"Slow down, you two," Chris cut in, leaning back on his hands. "Plotting for revenge isn't how we should start things off. May need reminding, but our current situation takes precedence." He tilted his head. "Let's go over our biggest concerns. We have no idea where we are or how to get back home. Even if we did, unless we're still in Kanto or possible Johto, we can't afford to cross between regions. Besides, a fight this early wouldn't do us any good. Just like how we'll learn from our mistakes, they may as well be, too."

Artemis slumped with a sour mood. "Ugh, why do the smart ones always need to point out the problem?"

"Wouldn't call myself smart, just using common sense." He held his hand up as Sheila tossed him a freshly cooked berry. "I suggest we take our time and recuperate. We can't be that far away from a town to get help." He glared. "Might be some problems if we wound up in Unova."

Sheila tossed berries over to Artemis and Crawford. "We should rest and get our strength back before heading out. Some of us still need to recover from our injuries."

Artemis bit into her berry and chewed slowly, then squealed inside at the delectable cooked taste. "Mmm! Okay, forget King Midas and turning things to gold! Any food you touch turns into heaven!"

Sheila rubbed her arm. "It's the best I can do. Some of the herbs around here made for good spice."

Crawford scoffed. "I suppose it's alright, but I could've done one better!"

"You would've burned them-"

"Toughens ye up! Builds character!" He ate his berry whole and chewed loudly.

Chris scratched his head. "Not sure that's how it works." He looked towards Artemis. "Artemis, got any ideas for what we should do? You have the most experience out of all of us on your own."

Artemis swallowed and wiped her lips. "I've never had to worry about anyone other than myself. I just do when I need to do something." She sighed. "Maybe if Quinn were here, he'd give a better plan. He's smarter than me. I just listen and punch what needs to be punch. I'm good at breaking stuff…like bones."

"Well, Quinn's not here," Sheila reminded, "and it's our job as a team to get through this together. You have the better survival instincts, so we need your expertise for this."

Artemis huffed, then finished off the rest of her berry. "I suppose I can manage." She wiped her lips, then showed a smile. "Heh…at least I have Asher to thank for teaching me all I need to know. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did without his guidance."

"Asher?" Chris questioned with a raised brow.

"My first friend. He's pretty good at doing things on his own and taught me all he knew. How to cook, how to find shelter…how to steal a truck," she mumbled under her breath.

Sheila smirked a bit. "So…I suppose this Asher is where you got some of your bad habits from."

"…Curse your sensitive hearing."

"Thank you!"

Crawford raised his brow. "Ye almost sound like ye idolize the feller. He that important to ye?"

"More than anything!" Artemis exclaimed, throwing her paws up. "There was just something about him I couldn't stay away from! Asher was…the definition of cool! He just exuded with pride and respect! He was unflappable, no matter who stepped up to him! He'd go as far as _pitying_ anyone who challenged him, saying stuff like how they must be very unfortunate or utterly foolish to come all that way to taste defeat! Nothing fazed him!"

Chris smirked. "You don't say?"

Crawford rolled his eyes. "Sound to me like a cocky bastard."

Artemis snorted and laughed. "Hardly! He was just that confident! And you know what? He had a right to be! Asher always had that one nickname around town! The Reaper of the Frost!" She rubbed her forelegs and shivered. "Just thinking about it gives me the chills. You know you're in trouble when you're suddenly paralyzed with dread and can't will yourself to move or escape, then find a mysterious mist rolling up from out of nowhere! That's the first sign you're meeting the reaper!"

Sheila raised her brow. "Is that his Fusion Move?"

She shrugged. "Eh, beats me. He never showed it to me. Might have evolved by now along with him."

Chris smiled. "Well, he certainly sounds cool. That may be the kind of help we need along the way."

Artemis grinned and wagged her tail. "No kidding!" She sighed dreamily and crossed her forelegs. "Asher's just…awesome."

Sheila blinked, then smirked. "By chance…was he anything…more to you?"

The Sylveon-Scrafty's eyes widened, then she went into a stuttering fit with her cheeks glowing red. "W-W-W-What?! NO! Of course not!" She pouted defiantly for a solid five seconds, then deflated in defeat. They weren't buying it. She held her paw to her lips and giggled skittishly. "Alright…I'll admit this…I _kind of_ had a crush on Asher back then. I couldn't help myself. I was a young girl who was whisked away from her crappy lifestyle and given a new taste of home from Prince Charming. I couldn't help myself." She smirked. "Besides…he's quite the looker, too."

Sheila chuckled. "And…no regrets that you settled with Quinn?"

Artemis held her paw up. "Oh, definitely not." She sighed and clasped her paws together. "Asher's cool and all, but there's something about reserved, brainy guys like Quinn that I find more attractive. He really gets me, you know." She giggled girlishly, which made Sheila laugh.

Crawford groaned. "This conversation makes me physically sick."

Chris nudged him in the side. "You won't be like that forever."

"I can assure ye, I won't tie me life down with another woman."

Artemis chuckled and held her chin. "I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up picking someone up from the bar."

Crawford rolled his eyes. "That will _never_ happen!"

Chris glanced at Sheila and grinned. "What about you, Sheila? Any ideal partners in mind?"

Sheila scratched her cheek awkwardly. "Um, well…maybe, but…" She sighed. "Please don't laugh, though, it's kind of embarrassing." She took a deep breath, then exhaled a quick, "I like bad boys!"

Her friends' eyes widened in disbelief. Sheila…innocently sweet, almost motherly _Sheila_ was into…what now?! "Um…run that by us again," Crawford requested, unable to believe his ears himself. Now _this_ caught his attention.

Sheila played with her ear nervously. "Well…I've always been more attracted to roughish types of guys. You know, not playing by the rules and…just being pretty darn cool." She blushed and hid behind her ear.

Artemis blinked slowly, then smirked. "Well, well, well…this is a new side of you I never expected. Here I thought someone would think I was the one attracted to tougher guys, but you? Get out of here!"

Sheila fiddled with the beads in her ears. "I like to think my Zoroark-half plays a part in my…romantic interests…" She was glowing from her red cheeks.

Artemis snickered. "D'aww! Just look at you!"

"S-Shut up!"

Chris tapped his chin. "So…would that make Crawford your type?"

Her eyes widened, then she cautiously glanced at the Corphish-Crabrawler, who stared with a disinterested expression while scratched at his side. "…Definitely not."

The crab rolled his eyes. "I'd be offended if I gave two shits."

* * *

"Codex, calm down!"

"I got him, I got him!"

Emily and Charlie were seated on the soft grass, eyes wandering as they watched Ren and Rebecca chase down a malfunctioning Codex, whose eyes were sparking uncontrollably. They've been at it ever since Codex restarted, so…about a half hour of running. It was frightening for the first five, then funny for ten minutes, then just lost the charm the rest of the way.

"Should we help?" Charlie finally asked, unable to stand the sight.

Emily shrugged. "I have no idea anymore."

Rebecca jumped in front of Codex, forcing the computer ghost to curve around. This led him right into Ren's path, being quickly tackled and apprehended against the ground. "Got him!" Ren exclaimed.

Rebecca huffed in exhaustion and fell back onto her rear. "Thank goodness…my legs are killing me…"

Ren stood up and tightly restrained Codex in his arms. "Codex! Calm down! It's me, Ren!"

Codex's eyes were surging with electricity and displaying a number of different images, from exclamation points to error signs to even broadcast color bars. He was also…speaking strangely. "Must- Find- Zzt- Tracking Data- The stickier a Cubchoo's snot, the healthier they are! Therefore, being sick is healthy- And that is why hoods are cool!"

Ren shrieked as electricity singed his cheek. "That Magnet Bomb _really_ screwed him over!"

Rebecca carefully approached them. "We'll need to keep him held down until he finally calms-!"

"WAIT!" Codex exclaimed, bursting from Ren's tight hold. There was a long pause after that, with Codex staring intently at the sky, like he was pondering the meaning of life…or, based off today's trend of wackiness, reading an online article on the secrets accountants don't want you to hear. "…I am fine."

The others blinked, still unedge and trying to remain cautious. "Uh…you sure?" Emily asked as she stood up with Charlie.

Codex crossed his arms behind his back. "Yes. A simple malfunction, nothing to- _And now Chuck with the weather_ \- worry about."

Charlie blinked, then grinned. "Well, if you say so!" Emily facepalmed.

Rebecca grabbed Codex and gently pulled him down. "Ooookay, you need to rest. Now."

"Don't be absurd, Ms. Harrison!" he exclaimed. "I don't require- Zzt- rest!"

"…Did you just use a contraction? Twice?"

Emily pinched between her eyes, then walked up between them. "Okay, clearly this is the least of our priorities at the moment. Fact is, we're stranded who knows where with no way of getting home."

"Well, we can't do much with Codex like this," Ren pointed out. "He's the only reliable source of information we have and now he's loonier than a drunk Crawford."

Codex made a face, though they couldn't quite tell if he took offense to that comment or if he was taking fascination with the way his eyes and mouth move. He shook his head and gently patted himself. "A-A-AA_rd! I don-did-do not need rest. I am perfectly- Zzt- functional."

Emily held her hips. "Oh really? Then tell us where the heck we are!"

"We are in Hoenn, approximately sixteen kilometers from the nearest town."

"…So… _now_ you decide not to glitch out?"

"Sixteen kilometers," Rebecca mumbled. "That's like…ten miles from here."

Ren clapped his hands together. "That's perfect! We can walk ten miles!" He pointed ahead. "Onward! Let's find ourselves a motel and stay the night!"

There was an awkward silence around the optimistic frog knight. Rebecca and Emily didn't have the heart to explain this to him, but Charlie was more than willing to. "Ren…we don't have money, remember?"

"…"

Suffice to say, he took it better than they expected.

"WE'RE GONNA DIE OUT HERE!" he screamed, dropping to his knees and bursting into tears.

His friends stared at him, sweat-dropping in response. "He's such a drama queen…" Emily mumbled.

Charlie grinned awkwardly and tried to cheer the frog knight up, "Heeey, it's not so bad. I'm sure we'll get lucky in town and find some help."

Rebecca knelt down and patted Ren's back. "I'm more concerned with what's going on at home. We don't know what those Fusions wanted with us off the land."

"Oh, that is quite simple," Codex brought up. "A doomsday device is being made to turn all Pokémon into Fusions, which will result in the planet core's death." Dead silence came over the group while Codex innocently looked around at the sky and clouds. "Lovely day, is it not?"

"Um…say what?!" Emily exclaimed. "You mind running that by us again?!"

Codex's right eye sparked for a moment before saying, "Ah yes, I was working in secret with Ms. Vivi. One of those Fusions who attacked us men-Zzt-tioned the mastermind, Data. Though, I am under oath not to tell a living soul."

"…But you just told us," Rebecca pointed out.

"…May I do require a period of rest," Codex immediately reflected.

Ren was now hyperventilating, clutching at his chest. "WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO?!"

"I never realized how panicky he gets," Charlie mumbled to himself.

"HOW CAN YOU NOT BE PANICKING?!" Ren screamed.

Emily rubbed her temples and gritted her teeth. "A doomsday device…are you serious? Why attack our home for that? Did we have the doomsday device?!"

Rebecca rubbed her chin. "Well, from the way they wanted us off the land, it…could be possible we had something they wanted. I mean, why else would they need us evicted?"

"That just makes it worse. Why weren't we told about this?" Emily asked Codex.

Codex sparked a bit before replying, "To not raise panic. We couldn-Zzt-not make any false assumptions unti_ we weren't- ZZT! - _were_ certain."

Emily sighed and rubbed her head. "I suppose that makes sense…"

"BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T FIX THE ISSUE!" Ren screamed. "NOW WE'RE REALLY GOING TO DIE!"

"Ren, calm down!" Emily shouted.

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN-?!" Emily slapped him across the face. Hard. He blinked twice, then rubbed his sore cheek. "Okay, ow, but I feel a little better…"

Emily shook her lightly stinging hand before looking back at Codex. "Codex, this thing is a machine, right? Can't you do something to break it or…stall its activation?"

Codex shook his head. "With how my _c-c-c-c-od-ing_ is…I can't not-not guarantee anything. I would need a direct signal to the device from an existing source."

Charlie frowned. "So, we have nothing to go off of?"

"Afraid so," Emily grumbled. She pinched between her eyes. "We're screwed…"

Rebecca rubbed her arm gently. "So…our only choice now is finding a way back to the others?"

"Seems so. I don't see what else we can do like this."

"But how do we get home?" Ren asked.

Emily bit her lip and turned away. "I'll…think of something."

Codex's eyes suddenly lit up. He looked to the sky as he pulled up a message. "Oh, I see a video is trending on the internet."

Emily groaned. "Not now, Codex, I'm thinking."

"But you may want to listen to this. One _Ivan Faust_ just declared the end of all Pokémon."

Ren and Rebecca's eyes widened, with Ren reacting in shock. "Ivan Faust?!"

Ren jumped onto the ghost computer. "IVAN FAUST?! The Fusion Rights Activist?!"

Charlie looked at Rebecca. "Who…?"

"Some guy Ren's been reading up on," Rebecca explained.

Ren shook Codex with wide eyes. "How is that possible?! Ivan Faust should be dead by now!"

Codex didn't flinch to his closeness and throttling. "This Ivan Faust…appears to be the head of the attack that befell our village." Codex then glared. "…He states that _he_ is Data."

Ren's heart sank. He got off of Codex and backed away with horrified eyes. "Ivan…Faust…is the guy who wants to…mutate all Pokémon?" He clenched his teeth. "But…he sounded like such a nice guy."

"According to his speech…it seems he is under much stress and anger. A warped perspective on the inpokemane actions in his time. He's acting off pure anger and instinct through his actions. His intentions will have great consequences."

Emily glared. "He announced this?"

"To the whole world as a celebration of his hopes and dreams." Codex flinched from the sparks escaping his eyes. "I can't- not create a projection, but it would seem that Dat- Ivan- Datvan...is initiating a lockdown of Kanto, preventing escape or entry."

Rebecca gasped. "Locking down Kanto? But that means…!"

Emily clenched her teeth. "We're stuck out here." She closed her eyes. "We won't be able to do anything to stop him."

"Not…n-n-n-necessarily." They looked up at Codex as he cycled through his corrupted files. "It would...Zzt-eem they also took over Profectus Inc. I just remembered I'm still connected to Mr. Roteman's email, from the message Vivi sent me."

Emily held her hips. "What good will that do us?"

"I could create a virus to work my way into the system and hopefully find a weak spot in their plan to buy us…Zzt-ome time."

Charlie's eyes sparkled. "You really think you can do that?"

"In my-my-my-my current state, it will be a miracle. I may not _be able_ to DO MUCH, but I-we have no other options." Codex's eyes glowed. "I am going to root myself into Profectus Inc.'s mainframe and find any possible connections to Data and his plans."

Rebecca nodded. "Well, if we're stuck all the way out here, might as well do something to help the others. In the meantime, we can't stand around and do nothing."

Ren nodded in agreement. "If opportunity comes, we can catch a ride to Kanto and hopefully sneak back into town. Better yet, we can maybe stop that machine."

"Better than nothing," Emily grumbled. "Codex, do everything you can to hack into that mainframe and put a stop to that machine." She grabbed him by the tail and pulled him along as he went into deep thought. "Come on, gang, we're burning daylight."

They nodded and followed closely behind, with some fear in their eyes over what may become of the following days.

* * *

In the high, freezing mountains, Dakota and Hawkins took the lead through the paths they could find with the kids huddled close behind. They all looked weary from their long travel, about ready to collapse from exhaustion in a matter of moments. Only Hawkins seemed to be in better shape, likely from years of training on his body and legs.

Dakota glanced around with strained eyes. "Where are we?"

"On a mountain, genius," Hawkins grumbled. "Surprised you didn't catch on sooner."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "You know what I meant." She glared down the mountain. "I don't have the foggiest clue where we ended up. I can't even see the ground. There's…too much fog."

"In other words, we're lost."

"Sadly."

"ECHO!" They jumped in surprised and spun around, then groaned as it was just Harper shouting down the mountain. She had her ear up as she listened to her own voice echoing about five or seven times. She giggled cheerily and rolled over onto her back. "I always wanted to do that!"

The adults moved their gazes away from her and to the rest of the children. They weren't in the same high spirits as her. They were cold, hungry, tired, and miserable. Winona had been crying on and off again for the last hour. Poppy was getting sluggish and had to lean on Wantanabe, who was trying his best not to seem upset. Matthew was trying as well, though not as effectively. Caleb was dragging his wings behind him.

Dakota sighed and rubbed her eyes. "We can't worry about finding our way off the mountain. We need shelter…and food."

Hawkins held his hand over his eyes. "We can barely see a couple meters ahead of us." He paused and tapped his chin before looking back to the kids. "Matthew." The Zigzagoon-Vulpix perked his head up. "Come over here." He scampered over, looking curious. "Sniff the air and tell us if you smell berries."

Matthew did as told and sniffed the air a few times. "…Um…I think smell some. I think they're close."

Hawkins pointed ahead. "Congrats, you're leading us to them. Start moving."

"Yes sir." Matthew kept his head up and led them forward, periodically taking whiffs of the air.

The air still remained somber, even with the promise of food hanging over their heads. Hawkins kept his arms crossed as he followed, keeping a sharp eye on Matthew, though his gaze turned to Dakota, who seemed to be falling behind a bit. She rubbed her arm as she stared deeply at the ground.

Hawkins rolled his eyes and slowed down a bit to match her pace. "Quit looking so beat up."

Dakota sniffled and rubbed her face. "I'm sorry…I'm just worried. I'm worried for the kids. I'm worried about us. What if we can't get off the mountains? What if we're just stuck out here forever? What if we run out of food? There's no end to the possibilities!"

Hawkins groaned and pinched between his eyes. "For the love of…stop being a paranoid runt. The kids won't feel any better if they see you acting just as bad as them."

Dakota rubbed her eyes, then glanced up at him. "Wha…?"

"You heard me. I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Even if we get stuck up here, we'll make the most of it. As long as the kids are safe, we can make do with living out here. So, quit your sniveling and hold your chin up. That's not how a teacher should be acting for the sake of her charges."

Dakota blinked, both out of awe and utter disbelief. "…Who…are you and what have you done with Hawkins?"

"What's the problem?" he mumbled.

"I'm…sorry, but…I've never heard you say anything so…selfless. I mean, I expected as much from your teachings with the kids, but…you sound so genuine. I…never once heard you say something so sure and selfless."

Hawkins just stared at her for a moment, then looked back ahead with his narrowed eyes. "Guess Peregrine got what he wanted?"

"Huh?"

"He did say learning a thing or two from you will shape up my attitude. Your little goodie-goodie nature is rubbing off on me." Dakota stared dumbfounded and just blinked. "…I don't value weakness. If you let someone step over you, you aren't any better than them. That's a fact that won't change."

He paused for a moment to take a look at her again, then sighed deeply. "However...now isn't the time to act selfish. All I cared about is my image, my pride...I never cared for ideals, so long as I get what I wanted done. I'd spare a pejorative comment or two without a care." He glared. "Then you came into my life and started meddling with it…"

Dakota, once again, blinked in silence. _'Hawkins…'_

Hawkins bared his teeth. "You're annoying, pushy, demanding, and an utter pest to deal with..." His face softened as he stared at the kids. "…and I appreciate our time together as coworkers."

There was a long stretch of silence between them, with Dakota gaping in awe. This couldn't be the same Hawkins she knew months back. Never could she have imagined a conversation like this breaking out between them. He got on her nerves with the arrogant way he acts, but…now she was seeing an all-new side of him never perceived.

"Hawkins…that has to be the nicest thing you've ever said to me…" Dakota mumbled, still processing in her stunned state. "Th…Thank you…"

Hawkins shrugged. "Take it as you will…"

Matthew suddenly stopped and jumped up and down, showing the first signs of glee since their arrival. "I smell berries! Lots of them! Up ahead!"

"You do?" Dakota gasped. "That's wonderful!" She grinned. "Hawkins, we have food now!"

He poked her in the forehead. "Decide that _after_ we pick them."

Dakota pouted, but didn't utter a response. Instead, she turned her attention to a persistent poking at her leg. It was Winona, who was nudging up against her with fresh tears on her cheeks. "M-Ms. Dakota…when c-can we go home?"

The hardest part of being a teacher and caretaker was breaking the bad news to her precious angels. She could see it in their eyes. They really wanted to go home. They may not have fully grasped the situation, but it was clear they were scared about what happened. Likely, the same fate the befell them as now struck their friends. Who knows if anyone is still back home, or if they can get home themselves.

Dakota knelt down and picked her up. "Winona…" She closed her eyes and thought for a moment, then smiled sadly at the whale kitten. "…I promise…Mr. Hawkins and I will get you home soon." She held her gently in her arms. "Please be patient with us. We're doing the best we can."

Poppy and Caleb walked up to her and hugged her sides. Dakota's heart melted, then she crouched down and brought them all into a hug. Hawkins watched the soft scene unfold, then looked to Harper and Wantanabe. Harper wagged her tail and smiled at the hugging before skipping over and nudging her head against her friends.

Wantanabe sat still for a moment, then felt Hawkins walk up to him. Wantanabe frowned. "I'm…I'm trying not to be sad…I…have to be brave, right?"

Hawkins crossed his arms and looked sternly at the dragon Eevee Fusion, then sighed as he got down on one knee. He placed his hand atop Wantanabe's head and petted him, adding a scratch behind the ear. "It's okay to be scared…" Wantanabe's eyes widened in surprise. "But admitting that and acting brave for the sake of your friends…that's what we need right now. Don't lose hope."

The dragon fox stared at his guardian for a moment, then broke out into a big, tearful smile and nuzzled into his chest. "Thank you, Hawkins…"

Hawkins didn't react immediately, but soon found his arms around the Eevee Fusion into a gentle hug. A smile crept up on his face. "You're welcome, kid…"

* * *

"Uuuuuugh! Wash~!" Juniper whined as she lay on her back with her twisted foot raised. "Hurrrrrry up~!"

Wash narrowed his eyes a bit. "Jun, hold still. I can't make this makeshift splint on your leg if you keep moving around."

"But it hurrrrrts~!" she groaned.

Wash's left eye started glowing and the hood came up. He scowled at the panda. "Stop complaining! If it weren't for your damn boyfriend, I'd have taped your mouth shut by now!"

Juniper smirked. "Oh, hello Barbatos."

Sitting off to the side were Dez, Asadi, and Shane. Dez was still recovering from some of his injuries, but was otherwise doing alright. Though, as they watched the ghost frog helping with Juniper, they couldn't help but question Wash's recent…developments. For one thing, after what happened with Wash's outburst the other night, he seemed to have developed heterochromia out of nowhere. His left eye was now purple.

Asadi glanced at the others. "So…no one has anything to say about Wash and Barbatos basically owning a timeshare now?"

"I still don't understand how his eye permanently changed color like that," Shane wondered.

"Ghost magic?" Dez half-heartedly suggested.

"Ghost…magic," Shane mumbled. He sighed with a light shake of his head. "Sure…ghost magic. Let's…go with that."

Barbatos finished applying the splint, then pulled Juniper onto her good foot. "There, done, you stupid panda."

Juniper held her arms out to keep her balance, then smiled teasingly. "Aww, look who's being extra sweet on me!"

"Shut up!" He shook his head as Wash resumed control of his body. He sighed and pulled his hood down.

"I'm never going to get used to that," he commented.

"Sssooo," Dez started as he waltzed on over, "you going to explain to us why that psycho is coming in and out as he pleases?"

Wash glared slightly. "First off, let's try and avoid the 'psycho' terminology. Not exactly flattering for either of us. And second…" He sighed. "Well, your guess is as good as mine. I think when I saw Juniper get hurt…because of me, something inside me just…snapped. Suddenly, I felt Barbatos and I were…one in the same."

Juniper frowned. "…Wash, what happened back there wasn't your fault. That witch chick's Fusion Move was responsible."

He held his face and sighed. "I know, I know, but…I still technically hit you. That's…just something I can't get over. Never in my life would I imagine hurting you outside of a battle. That was a punch with the intention to break something."

Juniper wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head up against his arm. "Washy…just stop. I don't blame you…I never could and never will." She wrapped her hand around his, then whispered, "You didn't think poorly of me when I…told you what I've done…I could never reject your kindness."

He kept his eyes to himself for a bit, still feeling rather guilty for hurting her, but her kind words eased the burden. He smiled thankfully at the panda, then kissed her forehead, which made her giggle. "Thanks, Jun…"

"D'aww!" Their eyes widened, having forgotten they were in front of an audience of three. Asadi clasped her hands together and pressed them into her cheek. "Look at you two! So cutesy and forgiving!"

Blushes rose on their faces while sheepishly laughing off that little embarrassing scene. Quickly deciding to change the subject, Juniper looked everywhere except direct contact with anyone's eyes. "S-So, does anyone got a clue where we landed?"

Dez shrugged. "I've got nothing."

Shane shook his head. "Not at all."

"Alola?" Asadi guessed.

Wash raised his brow. "I think we would've noticed if we landed in Alola."

"Yeah, but one can hope! Why make the worst of a bad situation when we can make the best out of it? The beach is lovely in Alola and the sun is just perfect for an afternoon of sunbathing!"

Dez rolled his eyes. "I don't think we have the time to do sunbathing."

Shane bounced around nervously. "What are we going to do?"

"Don't worry!" Juniper exclaimed. "I have a plan!"

Wash immediately pinched her lips shut and said nonchalantly, "Don't you dare say we quit and live off the land." He pulled his hand off her mouth.

"I don't have a plan!" Juniper immediately corrected with her beaming smile.

Barbatos then retook control and groaned, pinching between his eyes. "Why did I get stuck with you idiots? Look, maybe we can find an old shack to stay in. We're in a forest, so there's bound to be food."

"You think we're just going to find some greasy old shack in the middle of the forest?" Juniper asked, raising her brow judgingly.

Barbatos glared at her. "I don't see you coming up with anything better."

"Touché."

Dez rubbed his head, thinking for a moment, then smirked. "Well, if we need to find a place to stay, Asadi and I could find the closest town."

"We can?" Asadi questioned. "How?"

"Think about it. Large towns will likely have electricity running through it. We can trace the source the electricity and lead ourselves to it. It's so simple."

Juniper tapped her chin. "And towns mean there's stores to purchase things." She grinned. "And where there's a store…" She hopped on her good foot with joy. "That means there's Diet Cola to buy!"

Barbatos' eye twitched, then he facepalmed. "You're not…evenly remotely taking this seriously."

She grinned at the ghost frog. "Just keeping the smiles a-rolling!"

Barbatos shook his head. "I don't get what Washington sees in you…in any case, for as good a plan as that is, we don't have money. We wouldn't be able to get food or rent a place for the night."

Juniper hummed the thought over, then rubbed her hands together deviously. "Then maybe we can do a little diving into the public fountains and get some change!"

"Ooh, I like that idea!" Asadi cheered.

Wash quickly snapped back into control and glared at both of them. "We're not resorting to petty theft!"

"Aww…" the girls groaned.

Wash sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Look…Jun, I know we're desperate, but we're not making ourselves look worst just because we're in a tight spot. You get what I'm saying?"

Juniper sighed in defeat, knowing full well he was right. "Yeah, I get it…" She grinned. "Buuut, the second I see stray money on the ground, I'm taking it!"

Wash facepalmed and sighed in defeat as well, but didn't bother saying anything else. Pokémon lose money all the time, so it wasn't that big a deal to him. "Fine, just no fountain diving."

With all that out of the way, Shane bounced ahead. "Well, let's get moving. We can't stay out here forever."

Dez and Asadi nodded at each other, then proceeded to take the lead, with horns and cheeks sparking respectively. Shane bounced behind them, followed soon by Wash, though he paused as Juniper hopped onto his back. He nearly fell over, but got one foot out to hold himself up.

He sighed and looked at the sleepy panda. "Yes?"

She smiled innocently. "Can't walk. Leg's twisted, remember?" She tilted her head and fluttered her eyes at him. "Carry me~?"

Wash narrowed his eyes for a moment, then looked forward with a tired grin. "Oh Jun…"

"I love you~!" She kissed his cheek, then snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. He smiled lightly and followed after the others.

He could hear a groan from Barbatos in his head. _**'You fell in love with such a weird girl…'**_

' _No arguing there.'_ Wash glanced back briefly at Juniper, then sighed in exhaustion and affection. _'And I stand by my past statement. I've never been happier.'_

* * *

 _Many Days Later…_

A jet flew through a rocky range of spies and hills. This was one of the standard jets of the Fusion Hunters, only now under the control of Ivan Faust and the Fusion Renegades. Ivan was at the cockpit with Rewan, who flew the jet. Ivan looked around at the vaguely familiar range, which seemed to have experienced weathering in the last three hundred years.

Syndony walked up to him and explained, "You'd be surprised how many Pokémon come to these ranges to train. It affected most of the rocky terrain."

"Same for back in my day," Ivan mumbled.

Syndony glared. "You really think your tower is still out here?"

"Has there been any discovery of a huge tower this far out in Unova?"

"…Fair point."

Ivan pulled up the map on the console. "I remember the coordinates from a long time ago. I had no intention of being buried into time without remembering my part of the plan."

"How could something like that stay hidden and still remain functional?" Gideon asking, flying over their heads.

"I only made it so it wouldn't rust or breakdown once I dig it up. It will need buffing out and repairs, but, regardless, it will fire off our mutation wave when ready."

Syndony smirked. "Well, if you're so sure, guess we'll buy it."

Cruella twirled around the deck, wearing a paper crown on her head. "Oh, just look at Unova! I can't wait to turn it into my personal playground of partying and pain!" She held her chin. "Ooh, that reminds me, I'll need bodyguards once I'm elected as King of Unova."

Gideon rubbed his temples, trying to suppress his irritation. "Kings aren't elected into power…and you wouldn't even need an election because you're running unopposed…"

Ivan kept checking between the map and view before pointed up ahead. "There. That one."

The jet slowed down and hovered over the mountain. A tall spire of rock that certainly looked like it endured the tests of time. The spire stood out the most among the other rock spires, being the tallest and widest of the bunch.

Syndony hummed curiously. "Surprised no one touched this one with how different it is from the rest."

"I had Ground-Type Fusions get around that. They had some very helpful Fusion moves that made chipping through it rather difficult."

"Annnd, how are we going to get it out?" Gideon asked.

"Well, that's where the Ground-Type Fusions we brought along come it, along with some of the Fusion Arsenals we took from the Rogues that'll make the digging easier. Once we have it loose, we can pull the rest out." Ivan opened the jet hatched for the Fusions to jump out. "Get digging."

Ground-Type Fusions jumped out of the jet and landed atop the mountain. Getting their equipment and hands ready, they dug at the compacted and hard dirt, taking out chips and pieces of rock with every blow. Ivan observed with satisfaction, still able to picture the tower in his mind when he first built it. Weeks of research, months of construction, to build his dream contraption that'll set the world right.

Syndony looked to him curiously. "Been meaning to ask. Where are we setting this thing up again?"

"Grandis City, of course" he answered. "A tribute to the good done by Gappei Village and the efforts of Profectus Inc. Let it be a memorial site for future generations to visit once the world is set right. Fusions will come to it and see what the efforts of Fusion Rights that sadly couldn't meet up to the highest standards. An explosion of DNA centered around the city that could've changed everything."

Gideon shrugged indifferently. "I…suppose that's poetic." All he cared about was getting compensation from this whole job.

Syndony snickered. "Sounds brilliant. I can't wait until we see that mutation wave cross over the entire planet."

"Neither can I." Ivan took a deep breath, then raised his arms in a grandiose pose. "Take a long hard look at the future, my subjects. Fusions will get what they rightfully deserve and all will be set right with the world." His eyes glowed ominously. "Let the revolution commence."


	61. Homes, Heroes, and Havoc

After excavating the tower from the mountain plains, the Fusion Renegades flew it back to their base of operations: outside of Profectus Inc. With a wealth of resources at their disposal, it was the perfect place to set up shop. With the Fusion Hunter equipment they had, they made sure to seal off the perimeter so no one but them was allowed access through. They made sure to keep Grandis City sealed off until they were ready to fire.

As of now, Pokémon were keeping to their homes, trying to keep out of sight as much as possible. They only ever went out to secure food, though with the lingering threat of being jumped by one of those violent Fusions. For now, nothing has become of the citizens, but there's real unrest among them.

The city was given a good view of the tower being flown in and dropped within the walled off company building. With the damage it sustained from being buried in the dirt, Ivan Faust tasked his Fusions to restore it to its former glory. He wanted it fully operational by the time they had enough energy plugged into the machine.

Many Fusions were working on it, including Gideon and Rewan, who took charge of them. Ivan watched from Julian's office, pressing against the window on his arm. His expression was unreadable as usual, but the soft glow in his eyes showed he was happy to see his grand design renewed.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Ivan asked Syndony, Cruella, and Alasdair, the only other Fusions in the office. "A lot of hard work and elbow grease to make it. I'm proud of my invention." He pulled himself from the window and floated to the computer. "We're going to change a lot of lives with it very soon."

He pulled up a screen and inputted some commands before getting a digital image of the tower. He was wirelessly connecting the tower to the computer so he could operate it from a distance. He couldn't quite get the manual controls on the tower back up, so he decided to upgrade the design a bit. It took less time than he expected, thankfully.

"Once I get the activation code set up, all we need to wait for is Albert to finish collecting the Fusion energy for the fuel. With all the Fusions we have captured, may not take as long as we think."

Alasdair nodded. "We should be expecting a fresh shipment to come in any day now."

Syndony was pacing around the office, her mind preoccupied. "You know, no matter how many times I see it, I still can't believe we're actually doing this. Feels like something out of a science fiction film."

Ivan nodded. "Oh, I've seen enough television to see the similarities." He scratched his chin. "Though, most cases, _I'm_ compared to the mad scientist, which is _utterly_ preposterous. I'm not mad…I think." He shook his head and continued working. "Film is so strange."

Cruella pressed her face up on the window. "So weird no one's trying to stop us."

"Is that not a good thing?" Alasdair asked.

Cruella moaned and sank to her knees. "Nnnnoooo! I wanted to play with someone! You know, a game of tag, hide and seek, _Kill or Be Killed…_ stuff like that." Alasdair blinked, then decided not to talk to her for the rest of the day because he valued his life and questioned her fragile mental state.

Syndony glared at them. "None of the Pokémon may be actively stopping us, but there's still those runaways from Gappei."

"I assure you, my dear, they are of little threat," Ivan spoke up as he zoomed in on the tower. "They don't seem to be doing anything."

"That's what's got me a bit anxious. They still have most of their council with them."

"We heavily outnumber them. Besides…I made sure Julian left us a few things to surpass that little strength gap." He leaned back. "I have Grandis City on complete lockdown. No one gets in or out without my say."

Alasdair sighed. "In that case, what is our estimate time of fire?"

"If we go on schedule, as does Dr. Gates, we should be ready to fire the machine in two months. The good doctor needs the extra time to make sure we have plenty of energy to use from our captured Fusions." He sighed and held his head. "A shame to use our dear Fusions as fuel sources, but…sacrifices must be made. The Rogues and Peregrine, as well as the rest from Cragtail's little prison, are using their time there for the greater purpose, even if it's against their benefits."

"Couldn't you just sap them all like you did with that guard?" Cruella asked.

"An easy thought, but then they wouldn't give off anymore energy. What I did completely extracted the energy so they are unable to access any moves or their natural abilities. Albert uses the same method, but in a way so it doesn't leave them utterly powerless. Just enough to syphon off a near infinite source."

"So, slower, but less time wasted?" Syndony guessed.

"Pretty much, especially with how much we're taking from a collective group." Ivan pressed a button on the computer. "Nearly done programming the activation code. Cruella, be a dear and get me the progress report on the tower."

"On it, boss!" She teleported outside.

Syndony turned to Ivan and smirked. "Seems you have this whole thing planned out."

Ivan sat back and brought his hands together, staring at the screen ominously. "Yes…I have."

* * *

Long days of travel found Ren's group in a small city where they could rest up. Sadly, lack of money left them with few, undesirable options. They didn't want to be out in the open public and draw attention to themselves, so they came to the next best solution: hiding in an alleyway.

They were fortunate to pick some berries off some trees they came by, which they kept in a small leaf sack they made. It sat in the middle of their small circle as they had their lunch.

Rebecca bit into an oran berry and chewed softly. "I…have to admit, I never thought I'd have my lunch in a smelly alleyway one day."

Ren grinned awkwardly. "Sorry. It's the best we can do without money." He swung his fist across himself, trying to appear positive. "Gotta have that enthusiastic spirit."

Rebecca smiled. "Well, at least you're feeling better…"

Charlie groaned after finishing his third berry. "This is hardly enough food for me. I need my food!"

Emily rolled her eyes and tossed him an apple. "Here, have mine."

"Thank you, Emily!" He chewed into the apple, then threw the core into his mouth. As he chewed it up, he pointed at Codex, who may have been asleep from how he was slouched over. "How is he?"

The Mawile-Froslass just shrugged. "Well, he's not glitching as much, so…he _might_ be getting better. I think he's still trying to hack into Profectus Inc."

"How's _that_ coming along?"

"Don't know, either. I don't know how he can get anything done like this."

Ren leaned into the wall. "We can't do much out here. Our hope is in a malfunctioning Codex."

"You didn't have to say it like that…"

Ren slouched forward, resting his arms atop his raised knees. "Just…trying to cheer myself up the best I can." He closed his eyes. His face was scrunched, almost pained. "…What are we going to do? We can't live out here forever. We have no way of getting home. We can't afford to stay on the street. We're…stuck."

Rebecca waved it off. "Don't lose hope, Ren. We just need a little hope and we'll be back into the action in no time. We'll go home and stop those guys ourselves."

"Yeeeeah-no." All eyes, minus Codex's, were on Emily as she leaned back, one arm behind her head while she bit into an apple. "Hate to break it to you, but we need a bit more than hope right now. We need to be realistic about our situation. Arceus isn't going to grant divine mercy on us and drop a million in cash to sweep us by."

Charlie tapped his fingers together. "Well…maybe if we pray hard enough…"

Emily sighed. "That's not my point. Unless we get stronger, walking back into the fight won't do us any good. And we don't have the luxury to get stronger when we should be worrying about filling our stomachs."

Rebecca glared. "Then how would you suggest we get out of this mess? We can't just do nothing."

"It's the safer option for the time. I'm battle-hardened myself, but even I know running back into Grandis City like that is instant capture. Maybe worse." She took another bite from her apple. "First, we need to get our food situation settled. If we eat, we'll have the energy to train. And if we train, we'll develop and maybe outlast our enemy." She glared. "…We still need to unlock our Fusion Modes, just like Cade wanted us to."

Rebecca crossed her legs and looked down. "We've been struggling to get that done."

"Better late than never. Or, in our case, better we start learning later before we fail."

Charlie narrowed his eyes. "How can you be so calm about all of this?"

"Because one of us _has_ to. I elected myself and I'm sticking with it."

Finally awaking from his digital surfing, Codex's eyes lit up. He scanned his companions, though with a corrupted filter that made everything scratchy. He believed this was the emotion for…anger. Irritation seemed like the appropriate word. He was…irritated that his optic sensors were on the fritz.

"I d _o_ ho-ho-hope we fond some-thing to fix I," Codex spat with the same incoherent speak. "Emily…c-could you gave my a- _television-_ on the head?"

Emily blinked, taking a moment to work out his mess of text, then gave him a swift bonk on the head, which shot sparks from his eyes. "That better?"

Codex's eyes readjusted until they were semi-normal. He blinked twice, then smiled. "Ah yes, my sensors are much clearer- _Brought to you by the Sham-Now!_ "

Ren stared at him for a moment, then waved his hand around. "So…Codex, you mind filling us in on what…" He shuddered a bit. "…I-Ivan Faust…is up to?" Rebecca patted his back.

Codex's eyes glowed as he read off the corrupted text. "I am d_tecting activity coming from Profectus Inc. A lot of electricity is being rerouted to a large device, from what I can tell."

"Can you tell us what it is?" Charlie asked, though he dreaded that he might know the answer.

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Not mistake in _may_ approximations…the main _fame_ suggests a large device with power being rerouted-"

"You already said that," Ren mumbled quietly.

"It is very _lovely_ the tower. Ivan Faust's doomsday machine."

That sent a cold chill through the other four, even Emily. She bit her lip and muttered, "Shit…"

Charlie waved his hands at Codex. "Does that mean they're ready to fire?!"

Codex shook his head. "No. All seems prime…new…re-re-recent! Yes, recent! I do not know when firing will occur, but not definitely….Zzt- definitely not this week!"

Rebecca sighed in relief. "So, we have time."

"Yeah, but time for what?" Ren asked. "So we know what they're doing, but we can't do anything to stop them. We can't even get back to Kanto. What are we going to do? Steal a submarine from the military?"

Codex pointed at Ren. "There is no need to worry, Ms. Vivi." His eye twitched with sparks.

"Eh, what?"

Emily hugged her legs. "Well, what do you have, smart guy? Can't you hack the machine and set it to explode or something?"

"I highly doubt any professional scientist would install any sort of self-destruct device into their equipment." He shook his head. " _A-dn_ besides…n-not much...I can do...in my c-c-c_ent...current state...I can-not destroy the machine."

Rebecca held her hands up. "You've been working yourself too hard, Codex. Maybe you should rest."

For an emotionless machine, Codex was oddly defiant nowadays. May be a side effect of his glitching. "No...if we -et that machine operate any longer, the world is doo011011010110010101100100." Codex shook his head and blinked. "…doomed."

Emily rested her cheek in her hand, giving him a dry glare. "Codex, you can barely think, speak, and operate. What could you possibly do to stall their stupid machine?"

Codex glared. His damaged mind and eyes raced with numbers as he tried to pull a solution within what remained of his digitally sound mind.

* * *

Artemis and her group trekked down an empty roadway, with frost covered signs leading them in the direction of the next town over. Hopefully soon, because the snow was getting denser than from when they were in the forest. They trudged in nearly knee-high snow, which was a _bit_ of an issue for Crawford.

"Artemis! I now share yer aversion to the winter!" He was rapidly punching himself a pathway through the snow. "Curse this damn snow!"

Artemis smirked and waved her feeler around. "Ah yes, have I hammered in how much I hate the snow?"

"Only a bajillion times! Now pipe down, I need to focus!" He uppercutted the snow in front of him, which nearly fell on top of Chris as it flung over the crab.

"Hey, watch it!"

Sheila held her hips and looked down on the crab. "Crawford, one of us could just carry you-"

"I don't need yer sentiments! I can handle it!"

"Crawford, you're burning more energy than necessary."

"I've got plenty of fightin' spirit!"

"…You're still mad you don't have anything to get drunk on."

"Damn straight!"

Artemis sighed. "Whatever. I just want to nestle up in front of a radiator and put this day behind me."

Chris folded his arms behind his head. "Yeah, I'd rather get out of the snow, too." He narrowed his eyes. "Though, there's a thought. Where are we supposed to sleep? We can't just crash on some random dude's couch."

"Eh, not unless we knock them out first." She got sharp glares from Sheila and Chris. She flashed a wide grin. "I'm joking, I'm joking!" She faced ahead and uttered a quick, "…mostly." She pulled her hood over her head, staring out through the eyeholes. "Ugh, why couldn't we have ended up in Alola? I should be sipping on a coconut drink, not testing my limits against nature like Bewear Grills!"

"Settle down, Artemis," Sheila advised. "We'll make this work. We just need a little hope."

"What we need is cash!" Crawford shouted. "And loads of it!"

Chris raised his brow. "Well, you're…not entirely off the mark."

Artemis kept her head low as she walked, but then she started to see the shapes in the distance. Buildings, barely visible under the veil of snow, but it couldn't be any clearer for the Sylveon-Scrafty. They were closing in on their destination. She nearly broke out into a happy jig to shout out their arrival for the whole group…

…when she then started taking a good look at the road, namely the signs. Up until now, they were mostly covered in snow and frost, but they didn't bother to read them. If they say there's a town in _that_ direction, they would follow it. However, from what she could read of the signs, they seemed familiar to her. Road signs in general seem familiar after a while until they're basically the same freakin' sign, but it wasn't just the sign itself that was familiar.

Some of them were bent out of shape, either at certain angle or twisted into a pretzel. _'Oh, a hot, soft pretzel would be SSSOOO good right now!'_ Taking her mind off food, she noticed some blue on a green sign. It was spray paint, an all too familiar paint she was experienced with.

Stopping for a moment, she walked up to the sign and brushed the snow off with her feeler. Her friends stopped and watched her curiously. "Hey lass, whatcha' doin'?" Crawford yelled.

"I'm honestly not sure, but…" With the sign now clear, her eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait…this…this can't be…is it actually…?" She held her mouth. "Oh my goodness…it…it is!"

More curious, the others joined her and looked at the sign. Spray painted over it was 'Territory of the Reaper. Enter with Caution.' That sounded oddly familiar to them. It took them a second to connect the dots, then they jumped back, looking almost as shocked as Artemis.

"Reaper of the Frost?!" they exclaimed.

"It has to be! I recognize this style from anywhere!" Artemis shouted. "Then…that means…" She stared at the town with wide, disbelieving eyes. So long away, and now a miracle was truly brought upon them in this dire situation. "That's…That's my home town…"

"Are you absolutely positive?" Shelia asked.

Chris cupped his hand over his eyes and stared hard at the buildings. "I can see some more colors on the wall…graffiti, perhaps."

Artemis's lips stretched into a wide grin. "Oh my Arceus! This has to be it! I'm back home! Which means…Asher's here!" She hopped around in the snow, giggling with a happiness they haven't heard since they landed. "This is so unreal! I get to see Asher again! After so long! HAHAHAHA!"

Chris scratched his head, finding himself laughing along with Artemis. "Heh…talk about luck."

"No shit!" Crawford shouted. "What are the odds of us landin' in this shithole snowstorm _and_ near her freakin' hometown?!"

"Pretty high, I'd imagine," Shelia muttered sarcastically. She smiled at Artemis. "You must be excited to be back."

Artemis stopped her hopping and smirked. "Sister, I ditched this dump and never looked back. I'm only happy to be back because I get to see my best friend again." She held her chin and gazed upon the town again. "That might work to our advantage, actually. I know my way around better than anyone else."

"Meaning you can find us a place to stay?" Chris asked.

"Oh, totally!" Artemis tapped her chin. "If it hasn't been torn down yet, there's one place we can definitely…" She slowed down and took a moment to think. If she was back home, then that would mean Asher was here…and… _her._ Her moment of joy died, now sporting a bitter scowl. "There's…definitely somewhere we can stay, but…if _she_ is still living there…"

"Artemis? Who?" Sheila asked.

Artemis blinked, then shook her head. "Um…no one." She gestured to the town. "Well, don't be strangers…let's…find ourselves a place to rest."

"Lead the way, Artemis!" Chris exclaimed.

Artemis grinned nervously. "S-Sure…" She led them to the town, hiding her acrimonious feelings behind her best poker face. Last thing she needed was to voice several of her complaints like an angry lunatic. Even so, for such a miraculous fortune to come their way, it only made sense the opposite will come to counter it. Though, as wise words were once spoken, what fun is there in making sense?

Especially when it leads to an unfortunate reunion with someone who crawls around in your nightmares.

* * *

Unlike the group braving the harsh snow, Wash and his group were going about their trek with less issue. A dirt road led them in the direction of a possible destination that should hopefully lead them to some help. Shane, Dez, and Asadi took the lead, with the two Electric-Types guiding through their electricity.

Wash and Juniper hung back a bit, with the panda still riding her boyfriend's back. It was clear she was enjoying the free ride, as she had herself snuggled up into the crook of Wash's neck with her arms hanging lazily over his shoulders.

The ghost frog felt a soft nuzzle from her, which made him look over and smirk. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Juniper opened her eyes and smiled at him. "Hmm, let me think. An excuse to take a nap, not walk, and _still_ have time to cuddle with you?" She beamed and nuzzled her cheek against his. "You could say having a broken leg has its benefits." Wash smiled and nuzzled back.

Barbatos was, once again, still annoyed by their sense of affection. _**'For the love of- will you two just kiss or something?!'**_

Wash blushed lightly from that comment, but managed a smirk. _'You know, just for that, I think I'll wait a little longer to tick you off.'_

' _ **You sack of sh-'**_

Dez stopped and turned to the group. "Alright gang, we're getting closer." He pointed ahead. "I can see some buildings up ahead. We'll be stopping soon enough."

Asadi groaned in relief, plopping down onto her butt. "And thank goodness!" She massaged her aching feet. "My feet are _killing_ me!"

Shane crossed his arms. "How will we go about our housing situation, though? We couldn't possible afford a motel, much less a nice hotel."

Juniper rubbed her chin, then grinned. "I have…!"

"Oh boy…" Wash muttered.

"…a _plan_!" She draped her arms over Wash's shoulders. "But first, we're going to need some boards of cardboard! We can make signs and hang out on the street like a group of beggars!"

Wash pinched between his eyes and sighed deeply. "Jun, sweetie…while that's an… _interesting_ solution to our problem, we're not going to guilt trip people into giving us money."

Juniper pouted. "You're no fun."

"This isn't really about fun, you know."

Asadi rolled her eyes. "I don't know, seems like a good idea to me. There are…worse ways to acquire money."

Dez kept his eyes forward in a narrowed gaze. "Well, there's the other solution: getting jobs. May take a while, but we could all earn enough for a decent hotel."

Juniper did the expected response and groaned. "Working? Nnnnoooo~." She nearly slipped off of Wash in her rejecting protest, but he got his arms hook around her legs and pulled her back up.

"What are you complaining about? You're injured."

"You'll just make me do something really boring, like run the mailroom!" she whined.

Dez shrugged. "Didn't say I liked the idea myself."

"Count me in," Asadi agreed.

Shane sighed and held his face. "Of course we would have the laziest of the village with us."

"I'm not lazy," Dez countered. "I just prefer some time to myself, usually involving anything that doesn't require me to get up and walk."

"I have no shame! I'm lazy!" Asadi exclaimed.

"You said it, sister!" Juniper shouted.

Wash shook his head. "Why don't we _check_ first before you make any final judgments?"

Juniper and Asadi groaned. "Alright…"

They were closing in on the city up ahead. From the looks of it, it seemed to be built atop of a flattop hill, with a wall surrounding the perimeter. There was a set of stairs leading up the hill. Large stone steps that were probably two normal footsteps in length before reaching the next. Just looking at how tall they were made their sore legs quiver apprehensively…save for Juniper.

She would rave about not having to climb the steps, but she was actually rather curious about them. A faint memory came to her mind, years back, where she distinctly remembered climbing up a large set of steps…repeatedly…until her legs and thighs were burning and aching for several days. Was it any wonder why she preferred to take naps?

But then she started getting a closer look at the city itself. A walled off city atop of a flat hill was certainly familiar, but then her attention was drawn to something above said city. It was shaped like a temple, probably was a temple, and it resided on the side of a mountain, held up by a sturdy platform reinforced into it.

She felt the cogs turning in her head, with her tongue sticking out, matching all these familiar looking things together. Her goofy thinking face was immediately noticed by Dez. "Eh? What's on your mind, pudge?"

Juniper tilted her head. "A lot of bells are ringing in my head. Something's very familiar about this place."

Shane bounced back a bit until he was beside her and Wash. "You mean you've been here before?"

Wash smiled. "If you have, that's great. We could use the guidance."

"Slow down, guys. I've been to many places in the world. I can't remember every darn thing in my…head…" As they were approached closer to the mountaintop city, Juniper took in the sights with a greater clarity. Her eyes widened as the little bells dinging in her head were now flailing and ringing like a chorus of Chingling. "Oh my gosh…" A large smile grew on her face, with a tiny squeal escaping out through her teeth. "Oh my gosh…OH MY GOSH!"

Wash stumbled forward with the Spinda-Mienfoo's excited jitters. "Whoa, Jun!"

"What's wrong, Juniper?" Shane asked.

They've never heard such a sharp squee come from the panda, but it was charged with a mighty joy that could cure the lowest of Pokémon from their woes. "That temple up there! That's my home!" She flailed her arms, with Wash keeping her from falling back. "That's where Pappy lives!"

"Pappy?" Asadi, Dez, and Shane repeated, having never heard the term before.

"Your adoptive father?" Wash asked.

Juniper contained her giggles behind her hands. "Yeah! This is where I lived for the better parts of my childhood! Isn't this amazing?!"

"We seriously landed near your home?" Asadi asked, holding her cheeks in disbelief. "Oh my goodness…"

"That is just scarily coincidental…" Shane muttered, almost in shock. He could predict any bad thing that could happen easily, but this was luck way on the far side of the opposite spectrum.

Juniper squeezed Wash in a hug. "Oh, this is wonderful! I haven't seen my pappy in years! And now I get to see him face to face…" She blinked, then stared ahead blankly. "…Ooh…I can only imagine how ticked he'll get when he sees my leg."

Dez grimaced. "Uh…what does that mean?"

Juniper waved it off. "Well, Pappy has always been super sweet and trained me in everything I didn't know. He was also _super_ protective of me and treated me like his baby girl, even though I was around eight when I met him. Still, I loved the attention!" She clasped her hands together and pressed them into her cheek. "I'm his baby girl in his eyes!"

Asadi chuckled. "Aww, your pappy sounds so nice."

"Oh, he is…" Juniper gave a strange smile, almost liked it was wrapped in fear. The cold sweat dripping down her forehead was another indicator. "…he's also a _little_ scary…and very, very, very, very, _very_ strong…I learned that the hard way."

Wash raised his brow. _'Juniper was pretty ruthless before she met this…Pappy. She never told me what happened after he took her in.'_

Juniper's chipper mood returned to normal and she wrapped her arms around Wash. "Ah, but that doesn't matter! That means our living situation is fixed! _Annnd,_ now I get to introduce him to all the wonderful friends I made!" She squealed.

Saying that then brought some uncomfortable thoughts to Wash. It just occurred to him that they will be seeing Juniper's _father._ Now, one could say he had nothing to worry about. Pappy sounded like a generally nice guy who cares deeply about Juniper like she was his own biological daughter. Her reaction says it all. She loved her adoptive father with all her heart and may even look up to him as a paragon of strength.

Then…there was the opposite side of the coin. Juniper admitted Pappy has bested her in every single fight they had and, based off that last unnerving reaction, there was some one-sided conflict between them that didn't go well for the once murderous child. She made it clear that Pappy was strong, without question.

And…he was dating that man's adopted daughter.

"Uh…Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"By any chance…should I be…worried?" he asked meekly.

Juniper was confused by the question, but quickly realized what he meant. "Ooohhh!" She laughed and patted him on the head. "Oh, nothing to worry about, Washy! I'll make sure he doesn't scare you…much."

Wash gulped. "Oh…that's reassuring…"

' _ **I could just come out and tell her you're close to pissing yourself.'**_

' _Barbatos, mind your own business.'_

Juniper noticed his unsure look, then decided to add, "I mean…he's a _very_ innocuous guy. After all, where do you think I got most of my mannerisms from?" She wiggled her arms playfully "I'm positive he'll like you!" Wash smiled. "…Well, I'm ninety-five percent sure he'll like you. Last five percent is iffy. You could say he's a little kooky like that."

"That's not helping…"

Juniper kissed his cheek. "Oh, don't be scared. Everyone here loves Pappy! He's one of the most generous souls on the planet! And the coolest! Like, real cool! Chillaxed, even!"

"Chillax…isn't a word," Shane pointed out.

"I _say_ it is a word! Chillaxing, I am!" she proudly stated.

Dez rolled his eyes and shot a playful smirk before continuing onward. "We can all _chillax_ when we get there. We've got a potentially free place to stay at. I'm not wasting time!" He raced for the stone steps.

"Ugh, no more running!" Asadi whined before running after him on all fours.

Shane and Wash kept to a normal pace, with the jinx ghost shaking his head. Wash was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He was going to meet Juniper's father…this really shouldn't be something for him to worry about, but he never expected to be literally teleported miles away from where he lived. Who wouldn't be a little put off by such an unplanned event?

He just hoped to keep his nerves about him and that they meet Pappy on a good day.

* * *

After a long trek through the plains, York and the gang decided to rest for the day. With the limited supply of resources and food, they could only travel so far before it was time to call it a day. York and Casey lay around a burnt-out campfire while Spaz and Willy lay against a rock. The goo dragon was tucked under Spaz's arm, but not fully asleep yet.

Spaz had his eyes on Tamara, who was by herself. Backed turned to them, arms crossed, and seemingly facing the ground by Spaz's best guess. She…hasn't spoken much since they left their last camp. It was concerning Spaz a bit.

Perhaps the first attack on the village left her bummed, but she looked like she could recover from her gloom there. It was that second attack that hit her hard. The first attack, they were all able to fight back and win, even with the major casualties that came with it. It was a somber victory, but at least everyone was still around.

That second wave, though, was her breaking point. Not only weren't they able to keep the injured safe, but now everyone is scattered across the planet with possibly no way of returning home. Likely no one had a way home, not even they did.

She couldn't save everyone and she went down to her opponent when she should be facing the enemy with all her strength. A hero, to her, was someone who never falls. Someone who will always rise back up, even if the circumstances were far against them. They'll keep breaking down walls, saving the innocent, and defeating evil. Tamara wanted to be that paragon of justice so that everyone could rest easy, for a hero was there to save the day.

When that symbol is crushed…the public who admire her will be crushed.

One could look at Tamara's plight and simply say, 'You're upset over nothing! Grow up! You can't win them all!' But…it's those words that hurt her the most. One failure to her, one mistake, could lead to something far worse. If one fails to stop the villain, they'll come back and target her somewhere where it hurts. If they aren't strong enough to defeat the villain, there's that fear that no other hero will save the day.

Tamara wanted to live like a comic book hero, to be an inspiration for all those who can't protect themselves. Those too scared, too weak, too helpless. If she isn't fast enough to save the day, then that's her greatest sin.

Spaz sighed, then leaned his head back, staring up at the sky. _'I should say something, but…I don't know if I can find the words to…'_

Willy opened his eyes and noticed the somber mood his caretaker was in. In fact, the somberness was palpable from almost everyone, especially Tamara. He was feeling it himself, too, but it made him sad to see everyone sad. He wanted to be back with his friends, but he didn't want to see everyone upset.

Even for a kid, it wasn't hard for the goo dragon to notice how Spaz stared at the ninja cat so longingly. He was old enough to know what that meant. Pulling himself out from Spaz's arm, he crawled into the time mouse's lap and looked up at him, which got the mouse's attention.

"Something wrong, little buddy?"

Willy blinked, then looked away meekly. "Um…Spaz? Can I ask you a question?"

The corner of Spaz's lips rose a bit. "Heh…sure. Whatcha' got?"

"Do you…like-like Tammy?"

Spaz blinked in surprise, mostly because the question didn't cause an immediate, flustered reaction in himself. He was normally too embarrassed to talk about it, but…maybe now he wasn't in the usual mood. After a moment of processing, he chuckled under his breath. "…Yeah…Yeah, I do. I have a pretty big crush on her."

"Why don't you tell her?" he asked innocently.

"…" Spaz sighed and looked away. "…The words are hard to say."

"How? You just say, 'Tammy, I like you.'"

Spaz smiled sadly. "It's not always that simple. Words…don't always convey how someone feels. Words can often hide truth, not always say what you want to say. And sometimes…they're just hard to say." He shook his head. "Besides, right now, she doesn't want to hear me babbling on about my feelings for her. Not the best time to get personal…"

Willy tilted his head, eyes narrowed worriedly. "Why is Tammy upset?"

Spaz scratched the child's head. "…We all have fears that hold us back. Tamara…she fears failing others. A lot. She hated that she failed everyone, even though it wasn't her fault." His eyes wandered to the ninja cat, staring wistfully. "You're still young and...well, Tamara did something she regrets to this day. A...moment of fear that could've got her hurt if she was unlucky. She knows what could happen if someone didn't have the strength to fight back. And she hates seeing others weaker than her in a moment of weakness. She feels...if she's the strongest, she can protect those who can't protect themselves."

"Oh…" Willy's sensory horns drooped. "Is…that why she wants to be a hero?"

Spaz smiled. "Yes…she wants to protect little guys like you. Tamara is…an amazing girl." He frowned and looked away from his crush. "I think she's forgetting why she took up the role of a hero…"

Willy's lip quivered. "Will…you help her?"

Spaz gritted his teeth. "I don't know how…I can't bring myself to talk to her…I get so frozen when I try speaking to her on a personal level. I've just gotten used to talking to her like a normal person, but…what can I say to make her better?"

He didn't expect Willy to have an answer. This was a matter of lack of confidence for the time mouse. What could he say or do to remind Tamara that she shouldn't throw away her dreams all because she failed to keep her friends safe? A hero…is supposed to protect the ones they love.

In the moment of inner turmoil, he was alerted to the sound of a melodic humming coming from their campfire. The two raised their heads and saw that York and Casey were sitting up, with the Charmeleon swaying back and forth. No doubt the humming came from her. It was…actually kind of nice to listen to. It sounded whimsical, like they were entering a magical forest with streams of running water by their sides. He doesn't know _why_ that was the first image he conjured, but it works for him.

York swayed his head softly to the sound, smiling at the music artist endearingly. "Heh…if only we had marshmallows, we could have some campfire songs."

Casey smirked a bit. "I'd rather have a way home, but I suppose it would make the most out of our situation."

"That just random humming or a song of yours?"

"It's something a friend of mine used to sing. She actually helped me get into music really early, which is how I got discovered so early on. Just kept practicing and practicing ever since."

"Huh. Didn't know you had any other friends besides me," he teased.

Casey shook her head. "Haha…" She smiled softly. "…She was a Fusion. We were close as kids. Hanging out with her so early on is why I never held any prejudice against Fusions. She was just like any mon on the streets, just different, that's all."

York smiled. "That's nice. What's she up to these days?" He saw Casey grip her jacket tightly. Her expression was tense, but clearly sad. "…Casey?"

She didn't look like she was going to cry, though she might have wanted to. "…She was in a rough spot like most Fusions. Her parents hated Fusions and saw them as monster like anyone else who were hurt by them. Parents had to live through the rougher parts of life in their day…where Fusions were less tolerable and more violent. That kind of stuff carries over to their kids. My friend got bullied in school a lot, too. I tried to help her, but…it didn't amount to much.

"…One day…she had enough and…well…" Casey closed her eyes. "She isn't around anymore."

York's eyes widened, as did Spaz as he eavesdropped on the conversation. "Oh…Casey…" He touched her shoulder gently. "I'm…so sorry."

"It's…fine." She rubbed her eyes a bit. "I haven't found the words to describe the song she would sing…but I want them to be special for her, as a final wish. For her and every Fusion, I want to help the world. I want to help Fusions and Pokémon get along. We're not savages anymore. We've grown through time. We're better than this. None of us our innocent, but that doesn't mean we should start a war over it."

York smiled. "…You really are a kind person, Casey."

"I try to be." She narrowed her eyes. "We don't have to live as enemies. I think we can make things better for everyone."

York hooked his arm around her. "If you think so, then so do I."

Casey smiled. "You're sweet." Casey closed her eyes. "After all…we inspire others to chase their passions, even when things seem tough. It's how we show it that helps us understand what we feel."

Spaz listened with his ears raised high, then he frowned, almost scolding himself. What was he doing? He couldn't just sit on his butt and do nothing. Tamara…needed someone to show her how much she's appreciated. For as strong-willed as she is, she's not invincible. She's prone to doubt like the rest of them.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out the green folder. He opened and skimmed through the front page of his story, then looked at Tamara again. She didn't seem to be paying attention to any of them still.

"After all…" Spaz looked back at Casey and York, with the Charmeleon saying, "That's what Gappei Village is all about. You all want to show why the Fusions are their fellow neighbors. That's what I want to show with my music. I want everyone…to just get along, not hate and war."

York smiled. "That'd be nice." He grinned brightly. "And hey, I could always help you with the song!"

Casey grinned awkwardly. "Ooh…that'd be…nice, but…how do I put this delicately? You…have the voice of an angel…assuming that angel swallowed the blade to a blender and ruined your vocal cords."

York pouted. "Hey! My singing voice isn't that bad!"

"Heh…sure, York, I believe you."

"Hmph!"

She giggled. "Oh, don't be like that."

Spaz stared at them for a moment, then looked to his folder. He glared, then took a deep breath. Nerves or not, he had to do what Tamara would do: he had to save his friend. She would do the same, after all. Heroes…don't let their friends down. For right now, she needed a hero to pull her back up.

Wordlessly, after putting the folder back into his bag and slinging it over his shoulder, he stood up and marched over to Tamara, catching the attention of all but her. Willy tilted his head. "Spaz?"

"What's he doing?" Casey asked.

"I've got a pretty good idea…" York mumbled.

Tamara was in her own little world as she kept her head low. Everything she heard were just little babbles echoing with the wind. However, her ears twitched as the sound of footsteps advancing at her from behind. She half-expected York, probably to give her some advice or whatever. While it didn't get much of a reaction out of her, she was genuinely surprised to find the time mouse standing behind her. He didn't seem to be shaking or jittering like usual. Even so…

"…I said leave me alone."

Spaz made no such movement. He stood firm, as did his face, with an added softness. He dropped his bag down. "…Tamara…what is a hero?"

"…What do you want?"

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Please…"

Tamara sighed in defeat, but still refused to look him in the eye. "…What does it matter? It's just some silly dream."

Spaz's ears flopped. "Some silly dream?" He closed his eyes, then breathed a heavy sigh. "No offense…but that's a disappointing answer."

"Well, that's what you're getting, so live with it." She traced her finger into the ground, lightly etching the rock with her claw. "If you're looking for the true definition of a hero, you've come to the wrong cat."

Spaz's frown deepened. "You don't mean that."

"I do. I couldn't do anything to stop two attacks, now everyone's scattered around the world or something. Even if we go back, we lost our home. It's probably rubble by now."

Spaz sighed. "I won't deny that, but…come on, really? It's some silly dream?" He placed his hand to his heart. "A silly dream is skipping through a peppermint forest while being chased by an Abomasnow dressed as a clown wielding a lamp as a weapon. _That_ is silly. Being a hero? I don't think so."

"Why are you asking me for a definition then? You seem to know the answer yourself."

Spaz shook his head. "…What does it mean to be a hero? Honestly…I couldn't give you a concrete answer. Policeman, firefighters, someone's parent, a teacher, some celebrity, or just kids playing with their imagination…those are heroes, too, in one shape or another." He smiled. "But that isn't _your_ ideal hero. No…the word 'hero' means so much more to you that it only has one meaning. One symbol."

Tamara gritted her teeth. "Spaz, just stop…"

He raised his fists. "And I can't tell you how much it hurts hearing such nonsense coming out of your mouth. I can't allow you to give up like this! That isn't who you are!"

The ninja cat was getting ticked off. She whipped her head around and glared at him. "Face the music, Spaz, I lost. If I let the pressure get to me, I'll let everyone down. If I couldn't beat someone with help, much less with my own strength, then all my ambitions are just me showboating and acting like I'm better than everyone! I worked hard since I came to Gappei Village, to be something that can help others get through their fears! Their nightmares! They needed someone who could promise them safety and justice! I needed to be that symbol so no one would be afraid of the outside world!

"Do you know how traumatized I was when I _stabbed_ my father through the throat?! With my own claws?! Just because I act brave doesn't mean I'm impervious to fear! I can still have the nightmares!" She clenched her fist. "Juniper wore a smile that spread joy and innocence. My smile was supposed to be one that showed confidence. I couldn't show doubt, not even for a moment, because it gives everyone else hope when things look bleak.

"When Liam took me in, he showed me the way to channeling my fears. As traumatized as I was for _killing_ my father, it made me realize…I might not have been the only one to do that. Without thinking. Or worse…if someone couldn't defend themselves, even in fear, then they suffer for it." Tamara clenched her eyes shut. "Even if it's one loss, I let everyone down! The promises I made to protect them from evil! I built myself up as some invincible paragon of justice, but what did that amount to? Just some Meowth-Accelgor trying to act cool and tough…

"I wanted to be the light that guides others out of the darkness, but I was the one foolishly wandering in the abyss…" Tamara bowed her head, gritting her teeth while holding back the tears. "What if I fail again? What if my strength isn't enough? What if my _help_ isn't enough? What kind of hero…can't even fight on their own merits?"

A long pause came after her rant. Spaz had his head down, not uttering a peep. York and Casey watched with mixed reactions, but felt pity for the ninja cat. This was the first time she ever failed to protect something. It must've been hitting her harder than they realized. Willy was shaken, but also wept in empathy for the cat.

"Tammy…" he whispered.

Tamara rubbed her eyes a bit, then turned herself around. "There…there's your answer." She pulled her legs up to her chest and hugged them. "Now…can you leave me alone?"

For all the respect he had for her, Spaz had to deny her request. Instead, he bent down and opened his backpack. "…I remember the day when we first met. Ren was showing me around, telling me about the place, and...then I saw you...and I was...captivated." He blushed as he said that. "I…couldn't quite describe the feeling."

' _It felt like a throbbing pain in my heart. The way the sun shined off you like you were a hero sent from the legends themselves.'_

"You were so bold and confident about yourself. No matter who questioned your dream, you punched back the doubt and kept breaking through the walls. I've...always admired you from afar...just like so many others you gave confidence to...

"As I got to know you, I started to understand your desires more and more. On a deeper level. Some might see it as you chasing some arbitrary dream, but I see it more as running for the top. You have your pride and want to be faster and stronger than anyone, especially faster. If you're the fastest Fusion alive, then...you will have the speed to make it in time for the rescue." He smiled lightly. "…Have I ever told you what I want to be?"

Tamara didn't respond.

"…I want to be a private investigator. I've gotten so used to helping Fusions find their way to Gappei Village that…well, I had a natural talent for spying on people, I guess. It felt nice to do the right thing." He chuckled to himself. "I could never think of doing half the stuff you pull. I'm fast, but my speed is related to time. I can't exactly jump over a street from the rooftops.

"Sometimes I have doubts about it, but…when have doubts ever stopped you before? After all, your dream was something more…extravagant than anything else I could imagine. If you can become a hero, why couldn't I become a private investigator. After all, if you can be a hero in your way, I could be one in my way, right?"

He paused to take a deep breath. He gripped the folder and pulled it from the backpack. "Heroes...don't always win. I know you hate hearing that, but...sometimes we need to be beaten down that unbreakable pedestal to show the cracks in it. Once we see the cracks and reinforce them, you can stand atop the pedestal and be completely unmovable. What was it you said to that demon cat? A hero's job is to make all that talk a reality? Do you want to live the rest of your life with a shattered pride? If you ask me, that's not your future."

Tamara exhaled deeply through her nostrils. "Spaz, p-please…stop…"

Spaz stamped his foot down. "No! I won't stop!" His eyes watered as he stared at her. "I'm not leaving this spot until you tell me those words...the words that you need to hear from yourself." He clenched his eyes tightly, with a tear brimming from his right eye. "I hate seeing you like this…"

Tamara closed her eyes tightly and covered her ears. "Just stop Spaz! I can't protect everyone! I'm not a her-!"

Her eyes flew up. Her jaw dropped. It happened so fast. Her senses were so dull, she hardly expected it. The time mouse's arms were thrown around her as he threw himself into her back. He wrapped them tightly around her waist and pulled her close while tears drizzled down his face. She faced those eyes, with her own shimmering in shock.

"No!" he shouted. "I never want to hear you say that! Don't you dare say you're not a hero! If you do that, I'll never forgive you!"

"S-Spaz…?!" Tamara mumbled. Her eyes were darting around, unsure how to make this all out.

York and Casey seemed to look on at them with more serene looks. Even Willy had managed to calm and look to the two with an awestruck fervor. "Whoaaaaa~!"

Spaz pulled away and turned her around, holding her by the shoulders. "Admitting that is blasphemy against everything you represent! I refuse to let you say that! You've always been a hero! For everyone! For...For me!" He closed his eyes and let the tears flow.

"Tamara…you're _my_ hero!"

Her eyes widened. "Wha…?"

"I never had a place of my own. It was always just me...causing trouble. Meeting you, though...you've been a positive influence on me. I always believed in you...you are a hero for all..."

Her initial shock died down and, while still in disbelief, she narrowed her eyes seriously. "Spaz…why…are you telling me all of this?"

' _Because I'm madly in love with you!'_ Spaz shook his head. "Because…Because you're my friend...and I know...that you can become the hero everyone needs. Now, more than ever, we need someone willing to stand up against what's wrong. A hero...will always find a way for justice to be served." He raised his head and gave a tearful smile. "You will make all those fluffy little words into everyone's dreams. Peace, hope, safety...someone like you is needed...because we need someone who can give us strength. In fear of the worst, there's nothing to fear at all...because you will be there."

Tamara blinked. She was slack-jawed. She never knew this was how Spaz viewed her. Someone…she considered her rival in speed. Has he felt like this for her this whole time? "I…" She couldn't find the words. She was stunned. Absolutely…stunned.

Spaz didn't give her the time to say anything. He held up the folder, then handed it to her. "I know this can't instantly cheer you up, but…you deserve to see this more than anyone. I hope this is enough."

Tamara took the folder, still staring at him with her stunned face, but regained her sense as she looked to the folder. She opened it and spotted the collection of papers in one pocket. She took them out and read off the front page. Spaz looked away and blushed in embarrassment. He saw Tamara's facial changes as she read through. He couldn't tell if he should be glad or scared.

"Spaz…what is this?" she asked, without a trace of emotion.

Spaz swallowed a lump in his throat, then teetered on his feet. "It's…a story. A story about…you."

"A…bout me?"

He nodded meekly. "It was a surprise I wanted to give you."

' _A surprise I wanted to give you after I finally told you how I truly felt.'_

"Call it fiction, but…I like to think it's…based off a true story. It is you, after all."

Tamara flipped through the pages again, now looking more invested as her eyes scanned the text. "Spaz…this is…" She held her mouth, then looked at him with glistening eyes. "You…wrote this for me?"

Spaz's cheeks couldn't even be seen any more with all the red flushing through them. "Y-Yeah…"

Tamara gripped the papers tightly, with tears dripping down her face. "…Spaz…"

Spaz looked away and rubbed his arm. "I know, it's a little silly, basically writing a fanfiction about you." He sighed and faced her. "But…I just-GAH!" To his utter surprise, Tamara lunged and hugged the shocked time mouse. If only he could see how red his face was getting. "T-Tamara?!"

Tamara pressed her cheek against his. He felt her tears drip onto his back. "Spaz…thank you so much…for telling me how you felt…that…that means a lot coming from you…"

"It…does?" He felt her nod. He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…well, i-it's no big deal…I just really…think your…"

There was never a bigger shock in Spaz's life than now. Never has his face felt so red, where it looked like he painted the whole front side of his face in the crimson color. And all Tamara had to do…was kiss him on the cheek.

Casey and York's eyes widened. That was something neither of them predicted. "Whoa…"

Willy was a little more confused, though. _'Wait…what happened?'_

The action caught them both off guard, in fact. Tamara's eyes widened before quickly pulling away. "Oh!" She stood up and grinned awkwardly. "Um…sorry Spaz, I'm…not sure where that came from. I was…just…so happy that I couldn't think of any other way to…" She rubbed her arm a bit, somehow missing the jets of steam flying off Spaz's burning face. "I…really appreciate what you did for me, Spaz. It…It really helps. You're…an amazing guy. Thank you so-AH!"

Killing the sentimental moment, Spaz flew backwards and slammed down on his back, shocking her and the others. It was like he passed out from a heat stroke, evident by the heat shooting from his face.

"SPAZ?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Tamara shrieked.

York and Casey immediately raced over and stopped over the time mouse, worried that he broke something. However, judging from his face, it was clear he wasn't in any danger. What was evident, much to their chagrin, was his twitching and the big, goofy smile he wore on his unconscious self. He passed out from a combination of overheating and an overload of endorphins.

York couldn't do anything other than deadpan at Spaz. "Uh-huh…probably should've expected that."

Tamara wasn't quite on the same page as them. "What happened?! What did I do?!"

"Gave him a lovestruck heart attack," Casey muttered.

If Tamara were in usual condition, she might have caught that quip. "What?"

Casey waved it off coolly. "Oh, nothing, nothing."

York hooked his arms under Spaz's and lifted him. "Um…we'll make sure he's alright. He might just need some rest." He dragged Spaz back.

Tamara allowed herself a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

Casey smiled at the ninja cat. "That was rather unexpected of you."

Tamara glared. "What does that mean?"

"Hehehe, nothing~!" Her grin stretched for a moment, but then turned to a normal smile. "You want to join us so you can keep an eye on him?"

Tamara scratched her head for a second. "Um…I'll…join you guys in a minute. I…just need to clear my head." Casey shrugged it off and walked after York.

Tamara stumbled back and sat down, feeling a bit dazed from that brief moment. Her cheeks felt oddly warm, though she couldn't quite place why. She felt lightheaded as well. Why… _did_ she kiss Spaz on the cheek? That was something she doesn't just do.

She wanted to ponder her confused thoughts for a bit longer, but then her eyes wandered back to the story given to her. She stared at it for a moment, which seemed to cause her cheeks to burn hotter. Not as badly as Spaz, but…hotter than after a tiring workout, definitely.

She couldn't explain why she was smiling, either, but…it felt right to. She sighed and hugged the papers against her chest, falling onto her back as she stared at the sky. Her feelings were still jumbled and muddled, but…perhaps some layers were cleared out in the end.

She needed to prove to _herself_ that she was a hero.

* * *

With the size of the mutation tower, refurbishing was taking more time than they anticipated. Drilling in new plating to keep the tower together and fixing up the wiring on the inside, it was a tough job, even for a fifteen-man crew.

Gideon plopped himself down on top of the tower and wiped his brow, then pulled out a radio. "Boss, the tower is almost fully restored. How does it look?"

Ivan looked out the window again, then hummed in satisfaction. "Oh, it's wonderful. Just as beautiful as the day I built it." He floated back to his desk. "Keep up the good work, boys." He put the radio away.

Syndony glanced at their boss. "Did you seriously build that thing on your own?"

"Eh, mostly. I had some help before I was ratted out by my former colleague. Thankfully, I was able to get it moved out in time." Ivan sat down. "All we really need is the energy source. That'll take us more time, but it's doable."

Cruella spun around on one foot. "Woohoo! Fusion World, here we come!"

Ivan pulled up the tower controls from his computer and a diagram of the physical structure. "Activation code is fully set. With a tighter security on the building and city, I'm hoping for no further delays. Can't be too careful, of course."

"Kekekeke! Nothing can stop us now! Who's with me?!" Cruella exclaimed.

Ivan's eyes widened a bit at the line. He rolled back in his seat, then turned toward the window. "…I've been watching way too much television to find that phrase nerve-wracking…"

He had a reason to. With his eyes now off the computer, he was unaware of the small pop-up are the corner of the screen. A small loading bar with the symbol of a Rotom on it.

* * *

Codex had loading circles in his eyes as he hacked into the Profectus Inc. network. "Alright…I am in. It appears they have _all ready_ got _they are…_ their device set up."

"How long do we have until they prepare to fire?" Rebecca asked.

"Based off the parameters set for the machine and the ended blast they wish to create, I estimate they will fire in two _years_."

"Two years?" Ren grinned. "That's plenty of time to stop them!"

Codex's head twitched. "…Apologies, I made a typo. Two _months._ "

Ren frowned. "…Well…that's _sort of_ plenty of time…"

"Their main concord-Zzzt- concern is acquiring power. They have a station set up, though I cannot seem to…trace a location." Codex looked at his friends. "I cann't do anything to destroy the tower- _That's a lot of damage!_ "

Charlie raised his brow. _'I can only imagine what it feels like to have the internet ricocheting around in your head.'_

Emily groaned and held her face. "Great, unless you can hack into a plane to carry us back, it looks like we'll have front row seats to the madness."

Codex shook his head. "Do not be so sure, Ms. Skull. I have but one solution that will give us time."

Ren gasped. "You do?! What?!"

"Listen closely, because I will only say this once." They nodded. "Good. Now, I will-" They were bombarded with a speech of static from the computer ghost's mouth, as he rambled on about his plan unaware. They exchanged confused stares for about a minute into the static, then Codex finished with, "-can make it, but it'll buy us some time. Sounds like a plan?""

The four blinked slowly, then shrugged with uneasy faces. "Suuuure…"

"Excellent!" Codex's eyes glowed brightly. "Let us hope I can retain nor_l functionality long enough to hack them."

* * *

Just then, Ivan noticed a bright flashing coming off of his computer. Confused, he swiveled back over. "What the…?"

He gasped with alarm as the screen started acting strange. The image was flickering and the sounds were distorted. Everything was blurring oddly, like when aliens come down from the sky and screw with electronics. Only, Ivan doubted this had anything to do with his ancestral heritage as a Beheeyem.

He rapidly pressed on the buttons to get the computer to stop. "What is happening?! What's with this darn device?!"

Alasdair was the first to run to him. "Boss, what is wrong?"

"I don't know! I'm getting error messages left and right! I can't get anything to work!" He pressed keys to get _something_ back into his control.

"Step aside, boss!" Ivan jumped as Cruella shoved him out of the way, then cracked her knuckles. "Let a pro handle this!" She raised her hands, then started whacking the keyboard like a pair of bongos, shocking Alasdair and Syndony. After ten seconds of smashing, she held her chin and nodded to herself. "Uh-huh, I see…it seems you have a virus."

" _WE_ COULD HAVE TOLD HIM THAT, YOU MORON!" Syndony and Alasdair shouted.

"A virus?!" Ivan shouted. He floated back to the computer and tried pressing keys on the smashed keyboard.

A digital wave of binary suddenly washed over the screen, distorting everything again for a few moments. The screen soon darkened, barely any darker than tinted car windows. A lock symbol appeared over the screen, locking down with a bright flash. The symbol of a Rotom appeared over it. Soon after, all the crazy errors and distortion in the computer stopped, with the screen now frozen with that lock over the tower interface.

Ivan pressed several keys, but no input was made. He moved the mouse to the upper right of the screen and, oddly enough, he was able to minimize it. Everything was functioning properly except the interface to the tower. The one thing he needed off the computer!

"I can't interact with the tower anymore! Everything's frozen!" He pressed the keys, desperately hoping for something to happen. "How could have this happened?"

"Someone must have hacked the computer," Alasdair guessed. "But I have never seen something like this happen."

"Profectus Inc. is practically unhackable by most expert hackers," Syndony grumbled. "Who the hell could've gotten past everything? You would need to be a literal computer to break into this place."

Cruella held her chin. "You mean like that Rotom-Porygon-Z that was with Gappei Village?" Everyone suddenly tensed up, save for her. "…What?"

Ivan stared blankly at the screen and took note of the lock's appearance. A Rotom. They said a Rotom-Porygon-Z…a Fusion made up of an electrical ghost and a living computer program.

"…Someone call Gideon in, NOW!"

* * *

Codex's eyes dimmed. He slouched over and sighed. "Phew…the deed is done."

"Woohoo! Great job, Codex!" Ren cheered, then he looked on in confusion. "Wait, what deed?"

"Did I not already tell you? I stalled the tower's interface and completely froze over the input commands. I have it completely locked down and I am the only one who can unlock it."

Rebecca grinned. "You're serious? That's great!" She threw her fists up. "That'll give us plenty of time to find a way to stop them!"

Codex twitched from a couple sparks. "Oh no...that-that was the easy _art."

Emily raised her brow suspiciously. "Uh…easy part?"

Codex nodded. "You see, I locked Ivan Faust out of the tower so that he no longer has access to it, nor any other access for that matter. My options were very limited and I could only manage what I did through multiple restarts and, as _sick-_ ogical as it is, luck. Only I have the means to grant access to the tower."

Rebecca's face paled drastically. "Only… _you_ can access it…Codex, what are you saying?"

"I informed you all of the risks, did I not?"

Charlie looked away awkwardly. "Um…we may have missed…all of it. You sounded like the TV during a bad connection."

If Codex could process anger, he would've groaned at this. Instead, some sparks flying off his head told them everything. "My friends…by giving myself the only means to reengage access to the tower, it means they would need me to-to-to-to-to-"

Emily grabbed and shook the ghost computer, now baring her teeth into an angry snarl. "Codex! Are you saying those guys would need to _hunt us down_ if they want their tower back?!"

"…Yes."

Their jaws dropped, with a weak quivering in their postures. If they haven't experience fear from their battle in Gappei Village, they were now. They weren't just enemies to the Fusion Renegades now…

They're targets.


	62. Trust in Each Other

In the little time he has gotten to know his new boss, Gideon never took Ivan for an angry sort of guy. He was generally calm and hardly raised his voice. Self-assured in his plans, a trait the teleporter could respect. However, now he found himself floating in the center of his new office with the rest of his Fusion Renegade teammates surrounding him in a huge circle.

The teleporter could see the anger that was reflecting off Ivan's eyes, but they weren't at him, thankfully. Rather, his ears were bombarded with a series of angry shouts regarding the new situation that came about their operation. Gideon now understood the source of Ivan's anger, but a part of him still feel like a burden is being pressed down on his shoulders.

Ivan snatched a glass of water off the desk and guzzled it down, relieving his parched throat after his rant. He set the glass down and sighed. "…So…to reiterate my point, that Rotom-Porygon-Z Fusion managed to hack into Profectus Inc. and lock us out of the tower. We can't access it, at all."

That much Gideon understood, but he still felt like the spotlight was burning down on him only. He crossed his arms at this and glared. "And you're saying this is somehow my fault? If I could see the future and knew about this, I would've smashed his head open!"

Ivan held his hands up. "Forgive my prior shouting, I am just under a lot of stress right now." He adjusted his energy sapping vest to get more comfortable, then breathed out. "It seems I underestimated Gappei Village's potential to fight back." He floated to the computer and swiveled it around for Gideon to see. "I should've expected this much. Fusions with this kind of potential can be troublesome."

Gideon didn't really care. He was just glad no one was shouting at him anymore. "Well, I suppose there must be some other reason you singled me out, aside from my main part in the plan."

Ivan folded his arms behind his back. "This…Codex, as Julian's notes addresses him, is a direct danger to our operation now. He may have been capable of doing far worse to us, but merely sealed us out of the tower entirely. If he was the one who did it, he can just as easily undo it." His eyes glowed dimly. "I think it's obvious what I want."

Gideon narrowed his eyes. "You want us to hunt him down."

"Exactly. As you are responsible for all of Gappei Village's disappearances, that means we must turn to you for answers." Ivan bent his head down and looked Gideon in the eye. "So tell me, kid…where is he?"

The teleporter bared his teeth and shrugged. "I don't know. My Fusion Move doesn't work with predetermined coordinates like Teleport. Translocation Beam is completely random. They could've landed in a dumpster, a volcano, a vacation paradise, someone's backyard; the possibilities are nearly endless."

"Well, can you tell me where he DIDN'T land?"

Once again, Gideon just shrugged. "The moon."

Cruella, being the 'outside-the-box' thinker she was, was of a different idea. "Or maybe…they ARE on the moon! The last place we'd ever find them!" She rubbed her hands together. "Alright, let's steal a rocket and fly ourselves to the moon! Maybe we can play among the stars, too!"

He just sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Trust me, my move doesn't reach that far out into space. They usually just land close to ground level. Location is fair game after that." He held his finger up. "That is a problem, however, because we're still looking for dozens of groups. I don't even remember which group I teleported him away with. Barely remember his darn face."

The Beheeyem looked off to the windows, shoulders slumped. "Either way, we need to make our move soon. It's been over a week since we got rid of them. They could be anywhere from their landing location."

Syndony smirked. "Well, luckily, it shouldn't be too much of a hassle. We have a number of powerful Fusions itching to start a fight. We could beat them all down and take back our code without resistance."

Alasdair glared at her. "How do you expect us to narrow the search? We sent away dozens of groups and scattered them all across the planet. We only have so much time to find one Fusion."

Ivan floated over to a chest of items he repossessed from the Fusion Hunters. "I may have something that can track their teleportation signature, assuming there is still a trace to follow."

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Same infuriating device they used to track me…"

"It is the only option we have. As Alasdair said, we don't have years to track down Codex. I'll head out to the explosion site and scan the air for any psychic trails and see where they take us. After that, we'll send them off to check all Fusions."

Syndony's grin widened. "Annnnd…?"

Ivan rolled his eyes. "…Do what you must to capture him, but no killing."

"Aww…LAME!" Cruella booed at the Beheeyem.

Ivan sighed. "Ms. Cruella, if you would be so kind to keep your criticisms to yourself, you're more than welcome to round up the teams. I'm sure your…creative outlook will make the perfect match-ups."

This brought that ever loving, disturbing grin everyone shivered at back on her face. "Ooh! _That_ I can do! In honor of the future King of Unova!" She saluted. "Laterz!" She teleported out of the room.

Gideon facepalmed, then uttered the lowest of grunts. "Ugh…I'm going to suffer from brain damage if I keep doing this…"

Alasdair looked to their boss. "Mr. Faust, if I may be so bold, how do you expect us to round these Fusions up? What if they have grown stronger since our last meeting?"

"Highly doubtful." Ivan pulled out a scanner device and turned it over. "Given that any number of them could be anywhere, they likely are still recovering. And, unless they got lucky, they won't be able to properly feed themselves. They won't be ready for a fight, and they aren't expecting one. All except for whoever the Rotom Fusion ended up with. Simple as that."

Syndony smirked. "I'm liking this plan…"

Gideon sighed. "Yes, well…if you'll excuse me, I have the sudden urge to supervise our local witch." He teleported out of the room.

Syndony waltzed up to Ivan and hooked her foreleg around him. "Although…maybe we could use this to our advantage."

"Elaborate, Ms. Syndony."

"Well, as you said, you only wanted to teleport those Fusions away so we wouldn't have any immediate threats to be concerned over. That's all fine and dandy, but it seems the script has been edited behind our backs." She tilted her head and snickered. "As you said, Dr. Gates is working to get the necessary amount of Fusion energy required to power our now inoperable tower. All because those foolish Fusions couldn't keep out of our business. Even from halfway across the planet, they are nosy little pests."

Ivan flicked her foreleg off and faced her. "What is your point?"

"As they so proudly announced, nothing would break their little bonds. They work as a team…" She paused to laugh to herself, humored by her own devilish mind. "…They'll fall as a team."

Ivan's eyes flashed green twice. "…You mean to tell me…"

"As a little payback, let's add a few more batteries to our energy collecting. I'm sure Gates will love to have some extra power to sap. Makes our jobs easier and quicker. We'll have that power a little sooner and be firing in no time."

This made the scientist pause to roll the idea around in his head. "Hmm…I did consider the idea before, only dropping it as a means of goodwill. I didn't anticipate someone to directly ruin my plans like this. Perhaps you make a convincing argument, Ms. Syndony."

She chuckled quietly. "Thank you, sir. Always a pleasure to find new ways to bring one more frown to this sad little world. Though, perhaps I'm just a little bloodthirsty for a good hunt."

Rewan smirked, holding his chin with a smug attitude. Alasdair nodded in agreement. "A third round of defeat for our little friends. Should make for good entertainment. But, what of the outsiders who escaped?"

"As far as we know, they're outside the perimeter of the city." Ivan crossed his arms. "I'll have to make plans to take care of the remaining council members, but…" He held his hand up, setting it ablaze in the rainbow fire. "Well…I have my ways should they be called upon.

"Until then…prepare yourselves for the hunt."

"Yes sir!" The remaining Renegades turned and marched out.

Ivan floated back to his computer, issuing one last glare at the disabled screen. "…This won't deter my efforts…I will save you, even if I must cast misery." He minimized the screen and started back on the scanner.

* * *

"CODEX! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Ren screamed as he throttled Codex. Of course, nothing to worry about since Codex wasn't remotely affected.

"Please stop-stop-stop-stop-stop-soup-stop throttling me. Your stress levels are rising to-to-to 'Volcano.'"

It didn't little to help.

Emily got her hands between them and shoved Ren off, throwing him to the ground. "Okay, Ren, chill! Codex!" She faced the ghost computer. "I'm going to need you to say this to my face! You, stay with me now, are the only one who can activate the stupid tower?"

"Да."

"I'm going to assume that means 'Yes.' So, basically, you…ordered a hunt against us!"

Codex held his head up high. "My dear, I did not 'order a hunt' on you all. They will be solely be after me. You all will be spared."

Charlie nervously raised his hand. "Codex, I don't want to _assume_ anything of those mean Fusions, but…they don't look very merciful."

Codex blinked, then he looked down with a wide-eyed stare. "…In retrospect, I failed to calculate the possibility. My settings have also been spamming me with videos of adolescent Litleo playing the piano…I am currently, as you would say, not right in the head."

Ren held his face as he rocked back and forth on his rear. "Don't forget they're more than likely convicts! I don't think we saw how far they're willing to go!"

"You are actually correct, as I managed to scan most of their group. They were originally prisoners of the Fusion Hunters and-"

"Oh joy, that makes it even better…" Emily grumbled.

Rebecca knelt down and tried to calm Ren while he was currently experiencing a major panic attack. "We've managed to rest off our injuries, but we're all still weak from traveling this far out. We can only sustain ourselves for so long."

Emily sighed. "We have no idea how they may come after us, but we can't risk staying in one spot for too long. However, should the worst come…" She glared at each of them. "We may need to take our lessons to heart."

"Our lessons?" Charlie questioned.

"Let's be real. We can't reasonably get stronger by the time they find us…physically, at least. The only thing we have left is perfecting our Fusion Modes, even for a minute. That extra boost could be the last chance of getting home safely."

"And…how will we unlock our Fusion Modes?"

"I have NO idea!"

Rebecca held her hands up. "We're all cranky and tired, I get that, but we need to stay calm. Since Codex _just_ did his thing, that means they likely only now found out about it. They'll need time to get a scouting group together _and_ to find us. That teleporter said even he has no idea where everyone ends up after he teleports them. That gives us a little of a chance."

"But what can we do?" Ren asked softly.

"For right now, keep walking."

Emily shook her head. "No, that won't work. I mean, yes, we should obviously ditch this place soon, but we can't. We're low on food and we have no shelter." She held her head up. "There's no telling when it might rain. That'll just ruin us further."

Ren pulled himself up. "So…what can we do?"

Emily held her chin and paced in a circle. "Let's think logically about our situation. Hoenn has a lot of berry trees growing out in the plains, so that at least curbs our food situation. If we could scrounge up enough money, we can get ourselves one tent to sleep in."

Rebecca sighed at the image of a deluxe tent for all of them to sleep in. It was sparkling and surrounded in a heavenly glow. "That sounds amazing right now…"

Emily bonked her fist into her palm. "Okay, glad we all reached an agreement. Now, here comes the tough part: how in the heck are we going to make money?"

That's where they were immediately stumped. Getting jobs was going to be a bit difficult, especially now that they had context given the recent viral video spreading all around. While Hoenn certainly wasn't the worst place for a Fusion, there was so huge issues in their current predicament. Hoenn wasn't personally connected to Gappei like the citizens of Grandis City.

Worst of all, when they first entered this city, they noticed everyone was on edge from the video. Ivan seriously got everyone freaked out over the horrible mutation wave set to infect them all, all for the name of Fusions. That can cause some people opinions to get totally flipped, especially when other Fusions were campaigning for the same thing. Added to the mysterious Fusion attacks going all around the world in recent news and you have a story for disaster.

"Um…we could sell pizzas?" Ren suggested uncertainly.

"That circles back to the money issue," Emily shot down.

"Plead for money?" Charlies suggested.

"I don't think anyone will be in a giving mood right now."

"I could _ack an ATM," Codex spoke up, completely without shame.

Emily gave him the blank stare, then looked away slowly. "We'll…put that in the 'maybe' pile." She rubbed her temples. "Come on, guys, this can't be that difficult. We need something."

Rebecca hummed quietly, then snapped her fingers. "Hold on, what if we did street performing?"

"Street performing?" the others questioned.

"Yeah, think about it! We could wear some disguises and put on a show for everyone. My folks did everything they could to make me laugh whenever I was upset. And…well, isn't that what Juniper has always done for us? Put on a smile to bring us up from our own woes? After all, who knows how long until the situation sets in and everything is devolved into chaos and anarchy? At least like this, we can mask their fears and help everyone ease up."

Ren scratched his chin, then smiled. "Rebecca, that's a genius idea!"

Rebecca turned away and smiled with a bright blush. "Aw shucks, it's nothing…"

"Uh, guys," Emily interjected. "Two problems. Is street performing illegal?"

"Well, actually, no," Codex brought up. "It is considered a form of free speech in many areas. So long as there are not any laws enforcing against it and that you are not obstructing anyone's day or being a nuisance, it is perfectly legal."

"And…here?"

Codex's eyes sparked badly as he looked into it. "…This particular area has no such laws."

Emily sighed. "Okay, that problem adverted, but back to the other problem we discussed. I don't think anyone will be too keen on seeing us in broad daylight, especially after that broadcast. We need to at least hide our appearances so no one questions our…pigmentation and odd parts."

Charlies leaned against a white dumpster bin. "Well, that's a dent in our plan. How are we going to get around that?"

Rebecca looked at the dumpster he leaned against and tilted her head at the logo on front. A pink half circle with the letters 'MCW' written in the center. "Hey, that logo looks kind of familiar…"

Codex scanned it. "Maggie's Costume World."

"Ah, that's right! I heard of this shop. They sell costumes of all kinds!"

Emily raised her brow and walked up to the dumpster. She lifted it and saw a bunch of old, ragged costumes inside. "What is all this?"

Rebecca looked inside. "If I remember correctly, all these costumes are too old or ruined to be sold, so they have them thrown away to be recycle for fabric."

Emily blinked, then smirked as an idea came to mind. "Well…seems recycling came a little early today."

"This is great!" Ren cheered. "Just what we needed!"

Emily pulled out random costumes and threw them to the group. "Don't care what, just start pulling things on."

It took about ten minutes for the whole group to decide on a clothing choice. Since they were working with limited options, their choices did range from the intriguing to the ridiculous.

Rebecca threw on a flamenco style dress and a ten-gallon western hat that allowed her to easily obstruct her face. Ren put on a green cloak and a pair of black suspender pants. Charlie donned a mafia suit with a wide brim fedora to cover his head flower and a handlebar mustache. Emily wore a leather jacket and biker helmet. Codex...

"I am a ghost," the glitching ghost announced, presenting his white bedsheet costume with two eyeholes. He also had a color propeller hat on. "A ghost with a propeller hat."

"Looking good, buddy!" Ren exclaimed.

Emily adjusted the large helmet a few times, then dusted her jacket off. "It'll have to do. Just try not to make our Fusion appearances too obvious."

"You got it!" Rebecca exclaimed, twirling around. "Now, let's start the show!" She blinked, then crossed her arms. "Oh darn, we don't have an act to perform."

Emily shoved them out of the alleyway. "Just do something stupid and wait for them to throw money at us."

* * *

Hawkins threw some firewood into a small pit surrounded in chunks of rock. He wiped his forehead, then knelt down. He waved Matthew over and ordered him to light the fire with a reduced Ember.

Through their journey around the mountain, they managed to find an overhand of rock that acted as a suitable roof. Thanks to Matthew's efforts, they also managed upon some berries to ration. 'Ration' being the key word, as they could only have so much. Hawkins was considering a small garden so they could grow their own berries.

Dakota did her part of dividing up the berries among the children. They had a small pile, making the need for a garden necessary. "Now remember, kids, we don't have the luxury to be picky. If you don't like a particular berry, either scarf it down or trade with someone else. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" They picked up their berries and chewed into them.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Dakota," Caleb thanked. "You're the best."

Dakota blushed sheepishly and scratched her dangle. "Oh, I'm not that great. I'm just doing my best for you kids." She stood up. "Now, since we don't have water, we'll have to improvise. We'll be using Winona's Water Gun as a source of water."

"EEW!" the kids gagged, save for the innocent whale kitten as she nibbled her berry.

"Purified, of course," Dakota corrected. "Like I said, we don't have much luxury out here." She sighed and stumbled over to the other side of the shelter, collapsing against the wall. "I'm so exhausted. Who knew picking berries off a tree would work up an appetite?"

Hawkins closed his eyes and huffed. "I told you not to climb that rock wall."

"I wasn't going to let the kids do it!"

"Caleb can fly."

"He's tired! He can barely flutter off the ground."

"Me?"

Dakota huffed. "Well, you kept making fun of me, so…"

"If memory serves, I only said you would fall. And, lo and behold, you did and _I_ had to catch you."

"I still got the berries!"

"And you gave me an earful of your whining." He huffed. "Perhaps we should've taught you basic survival skills, too. We are on a mountain, after all."

Dakota rolled her eyes. "Hmph. You're in a real teasing mood today."

"Call it what you will, but I rather not see you get hurt. We don't need you acting as dead weight." Again, Dakota rolled her eyes. "…I am doing the best I can. I'm trying to…" He sighed.

"Trying to what?"

"…Help." He sat back and crossed his legs. "I'm trying to help."

"Huh…maybe we should get lost more often." She scooted over to him. "You have been acting nicer to me, lately. Even the teasing is an improvement."

"You have had a positive effect on me. It's not like the concept of being nice is foreign to me." He used a stick to stoked the embers. "I just have no time to put up with the grievances of others over aggravating, trivial matters. Course, I am stuck out here with a bunch of inexperienced children and a whiney teacher."

Dakota pouted. "I am not whiney."

"Point is, this is no time to be selfish." The fire started crackling alive. Hawkins reached down and patted Matthew's head for his help. "After all, if I didn't help, I'd just be the lone wolf dealing with your intolerable buzzing."

Dakota leaned to him and smirked. "Aww…you know you love me~."

"Maybe in your foolish fantasies."

Matthew looked between the two curiously. The word 'love' kind of stuck out to him, having heard plenty of times back home. Only really with families and couples, though. He was too young to really understand relationships, but…well, Hawkins and Dakota weren't family.

"Mr. Hawkins. Ms. Dakota." He raised his paw, garnering their attention. "Do you two…like-like each other?"

Such an innocent question and yet their faces exploded with heat. Any more and Dakota could've melted into a puddle. It was a rare sight on Hawkins. Without hesitation, they pointed to the other kids and shouted, "EAT!"

Matthew jumped back, then ran to his friends with a snicker chattering through his teeth. Dakota and Hawkins breathed out, with their faces cooling down rapidly. They took a quick glance at each other and, without an verbal exchange, scooted a few inches away to give space.

Hawkins groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "Kids…"

Dakota could only manage a meek laugh as she tapped her fingers together. "Heh…y-yeah. They come up with the wildest ideas, don't they? Hehe…"

"Yeah…"

There was a long, _very awkward_ silence after that. Normally, either or wouldn't mind the silence, but not like this. It was especially uncomfortable for Dakota since she was more emotional than Hawkins. More extroverted, too. She wanted to at least say something so they didn't stay like this for the rest of the evening.

Dakota smacked her lips together and tried to break the solid block of ice between them. "Sssooo…"

"I don't do small talk." Well, he shot that idea down quick.

Dakota pressed her lips together. "Okay…" She scratched behind her head. "…We're…going to be out here for a while."

Hawkins slapped his face and dragged his hand down to his chin. _'Ugh…here we go.'_

"Um…got any stories to tell?"

"No."

"Oh…come on. I'm sure you have some exciting tales to share from your…childhood."

"I've pretty much told you everything of significance from my life. Nothing particular."

"Oh, that's not true. I'm sure there's loads of stuff you haven't told me." She twirled her hand around her dangle. "It's not like we have anything better to do."

The psychic swordsman stared quietly into the fire, eyes hanging heavily. He heaved a weighty sigh, then gazed up at the foggy sky. "I don't often say this out loud to anyone…and I expect you to keep it like that." He let his shoulders relaxed, letting his arms fall into his lap. "…I miss my parents."

Dakota blinked. "You do?" Hawkins gave her a look. "W-Well, it's just that…you never seemed like someone who was…um…how to put this nicely…"

"I get it. None of your daft babble." He stared back at the fire. "The way I act was based off performance and talent. My parents wanted that from me, gave me everything I needed to improve myself. Despite all that, even with my lack of care, I never strayed from their teachings. I have nothing but respect for my parents. They never had much hope in Pokémon understanding Fusions, so they did everything they could to teach me to stand on my own.

"I had to grow into that mindset quickly, since the gated community I lived in had some issues with my folks having a Fusion for a son. The controversy got out of hand, especially since they knew what I could do. They always thought I'd do something wrong." He paused to take a quick breather. He rubbed between his eyes, then breathed out. "I made my own decisions after that. For their benefit alone, I had to leave. Gappei Village was the one place I could be where I was free of the burden and my parents were free of their burdens.

"Regardless, I still think of them in fondness." He closed his eyes. "…I owe a lot more to them than I believed. I took most of their gratitude for granted…I should make up for that."

Dakota leaned back on her hands. "…I get how you feel." She sighed. "I haven't seen my parents in person for ages. We keep in touch regularly and occasionally video chat, but…doesn't feel the same as a simple hug, you know."

"Hmm…you don't talk about your family much."

Dakota shrugged. "I was thirteen when I first came to Gappei Village. Twelve years there and I found myself apprenticing under Abraham and becoming the teacher for our youngest." She sighed. "It was a lot to handle at first, but you get into the swing of things when you really care."

She dug her claws into the rocky ground with ease, digging small crevices to help her think. "…I want to be someone who can show the world isn't as bad as they say it is. Many Pokémon…went through a lot in our parents' time because older Fusions were just…much more ruthless back then. Still are today, but…I think we can make it better. The sins of our ancestors don't reflect onto the future, right?

"…I don't _just_ want to be a teacher for Fusions. I want to be a teacher for all Fusions and Pokémon, so that they can learn to get along for the later years. Teachers…help mold their students just as much as a parent molds their child. A good teacher, at least, helps guide you onto the right track. Not everyone has the answers. It takes someone with experience and wisdom to give the right answer. We teach them to be better than us, in a way."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "…Dakota."

"Hmm?"

"Tell me about yourself."

"Myself?"

"I've told you mostly everything about my childhood, though you've left me lingering on something you said, back when Peregrine forced us into that grudge match with him." He sighed and scratched his cheek. "You told me you were bullied back in school. You took the punches and found ways to defend yourself."

"Yeah?"

"Aside from the stares I got, I never experienced anything like that." He looked to her, almost warmly. "Care to talk? You are one of the first."

Dakota blinked, then stared into the fire. The heat helped dry the tears brimming around her eyes. "…The story's not one for happy upbringings, but perhaps hope doesn't always line the path with silver lining." To comfort herself, she grabbed her dangle and rubbed it between her fingers.

"I bet you can guess I was the typical shy kid, only much worse. Being picked on for looking weird left me an asocial outcast, perhaps leading me on the verge of being completely antisocial." She flinched a bit. "I can still remember that nickname they gave me, for how cold I was whenever someone bugged me. I always just ignored it.

"I was the Ice Queen."

"Ice Queen?" Hawkins mouthed to himself. "Heh…there's a laugh. You? An Ice Queen?"

Dakota cupped her hand and rested her cheek in it. "I only had my parents and a few teachers to keep me sane. Those teachers were my only safe haven during breaks, generously letting me eat in their classes just so I could be away from the rowdiest kids." She rubbed her eye a bit. "My parents considered homeschooling, though…it was too late."

"For what?"

"…All I've ever done was defend myself or run. I've felt pain before and I hated it...a lot." She clenched her eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Hawkins…but I lied."

"Lied?" He didn't expect the snarky shrew to be a saint, but what would she have lied about?

"While I was against fighting for most of my years, I broke my oath on my last day of public school." A tear drizzled down her cheek. "I got into a fight. An actual fight."

This got Hawkins to straighten up, mostly out of intrigue. "You started a fight. Well…again, that is not what I expected."

"...I'm not proud of it. I was just trying to go through my day, same as usual: completely invisible. Some jerky boy tripped me and he and his friends just laughed at me. I didn't think much of it, but they wouldn't let me leave. They just kept poking and prodding at me until they got a reaction out of me. I just kept trying and trying and trying to ignore it until I got to my class." She glared at the ground in silent rage.

"...The entire day, they would keep finding and pushing me around. 'Come on, Ice Queen! You gonna say something?!' 'Ooh, don't freeze us, Ice Queen!' 'Prickly just like your attitude, Ice Queen!'"

"Prickly?"

She pointed at her back. "Traits among the Glaceon. When I get miffed and hold it in for too long, I start growing icy quills from my fur. A lot sharper since I'm a Sandshrew." She pulled on her dangles and wrapped them against her chin like the straps to a bonnet. "I though the worst of it was behind me, but…" She bared her teeth. "Oh boy, was _I_ wrong!

"That jerk was waiting for me outside and...threw a bucket of water mixed with red dye at me. I was soaked and colored purple for HOURS. That got all the students riled up with laughter." A frosty air blew out through her teeth. "I tried to be patient, just until they got it out of their system…but I think something finally snapped after that moment. Weeks and months of putting up with it just came…rushing out of me faster than I could stop myself.

"I tackled that boy to the ground and, obviously, I wasn't all that good at fighting. Got some scratches across my face and some bruises on the arm. I managed to pin him down while he was open, then…ooh…" She bared her teeth tighter, but this time out of shame. "I…instantly regretted what I did next."

At least from her tone, she obviously didn't commit accidental murder, that much Hawkins understood. However, this was Dakota, so she must've did something awful to swear off violence. "…What did you do?"

Dakota gulped. "So…remember those icy quills of mine? They got bigger through out the day…and sharper…and more jagged. I used Rollout against him and…kind of drove into him for…about a minute…maybe longer…" She pulled tightly on her dangles. "Um…let's just say, from what my parents told me, he didn't go back to school for a couple weeks."

"Huh…hmm…uh…oh…OH!" Hawkins rightfully flinched at the mental image in his head. All those sharp, jagged quills grinding against someone, likely around the midsection, for about a minute…

Dakota held her face as the tears came out. "My parents were mad at me, but understood what happened. Since Gappei Village was something we knew about for weeks, it…made since what they had to do. They were worried that boy's folks would come after me."

"…You tried so hard…to restrain yourself from fighting back." Dakota lowered her head, nodding shamefully. "…Perhaps you are stronger than I thought." Her eyes widened, shimmering from the build-up of tears.

"Hawkins…"

"Perhaps it's easier to lash out and prove who's stronger, though…I have to admit, it takes real guts just to avoid the fighting altogether. You could've just fought back any other time. Guess it shows even you have a limit to that ungodly patience of yours."

Dakota rubbed the back of her head. "You really think so?"

"Yeah…and if it's worth anything…they were idiots for picking on you." Dakota blinked at him in awe. Hawkins huffed, turning his face away. "If they knew you would grow up to be the respectable, mature woman you are today, maybe they'd see things differently. If you can get a guy like me who waves his status and achievements around to come down on humbler terms, you have something special about you."

Dakota's jaw hung open for a bit, then closed as it shifted to a big smile, with her eyes sparkling from her tears. "Hawkins…th…thank you…that means a lot coming from you…"

He shrugged. "It's…whatever." He froze at the sudden hug he was brought into. He glared and tried to push her off. "I'm not a hugger."

"Too bad for you, I _am._ " Hawkins sighed and gave into it, but didn't return it. Dakota snickered. "See? I know you like me."

"Pushing it again." He hid a small smile behind his hand.

The kids watched them intently, amazed to see their teachers not going about their usual banter. There was a comfort aura around them that they could sense, something they haven't felt from their teachers ever since Hawkins started working alongside Dakota. There was something special about it that words couldn't grasp. Then again, they were still pretty young.

"Mr. Hawkins and Ms. Dakota look so happy!" Harper cheered quietly.

"Does that mean they won't be fighting anymore?" Wantanabe asked, nibbling at the skin of his berry.

"Yay! No fighting!" Winona squeaked.

Matthew tilted his head. "Do you think they like each other?"

"I don't know. They seem so," Caleb guessed, "they're just so different."

"They're like magnets!" Poppy pointed out. "Or…I think that's how that expression goes…something to do with magnets."

"Magnets are weird," Harper expressed with a tilt of her head.

"…Yeah, they kind of are."

* * *

Standing atop the highest tree in the forest, Vivi stared out into the distance, spying on the energy dome that surrounded Grandis City. All who reside within its walls will remain trapped until the villainous deeds of their enemies are complete. For the occasion, Vivi made sure to come prepared with a super stealthy cloak to camouflage with her surroundings.

And by super stealthy cloak, it was a cloak made up of leaves strung together. Grass stains were smeared over her face for the added sneakiness.

After observing the activity going on, Vivi hopped down where she was joined by Quinn, lacking the ridiculous attire she made. "No sign of overly shifty activity from the enemy, but they seem to be up to their old tricks."

"…Okay, I need to say something." Quinn inhaled through his nostrils, then waved his hand down toward her. "Why…are you wearing that?"

"Camouflage!"

"You have a cloak of feathers naturally on your body. I think that's good enough camouflage."

Vivi clasped her hands together. "Quiiiinnnn! Let me have this! I've always wanted to be a spy!"

"Did you grow up with a collection of spy movies to occupy your time?"

"…More or less."

Quinn groaned and pinched between his eyes. "…Whatever. What _did_ you see?"

Vivi pointed in the direction of the city. "Well, I think they're done working on the doomsday device, but that's all I know for certain. Everything else is a toss-up. Though, I did see a lot of the Renegades converging outside. Seems they're doing something."

Quinn nodded. "Right…better inform the others." They raced back to their hideout.

So far, the cave they used to hide themselves away as yet to be discovered. It gave them all the time in the world to train in secret. And, after a while, they made the cave far more spacious, which just meant more room to train and exercise.

Of course, the Fusions were on board with getting stronger, but that doesn't mean it was without the brutal stress their muscles were forced into. The young Fusions were working their muscles with various exercises to get into fighting shape. They were sweating bullets and fighting against the pain.

It didn't help that one of them was lacking behind in his training and the other tree were relatively new to the village. Since Peregrine was no longer with them, Cade had to take over the training regimen. To be fair, he knew the ins and outs of proper exercise, so he could manage as well as the steel duck.

"Come on, you…maggots!" Cade hesitantly shouted, trying to emulate the loudmouthed duck with little impact. "We need to be ready for the next battle. Soon, we'll work on Fusion Mode. Less breaks, no complaints!" He sighed and held his forehead. _'How does Peregrine not lose his voice doing this?'_

Ulysses was the first to collapse onto his stomach, panting heavily. "I can't feel my anything…"

Abraham sighed. "I think I have new respect for Peregrine's tough love attitude."

"We're doing the best we can for them," Lewis admitted. He held his hip and glared at the four. "Come on! No slacking!"

One of the Dodrio Fusion heads looked up to the aura samurai, squawking miserably. This head was known as TJ, who desperately pleaded, "Can we _please_ take a break?! We're dying over here!"

Brea looked at the councilmen. "Um…perhaps they should stop. Can't really fight if their muscles are torn apart."

Gracelyn held her cheek and sighed. "They have been at this for two hours." She clapped her hands. "Alright, you can all-" The teens collapsed to the ground, bellowing with groans. "…stop."

Cade grinned sheepishly. "Didn't realize how much time passed. But either way, you're all doing great."

Vance rolled onto his back, his chest heaving up and down. "Thanks…I guess…"

Anette groaned openly as her dream cloud self collapsed to the ground as a pink puddle. "I can't move a muscle…"

Eddie held his hips. "Kid, you're mostly a dream cloud."

"And I'm TIRED somehow!"

Lewis sighed. "We're sorry to be pushing you so hard, but desperate times are upon us. The world is in danger and we might just be the only ones able to stop it."

"Which is why we can't waste time." They spotted Quinn and Vivi returning from their scouting mission.

Cade sighed. "Oh, thank goodness you two are back. What's the status on the Fusion Renegades?"

Vivi crossed her arms. "Nothing different than last time. They may have finished fixing up that rusty old tower. Though…I did see a lot of them congregating outside of Profectus Inc."

Brea shrugged indifferently. "Could be a rally. Or maybe they're planning for a parade to bloviate their victory. As if they need a useless festival to make their point."

Abraham shook his head. "No…our enemy isn't an idiot. Best we can gather is that we are currently the only Fusions around that can put a stop to him, but he's known that for over a week, ever since he made his declaration. I don't think this rally is for us or any of the Pokémon trapped in the city."

"He's right," Lewis agreed. "Not even the military has made their move yet."

Vivi tapped her hands together. "Well, we won't know since we are on the outside of the barrier." She beamed. "Ooh! But what if we hit it really, really hard?!"

Cade blinked…very slowly. "…While that is certainly an idea, that barrier can take a lot of force long before we could do something."

Eddie shrugged. "Why not let this big lug take a crack at it?" he suggested, pointing at Bartleby.

The wooden golem waved down at them. "He…Hello…"

Quinn shook his head. "I think we can come up with a better strategy that doesn't involve directly attacking the barrier." He held his chin. "We could try digging underground, though they may expect that." He sighed. "If we had more Fusions to help us, we could amass an army of our own."

Eddie looked off to the side, eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Hmm…"

"Well, for the time being," Lewis cut in, "we'll just need to rely on power alone. Which reminds me, how are you two coming along with your Fusion Modes?"

Quinn shrugged. "Getting there."

"I have NO idea!" Vivi cheered.

"Love the enthusiasm, kid," Abraham commented.

Lewis sat down and brought his palms together. "Quinn, if you're so sure, then why don't you and I practice together? Let's see if you can unlock it." Quinn shrugged and sat down in front of him, hands brought together. "Are you up for the challenge?"

"I don't have much choice." He took a deep breath, then frowned determinedly. "But I'll give it my all."

"That's what I want to hear."

* * *

Ivan floated out to the remains of Gappei Village, where the giant abyss was now cooled after several days. It pained him that he had to do this to such a momentous monument to Fusion culture, but…sacrifices were necessary.

Maybe if he kept telling himself that, it'll get easier.

Ivan pulled out the scanner device, briefly modified to track the remnants of Gideon's Translocation Beam. He held it up and waved it around for a moment before picking up on a signal. He tuned it on it and caught sight of the psychic residue waving in the air like a fresh smoke.

In fact, there were dozens of trails, all shooting to the sky and going off different ways in the sky. With the modifications to the scanner, he'll soon be able to track the Fusions from any which way across the planet and find the one that has his target.

His eyes glowed brightly. "According to Julian's database…your name is Codex." He turned a dial on his scanner. "Well, Mr. Codex, you and I will be getting acquainted very soon."


	63. Morning Rise

The trip up to Juniper's old town was supposed to be a simple climb up the large steps. That was the plan, except for the unforeseen factors they failed to take into account. Combined with their exhaustion and a significant lack of food to sustain them, they were quick to pass out halfway up the stairs. They were thankfully large enough to support a couple of bodies at once, so no worries of tumbling down or a terribly uncomfortable sleep.

Granted, they were still stone stairs, but beggars can't be choosers.

Either way, with the sun rising overhead, light came down on the sleeping group. The light slowly passed over them, reaching to their eyes. Juniper didn't like this and clawed at the offending sun for disturbing her beauty sleep. "Nnnooo…bad sun, bad…" She pulled on the blanket she was sleeping under and curled under it.

Though, given their lack of supplies, she wasn't curled in an actual blanket.

Wash was woken up in combination of the light hitting his eyes and the tugging on his cloak. His eyes gently opened, then he rubbed them with a groggy yawn before looking over his shoulder. He smiled a bit, seeing the sleepy panda curled up soundly next to him. He sat up and gently stroked her ear.

' _ **Tch. Well, doesn't SHE look comfortable.'**_

Wash rolled his eyes. _'Lay off, Barbatos. She's just exhausted.'_

' _ **What else is new?'**_

Wash narrowed his eyes on his girlfriend, inhaling deeply through his nostrils. _'Hopefully this unexpected trip here does her some good…she's been hurt enough already.'_

' _ **You worry too much.'**_

' _And I don't have a right to be?'_ Wash stretched his arms, then pressed his hand against his back. His back was killing him. He didn't even remember falling asleep on the steps. Have they really been that exhausted? They must've slept for twelve hours, at most.

His shifting caused Juniper's 'blanket' to slip off, much to her grumpiness. "Where's my blanket…?" She patted around on the steps in search of it.

Wash stood up, dusted his cloak off, then grabbed her arms. "Come on, Jun." He pulled her up. "Time to get up."

She groaned and slapped his hands away. "Nnnooo…" she moaned before curling back onto the steps.

Wash shot her a deadpan stare. "Jun, I understand you're tired, but wasn't it _you_ who wanted to get to your pappy as soon as possible?"

"Pappy?!" The memories the other day came flying back. Juniper threw her legs up, then somersaulted into the air. She landed on her feet and pumped her fist in the air, beaming a smile full of fervor. "No time to waste, slowpokes! Onward!"

While Wash was always happy to see her in good spirits, he can't help but point out the obvious. "Uh, Juniper? Your leg's still broken."

There was a pause that lasted five seconds.

"…AAAAAHHHHHH!" Juniper collapsed on her back, cradling her broken leg.

Her scream startled the others awake. "AH! Help!" Shane sprung into the air, nearly tumbling himself down the stairs, but Asadi whipped her tail and grappled him to safety.

Dez sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Ugh…what happened?"

Wash picked Juniper up in his arms, withholding a longwinded sigh. "Juniper got a little excited, that's all." He glared at her. "Try and be more careful."

She giggled sheepishly and wrapped her arms around his neck. "And that's why you are the responsible one."

Wash helped her onto his back. "Anyway, I say we're fully rested. We've got the rest of the climb to make."

Asadi rubbed her back. "Thank goodness. That was the worst sleep I've ever had."

After some quick stretches, they resumed their journey up the stone steps. It was no surprise Juniper was bursting with anticipation, as seen from her big ol' grin and jitteriness.

Shane bounced up close to her and Wash. "You might want to tone it down, Juniper. You're a squeal and shout away from exploding."

Juniper laughed behind her hands. "I'm sorry! I'm just so…so…nervouscited!" They all looked at her funnily. "Nervouscited. You know…nervous…excited. I mashed them together."

"Aaaaah…" they sounded in understanding.

Dez rolled his eyes and smirked. "I'm surprised you managed to get any sleep. Happy to be seeing your pappy after so long?"

"Well, DUH! He was the best father figure EVER!" She clasped her hands together. "This'll be amazing! We'll get to do all the fun things we did together! Playing catch, jumping over rooftops, chasing burglars, taking naps in the public fountain by accident-"

"You played catch?" Asadi asked.

" _That's_ what stuck out to you as odd?" Dez questioned dryly.

Wash looked over his shoulder. "Jun, what exactly did you do when you lived here?"

"Oh, all kinds of stuff. I was eight when Pappy found me, and…well, I never had a proper childhood. A lot of father-daughter bonding, fun games, some wacky stuff in the middle…I did everything I could in my time with him…everything I could to make up for eight years of lost childhood…" Her ears drooped. "…It was…nice…yet kind of sad, too." Her smile dipped to a frown. "…I never knew what it was like to be a kid…I grew up too fast…"

The group frowned sympathetically. Asadi reached out with her tail and patted Juniper's back. "Oh sweetie…"

"I can relate in some respects," Shane admitted. "Though…my childhood just consisted of foster care and avoiding others…never really had the time to be a kid, either." He rubbed the back of his head. "You feeling alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah…I'm fine, don't worry." She tried to smile. "It took a while, but…I am doing better these days. After a while, I learned to be genuinely happy." Her smile turned genuine and wholehearted. "And now I have all of you to make me happy, right?"

Wash smiled at her. "Of course you do. You've done so much to make us happy when things got rough. You always know how to raise our spirits. You did that for me when I was at my lowest…and you will do the same to everyone who needs a smile."

She grinned. "Hee!"

Shane laughed. "Now I'm all the more curious what home was like for you."

"Trust me, we're gonna have a blast!"

They reached the top of the stone steps after ten minutes of walking. Their legs were aching from the climb and the drowsy state they had awaken from, not helped by their lack of food. Either way, they reached the entrance to the town, giving them a good look at their sanctuary.

A small town with cobblestone pathways curving through multiple buildings. Everything felt really tight and conjoined, easily accessible in walking distance. The town itself was at a lower elevation from where they were standing, giving them a good view of everything.

Juniper held her cheeks and squealed. "It's just as amazing as I left it!" She nearly flew off Wash's back, but he caught her in time.

"Settle down, Jun," he warned.

Shane held his chin. "Um…Juniper? Out of curiosity, what is the, uh, common consensus on Fusions here?"

"Hmm?" She smiled. "Ah, right. Well…more or less, everyone here tolerates Fusions. Not necessarily hate, but not necessarily like." Her smile widened. "With one major exception: ME!" She laughed. "Everyone here LOVES me!"

"Seriously?" Dez asked.

"Are you surprised? I'm quite popular here! I've been a busy Fusion during my five years here! I know practically everyone in this town!" She held her hips and snorted proudly. "Not too shabby for a lazy bum!"

"So…they won't have any qualms against us, right?" Wash asked cautiously.

Juniper waved it off. "You'll be _fine_." She then clapped loudly. "Now let's go! Chop-chop!" They rolled their eyes playfully and descended the brief decline into the town.

Now surrounded by the town, they got a good look of everything that went down. Judging from the brief overview and Juniper's own description, the town was fairly small. Probably no bigger than the population of a small college campus. There wasn't a lot of people to feel cramped like in the big city, but just enough to get that community vibe Juniper endorsed.

Some key points of interest were the open markets, selling things like packs of water, berries, spooky trinkets, etc. There were restaurants, cafés, small clothes shops, and more. There was even minor shops like the barbershop, some sort of game night house/club, and a few places advertising a fun night out. It was just a comfortable community that felt…normal.

Well, it would feel normal, but their ten minutes of sightseeing grew uncomfortable in time. It felt like they were attracting the attention of more eyes the further into town they went. It felt worse since they seemed to be the only Fusions out in public. They stood out among the rest.

Shane gulped and shielded his eyes behind his ribbon appendage. "I'm not used to having this kind of attention on me…what's with these people?"

"Just ignore it," Wash mumbled, trying to keep his head low.

"Yeeeah, that's not happening," Dez grumbled.

Asadi narrowed her eyes. "Um, guys? I don't think they're staring at _us,_ per say."

The only one innocently ignoring the stares was Juniper, who was bobbing her head around as if she was listening to a song in her head. How they wished they could lead a carefree mindset like the goofy Spinda Fusion. Must've been nice to block everything out.

"HEY! Wait a minute!" They stopped cold, eyes wide with terror. Juniper went wide eyed, too, but seemed more curious than frightened. They felt the loud stomping of someone approaching them. Juniper looked over her shoulder and met eyes with a Snorlax. He looked like he was a part of that barbershop they passed by, based off his white flannel shirt, red and white vertical striped vest, and the odd pencil thin mustache he had going on.

' _I've never been so terrified of something so ridiculous…'_ Asadi thought. _'Doesn't top the Nosepass-Gardevoir on the ridiculous scale, but…'_

The Snorlax raised his arm, then swiped down, pointing dramatically at Juniper. His glare was icy cold, hostile like they were criminals invading his property. It was truly frightening. "You…"

Juniper blinked, then glared back, equally territorial. Wash could hear her clenching her fists, with the sound of tiny cracks in the knuckles. "You…"

The Fusions were deathly worried some sort of brawl was going to take place, and they had no idea _why_! What happened to that whole 'Loved by everyone in town' thing she proudly waved around. They were about ready to book it, feeling the tension rise between these two mighty forces, like tidal waves crashing into each other.

…They literally fell over in shock when the Snorlax and Juniper broke out into laughter.

Snorlax had picked Juniper up just before Wash collapsed. He held her in the air like a small child. "Well I'll be! Little Juniper!"

Juniper grinned, brighter than ever. "Howdy, Mr. Finnegan! Looking sharp as ever!"

Finnegan laughed and spun her around, then turned to the townsfolk. "Hey everyone! Guess who's back?! It's Little Juniper!"

Once the Fusions got up from their shock, they gasped as a crowd suddenly formed around them, mostly centered around Juniper. She was waving to the folks with that usual grin they knew her for, only it felt more…genuine from what they experienced—no, that's not right, it felt more…nostalgic. Yeah…nostalgic.

Either way, the Fusions were utterly baffled at the display taking place, watching Pokémon left and right shower her with attention. This was the most positive reception they've seen from any Pokémon!

"Oh Juniper, look how much you've grown!" a Simipour gushed. "You look so beautiful!"

Juniper giggled. "D'aww! Thanks, Ms. Mara!"

"Hey kid!" a Cacturne called out, who sounded like he was from a tough city. He had a toothpick in his mouth. "Want to swing by the club later for another game of pool? I'll has you beat this time!"

"Brogan, my man!" Juniper exclaimed, adopting a boyish tone in her greeting. "That's right, we're tied for matches, aren't we? I suppose I can swing by!"

"Not before I treat you, young lady!" a Talonflame shouted overhead. He wore an apron with 'Red Hot Wings' printed on the front. "How about a free lunch? My treat!"

"You know I can't turn down your food, Donte!" she exclaimed.

There was no other way of saying it, but…the Fusions were just stunned by that point. This was way too much to take in at once, especially since each of them haven't had the best experiences with Pokémon.

"…What am I looking at?" Dez asked.

"This is honestly a bit jarring," Asadi said.

"Is this seriously where Juniper was living before she met us?" Shane mumbled.

"Yeah…" Wash mumbled as well. _'I…can't believe this. This is incredible. This place is so lively and…kind and…'_

It was hard not to draw comparisons to his own hometown and this one. No matter the angle, this place was a million times better than where he lived. Maybe he could've had a better life around here had fate spun the wheel different for him. It made him sad for two reasons.

One, he wasn't lucky. Two, and while he would never admit this out loud, especially to Juniper, he was kind of jealous she had a place to bounce back from her horrible life.

His moping attitude lasted a whole ten seconds before someone from the crowd suddenly acknowledged their presence. A Blastoise shouted, "Hey Juniper! Who those guys with ya?"

"Oh, them?" Juniper spun around on Finnegan's shoulder and grinned. "Those are my friends! That's Dez, Asadi, Shane, and…" She snorted and restrained the giggle bubbling behind her lips. "Heehee! And that's Wash…my boyfriend."

Almost instantly, the Fusions were pushed to the center of the crowd, now all eyes on them specifically. They were used to people being afraid of their appearances or holding grudges against their species as a whole, but they weren't use to a whole crowd of Pokémon actually _liking_ them.

"Whoa, hey!" Shane yelped.

"Too many people!" Asadi shrieked.

Dez dropped down and covered his head.

Wash covered his ears as the Pokémon asked a myriad of questions. "P-Please, one at a time…" He clenched his eyes shut for a split second, then they snapped open in a purple flash. "Grr…back off, you losers! I hate crowds!"

The Pokémon jumped back in surprise. Before Barbatos got another word out, Asadi's tail snaked around him and slapped down over his mouth. She chuckled awkwardly as she teetered on her toes. "Ignore him!"

Juniper hung upside-down from Finnegan's shoulder and laughed. "I told you the community here was friendly. Everyone practically knows each other." She slipped down and landed on her good foot, hopping over to her companions.

Dez stood up and held his chest, feeling his beating heart relax. "No kidding…you seriously lived here?"

She tilted her head and grinned. "Yep!"

Finnegan held his sides and threw his head back with laughter. "Little Juniper was the precious darling this town couldn't get enough of! So sweet, kind, and full of life!"

Mara bent down and pinched Juniper's cheek. "She was such a precious cinnamon bun for her age."

Juniper giggled skittishly and covered her reddened face. "Aww shucks! You guys are embarrassing me!"

Barbatos grumbled under Asadi's tail, then gave it a wet lick that made her retract it with a disgusted shriek. "Eww! Barbatos, you jerk!" Barbatos snickered under his breath.

Finnegan blinked, then looked down at Juniper. "I thought you said his name is-"

"It's a long story. Wash has a form of DID, you see. This here is Barbatos."

Brogan raised his brow. "Weird…"

"Who are you calling weird?!" Barbatos shouted.

Dez rolled his eyes. "And this is why no one likes you."

Barbatos shook his head and retreated back into Wash's head as he resumed control. "Ugh…Barbatos, I swear…"

With that brief bit of chaos over, Finnegan focused back on Juniper. "This is certainly a lovely surprise, child. We never expected you to come back after so long. What's the occasion?"

Juniper waved her hand around nonchalantly. "Oh, you know…this and that…random teleportation involved…"

Mara gasped. "Oh dear, that's right! You went to Gappei Village!" Her eyes dipped sadly. "Oh sweetie…we're so sorry…we heard what happened."

"You did?" Dez questioned.

"The news is spreading all over the world, what with the village and that…horrible video going around."

"What video?" Shane asked.

Before anyone got a word out, Donte raised his wings. "Uh, buh, buh! Just a moment!" He lowered his wings and smiled. "Let's not bring the mood down too soon. This is a time to celebrate." He poked Juniper in the nose. "I promised a free meal and, frankly, you all look hungry."

The Fusions' eyes widened, feeling their stomachs growl in response. They grinned sheepishly and hid their faces. "Heh…food would be nice," Wash admitted.

Donte bowed to them. "Then allow me to treat you all to breakfast at my restaurant! All your meals will be covered by me!"

"Hehe!" Juniper squealed. "You're the best, Mr. Donte!"

"I'll remember that. Come on." He flew off to his restaurant, leading the Fusions behind, as well as some of the crowd.

* * *

Artemis' expertise on her hometown made getting to suitable shelter difficult. Night snuck up on them faster than they thought and she made it explicitly clear that the nights were the coldest. They shouldn't be out that late without some proper clothes and they certainly weren't adapted to the cold. So, they had to duck out in an alleyway and wait for the morning to roll in.

It wasn't the best sleep in the world, but they lucked out with the old blanket blowing around in the wind. It was large enough to keep them all warm. It was a little awkward having to wrap up close to each other, but they didn't want to lay on the ground.

They got through the night with some difficultly, but they were alive and that's all that mattered. First to wake up was Sheila. She sat up and yawned behind the fluff in her ear. She stretched her arms out, getting a few knots out before managing to relax.

She sighed and turned her head up. It was lighter out, so it must've been morning. She rubbed her weary eyes. _'I can't believe we had to sleep outside…ugh, can't complain. Better than freezing halfway to the shelter.'_ She looked down at Artemis, who looked just as uncomfortable as the rest of them. _'…I wonder what she's so worried about coming here…'_

Sheila's hand reflexively wrapped around her stomach at the sign of a grumble. She groaned and pressed her head against the brick wall. "We're short on food still…we used that last of our berries last night…"

It wasn't long before she was joined by Artemis and the boys. The Sylveon-Scrafty pushed the blanket off herself and stretched. "Everything feels stiff…"

Chris sat up and rubbed his eye. "Ugh…where's breakfast?"

"Ye tell me," Crawford grumbled. "I certainly don't have it."

Sheila shook her head. "Sorry guys, no food." Crawford rolled his eyes and tucked back under the scratchy blanket.

Artemis stretched out her feelers. "First day back in this shitty town and my first memory to come back is the hunger pains."

Sheila scratched her head. "We need to figure out food fast. We can't last long out here with out food or water."

"I ain't getting' a job if that's what ye're implyin'!" Crawford growled.

"Well, if it comes down to that-"

Artemis didn't even bother with the conversation. She walked past Sheila and headed for the street. "Wait here…I'll get breakfast."

"Wait, Artemis! Where are you-?!" Artemis already left her sight. Sheila retracted her hand, then sighed. She already knew what Artemis intended to do. "Oh dear…"

Chris pulled the blanket up and wrapped it around himself. "I envy you two for having fur…" He leaned back against the cold wall, with the blanket curled around his back for protection. "She really _hates_ this place."

"Can't help but wonder why," Sheila mumbled. "I don't know much about her personal life."

"Didn't she grow up poor or whatever?" Crawford asked. There was no point in going back to sleep and he was bored out of his mind.

"Sounds about right." Sheila hugged herself, even wrapped her ear around Chris, who muttered a quiet 'Thank you.' "Artemis doesn't like getting emotional around most. I think she only confides her deepest secrets to the council…and especially Quinn. If anyone could tell us anything, it's them.

"I don't think Artemis hates the town, per say. It feels like her feelings were directly influenced by…everything this town represents to her. Cold, lonely, hopeless…"

Chris sighed. "Doesn't feel all that comfortable. This whole place is littered with graffiti. I feel like I'll get jumped by a gang any second. And the buildings hardly look safe."

Crawford stood up. "Well, I'd hate to meet locals if this is how they keep the place." He glared at the ground. "What rotten luck we turned up on."

Chris shrugged. "Well, maybe not. If this Asher guy can help us, it's well worth it. Probably the only thing Artemis is excited about."

Sheila narrowed her eyes. "Artemis did say there was somewhere else we could stay…though she didn't seem all that happy about it."

"Could be her old home." Chris' eyes narrowed sadly. "Did…she ever mention anything about abusive parents?"

Sheila didn't want to consider the thought, though Artemis' behavior might explain it. "I…I'm sure the topic has come up more than once." She shook her head. "But let's not ask. Let's just do our best to help her through this." They nodded in agreement, though Crawford was still being a bitter crab.

"Still, of all the places to land…why couldn't Artemis have lived in Alola or something?"

"Uh, Crawford…we would've likely still ended up here," Chris countered.

Fifteen minutes passed before they heard snow crunching under footsteps. Artemis returned to the alleyway, carrying grocery bags in her feelers. She set them down and shook the snow off herself. "Okay, dig in."

Chris opened a bag. "Awesome. What'd you get?"

"Let's see…a ton of breakfast bars, some waters, juice boxes, and a can of mints." She shrugged. "Best I could do." She sat down and snatched a breakfast bar from the bag.

"Well, hallelujah!" Crawford exclaimed, ripping the wrappers off two and shoving them into his mouth.

Sheila pulled one out, then glanced suspiciously at Artemis. "Did you steal all of this?"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Of course not. I used money, the legal way."

"Okay, but…we don't have money."

Artemis darted her eyes around. "…See, this is wear the unethical part of the conversation comes in."

Sheila sighed, almost shivering. She felt…dirty for being a part of this, and worse that this was the only thing they could do for the time being. "I can't believe we had to resort to stealing…my parents would be so disappointed in me…" She covered her face. "Oh dear, they must be horrified about the village…"

Artemis groaned. "I'm sorry, but this was all I could do. I was _hoping_ there'd be some jackass prancing around, but instead I get a jaunty jogger…though, he was too jaunty for my taste, so he deserved it. I couldn't exactly steal from a store without the proper stealing gear...also known as an oversized jacket and an innocent demeanor. That's how I was raised...by both Asher and my mo..." She stopped right there, gathering their attention.

She clenched her teeth tightly, feelers tensed up, then relaxed. "…Just eat your breakfast." She grabbed a bar and undid the wrapper.

As agreed, they chose not to pry into her personal life and ate their breakfast. Chris, however, decided to get back on topic. Coughing into his fist, he asked, "So Artemis, since you're…an expert on this town, what's our next move?"

She frowned seriously. "...I did think of one other place we could possibly stay at, though it isn't exactly pleasant for us non-Ice-Types."

"And the other?"

"There should be an abandoned apartment complex with plenty of room. Place was being built, but never got finished since hardly anyone comes to this town. I...used to live there, actually, before I...was taken from my first home."

Sheila nodded slowly. "I see…" She patted her back. "I get this is tough on you, but…it sounds like the apartment complex is our best option."

"It really is." She sighed. "But…I want to try the other place first…just in case Asher's there…so he can help us."

"Where is that fellow?" Crawford asked.

"I don't have a clue. Only thing I got is the recent graffiti matching his style. He's still here…somewhere." Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Asher's always doing something. I wonder what he's been up to lately."

Sheila rubbed her back. "You really want to see him, don't you?" Artemis stared down for a moment, then nodded. The illusion rabbit smiled. "Well…I'm sure he'll be happy to see you, too."

Artemis looked up at her, then smiled. "Thanks." Her stomach growled again. "Heh…we can go after breakfast."

* * *

The restaurant went from quiet to lively in seconds, in honor of Juniper's return home. The hungry Fusions stared wide-eyed at the platter of delicious, mouthwatering pancakes set up in stacks in front of them. They were hot and fresh from the skillet, drizzled in syrup and toppings.

Asadi drooled, raising her fork and knife. "This is seriously all free?"

Donte bowed to them. "Of course. Free of all charges. Enjoy."

"THANK YOU!" They stabbed their forks into the pancakes and went to town on them. Their stomachs growled in satisfaction for finally gaining the long-desired sustenance they so missed.

Juniper didn't even cut hers. She stabbed her fork into three and shoved them into her mouth, moaning at the syrupy flavor drizzled across them. "MMM! You sure do make the best pancakes, Mr. Donte!"

The Talonflame laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Of course they are!"

Asadi drizzled chocolate syrup onto hers. "This is so good! Oh man, Sheila would love to meet you!" She shoveled the flapjack in and munched slowly, savoring the taste.

Wash stopped mid-bite, then lowered his fork. His eyes narrowed a bit. "Sheila…" She really would've loved it here…and York…and everyone else. He sighed and held his face.

Asadi's eyes widened, then she patted his back. "Swoey, Wash…" She paused to swallow her food. "Sorry Wash…didn't mean to…"

He waved it off. "It's fine, don't worry. I just miss everyone…would've been nice to have a breakfast like this with the others."

Juniper leaned in and hugged him. "Aww, don't worry, Washy. We'll find them soon enough."

He sighed. "Thanks Juniper…"

Donte smiled a bit, leaning forward on the counter. "Ah, chin up, young man. You don't think your friends are sitting around moping when they should be focusing on finding you, right?" He winked. "Just be happy you still have friends to keep you going."

Wash smiled back. "Heh…thank you, sir."

Shane drummed his fingers on the counter. "Hey, uh…since we're around, we're trying to get somewhere. Have you seen, um…?"

Juniper blinked, then grinned. "Oh, yeah!" She smiled at Donte. "Mr. Donte, have you seen my pappy around? We're planning on seeing him!"

"Gero? Ha!" Finnegan laughed and slapped his knee. "Man, he'll get a kick out of seeing you here. He's out shopping, actually. Maybe we'll take you up after breakfast."

"That'd be delightful!"

Wash smiled at her. "Can't wait to meet him. Uh…how do I break it to him we're…?"

Juniper giggled. "Wash, he isn't that kind of dad. It's not like he'll put you through hell or anything." Wash sighed in relief. "Although…" He froze. "…Eh, never mind."

Wash gripped his chest. "Juniper, you're going to give me a heart attack…"

"Aww, you'll all love him! I guarantee it!"

"Hey, boss!" They turned their heads to the kitchen. The kitchen doors flew up as a Serperior slithered out, wearing an apron and small white cap. "Where's the extra flour?"

Donte faced him. "Did you check the third shelf from the right?"

"I did and-!" He stopped himself when he saw the Fusions…and exchanged looks with Juniper. Suddenly, he flew back with a high-pitched shriek, slamming into the kitchen doors and falling over himself.

"Marcus!" Donte flew over and helped him up.

The Fusions stared at the Serperior, sweat-dropping. _'What the hell…'_ Dez thought.

Juniper blinked a couple times, then smiled. "Oh! Hey Marcus!"

Marcus was helped up, and he gulped when he saw Juniper. "H-H-Hello…demon child…"

Juniper laughed and waved it off. "Oh you!"

"Demon…child?" Shane muttered. He looked at Asadi and Dez. "What does he mean by demon child?" They shrugged.

Since Wash was the only person Juniper divulged her secrets to, he pulled her to him and whispered, "Jun…didn't you say you tried to assassinate a guy named Marcus here?"

Juniper grinned. "Yep! That's the same one!"

Wash flinched. _'Oh boy…seems he hasn't forgotten what happened.'_

He could feel Barbatos laughing inside his head. _**'Heh. I dig a woman who can scare a guy with just a look. I think Juniper might be my type.'**_

Wash immediately glared towards his head. _'Oh, like I'll let THAT happen.'_

' _ **We're the same person. Hardly an issue.'**_

' _That does not give you…'_ Wash sighed, then grumbled under his breath.

Finnegan pushed on Marcus and tried to move him closer to Juniper. "Come on, Marcus, Juniper's a sweet girl. Don't tell me you're still afraid of her?"

"I don't believe a word Gero said!" Marcus yelled. "I saw that girl with my own eyes! She had the eyes of a killer!"

"You've known her for at least five years," Brogan mentioned.

"I've known _you_ for longer and I still don't like you!"

"Gero said she isn't that kind of person anymore," Mara insisted. "She's not the same child you met all those years ago. Gero helped her."

Shane, Dez, and Asadi had no idea what was going on. _'Killer?'_

Marcus clenched his teeth and tried to retreat back into the kitchen, but Juniper raised her hand, grabbing his attention. "Marcus…" She swiveled anxiously on her barstool. "I've told you before, I really am sorry for everything I put you through. Sure, you...weren't the nicest guy in the world, but that doesn't mean you deserved death." She sighed. "I'm trying to be a better person…I still am. I promise."

Marcus stared at her, no longer trying to escape. However, he still wasn't convinced. He scoffed and slithered back into the kitchen. "…Whatever." The doors slammed shut.

Juniper's shoulders slumped. She dropped her forehead down on the counter. Asadi reached her tail out and patted her on the back. "You okay, Juniper?"

"What was that all about?" Dez asked.

"Why did he call you a demon child…and a killer?" Shane asked worriedly.

Juniper lifted her head a bit and looked up at Wash, who stroked her head sympathetically. She could see he was supporting her through his eyes. She wasn't sure she had the strength to explain herself, but they didn't deserve to be hidden from the truth forever.

"It's...kind of a long story. To put it simply, I wasn't a nice Fusion when I was a kid."

Wash rubbed her shoulder. "Trust me, guys, Jun's had a rough childhood. It's…well, it's…"

Shane raised his hand and stopped him. "Say no more." He smiled kindly at Juniper. "Look, if you don't want to say anything, we'll respect that."

"We _do_ expect an explanation in the future, though," Asadi added with a light smirk. "Other than that…we do trust you."

Juniper's smile returned, happy as ever. "Heh…thanks guys." She grabbed her juice and guzzled down the blue liquid.

While they were occupied, they didn't hear the front door chime open. Someone walked inside, carrying grocery bags by their side. They stopped when they spotted the Fusions gathered at the counter.

Juniper set her glass down and wiped her lips. "It really does feel good to be home again." She grinned brightly. "And you all being here makes it five times better!" She squealed excitedly. "We can go to all my favorite spots around town! I know a great water fountain we can nap in!"

Dez awkwardly looked away. "Eheh…tempting offer…"

Wash smiled nicely and patted Juniper's arm. "We'll look into it another time."

Juniper chuckled, then stabbed another pancake and shoved it in her mouth. "Mmm…I can't wait to see the look on Pappy's face when I see him! I wonder what he'll say when I surprise him!"

"Oh, he'll probably say that you aren't very subtle." Her eyes widened at the cool, deep voice. "Though, to be fair...I suppose it's my fault your surprise was ruined."

Juniper forcibly choked down her pancake until she felt it slide down her throat, then spun around. That voice was one she committed to memory, having spent five years recognizing it. And the sight of the figure alone was enough to enlarge her eyes, shimmering with a burning delight.

Was luck on her side or was she dreaming? She hoped this was reality, because she wanted to believe the Sawk-Dialga was standing right in front of her.

Gero's lips twitched upward into an amused, yet joyous smile. He set down his grocery bags and spread his arms out. "Heh…hey there, pumpkin."

"PAPPPPPPPPPY!" Juniper leaped out of her seat and tackled him to the floor, attacking him with an onslaught of affectionate nuzzles and joyous giggling that could cure depression. "PAPPY! PAPPY! PAPPY! IS IT REALLY YOU?!"

Gero sat up and wrapped one arm around her. "Heh…I see you're doing fine."

Juniper's lip quiver and eyes watered, then she shoved her face into his chest. "I missed you…"

Gero smiled kindly and rested his chin atop her head. "Missed you, too, pumpkin."

The Fusions were watching in a mix of awe and joy, happy for the sleepy panda. Asadi held her cheeks and gushed, "OMA! This is so flippin' cute!"

"That's her adoptive father, huh?" Dez said aloud.

"I never expected him to be a Fusion," Shane stated.

Wash narrowed his eyes. "I sort of suspected." He smiled. "But at least Juniper's happy…"

Juniper pulled away, but kept her arms around Gero. "I never thought I'd get to see you again!"

Gero stood up. "I didn't say you could never come home. I just wanted you making friends your own age…and species." He ruffled the top of her head. "Heh, well, better late than never, I guess. How have you been since you last called?"

"Hee! Fine!"

Gero chuckled. "I had a hunch something was up when I saw the townsfolk gossiping." He raised his brow and smirked. "My first hunch was that you got into the soda machines again."

"Hehehe! No! I just got here!" She flapped her arms excitedly. "Ooh, I can't believe I'm really home! You have no idea how much I missed you!"

Gero kissed the top of her head. "Well, things have been pretty quiet without you around. I keep buying extra stashes of soda even though it's just me on my own."

Juniper's stomach grumbled. "Ah man, I haven't had a soda in ages…"

"We've been gone for at least a week," Dez muttered.

Wash gulped, then raised his hand. "Err…hello, sir."

Gero looked up at them. "Hmm?" He smirked. "Juniper, are these your friends?"

Juniper smiled. "You bet they are! Over there, that's Asadi, Shane, and Dez!"

"Hello!" they exclaimed.

Gero nodded. "Pleasure to meet you three."

Juniper gestured to Wash. "And that there is Wash." She giggled skittishly, just like earlier. "Hehe…he's the boy I told you about."

The brow raise that Gero flashed at Wash made him tense, like he was sitting on a pin cushion and any slight movement with puncture his rump. He could see the cold, steely gaze the martial artist had. It was refined and serious. He knew little about this guy, but the brief overview he got from Juniper told him one thing: this guy was strong.

He could feel it from the fierce aura that surrounded him. Calm like an endless ocean, a force of unimaginable power, yet completely pointless to fight against the raging waves. He could even feel Barbatos retreating back into the depths of his mind, despite his battle-hardened nature.

' _ **Eh…why don't…you handle the talking, pal?'**_

Wash gulped right as Gero set Juniper down and approached him. He had his hands behind his back and stood with a straight posture as he gazed down on the sweating ghost frog. "So…you're my daughter's boyfriend."

Wash tried for a smile, albeit forced. "Heh…yes, sir."

"That wasn't a question, boy, it was a statement." Wash shrank back. Gero leaned down and looked him in the eye for a moment, with that same piercing stare. Just when Wash thought he was going to end up hospitalized, Gero extended his hand out to Wash. His face softened, now more relaxed and similar to Juniper's own demeanor, though with an added smirk. "Hmph. I look forward to getting to know you, young man."

Just like that, that cold, chilling aura suddenly turned warm and inviting. Wash had never met someone with such a refined control over their presence to others. He knew how to demand attention and respect. He was definitely not someone to be made an enemy of.

Thankfully, Wash seemed to be in his good graces and hopefully it stayed like that. His smile turned genuine, with some remnant of nerves twitching behind it. He grasped and shook the Fusion's hand. "You too."

Gero straightened up, then looked down at Juniper, now appearing serious. "I heard what happened at the village."

Juniper frowned, rubbing her arm meekly. "Y-Yeah…"

Gero sighed. "There's a face I thought I'd never see…" He glared at the crude bandaging on her leg. "…Juniper, what happened to your leg?" He knelt down and gently held it.

She flinched a bit. "Err…kind of what you'd expect from a village invasion."

Gero ran his thumb gently across the grass bandages. "This isn't going to help your leg heal, though I suppose you all did what was best for the time. I'll fix you up back home." He glared at the floor. "…Juniper, where was Liam during all of this?"

Juniper shrugged. "I don't know. He was gone for some reason and…we haven't seen him ever since the invasion started."

The Sawk Fusion held his chin. "The rest of the council must've been completely unprepared for the attack. Is the rest of the council still active?"

"As far as I know, yes. I can't say the same for everyone that got teleported."

"Then we have a bit of a problem that needs correcting. I heard what happened with this Ivan Faust gentleman." Gero stood up and crossed his arms. "I think it would be best to discuss this back in my temple…well, after you all rest up, of course."

Juniper smiled. "That'd be wonderful!"

The Fusions were indeed grateful, although they can't help but question the man's interest in the village. He almost sounded like he knew the Fusion Council, as in met and conversed with them at some point. They definitely would've remembered seeing someone like this hanging around.

"Um…sir?" Shane spoke up, raising his hand. "Not to pry, but…have you _been_ to our village before? You sound like you've met the council."

"Hmm?" Gero chuckled to himself. "Perhaps there are some other things needed to be explained up at my home. But yes, I have been to your village before. Lived there, actually."

"Not for very long, apparently," Asadi said. "I don't think I heard anything about a villager leaving the village."

"You four must've been in the village during the fourth year and beyond." He sighed. "Though, I'm not surprised no one recognizes me. I'm an old relic to the village."

"What do you mean?"

Gero closed his eyes and smirked. "Kids…this may be hard to believe, but I was around when the village was up and running. I knew Abraham, Cade, Lewis, Gracelyn, Peregrine, and Liam. They were my friends at the time. My co-workers to the council."

"Co…workers…?" Asadi mumbled in surprise.

Dez's eyes widened. "Wait…the Fusion Council has an empty seat…wasn't there a seventh member to the council that left over nine years ago?"

Wash gasped and pointed at Gero. "But…are you saying that…that…?"

Gero sighed, then gave a playful bow. "Allow me to introduce myself, young ones. I am Gero, holder of the second seat to the Fusion Council and one of the original founders of Gappei Village."

Their jaws dropped, then they immediately shot boggled stares at Juniper, who blinked innocently at them. She tilted her head, then giggled sheepishly. "Oh…did I forget to mention my pappy was a member of the Fusion Council? Whoops, sorry!"

* * *

Artemis and the gang finished up their small breakfast, with now more light peeking through the densely packed clouds. It was still gray and gloomy outside, but it was light enough to see clearly.

Artemis stretched her legs while sipping on a juice box. "Okay, hopefully that keeps us full until dinner."

"Until dinner?!" Crawford shouted. "Are we not havin' lunch?!"

Chris stood up. "From where it stands, we might not have a choice. We can't bet on Artemis stealing more money without getting us thrown in the slammer."

"And without any berry trees close by, we can't pick our own food," Sheila added. "We just need to avoid doing anything too active and hopefully find a suitable meal later." She sighed sadly. "Preferably one not stolen…"

Artemis rubbed her neck as she paced forward. "Yeah, the shops here need to get their berries and junk shipped out to them from farms and companies further from the cold." She looked over her shoulder. "Hardly mattered to me. If I see something, I just take it."

Chris raised his brow. "Like a thief."

"I prefer non-fundable opportunist, but…sure, thief."

Sheila hugged her legs. "It amazes me you can admit all of this without shame."

"Heh, shame in what?" She turned herself around and smirked. "That's how it was for me. When life gets you down, just take what you need and never look back."

"Another bit of advice from Asher?"

"Everything I know about survival."

Crawford stretched his legs. "Seems to me ye have everything figured out."

"Well, I had to if I wanted to live my life freely." She turned back to the end of the alleyway and smiled. "I wasn't going to let anyone pull me down…"

* * *

 _Asher and Artemis poked their heads out from around the corner of a small café. Artemis was dressed in a large jacket to keep warm and hide her Fusion parts and a ski cap. Their target for the day was an Ursaring in a heavy black coat, who was reading a newspaper on the sidewalk._

 _The duo pulled back, with Asher leaning against the wall coolly. "Alright Artemis, this should be fairly simple. Just walk by him, snag his wallet, take all the loose bills you can, slip it back in, then keep going."_

" _And…you want me to do all of this in like…five seconds?" she asked, looking unsure._

" _Exactly."_

" _This sounds complicated."_

" _Hey, it's your first pickpocketing. You'll do great. We've been practicing for days." He patted her head. "It's simple if you just don't think about it."_

 _Artemis deadpanned. "You are the worst teacher ever."_

" _And you need to put more faith in me. Who knows? You might get it on the first try." He nudged her out of hiding with his foot. "Now, hop to it!"_

 _Artemis took a few reassuring breaths, then stared ahead determinedly. "Be cool and confident…don't hesitate." She held her head up, then casually walked down the sidewalk. Asher watched from around the corner, grinning in anticipation._

 _Since Artemis was light, she was able to silently step through the snow without making any obvious crunching sounds. She walked normally once she got within two meters of the Ursaring. Once she was in range of his pockets, she flicked her paw inside and carefully, but quickly felt around before touching the wallet._

 _The Sneasel-Dusknoir's grin grew._ 'Yes, that's the way!'

 _Artemis felt proud of herself for one second, then felt the wallet snag inside the pocket. Her eyes widened, quickly moving back to pull it out. The corner must've been pushing against the edge of the pocket, or maybe the Ursaring was aware just how sketchy this town was._

 _Asher facepalmed as he watched Artemis struggle._ 'Dammit!'

'Stupid wallet!' _Artemis mentally shouted._

 _She should've quit when she had the chance, because a hand suddenly came down and grabbed her by the mane. "Hey!" She was pulled up and came face-to-face with the Ursaring. He glared sternly at the small Eevee Fusion. "What do you think you're doing?"_

 _Artemis blinked, then decided to fall back on Asher's advice in case of emergency. She pressed her paws together, cocked her head to the left, then gave her best, adorable smile and twinkling eyes. "Hi mister! I'm selling Girl Scout Cookies! Would you like a box?"_

 _The bear's unmoved expression told her everything. "…Kid…where do I even begin with that lie?"_

" _Um…I'm also a blind orphan who lost her parents in a fire…and I have a terminal disease?" She blinked twice, then made a feeble cough into her paw._

 _Just when the Ursaring was about to get his word out, a cold mist rolled in on the scene. He narrowed his eyes and held his arm up to his face. "The hell…?" It was so thick that he could barely see past his nose._

 _Artemis gasped quietly when she heard a haunting hum through the mist. Cool, melodic, but also chilling. She could barely make out the gentle footsteps in the snow. They were almost soundless. The mist became strong as the humming approached her, where she felt a pair of claws tug on the back of her jacket._

 _Seconds later, the mist rolled away. The Ursaring fanned it out of his face as it vanished. "Where'd that come from?" He looked at the hand where he had Artemis captive, but she was gone. "Huh?" He looked around and scratched his head. "Where did she…?"_

 _Around the opposite corner from where they started, Asher and Artemis were hidden, with the younger Fusion breathing a sigh of relief. "Thanks Asher…"_

 _Asher rubbed his face, repressing an irritable groan. "Good freakin' grief…Girl Scout Cookies?"_

" _You told me to act cute when I was in trouble!"_

" _I told you to act cute to lower people's guards. It hardly works if you get caught."_

 _Artemis blinked, then scratched her cheek. "Um…may have forgotten that part."_

 _Asher reached into his scarf and pulled out a twenty, waving it over her head. "Looks like no special treats for you."_

 _Artemis pouted. "Meanie…how did you do that?"_

 _Asher shrugged. "Born lucky. See Artemis, there are some things left to teach you: your own personal strengths. Sneasel are fast and precise with their maneuvers. Add that to my traits as half-Dusknoir, I can effectively move without anyone being the wiser. I could cut someone and they won't realize it until it's too late." He slid the twenty dollars back into his scarf. "Born as Fusions, we must exploit our talents in new ways, to see what we're good at. To see how our hybrid forms differ from what we could've been as just a regular Eevee or Sneasel."_

 _The younger Fusion groaned and rubbed her head. "You make it sound simple…what am I good at?"_

" _Adapting, fighting, being tough…that's really for you to decide." He straightened up. "I'm just naturally better at playing tricks on people. Anyone who thinks they have the upper hand over me get proven wrong real fast."_

 _Artemis grumbled, "You're a weird guy, Asher."_

" _One of the best." He walked around her, hands folded behind his back. "Now, I think I'm going to cash this twenty in and get myself some nice hot cocoa."_

 _Artemis walked alongside him with her head low. "Um…do I get some?"_

 _He smirked. "With that paltry performance? I wouldn't think so." Artemis pouted. Asher then raised his claw. "However…I suppose I'll let it slide, just this once."_

 _Artemis almost bounced with joy as her mood took a complete one-eighty. "Thanks Asher!"_

 _Asher chuckled to himself. "I suppose you'll want the tiny marshmallows, too."_

" _Ooh, you're good." Artemis giggled behind her paw._

* * *

Artemis sighed nostalgically, holding a paw up to her chest. "Man…to think I couldn't steal for shit back in the day…now look at me!" She threw her head back and laughed.

Sheila smirked. "Yes, well, we certainly know what you're capable of. Don't think I've forgotten all those desserts you took from the kitchen."

"What can I say? You make good cake." She licked her lips.

Crawford crossed his arms. "Ye have no shame, lass. Why couldn't ye steal me a bottle of gin or somethin'?"

"Last thing you need is alcohol," she teased.

"Lass, I'll give ye plenty of reason why I need me fix!"

Sheila sighed and held her forehead, but still managed a smile. "Well, regardless if I don't agree with your lifestyle, I'm happy you were at least happy with something from your past. We're looking forward to meeting Asher."

Artemis grinned. "Thanks." She smirked. "Though, don't try to act innocent around me, Ms. 'I've Got the Hots for Bad Boys.'"

Sheila blushed, then coughed loudly into her fist. "Sayyyyy, how about we get going already?" she suggested/pleaded.

Artemis snickered. "As you wish." She spun around and pointed towards town. "Alright guys, our night of discomfort will soon be over! Onwards…to the Reaper!"


	64. Gangs and Teams

The snow was, mercifully, tolerable once the morning drew on. Artemis, accompanied closely by her friends, ventured to their intended destination, hoping to seek out Artemis' old companion.

Admittedly, she was well aware of how undesirable the choice of location will be, given that Asher didn't have a home of his own. Just a nice little corner of space outdoors. Still, Artemis had hope that things will turn out alright once they reach him.

The others would be grateful once they have a roof over their heads, though there were some doubts. Chris, rubbing his frigid arms, asked, "Are you sure Asher won't mind us staying at his place? I know we're a small group, but…"

Artemis waved it off. "Even if, for some stupid reason, he says no, I'll make him reconsider."

Shelia sighed, showing a deadpan smile. "Are you violent with all your closest friends?"

"It shows I mean well. If you do something stupid, you could always use a friend who will literally and figuratively beat some sense into you." She chuckled to herself. "Granted, I've never thrown a punch or anything at Asher before, so that would be an interesting fight."

Crawford hopped through the deep snow, matching about an entire five steps of walking. If he wasn't so stubborn, he would've quit and fallen asleep in the snow. "As long as I get me rum, we're all good!" He glared at Artemis. "Does he have rum?"

"…Maybe?" Artemis was only three years younger than Asher, so…maybe he started drinking? "You can ask when we get there."

Sheila bundled her arms under her ears. "How will we go about surviving the cold? I can only keep warm for so long, after all."

"Asher always has the necessary accommodations for all welcomed visitors. Since he was never bothered by the cold, he could do pretty much anything he wanted. He was always stealing power from the buildings in his alleyway. What he had was wit and resources to get him by."

Sheila smiled. "He certainly makes for an amazing ally."

"Oh yeah. Sure, a pretty gray morality, but still a charming guy. He was that kind of person."

Crawford grumbled to himself. "And ye still expect us to tolerate this blasted cold when ye yerself have been complainin' about it this whole time?"

Artemis rolled his eyes. "I'm not totally going into this blind. Asher said he wanted to upgrade his place a bit. Probably get it insulated. He never got around to it before I left, probably because he didn't want me thinking I couldn't get out there on my own. I wanted to stay with him, but…in the end, I had to pave my own road."

Chris smiled kindly. "You do sound different from when you were a child."

She laughed quietly. "Yeah…it's a sad world when a child has to become an adult in the blink of an eye, though I think I forgot to grown up along the way."

Sheila smiled sadly. "I guess none of us have any real reason to envy you."

Artemis smirked. "You guys definitely had it easier than me. Every day, I felt threatened if I did one thing wrong…people can be so cruel…no wonder I'm so quick to breaking bones. I've just given up on caring."

Crawford raised his brow at her. "You are very disturbed…"

"That's who I am." Artemis looked ahead and smiled. "Oh, hey! I recognize this part of town! Which means…" She jumped giddily and raced over to an alleyway in view, with the others trying to keep pace behind her.

"Oh, I'm tingling with excitement!" Sheila exclaimed.

"Same!" Crawford agreed. "Though, that may be the promise of liquor talkin'!"

Artemis slowed down and crept up on the corner, careful not to make a sound in the snow. The others stood behind her, curiously waiting on her next move. Her tail was wagging excitedly as she held one paw out. She counted under her breath, then jumped out.

"Hey Asher! Guess who's…!" She took a stumbling step forward, however, and felt all the vigor drain from her body. "…back?"

What she expected to see was a fancy new home built to Asher's taste and likings. She already had the fun slide going from the bedrooms to the kitchen pictured in her mind. She expected a room full of heaters. She expected a cozy living area for everyone to rest down in. She expected to see the Fusion jump for joy when he saw her beaming face.

What did she get?

"N-Nothing…?" she quivered as she walked in. The alleyway was completely empty. Not a spec of Asher remained. "It's all…gone?" She shook her head. "NO!" She ran around frantically, digging through the dirt and opening every trash can. "Where's the couch? Where's the TV? That little fridge with the cute soda bottles?!" She clutched her head and screamed, "WHERE'S ASHER?!"

The others stepped through and observed the bare bones state. Chris, after brushing some snow off his shoulder, asked, "Are you sure this is the right alleyway? You have been gone for a while."

Artemis sat on her haunches and shook her head. "I can't be wrong…I came here everyday since I met him…I know it by heart…"

Crawford scuttled around for a moment, lightly tapping at the dirt. "Hmm…ah, her memory be true. I see signs under the snow of furniture once laying here." He dug around and pulled out an extension cord. "This is barely weathered. Still in good shape. I'd say you are right."

"So…did he move?" Sheila asked.

"I…maybe, but…" Artemis rubbed her head, growling to herself. "Ugh…you've got to be kidding me…" She turned to her friends. "I still know for a fact he's here! The graffiti and everything point to him!"

"Yet it's obvious he hasn't seen us yet," Chris mentioned. "Maybe he's busy."

"Probably unpacking." They looked back at Crawford. "I think this was fairly recent. We could've just missed him."

"Even worrrrrse…" Artemis groaned, plopping onto the snow. "Just typical. When you need him the most, he's nowhere to be found."

Chris held his hips. "Well, without Asher, we're back to square one. We still need a place to sleep."

Artemis grumbled under her breath, knowing exactly what needs to be done. "Looks like I have no other choice…" She stood up.

"The abandoned apartment complex?" Crawford asked.

"Unfortunately…" She walked out and looked around before pointing. "It's off that way, assuming they haven't decided to tear the place down yet."

"Perfect. Let's go and warm up there," Sheila said.

Artemis held back the long, irritable sigh, but couldn't quite do the same for her sour mood. She marched ahead. _'Where the heck are you, Asher?'_

* * *

Far out on their trek through the dusty plains, York took the lead of his group as they searched for…well, at this point, anything remotely resembling life. Not much other than the occasional cactus. Food was, of course, a challenge to get around and they were worried they'll eventually go through their limited resources by the time they reach sanctuary. All they had was a small bunch of berries held in a poorly made basket of twigs.

Willy, being the youngest, was getting noticeably bored, even if he was enjoying the view sitting atop York's head. "Are we there yet?" he whined.

York sighed tiredly. "I'm not even sure where _there_ is."

"Well, you know what they say…" Casey mumbled. "Follow a road long enough and you're bound to find something."

"Who says that?" Spaz asked.

"You know… _they_ ," she answered rather unsurely. She wiped her brow. "I think I'm suffering from sleep deprivation."

Spaz held his head. The lack of sleep left him with a pounding headache, further aggravated by the sweat drenched in his fur. "I hope we find something soon…" He looked over his shoulder. "How are you holding up, Tamara?"

His talk with the ninja seemed to significantly boost her previously downed mood. While she didn't seem to be spouting her usual proclamations of justice as often, it was a desired change from before. However, it seemed she had her focus intended to the present given to her, blocking out all sounds around her, yet still managing to stick to the path they were taking.

She was absorbed into the story made for her, her eyes glued to each word with a constant twinkle that…honestly, was probably the most adorable thing ever associated with Tamara. She must've read it over like five or six times since she received it, yet still acted like it was her first read through.

York happened to notice this and chuckled at her whimsical reading. He looked over at Spaz and said, "I don't think I've seen her put that thing down ever since you gave it to her. I don't think she remembers what we're doing…or if we're even here."

Spaz's face lit up in a bright red as he tapped his fingers together. "She must really like it…"

Casey smirked and nudged him in the side. "Take that as a sign, lover boy. Me thinks she's starting to have a thing for you."

Spaz blinked twice in bewilderment, then immediately after laughed it off with a nervous smile and even redder blush. "N-No! That's ridiculous! She's just appreciative, that's all! Tamara would…never go for a guy like me…" His ears flopped.

"Ah, don't sell yourself short," York comforted. "You're a great guy. And Tamara seems to have been acting a bit more…friendly around you."

It's true. When they woke up this morning, Tamara seemed extra chipper when she said good morning to the time mouse. It was surprisingly jarring. Tamara would normally retain a level of stoicism to look tough, but always wore a face of justice and kindness to maintain trust in others. That 'justice-obsessed' attitude of hers died down after her fall from grace and her rise thanks to Spaz's kindness. She acted…pretty normal. Not _her_ normal, granted, but…normal.

And Spaz wasn't an idiot. He picked up on the affectionate way she greeted him when they woke up. It was rather strange and certainly got his heart racing. It was certainly an ostensible claim, though he didn't want to get his hopes up. And he _certainly_ did _not_ want a repeat of his embarrassing blunder after receiving one simple kiss on the cheek from his crush. Who knows what he would've done if Tamara gave him an actual kiss? Just thinking about it made him feel all warm and fuzzy and…light on his feet…and like his cheeks were crackling like tiny fireworks going off and…

Spaz shook his head and slapped his cheeks. "Um…T-Tamara's…just my friend…and I want her to be happy. Regardless if she like-likes me or not…I'd be perfectly content being her friend…if only she keeps smiling and bringing justice to the innocent."

Casey smiled. "You're a lot more mature than I gave you credit for, Spaz."

"WHAT?!" He flailed his arms angrily. "Are you saying I'm immature?! How DARE you!" he accused dramatically. "I'll have you know I am the MOST levelheaded Fusion you'll ever meet, young lady!"

"I'm pretty sure I'm older than you."

"Well, I don't want to get slapped for calling you an _old_ lady!"

Casey laughed and shoved him playfully. "Mature _and_ funny. I'd say you do have a good shot with Tamara."

Spaz blinked, then smiled bashfully. "Heh…thanks…" He scratched the back of his head. "…It would be nice to say something, but I just don't-"

"LAND!" Willy shouted, making York jump with wide eyes.

Casey chuckled at the rainbow dragon. "Willy, there's land everywhere. You don't need to…" She looked ahead, then gasped. "Wait, he's right! Look!" She pointed at some shapes in the distance. "That looks like a campsite!"

"All the way out here?" Spaz uttered in disbelief.

"How serendipitous…" York muttered. He narrowed his eyes. "And that's not all…I can see a bunch of Pokémon, too."

"Less thrilling…" Spaz nervously said.

Tamara stopped when she felt the others stopping. She looked up from her story. "Eh? What's going on?" She blinked and leaned forward. "…Oh, cool, a campsite."

"Should we approach?" Casey asked.

"Do we have any other option?" York reminded. In silent agreement, they walked towards the camp, praying that these campers were of civilized backgrounds.

The camp, from first impressions, seemed pretty docile. It was a bunch of Pokémon walking amongst themselves. Some were cooking over a camping stove, enjoying what looks like canned food. That was another thing. There didn't seem to be any modern tech laying around, which meant access to a phone was going to be difficult. Closest they could see was portable radios, but not the kind for two-way communication.

"Did we teleport or travel backward through time?" Spaz wondered aloud.

Tamara shook her head, placing the story back into the backpack Spaz gave her along with it. "No, we're definitely in modern time. Those radios are recent models."

York scratched his cheek. "So far, no altercations."

"Hey! You five!" They went stiff as a hulking Beartic marched up behind them. He wore a forest green vest and seemed to be carrying a potato that he was eating. He narrowed his eyes. "Four Fusions and one Pokémon. Explain your presence on our camp grounds."

Spaz raised his finger. "Um…"

"Mean Fusions!" Willy suddenly shouted. "They stranded us here, and now we're tired and hungry! We've been walking forever!"

"…What the kid said."

Beartic's glare lingered for a couple seconds, then shifted to a contrasting, jolly mood. "Well, why didn't you say so?" Suddenly, they found themselves being shoved in the direction of one of the tents. "Come, come! Hope you don't mind berries! We make it a purpose of growing them to keep food stocks high! We have plenty to spare!"

"W-W-Wait, hold on!" York exclaimed, causing the Bearitc to stop just as they entered the tent. "Sorry, it's just…we're kind of used to Pokémon having more…negative reactions to us…you know?"

Beartic waved it off. "Nah! Not around here. Sure, some of us are a little…cautious around you all, what with some Fusion gangs a bunch of us had to deal with…but we're generally openminded." He laughed. "Heck, we even have a Fusion with us and she's great!"

"Oh…really?" Spaz asked, mildly stunned.

Tamara showed a short grin. "Heh…well, that's great and all, but you really don't have to-"

"Nah! I insist! Come on, sit down!" He gestured to a table set and chairs. "Make yourselves comfortable! I'll get those berries for you!" He headed out the flap of the tent.

Not wanting to waste this perfect opportunity to fill their bellies, they slid into the open seats. Spaz sighed in relief. "Thank Arceus! All that walking finally paid off!" He slammed his face down on the table.

Casey laughed. "No kidding. Told you we would eventually run into something."

Tamara scratched behind her head, clenching her teeth softly. "Geez, feel bad we're intruding on them, though. Maybe we should-"

Casey raised her hand to stop her. "Tam, you still need to rest off your injuries. Just take it easy for now."

Tamara slumped, but gave a light smile. "Heh…sure."

The Beartic soon came back with five bowls of mixed berries. "Not sure what any of you like, so I just went with one of everything. Don't like one, just toss them on the middle of the table." He set the bowls down. "Either way, dig in!"

"YAY, food!" Willy dove head first into his bowl, munching through the berries with a delightful shiver running through his jiggly body.

Spaz nibbled happily on his berry. "Oh, sweet relief!" he cried.

York laughed as he munched off a huge chunk. "It's lucky that we ran into you all. We didn't even know there'd be so many Pokémon out here."

Beartic laughed as he sat down. "We folk like to get away from the noisy city. You know what I mean? A retreat from everything and everywhere."

"I suppose that makes sense," Tamara said. "How long have you all been out here?"

"A little under three weeks. We still keep up-to-date on things going on around the world, of course. Don't want to keep ourselves _completely_ isolated."

Casey's eyes drooped worriedly. "If…that's so, then…would you happen to know anything about Gappei Village?"

The bear's mood dropped. His solemn eyes stared at the travelers with a great deal of pity. "Oh…children…" He sighed and rubbed his face. "We heard about the village population…disappearing mysteriously. After that…a huge explosion and everything…" Their eyes widened. "I'm sorry, but…your village is…nothing more than a huge crater."

They dropped their berries, shock written all over their faces. Willy's eyes shimmered with tears, while Tamara's lip quivered with disbelief. York's fingers clenched tightly around his bowl. Spaz's drooped against the sides of his head, while Casey held her mouth with a few tears poking out.

York bared his teeth into a frown. "Y-You're…You're joking…you have to be joking…please…p-please t-tell us you're…" His voice was cracking.

Beartic shook his head. "I wish I was…sorry…"

A sob broke out from the little rainbow dragon. "Home…g-gone?"

Tamara clenched her fists under the table. _'Those…Those wretched…'_

Spaz rested his elbows on the table, clutching his head as he stared down in distraught. "That can't…that can't be true…they went so far as to…they a-actually went and destroyed…everything?"

Beartic nodded. "…If it helps, there have been no reports of casualties from the villagers. It seems everyone was gone before it happened. At least no one died."

Casey bit her lip. "I…suppose that's good news, but…" She looked at York and saw how tensed up he was. She could see him holding back a lot of anger in those tear-stained eyes. His frills flapped up and down, expelling a small amount of electricity subconsciously. "York…"

He pushed out of his seat and walked out of the tent with his bowl. "I need some fresh air…"

Casey sighed and pushed out of her seat as well. "I'll go comfort him." She followed behind with her bowl.

Spaz rubbed his temples with his eyes clenched shut. "This has to be some horrible dream…"

Tamara reached out and patted his back. "I know how you feel…" She glared at her bowl, vividly remembering the mockery subjected on her by that demonic cat. This was the greatest insult to her of all. "They attacked our home…left us to fend for ourselves out here…"

Beartic sighed. "It's quite the tragedy. I've heard so many wonderful things about your village. Even Jean thought of going there one day."

Willy looked up from wiping his tears into a napkin. "Who…Who's Jean?"

"The other Fusion I mentioned." He chuckled under his breath. "Actually, she's the reason we're all the way out here. Nice place to camp, even with all the dust."

"Another Fusion…" Tamara mumbled. She narrowed her eyes softly. "Would it be alright if…we met her?"

Beartic rubbed his chin. "Well, there's no reason you can't, except she's not here."

Willy sniffled. "What…do you mean?"

He shrugged. "Partly due to the reason she chose this area. She's researching something out here for her partner...Eunice, I believe is her name." He waved it off. "Anyway, it's this collaborated project of hers and she's out there doing her thing."

"Doing what?" Spaz asked, pulling himself together as he rubbed his left eye.

That caused Beartic to tense up a bit. While it's true he knew some of what the Fusion did, it wasn't something for the faint of heart. He bit his lip for a moment, then said, "I…don't think you want to know…"

"Sir, it can't be that bad," Tamara assured.

"I warned you…" He sighed and folded his arms onto the table. "...A lot of strange things go on around here, actually. See, Jean's partner has been picking up information regarding a group of shady individuals doing some lowkey business. I don't know much on the details, but Jean shared all she could divulge. Reason we're so far out here is because she's looking into some...Fusion trafficking."

Tamara and Spaz's eyes widened. "Trafficking?!"

Willy, however, wasn't following. "Like a stoplight?"

Tamara shook her head. "No sweetie…trafficking is like…trading, but illegal…and you're doing it with living creatures instead." She clenched her fists angrily. "But…I just can't…why?!"

Spaz gritted his teeth. "Why would anyone be trafficking Fusions?!"

Beartic tapped his chin. "It's something Jean's been looking into, though it's not what you'd expect. See...she and her partner believe Fusions are being taken out of prisons and secretly moved to a new location for an unknown reason. She thinks this has been going on for the last few years, going from prison to prison, taking away the Fusions that had no hope of reforming from their horrible ways. Getting rid of the 'useless' litter, I suppose is their idea.

"They believe some organization is cutting deals with prisons to take away these Fusions, secretly using them for an unknown purpose." He shrugged. "That's as much I got. They even believe the Fusion Hunters are tied to this. Rumors have gone around from released Fusions about the worst prisoners being taken out and never returning."

Tamara clenched her teeth. "That's…That's just messed up!"

"But, why?" Spaz asked.

"I told you, I'm not involved in this stuff. I'm not a fighter." Beartic sighed and scratched his face. "Listen...she's a lazy bum, but Jean's putting in a lot of hard work to find these guys and put an end to their little operation. And with the recent news about this Faust guy who ordered that attack on your village, it further complicates the matters. She has reason to believe it's all connected somehow."

"On what grounds?" Tamara asked.

"Ask her yourself. She might have the answer."

Spaz held his face. "It's just one conspiracy after the other…"

Tamara glared, then stood up in her seat. "Well, then why are _we_ sitting around for? I say we do something about it!"

Beartic shook his head. "You kids shouldn't be sticking your noses where they don't belong. Jean's experienced in this type of work. You all would just get in her way."

Tamara held her hand over her heart. "With all due respect, after the mess we went through, I'm about done dealing with people's crap. We're going to find these guys and..." She hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. "We're going to…bring them to justice."

Spaz smiled at her, then stood up. "Well, I can't argue with that."

"I want to help, too!" Willy exclaimed.

Beartic stared at them in disbelief, then pinched between his eyes. He breathed a drawn-out sigh. "I also heard rumors about Gappei Village…something about their villagers being full of righteous hearts and whatnot." He shook his head. "There's no stopping you."

"You won't stop us?" Tamara questioned.

"Like I could…but good luck trying to find Jean. She's been away for three days."

Spaz's eyes narrowed worriedly. "Is she okay?"

Beartic chuckled. "Trust me, she's a bit of a small fry, but packs a lot of power. Once you meet her, you'll get the general idea."

Tamara punched into her palm. "Right! Any leads on where to find her?"

Beartic waggled his finger around. "Eh…try going east? I don't know, follow the holes and maybe you'll catch up."

"Holes?" Willy asked.

"Jean likes to burrow herself underground. She doesn't quite like the heat…" He chuckled. "Kind of ironic, given her typing." They blinked in confusion. "Just look for anything that looks like a smoldering anthill and you'll be on the right track."

' _What the heck does that mean?'_ Spaz thought. "Um…we'll keep that in mind."

"We appreciate the help, sir," Tamara thanked.

That's when Casey and York came back in. Casey looked around, then asked, "What's going on?"

Spaz jumped out of his seat. "Long story short, there's a shady organization taking Fusions out of prisoners and doing something with them."

York glared. "Riveting…I needed something to beat up…"

Spaz deadpanned. "You're sounding a lot more like your old pal, Norris, you know that?" York rolled his eyes.

Tamara jumped down. "Our first objective is finding this Jean lady and offering our help."

"I do advise caution," Beartic warned. "These guys know what they're doing and I'd hate for one of you to fall into their traps."

Spaz grinned. "Trust us, we'll be fine."

Tamara nodded in agreement and added, "We've trained for worse."

Beartic sighed to himself. "At least let me pack you a week's worth of food for the trip. Who knows how long it'll be until you bump into Jean out there..."

"Thank you, sir," York thanked. Beartic went out the tent to gather the food.

Tamara grasped the straps of her backpack. "A super-secret agency taking prisoner Fusions to some super-secret location? Yeeeeah, nothing about that is remotely right."

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "I wonder why this Jean lady thinks it has some connection to what's been going on back home?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" York asked, having not been present when the information was shared.

"Well, the thing is, Jean was doing some research and happened upon some evidence that may connect the events back home with this whole Fusion trading scheme going around."

York narrowed his eyes seriously. "Is…that so?" He glared to the side, thinking about something.

"York?" Casey asked as she touched his shoulder.

He blinked and shook it off. "N-Nothing…just a weird thought…"

Tamara walked up to the tent entrance. "We've got no time for weird thoughts. We're stuck out in nowhere, so we might as well make use of our time. If we can help, it might do us some good." She shrugged. "Not like we have anything better to do."

"What an encouraging way to say we're going to take down a corrupt organization," Casey muttered dryly.

"Still true."

York cracked his knuckles. "Whatever…once I see those traffickers, I'm not holding back."

Spaz smiled nervously. "Heheh…that's the spirit…"

* * *

Artemis didn't like this. She didn't like it at all. All she could do was stare ahead with the contempt that ate away inside her, knowing she'll soon have to face a past she wished to forget after so long. What cruel, twisted fate has brought her to this doom?

With a huffy sigh, she raised her paw to their destination. "Lady and gentlemen, I give you…my second home."

Before them was the rundown apartment complex that Artemis once lived in. While it has seen better days, it looked to still be in, generally, the same condition Artemis last saw it in. She could see some old windows that were once whole were now given the boarded-up look.

The others looked on with a mix of unease and disgust. _This_ was their best option?

Sheila gulped. "Um…at least it looks livable…"

"Yeah, and also rotten and standing on the last of its legs," Crawford grumbled.

Artemis looked over her shoulder. "I didn't say this crummy place was perfect, but this is the best we've got. Either deal with it or…no, just deal with it." She walked up to the door.

Chris laughed awkwardly. "Well, it looks nice…"

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Not until you meet the company," she muttered. She stopped before the door and, very loudly, began banging on it, while shouting, "Hey! Open up, you old hag! It's me!"

' _Old…hag?'_ the others thought in confusion.

"I don't care what you have to say to me, but I'm letting myself in! If you have a problem with that, I'm _more_ than happy to give you a piece of my mind!" She pushed the door open, which swung with a hard slam into the wall. She blinked through her glare, then her eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"

The apartment was vacant. Aside from some stuff laying around, it was a repeat of when they were at Asher's alleyway. She expected someone to be here and now they're gone. Everything she remembered scattered around the place was gone. No makeshift mattress, no loose bottles of vodka, no sign of… _her_.

"Uh…" She stepped out of the way and gestured the others inside awkwardly. "Eheh…home sweet home, right?"

They saw through the deception. Sheila narrowed her eyes worriedly on her. "Artemis…what was that about? Who did you think was in here?"

"It's nothing! Nothing important!" she shouted with paws raised.

Crawford scuttled by. "Lass, ye aren't in a lyin' mood."

Artemis deflated, then grumbled bitterly at the ground. "Fine…this is where I used to live…with my mother…"

"Your mother?" Sheila repeated.

"Strange way to greet your mother," Chris said.

Artemis rolled her eyes and marched away. "Yeah, well, she hardly took care of herself, so old hag is the best way of describing her."

"Do you ever miss her?" Chris asked curiously.

"I've had cavities I was more emotionally attached to than that stuck-up bitch."

Chris flinched. _'Yeesh…that's harsh…'_

Sheila walked around for a bit, checking around the loose stuff that was left. "Where do you suppose she went?"

"Don't know, don't care," Artemis growled. "…Hmm, actually, I change my answer. I hope she's in prison. The bad prison. The ones that they make documentaries about for being so Arceus-forsaken horrible and hellish. Yeah…that's better."

Chris raised his brow. "Um…oh, I see a…thing…over there." He stepped away cautiously.

Sheila rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Yes, well…if your mother did happen to be here before we arrived, then perhaps she left some things behind."

Artemis grinned angrily. "Oh, perfect! We can make a fire to keep ourselves warm by burning all her useless belongings! What a perfect way to beat the cold!" She stomped off to look for things to burn.

Maybe it was the haze of anger that now clouded over Artemis, but she didn't seem to realize just how uncomfortable everyone was with her spiteful attitude. They've heard horrible relationships with parents before, but her tone was dripping with venom even the most toxic Poison-Type would be jealous of.

Crawford breathed out, for once stunned. "Oookay…she has issues."

"Think it's more than just issues," Chris said. "That was straight-up hate we heard. The kind you share with a banker who screwed over your account and made you homeless…on purpose."

Sheila bit her nails. "I never thought anyone could have such a bad relationship with a parent. I'd crumble if my mother was ever like that…"

Crawford raised his brow. "Didn't she say somethin' about runnin' away from home when she was a kid? What do ye think her pa was like?"

"My best guess," Chris said, "since most of her hate is targeted on her mother, I'm guessing there was a clearly better beloved parent."

"Poor dear…" Sheila held her forehead and sighed. "No wonder she wanted to try Asher's place first. She wanted to avoid any chance of seeing her mother again. She ran away from home…I bet she was expecting her mother to mock her or something if she came home."

They heard rumbling upstairs…and a lot of stomping. "Hey! Look at that! This is the same DAMN corner you made me sit in when I wasn't being a good girl, MOM!" They flinched from a loud explosion as the ceiling shuddered in the shockwave. Smoke seeped out from the cracks.

Sheila held her hands up and walked backwards. "Let's…give her some time to cool off…" Chris and Crawford agreed immediately.

Crawford scuttled around and crossed his arms, scowling a bit. "Well, I can't say I've seen worse, but it's definitely warmer in here."

"I could probably spruce this place up a bit," Chris suggested. "I've done plenty of construction back in the village. Fixing up a rundown building shouldn't be too hard."

"You really think you can do that for us?" Sheila asked.

He shrugged. "Well, if the building is abandoned, I can tear some stuff apart from upstairs and rebuild the main floor. Maybe even make some beds."

Sheila sighed and held her heart. "We're lucky to have you around, Chris." She looked around glumly. "Sadly, this'll have to be our home for the time…just until we find a way home."

"The real issue is gathering supplies," Chris reminded. "Aside from Artemis, none of us have any experience in stealing."

Sheila shuddered. "There's that horrible word again…"

Crawford rolled his eyes. "I don't see the problem. Artemis said there's plenty of scumbags here to beat up. I say we just punch them out cold and take everythin' they own."

"Wouldn't that be wrong?" Sheila asked.

Crawford deadpanned. "Ye're kiddin', right?"

Chris held his hips. "Our only options are to get jobs, beg and hope mercy is granted upon us, or steal to live. I'm not even sure what the situation on Fusions is like around here."

Crawford growled and bonked himself on the head. "Why did we have to land in this frozen dump?! I'd take the desert over this!"

"Alright, alright, let's try and remain calm," Sheila pleaded, hands clasped together. "We should make use out of what we have and work from there. We're smart, we're bound to come up with viable solutions."

"Hopefully there's some nice blankets laying around," Chris mumbled.

"There are." They turned and were greeted with Artemis' return from her…episode. She carried some folded blankets on her back. "My mother and I weren't the only ones who take refuge here. Granted, they were mostly temporary stays, but some don't bother taking what they bring." She dropped them at their feet. "And don't worry about food. I'll manage something."

Sheila knew what she had in mind and it made her nervous as she bit down on her lip. "I don't feel comfortable about this. I know we aren't in good conditions now, but it doesn't feel right…"

Artemis shook her head, even grumbling with some annoyance. "That's because you didn't grow up like I did. Believe me, a little money stolen won't ruin their lives. I know who to steal from, always the guy who looks like he has a cozy place to go back to for the night. Not like I'm stealing credit cards..." Her eyes shifted. "…anymore," she added under her breath.

Sheila held her head, slowly processing their new gig. It was inevitable at this point. Job hunting out here didn't seem plausible. Self-sustaining, possible since other Pokémon can live here comfortably, but she had the nagging suspicion that Fusions were not welcomed.

As much as she hated to admit it, Artemis knew what was best for them. Food and water weren't going to come through begging, but stealing it from stores will worsen their situation. It seems that the choice was clear…and she was going to feel sick in the morning for agreeing.

"Can't believe I'm going to say this…but who do we steal from first, Artemis?" Those words never felt so wrong coming out of _her_ mouth.

And Artemis knew this. "Let me take a moment to silently revel in those words coming out of _your_ mouth."

Sheila groaned. "I instantly regret it…"

Artemis waved her paw around. "Well, my quick outing this morning and a little mingling with the cashier introduced me to some apparent crimes going on. Something about some...Ivo Faucet...guy...something about a speech and...meh, I just zoned out halfway through. Point is, there have been some thugs around town being a lot less graceful about stealing." She shrugged. "Either they're planning for the apocalypse or prepping for one HELL of a party.

"Back on topic, we have stiff competition with the lowest of scoundrels. Now, causing more chaos with the public won't do us any good, but here's how I do things out here. After something is stolen, it's fair game from the real baddies. With so many gangs running around, there's plenty of Pokémon running wild doing whatever the hell they want. By that logic..."

This was where half the group became instantly worried. Artemis was now giving her scary, evil grin as she rubbed her paws together. "If there's gangs running around town, then it looks like a new gang is joining the fun."

Sheila instantly paled. "Oh no…you aren't suggesting we…"

Crawford smirked. "I like this plan already."

Chris scratched his cheek. "Artemis…you want us to become a gang?"

"Duh."

"That sounds dangerous."

She smirked. "Oh…I know." She sniggered deviously. "Ooooh…I think I'm tingling with excitement. No Spooks to hold me back and a perfect reason to have some real fun again…" She clapped her paws excitedly. "Maybe landing here wasn't such a bad thing after all! There's nothing stopping me from going back to what I loved, even if for now!"

Chris cupped his hand around his mouth and leaned to the others. "Guys…I think we lost her to her own crazy…"

Sheila clasped her hands and waved them pleadingly. "Artemis, please, I beg you! My parents would be so disappointed in me if they found out I was in a gang!" She pulled her ears. "The worst I've ever done was took a cookie from the cookie jar when I was just a Buneary-Zoroark! Will I get a criminal record because of this?!"

Artemis shrugged. "Eh…fifty-fifty?"

"AH!"

Artemis raised her paw. "Hey, hey, relax. It's the law of survival out here! Plus, think about all those poor people who will get off worse from such violent thugs. Think of us as more of a gang of merry bandits, like that Robin Hood fellow."

"So…vigilantes?" Chris pointed out.

"Whatever helps you all sleep at night."

Crawford didn't care at all. "Do I still get to beat thugs up?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm on board with this plan!"

Sheila pulled on her ears, whimpering. "I can't believe I'm going along with this…"

Artemis cheerfully patted her leg. "You'll be fine! I know this'll be your first steal-and-run, so we'll try and takes things slow. How do you feel about your future life of crime?"

"Not very good…"

"You'll get over it! Now begins our new gang!"

Sheila yelped and covered her ears, shouting, "Please don't associate me with a street gang!"

"Too late! We're a gang!"

"Nnnooo…" She fell onto her side and curled into a ball, hiding her face behind her ears.

Chris sighed and shared an amused grin at her. "You were the good kid at your old neighborhood, weren't you?"

Sheila parted her ears. "Well…yeah…helped out at my parents' restaurant, too…"

Chris chuckled. "You're a good person."

Artemis patted her back. "Worry not, Sheila! Leave everything to me!"

Sheila sighed. _'This is my life now…I'll have to start wearing leather jackets and calling everyone 'bub' while chewing on a toothpick…what has my life spiraled down into?'_

* * *

"Now then…I hope you all are comfortable."

After their meeting with the Sawk-Dialga that was Juniper's adoptive father, he took them to his mountainside temple. They were sitting on the floor of his living room, as the only furniture around were a stand for his TV and the low-legged coffee table. They all had their individual drinks, with Gero sipping from a can of diet cola.

Speaking of the soda beverage, Juniper was guzzling hers down with the sheer joy bursting from her eyes. "Oooooh! Sweet, delicious relief!" She rubbed the can against her cheek. "My precious!" The excitable panda also wore a new, proper cast on her leg.

Asadi smirked and nudged Wash's side. "Lucky you. Shouldn't be too hard to get her Christmas and birthday presents."

Wash rolled his eyes with a light smile. The ghost frog then sighed and look straight at Gero with amazed eyes. "I still can't believe it's you. THE seventh councilman of the Fusion Council. The second strongest Fusion of them all."

"Geez…Peregrine taking up your spot says a lot," Dez mumbled as he sipped his water.

Gero chuckled. "I see my reputation lives on."

"More than lives on!" Shane exclaimed. "You're, like, some sort of legend among us later years! I've only heard about you in stories!"

Asadi held her chin. "I think Dakota told me a bit about you, too."

"Dakota, Dakota…" he mumbled a couple of times before snapping his fingers. "Ah, Dakota, right! I remember her. Heh…she was a sweet kid." He leaned back and gazed up at the ceiling. "Yeesh…has it really been nine years? Phew…time sure flies." He looked around at the new faces. "Look how much they've grown from that dinky little village."

Wash rubbed the back of his head. "You have no idea. There's a lot of crazy there. I have a split personality."

"Didn't quite have the best time at some orphanages," Shane mumbled.

"Kind of a loner," Dez admitted.

Asadi shrugged. "Eh…I'm just a lazy wanderer."

Gero whistled, intrigued by their brief snippets. "Heh...heard everything you could from Fusions far a wide. Some had it good...some not so much." He patted Juniper's head. "Suppose that's why I took up Liam's offer when I did. Thought I could make a difference. For the time...it felt like that."

Wash narrowed his eyes. "Um…sir? Forgive for intruding, but…why did you leave the council in the first place?"

An expected question, Gero had to admit. He sighed and rested his cheek in his hand. "When opposing ideologies clash, things tend to spiral out of control." His eyelids drooped, almost tiredly. "Liam never thought of the long-term solution for Fusions living better in society. For the time, it worked, but a village sequestering all the Fusions it could wasn't going to fix the issue. I saw that...but he lost a lot of trust in Pokémon by then. He wanted to take the passive route...I wanted to take it directly with the populace itself. In the end, I just left because I wanted something better for all of you. Didn't want anyone thinking they should be cooped up in a village for the rest of their lives."

Shane frowned. "Yeah…we saw that for a while. B-But, Chief Liam has done so much better since you left. He even suggested we live on our own once we were of age! He has been trying his hardest to make up for everything and make a difference!"

Gero yawned. "I keep up with the news, kid. I know what's been going on." His eyes wandered for a moment, then looked directly at them. "But don't try to play me for the fool. That's my job."

"Huh?" the Fusions uttered.

Gero tapped the side of his head. "I know the big ape didn't come up with that idea on his own. Hardly changes my point. Liam sticks to his guns. You need a bazooka aimed point blank at his head just to get him to cooperate, and Roteman was the bomb that started that progressive change in Grandis City."

Wash rubbed the back of his head. "Okay, yes…though, Mr. Roteman wasn't exactly honest in his intentions, too."

"If you want me to believe Liam has looked past his pertinacious mindset, I'll need to see it for myself." He sipped at his soda.

Dez sighed groggily and scratched his face with his hind paw. "Geez, you really are a member of the council. So chill and firm, all at once."

"I've had practice." He set his can down and pounded his chest a bit, letting out a quick belch.

' _And sometimes, not the most professional looking,'_ Dez thought with a raised brow.

"Now then…" He wiped his lip clean. "Can one of you finally explain to me why my daughter was wearing a poorly made cast on her leg?"

By instinct alone, eyes slowly gravitated in Wash's direction. The ghost frog shrunk back and pulled on his hood a bit. "Um…"

Gero raised his brow. "The next ten words that come out of your mouth better have a decent explanation ready."

Wash gulped and opened his mouth to say something, but Juniper was there to save him. "Pappy, wait! Wash didn't hurt me of his own choosing! Or at all, for that matter!"

"How so?"

"It was some stupid Fusion Move that transfers damage to another creature! I got hit by it and…well, Wash went for a pretty brutal strike that got transferred to me." She tapped her hands together. "Yes, he technically struck me, but…it wasn't _me_ he struck."

"Hmph…that so?"

"I swear, sir!" Gero glanced at the ghost frog, who clasped his hands together pleadingly. "I would never, ever harm your daughter!"

Gero was silent for a moment, which got Wash thinking he was in deep trouble. However, that worry flushed out when Gero started chuckling behind his fist. "Heh…ten words."

"…Eh?"

Gero waved it off. "I'm yanking your chain, kid. You seem like a respectable young man and don't have a mendacious spirit in you. Personally, the worst I would've done was chain you to the couch and force you to watch marathons of terrible sitcoms." He threw his head back and laughed.

Wash stared with bewilderment, a feeling shared also by Barbatos. _**'This guy is weird.'**_

' _True…but at least I'm in his good graces.'_

Gero eased back on the laughter and sighed. "Forgive me if I sound too protective of Juniper, but I've spent my time with her trying to teach her right from wrong. A difficult process for someone like her, but we managed." He rubbed his daughter's head. "She's a handful, but I love her to pieces."

Juniper giggled and squirmed. "Hehehe! Pappy, stop!"

Wash nodded. "Yeah…I know. You…helped her escape from her old life."

Gero narrowed his eyes. "…She told you, didn't she?" He nodded slowly. Gero looked down at Juniper, whose mood dropped significantly. "Jun…"

She frowned, sniffling to keep herself controlled. "I…didn't have a choice…I…I had to, Pappy."

He sighed and gave her a one-armed hug. "I understand, princess."

"Um, excuse us." They turned to the other three present in the room, with Dez raising his paw. "I'm sure this is all very personal, but…what are you talking about?"

Juniper whimpered and shuffled behind Gero. The Sawk Fusion patted her gently. "Want me to tell them?"

"…Mhmm…"

Gero sighed and scratched his cheek. "…To start things off...I'm sure many of you have noticed by now how skilled Juniper is. Far beyond what most kids her age could learn. Incredibly talented fighter, I'd say."

"We always thought she was naturally gifted, given her nature," Asadi said.

"Well…thing is, while I have taught her all I knew, she was quite advanced for her age. She had the skill of a proud warrior…" Gero glared at the ground. "…and the talent for murder."

The blood of everyone but Wash went cold immediately. Shane fearfully raised his shaking hand. "W-What d-d-do you mean by…th-that?"

"There are things about Juniper that are best to be forgotten. See, young ones, your friend was taken in by a group of extremists who valued the lives of Fusions, but casted harsh shame onto those who saw them with extreme prejudice. Juniper…was an assassin."

So much could not be expressed in words for how horrified and stunned they were, now looking upon the panda with confusion and fright. Juniper hid her face behind Gero, whimpering quietly. There was…so much wrong with that that they couldn't process the words for moments.

"I…you…you have to be joking," Dez breathed heavily.

"That…That can't be true," Asadi pleaded quietly. "Our little Juniper is one of the sweetest faces around. So sweet and innocent and…she would never-"

"It's true…" They held their breaths as Juniper peeked out from behind her father. They've never seen such misery written over her face. She looked like she wanted to cry. "I killed people as a child…and I didn't care…" She gripped Gero's arm. "I felt no regret…it hurts…not feeling sad for what I've done…"

Shane looked at Wash in disbelief. "And she told you all of this?!"

He nodded. "Came as a shock to me, too." He closed his eyes, then bared his teeth. "She was donated away by her parents…those bastards…"

"That's…That's horrible…" Shane mumbled.

Gero closed his eyes. "I don't know who runs this organization…though, if their moral are anything to go off of, it wouldn't surprise me if Ivan Faust was somehow tied to all of this."

"You poor baby," Asadi whispered sadly as she scooted up to Juniper and hugged her.

Juniper's eyes widened. "You're…not scared of me?"

"Sweetie, this is certainly going to…take a while to adjust to this…and I'm certainly a little apprehensive about it…" Asadi closed her eyes and nudged her head against her. "But I would never be afraid of you. I know you're a good person…no matter how much blood is on your hands…"

Tears welled up in Juniper's eyes, then she returned the hug. "You're…the greatest friend ever, Asadi…"

Gero smiled lightly at them. "…It's nice to see friends Juniper can rely on."

"Sir…" Shane called out nervously, still in the midst of processing things. "You…said Ivan Faust, right? That's the guy who attacked our village?"

Gero nodded. "Yes. I'm not sure how long until they set off that weapon...but it seems they have Kanto tightly locked down. Nothing's been getting through for days." He shook his head. "Perhaps meeting Juniper was an omen of the future staring me in the face. The kind of madness that roots itself into this world...hatred brewed from centuries of misery...all colliding into a single, decisive singularity." He glared. "We're looking at the start of a new age...one neither Pokémon nor Fusion want to see."

Even with the information having settled in their minds since their arrival, imagining it was difficult. Something of that caliber didn't seem remotely possible, yet there was a real threat of it happening. If Ivan Faust has his way, there was a real chance of everything crumbling into the wind. Everything they've worked for would be pointless.

Of the group, Wash was the angriest. He bared his teeth and curled his fingers. "Grr…like hell I'm sitting around and letting that happen…"

Gero looked at him. "Oh?"

Wash stood up. "I say we take it to him and show him what for!"

"…What are you getting at young man?"

Wash's eyes flashed purple, with Barbatos assuming control. "That bastard started this battle…but now he'll have to deal with the war!"

Gero narrowed his eyes listlessly, then sighed. "Oh good grief…" He sipped his soda. "I admire your spirit…both your spirits…but you simply aren't ready."

Barbatos growled. "Even with your former position, I know what's best! I can beat anyone of those poser Fusions with my own fists!"

Gero shook his can, where they could hear the little amount of carbonated beverage left inside. "Your enemy now knows what you all are capable of. Despite previous measures taken to soften your defenses, you're running into a fight thinking the outcome will be yours this time. Now you're going into this thinking you can fight back with just some rousing determination.

"Let it be clear…they're the ones who beat you. You would surely lose if all of you went against them. They have the firepower and the skill to beat you back. They've set themselves down and erected the pillars that'll hold their plans high above us. These unshakeable pillars will not crumble so long as they maintain what is sacred to their cause.

"Declaring war on them won't shake them unless you make your message clear and concise."

Barbatos narrowed his eyes, very confused. "Huh? What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Put it simply, this 'war' you declared is one-sided. Your enemy has access to technology designed to incapacitate you all. If you're going to declare something like that to prove a point, then you need something more to shake their confidence. You can't just say 'I'm going to beat them' without a guarantee for them to be afraid."

Shane looked on with suspicion. "You almost sound like you're speaking from experience."

Gero smirked. "A good ear, kid, for I do." He sipped down the last of his cola. "...I met an interesting young man in my travels over the last few years. And he knew how to shake the pillars. See...if you want to prove that you are a threat to their unshakable pillars, you need to offer something to the enemy that...cannot be denied."

He stood up and stretched his legs. "Believe it or not...I was a part of a gang in my youth...and that same mindset is what got me through life. When all variables are laid out on the table, they know how to approach it. However, throw in the variable that overwrites all others...then you start to see the cracks in their confidence."

Barbatos glared. "What are you saying? Target their weak spots? Systematically take them down?"

Gero smiled. "Ask yourselves this: does anyone in your village come to mind who is the epitome of strength and valor?"

"Tamara," almost everyone immediately answered.

"And who is Tamara?"

Dez narrowed his eyes. "She's…a hero. Someone who aspires to be a hero that…strikes fear into the corrupted and…hope into the innocent…" His eyes widened. "…You're saying…if there was something we had that could frighten Faust…"

Gero smirked. "You're catching on." He raised his finger. "I have a feeling Ivan knew this all too well. There are many things I can say about Liam, but he isn't one to abandon a fellow Fusion, much less his village. Ivan likely wanted to get rid of Liam…because he knew Liam's strength and power was the only thing that could overwhelm them. The very thing that strikes fear into him and his plans."

"We need something to shake their confidence…like a symbol…" Shane muttered in awe.

"Exactly." Gero spun his can on his finger. "And there's one variable they haven't taken into account yet." He tossed the can over his head.

Those who weren't familiar with the older Fusion watched in awe as a blue aura vibrated around Gero's body. Next thing they noticed, as soon as it vanished, the can was bombarded by a flurry of invisible strikes that crushed it down to a crumpled mess. It limply fell into the recycling bin behind him.

"And when that wild variable multiples…the cracks in their pillars turn into fractures." Gero raised his hand and swung it down dramatically, pointing straight at the ghost frog. "Wash…Barbatos…if you want to show me what it means to fight for what you believe in…"

Barbatos and Wash, who watched from within his mind, held their breath as the man took five paces backwards, then held his hand out to them. There was confidence brimming from his eyes. An unwavering stance of power.

"Then you have to pass my test: winning in my game!"


	65. Our Journey Begins Here

Wash took the reigns of control back from Barbatos with a major jumpstart. He flung himself backwards from his own startled reaction. That constantly shifting look in Gero's eyes meant trouble without a direction. There was just no reading what he had to say.

"W-What do you mean by 'winning your game?!'" he shouted.

Gero sighed and held his hip. He wasn't expecting that reaction, though he supposed he's bene giving the ghost frog an unnecessarily hard time. Too bad he was going to make it worse. "Come on, kid, you didn't think I was going to let you talk about starting a war without you giving me half a decent reason to believe you, right?"

Wash's eyes bulged out. "Eh?!"

"I've seen tougher punks talk bigger and they get their asses kicked because they proclaimed themselves the kings of the territory they won through fear and intimidation. Or, in some cases, just acting tough because they're pissed." He waved his hand dismissively. "That kind of talk gets you killed…" He paused, then looked to the side, rubbing his chin. "Or in trouble with the mafia, but I'm getting off track."

' _The hell has this guy been through?!'_ the unfamiliar party shouted in their heads.

Gero pointed at the ghost frog. "Point is, tough talk like that isn't good enough. While you have my blessing, you're far from having my respect. If you think you can talk big, then why don't we put your money where your mouth is?"

Wash shrieked and held his hands up. "Whoa, hang on! That was all Barbatos' babbling! I have nothing to do with this!"

Gero narrowed his eyes, then paced back and forth, hands folded behind his back. "You're an interesting one, Washington. I've never met someone with such a split personality before. It's very presence in you exists as a dual consciousness that can operate with consent to both sides." He waggled his finger. "You're half-Banette, right? Yes…that might explain a lot.

"Holding grudges of the past is something akin to the Banette legends. In your case, in manifested as something…more. Your trauma and anger…Barbatos is the side of your anger that had to be released. Despite his violent nature, perhaps he's something more benevolent to your case."

' _ **The hell is this weirdo on about? He calling me an angel or something? Bleh…'**_

"One side sees reason, the other sees battle." He looked over his shoulder. "Yes…I see what you two have. Not everyday you meet someone who can interact with a separate personality." The Sawk-Dialga paused for a moment. "Maybe that's what needs to be questioned."

"What…do you mean?"

Gero walked to the wall and leaned his back against it. "If one side of you sees reason to fight, why not both? Despite your different personalities, I believe you two have more in common than you realize." He eyed up his mini fridge as he said, "Consider this a lesson for both of you."

Wash narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"I wasn't just referring to Barbatos' behavior when I said you have yet to earn my respect." He closed his eyes and sighed. "I want to know, without a shadow of a doubt, if you truly are worthy of fighting alongside my daughter."

Wash blinked. "…What?"

"I have no evidence that you and your friends will last long if you head back to Kanto like this. I could likely take out a huge chunk of them, but that's praying on a miracle once things get tough." He looked at Juniper. "I know Juniper is capable. I've taught her well. You four, however…"

"Hey!" Shane exclaimed. "We've been training hard back in Gappei Village! We're plenty strong!"

"I don't doubt that." He tilted his head. "…How many of you can use Fusion Mode?" Their faces fell almost immediately. "…Juniper? You too?"

She grinned sheepishly. "Hehehe…too busy goofy off?"

Gero pinched between his eyes. "I'd be ashamed of you if you didn't get those bad habits from me." He held his hand up to his mouth and yawned. "Alright, why don't I get on with the point? You." He pointed at Wash, who jumped a bit. "If you can best me, then I see no reason in getting you all back to Kanto as soon as possible. However, I want to see what you have to offer if you wish to protect Juniper. To fight alongside her. Not just as her beloved, but as a comrade."

Wash's eyes widened. "S…Seriously?"

"I only want the best for my little girl." He glared sternly at the ghost frog. "Show her respect…and prove to me you are a worthy ally. Only then will you have the full barrel of my respect."

The ghost frog stared in awe, feeling his heart pumping with excitement. He was so terrified to see this man, now he was getting pumped for a fight. If he could beat Gero of all people, maybe he had a shot of getting revenge on those home invading freaks.

Barbatos was more or less irritated by all this. _**'What a joke. What do I have to prove to this weirdo? Seriously, he's not a blood relative, but he's the spitting image of your annoying girl.'**_

Wash stood up and balled his hands up. _'Shut up, Barbatos. We're doing this…for Juniper.'_ He bared his teeth. _'Whether or not it was my fault, I can't let what happened to her go unpunished. We're getting back at the witch.'_

' _ **Now, see, there's logic I can get behind.'**_

Wash straightened up and bowed to Gero. "Very well, sir! I humbly accept your challenge!"

Gero rubbed his neck and yawned. "Good for you, kid…" He bent down and opened the fridge. "Alright, game's pretty simple. I call it…" He pulled a diet cola out. "Take a Sip."

Of all the things it came to, it wrapped back around to the beverage he had mixed feelings about. He felt physically irritated and confused. "Excuse me?"

Juniper, obviously, was ecstatic, clapping joyfully. "Ooh! I love this game!"

Gero closed the fridge and presented the soda. "Simple to catch onto. All you need to do is snatch this can from my hand."

Wash raised his brow. "Huh…that _is_ simple."

"Then you'll hate this next part. Two conditions: I'll be taking sips from this every so often. You have to take it from me before I finish the whole thing off. In addition, you need to take at least one sip before I finish it all."

Wash deadpanned. "Of…course I do."

Asadi raised her brow. "This sounds suspiciously similar to something Peregrine did with Hawkins and Dakota…minus the soda."

Gero shrugged. "We played this a lot to mess with each other." He chuckled. "He always called me a dirty cheater for one reason or another."

"Why's that?" Dez asked.

"I'll tell you later."

Wash sighed and raised his fists. "Okay, slightly more complicated, but nothing I can't-"

"Uh-buh, hold up!" Wash faltered, nearly tripping over his own feet. Gero raised his finger. "One last thing I should make clear. I take you to Kanto immediately if you win." His brow furrowed. "If you lose…you will be punished…in the worst way possible."

The ghost frog hesitantly asked, "Does this involve chaining me to a couch and watching terrible romcoms."

"…No. I mean an actual punishment. One some painful that it'll leave your muscles torn, your bones aching, your lungs begging for help, and your heart beating like a pair of bongos after an intense jazz recital."

"…What was that last one?"

"I live alone. I have a lot of hobbies."

Dez bared his teeth. "Shit…Wash's chances suddenly plummeted…"

Asadi laughed nervously. "Heh…let's not lose hope. Wash has this…I think."

"I foresee hijinks and pain in his future," Shane muttered.

The group, however, took in the curious ringing of Juniper's laughter, trying her best to cover it behind her sleeves. She wasn't the only one who seemed to be worried about Wash's predicament. She knew something they didn't.

Wash narrowed his eyes on his girlfriend. _'What are you laughing about, Jun? Is there something to this game I should know about?'_

Gero popped open the can and held it close to his lips. "If we're done chitchatting…the game begins after I take the first sip. Come at me in anyway you like. Be as honor bound as a royal Gallade or as underhanded as a base dealer in a poker game."

Wash bent his knees and curled his fingers, waiting for the signal. Gero pressed the can to his lips, purposely stalling to build the frog's tension. His eyes narrowed, unreadable and tenuous. There was just no telling how this man was going to act or if anything he does is as it seems.

… _Gulp._

Wash sprung like a tightly coiled spring with the power of Aerial Ace through his feet. His fist blazed in that same energy with a fierce glare decorating his face. _'I have to prove I can fight by Juniper's side? Then I'll give it my all!'_

Once Gero lowered the can, he went to wipe his lip. Wash figured he could get a hit off, but Gero cleverly swiped his hand across his lip while simultaneously deflecting Wash's fist. The move was so expertly performed that Wash had but a second to recover hitting the ground.

Wash spun around and went for the second assault. He swung for the hand holding the can, but missed by a hair. He spun his body and tried to bash his other leg into Gero's side, but hit nothing but air. Wash's eyes widened as they tracked the Sawk Fusion's new position. No longer in front of him, but on his left. All happening in the span of a second.

Gero launched a heavy punch into Wash's gut and, as the frog figured, he wasn't pulling back on effort. It was like being socked by a professional boxer wearing weighted gloves, perhaps around ten pounds. He doubted this was the full range of Gero's striking force, but it hurt a lot. The frog's eyes practically bulged out from socket. He flew across the room and slammed into the wall.

Gero waved his hand, then took a second sip of his soda. "Ah, refreshing."

Wash's friends flinched from the heavy strike. "He easily avoided all of Wash's attacks…" Shame uttered in shock.

"And delivered such a swift blow without any break in his relaxed stance," Dez added. "He's so composed with himself that he can move as naturally as inhaling."

Asadi bared her teeth worriedly. "Seems that one did a number of Wash, too."

Wash sat up and clutched his aching gut, holding back the comical tears. _'Son of a…! Sweet Mew, he's not fooling around with this!'_ He glared, taking a moment to relax the pain. He stood up and formed his dual Cut blades. _'Good…I don't want him going easy on me.'_ He crossed the blades and shouted, "Try this!" before flying right for him.

Gero raised his free hand, anticipating a direct strike, but then noticed the subtle smirk under the frog's guise. One foot angled down and threw him into the ceiling. Gero's eyes flickered after him as Wash ricocheted off the ceiling and walls. Combined with his ghostly natured, he was vanishing in and out of sight.

' _One common aspect I find from most Ghost Fusions is that they can move with a greater ease, nearly becoming one with the air itself. This kind of swift speed renders them nearly invisible.'_ Gero smirked and sipped the can. _'He's been learning well.'_

A white slash came from his right, which he sidestepped from. There was no loss in momentum, either. Wash had perfect control at this speed. Perhaps he was best suited for fighting in closed spaces.

Gero felt movement coming from behind. He spun with his fist reared back, but Wash instantly changed directions and went for the man's legs. Wash grinned. _'I'll sweep him off the ground and snatch the can!'_

"Admirable speed, Washington." Wash didn't even blink, but he somehow ended up hitting the ground instead, tumbling four times before landing on his stomach. He picked himself up with frantic eyes spotting the humanoid right behind him, a meter at most. "Keep working on that."

Wash rubbed his eyes, blinked, even pinched himself to determine what happened. _'The hell? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? I could've sworn he was right in front of me.'_

Dez noticed as well, glaring suspiciously. "Wash missed by a mile, but he had the target in his crosshairs. Gero moved…instantaneously."

Shane gasped. "Seriously?!"

"Even in most cases with people moving at high speeds, there's always some disturbance in the air or tensing of the body that achieves those quick acceleration boosts. I've seen Tamara do this so many times that I know what it looks like. Gero didn't move. He…I think he teleported."

Eyes fell on the giggling bear next to them. "I wouldn't call it teleporting, but I'd be a hypocrite if I say I caught on immediately. Couldn't quite understand it when I first fought Pappy, but it's obvious for someone of his nature."

Asadi narrowed her eyes. "He's half Dialga…does that mean…?"

Juniper grinned. "Pappy has a special little Fusion Move that only activates when the target is in sight. He can either counter attacks or have to be faster than them once he's on the offensive." She cupped her mouth and shouted, "Hope you're listening, Wash! I'm practically feeding you notes!"

Wash stood up and spun his blades. "I'll remember that!" He jumped and spun down with a vertical clash against the humanoid.

Gero sipped his soda, then took a swing with his free hand. "Dragon Claw!" His hand wrapped in the bluish-green aura and expanded to the shape of a three-clawed hand. He clashed with the Cuts and pushed against their force, sending out sparks from both attacks.

Wash gritted his teeth as he was thrown backwards. _'I expected no less! He doesn't have any openings to capitalize on!'_

' _ **Then quit your whining and let me take a swing at him!'**_

The ghost frog landed and took a moment to compose him. Gero tapped his foot patiently, then narrowed his eyes as the ghost frog opened his now purple glowing eyes. He smirked maliciously. "I'm going to enjoy this! Let's dance, old man!" He sprinted with far less grace than Wash, but with a noticeable aggression as he clenched his Cut blades.

Gero sipped the can again. "Better hurry. The can's getting lighter."

Barbatos swung wildly, though not without some line of technique behind it. Gero dodged his fierce slashes, noting that while he appears to be flinging them randomly, they were moving with a speed and powers that could slice the air. One nearly got Gero in the cheek, which he found a bit amusing.

"You do fight differently from Washington. Yes, you do." Gero deflected the blades with one hand, then launched his foot into the frog's chin.

Barbatos flew backwards, but balanced out immediately while channeling energy through his palms. "Water Pulse!" He threw it like a curve ball, coming in at Gero's left.

Gero pulled his fist back. "Remarkable technique in your throw!" He struck the orb and threw it back almost instantly to Barbatos.

The ghost frog blocked with his right arm taking the brunt of the force. It exploded and threw him backwards, but with no serious damage to be taken. He easily landed on his feet and smirked at the humanoid. "Not but an itch." His eyes widened as he heard a particular crackling coming from the arm he used to block the Water Pulse.

He gasped when he saw his whole arm was coated in a thick layer of ice, creeping up on his shoulder.

Gero blew on the mist coming off his fist. There was little bits of frost coated on the metal on his hand. "Ice Punch…a favorite of mine. Helps keep the drinks cold."

Dez narrowed his eyes. _'I always wondered where Juniper learned to use Ice Punch…'_

Barbatos stumbled back with a nervous tension in his clenched teeth. _'The freakin' hell! Who the hell is this guy?! He's worse than that stupid panda!'_

Wash glared from within his spectral mindscape. _'What did you expect from the second strongest councilman? Now I see why he's supposed to be stronger than Peregrine. He hits harder, he's got better awareness of everything around him, and he's too tricky to keep track of. Not to mention…a difference in their fighting philosophies. Peregrine's a simple, straightforward fighter. This guy…he doesn't fight with honor, nor with underhanded methods, but he won't play fair, either.'_

Barbatos scowled furiously. _'He's making a fool out of us.'_

Gero sipped the soda again. "I've come to note something about you, Washington. You have two different colored eyes. Not unusual for a Fusion, but…something tells me that other eye of yours isn't natural." He glared. "It seems Barbatos and you are becoming more and more in sync the more you learn from each other."

Barbatos glared. "You're giving us a lesson? Right now?"

Gero pointed at one of his own eyes. "That left eye of yours is a sign you two are becoming in sync with each other. That grudge that made Barbatos who he is…you're starting to accept it more. Harness what's good about you…and focus on that rage. A perfect balance, so long as you don't lose yourself to your own vengeance.

"So far…you're far from my expectations."

Barbatos growled and kicked off with Aerial Ace. "I'll show you!"

' _Barbatos, wait! You need to-!'_

"Don't tell me what to do!" Barbatos pulled his hand back. "Shadow-!"

As the ghost frog channeled the ghostly energy into his hand, Gero was channeling his own energy as well. His eyes glowed in a royal blue.

"Chrono…"

The gemstone on his chest wrapped in the royal blue light, then exploded outwards in an all-encompassing, inverted light. No one but him was aware of this inverted light as it inverted everything in less than a second. Once the space of the room was filled, it imploded back into the gem.

Everything was still. Nothing was in motion.

The Fusions stared at the battle with frozen expressions of worry or awe at the battle. Everything around Gero had a new blue tint over it. He was cloaked in a blazing blue field of energy, waving like flames. Gero took a deep breath, then sighed.

He let go of his soda, which remained suspended in midair. Gero walked up to Barbatos and walked around him once, taking note of his frozen scowl and the still flow of the energy used to build up Shadow Ball. He narrowed his eyes softly, then rotated his shoulder to loosen up the joints.

Taking one breath, he threw a rapid flurry of strikes into Barbatos' side, similar in manner to a Close Combat. Each strike rippled the air like water and showed no physical sign of effect of the frog's body. Gero stopped, then walked back to his soda can, taking it in his hand.

He lifted the drink and, under the effects of his aura, managed to take a proper sip from it. "…Combat."

Time resumed.

"…Bal-GAH?!" Barbatos' attack was canceled as a striking pain shot through his side as blue energy pulses. It threw him across the room and slammed into another wall.

The group had to blink twice to make sure they saw what they saw. "What…What just happened?" Asadi asked to no one in particular. "Barbatos got creamed by…nothing?"

"Chrono Combat." The group looked at Juniper, who giggled behind her hand. "It's a move that can either be used for a speedy offensive attack or for a quick counter. If Pappy wants to go on the offensive, then he needs to make sure he's faster than the opponent to get it off correctly. However, if he uses it defensively, it acts as a reactive counter where it gives him a window of time to counter. It does rely on seeing the opponents position, though."

Shane's eyes widened. "Are you saying Gero can…?"

Juniper smirked as Gero took a sip from his soda. "Pappy's Chrono Combat allows him to attack while moving through stopped time."

Gero looked at the fallen ghost frog, tapping the tip of his foot on the ground. "Peregrine and I used to do this sort of stuff with Fusions who wanted to fight. This is how we had our fun."

Barbatos pushed himself up, panting, as Wash resumed control. The frog bared his teeth. _'That hurt…a lot. I didn't even feel him move…'_

' _ **Dammit! He can stop time with that stupid Fusion Move?! That's freakin' annoying!'**_

' _I'm not sure how much faster we are than him…but Juniper made it clear he needs to know our exact location before using it. He needs to physically see us.'_

Gero lifted the can to his lips again. "Take your time, you two. I'm in no rush."

Wash bared his teeth. "Barbatos…"

' _ **What?'**_

"I'm taking a page out of your book…and ditching subtly!" He rapidly fired off a barrage of Shadow Balls, nearly a whole wall of them.

Gero glared and threw his soda in the air. His hands glowed in icy blue, cold energy, then he rapidly punched down the Shadow Balls. This was what Wash wanted. Using Aerial Ace, he sprung for the flying can.

Wash was able to catch it in his hand. "Ha! I got-GAH!"

Gero had appeared above him, with his elbow firmly planted into the back of Wash's neck. In that instance, Wash understood the two different mechanics of Chrono Combat. Gero had a greater window of time to move around if he went on the defensive. With the offensive side, it ended as soon as he made contact. That's why this shot felt weaker than the last.

Wash was shot into the ground, with Gero swiping the can out of the air. "Not the most thought out plan…but hey, it's got some creativity to it."

Asadi gulped nervously. "How the heck is Wash going to win?"

"He can't. He's doomed," Shane predicted.

Juniper shook her head. "Oh, don't lose faith in the guy." She smiled at them. "I don't exactly see Washy _losing_." They blinked at her. "Just hush up and watch. Trust me."

Wash picked himself up and rubbed his sore neck. "Definitely not as bad as the last one."

' _ **He and Juniper have a lot more in common than I credited. Even their Fusion Moves operate on a similar principle of being highly evasive and weak, but ungodly quick.'**_

' _Yeah…so the idea is to get the drop on him before he activates that move.'_

Gero bounced on one foot, while taking yet another sip from the can. "Heh…don't be distraught, young man." He grinned. "At least show me you have some confidence in you."

Wash narrowed his eyes. _'Juniper follows a policy he taught her. That same philosophy she shared with me: Understand your troubles, accept your regret. If you learn to forgive yourself…give the world your best smile and shine.'_

' _ **Ugh…it's so heartfelt and sappy…'**_

An anxious, yet confident grin stretched onto the frog's lips. _'That's what makes her amazing.'_ He breathed through his nose. _'Barbatos, we both work differently…so, if we can throw him off by switching off mid-fight…'_

He felt the destructive personality's glee shine. _**'Let's do it.'**_

Wash sprung in the air. "Shadow Ball, plus Aerial Ace!" He formed the Shadow Ball by his foot, then kicked it with the power of the Aerial Ace. It rippled through the air with the Flying-Type move's air cutting power.

Gero smiled excitedly. "Baseball and soccer? You've got some moves there!" He clashed with his Dragon Claw, only pushed back a couple inches. The Shadow Ball exploded in his dragon grip. However, immediately after, an Aerial Ace punch soared through, one Gero was barely able to catch in his palm. "Whoa!"

Purple eyes flashed through the smoke. "Getting sweaty, old man?!" Barbatos swung his Aerial Ace power leg at the humanoid's face. "Don't underestimate me!"

Gero glared. "The council taught you well!" The kick phased right through a brief afterimage.

Instantly, Barbatos was struck with numerous punches from behind and thrown forward. Gero sipped from the can again, but had to dodge a Shadow Ball thrown at his face. Barbatos managed to get one off even after taking that direct hit. Gero just kept finding new reasons to like this kid.

He glared as the frog suddenly melded with the darkness. "Is that Shadow Sneak?"

The group looked around and realized just how dark the room was. The sun must've been angled outside just right so that not much light was coming through the windows. Plenty of spots to jump out from.

Gero raised his fists and stood defensively, carefully eying every surface. "Where did he go…?"

A shadow sprung from the corner of his eye. He swung and punched into it with Ice Punch. The attacking force suddenly shattered, revealing itself to be a Cut Blade instead.

In that fraction of time, a foot shot out from Gero's own shadow and struck into the hand clutching the can, forcing it right out of his grip. Barbatos propelled out with a confident, smirk. "HA! Suck it, gramps!"

Gero smirked, wildly impressed by their performance. _'When the time counts, Wash and Barbatos can be unpredictable and incisive. Appropriate timing to use a Shadow Sneak with the most darkness around.'_

"Who are you calling gramps, kid?" Gero sprung after the ghost frog.

They were both aiming for the can, but focused on each other once their eyes locked. They swung with their Dragon Claws and Cut blades, discharging green and white sparks that illuminated the room.

The others covered their faces. "Gah! Man, they're intense!" Shane exclaimed.

"Who knew fighting over a soda would get this intense!" Dez exclaimed too.

Juniper laughed aloud. "Basically a normal evening for the two of us!"

Barbatos pushed as hard as he could on the Dragon Claws, lucky to have the height advantage of their midair clash. He glared at the can as it began to freefall, with the ghost frog wondering how it managed not to spill the remainder of the soda out yet. He puffed out his cheeks, then expelled his tongue and whacked the can away. He torqued his body, locked his blades in between the claws of Gero's Dragon Claw, and threw Gero to the ground.

' _Barbatos! Get the can!'_

"Shut up!" Once his foot touched the ground, he kicked off towards the flying can. "It's mine!"

Gero spun and flipped off his back. He breathed a cold mist onto his fist, then struck it against the ground, firing off a shockwave with cold energy traveling along it.

Wash could feel its approach through his mindscape. _'That technique…it's the same as…!'_

The cold energy grazed Barbatos' leg, but it was enough to stagger his flight and knock him to the ground. The can was just out of reach and nearly touched the floor when a blue hand swiped it at the last second. Gero slid on his knees for a second before spinning around and smoothly rising to his feet.

Gero sipped the can again. "Heh, too slow, kid."

However, Barbatos was smirking. "Not yet!"

"Hmm?" Gero felt an odd sloshy slithering around his leg. He glared down, then raised his brow at the black water coiling around him. "What in the…?"

Barbatos clenched his fist. "That's our Fusion Move! The ever flexible Kuroi Mizu!" With a swipe of his hand, he commanded the water to sweep Gero's feet out from under him, then shoot itself against the can to blast it out of his grip. Barbatos rose and shot out another Kuroi Mizu from his cloak.

Gero darted his hand for the can, but Barbatos swiftly swiped the can, then flew into the humanoid's chest with a strong Aerial Ace kick to the back. Gero tumbled across the floor and landed on his stomach.

Barbatos laughed triumphantly and raised the can. "I win! Victory is mine!"

Gero sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. "Ugh…going to feel that one in the morning…" He rotated his neck a bit, flinching in satisfaction at the cracks. "Ooh…yeah, that's it…"

The other Fusions, minus Juniper, were utterly shocked at what they witnessed. Not since the battle between Peregrine, Hawkins, and Dakota have they witnessed something so grand. And unlike that last fight, Wash and Barbatos actually managed a hit off. Against the second strongest fighter, no less.

"Did…Did they actually win?" Shane asked in disbelief.

"Holy crap, they actually won…" Dez mumbled.

Asadi grinned and pumped her fist in the air. "Ah yeah! That's showing him! Way to go, Wash and Barbatos!" She quieted down when Juniper, once again, was having another round of her tenuous giggles. "Jun…what are you laughing about?"

Barbatos tipped the can to his lips. "I'd like to have a toast to the winner: ME! It was all me…and maybe Washington." He held the can over his mouth. "And now to take that victorious…sip?" He blinked upon realized he got nothing but air pouring in. Not even a drop. "What…?" He held it over the floor and shook it upside-down. His voice cracked in disbelief. "E…Empty?"

Gero's lips stretched into a smirk. "Game over."

Wash's friends stared with shock and disappointment in their eyes. "He…lost…" Shane uttered.

Asadi pulled on her ears. "Darn it! And he was so close, too!"

Wash retook control and stared at the can frantically. "Th-There's no way! There should've been some left!" He shook the can again in hopes something will spill out.

Gero patted his legs clean, then rested one hand on his hip. "Another rule of battle: don't assume your opponent will always be entirely honest in their fight." Wash stopped, then turned to the man curiously. "You are technically correct. The sips you saw me take should've left me with at least half the soda left. However, those were the ones you could perceive. During moments we traded blows, I took secret sips...during stopped time. Whenever I blocked one of your attacks, I would secretly stop time and take a sip and go about things as if nothing happened between our exchanges."

Wash blinked twice, then his jaw dropped with the can slipping out from his hand, clunking on the hardwood floor. "Wha…you…gah…huh?!"

Gero tapped the side of his head with a large grin. "Call it an unfair deception on my part!"

Wash, even Barbatos, were twitching at being duped so easily. Juniper couldn't hold herself back and burst with laughter, mindful not to flail her bad leg around. "S-Sorry, Washy! I would've warned you, but…HAHAHAHA! This is too much! HAHAHA!"

Her laughter managed to ease him from the unfair trick, but he reluctantly accepted the loss. He bowed his head. "I was duped…"

"Like hell I was going to let you go back to Kanto, especially like this." Gero went to his fridge and pulled out another soda. "You've been trained well, young Washington, but you're still nowhere to meet the requirements of this battle. Ivan Faust won't make any simple mistakes. He'll make sure his army will crush all who oppose him. It's as simple as that."

Wash sighed. "I understand, sir…"

"Good…now, I believe the agreement was you were to receive a harsh punishment for your failure." Gero stepped up to the kneeling frog.

Wash swallowed hard, then bowed his head. "I…I'll accept my punishment. Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"Glad to hear." There was a moment of silence between them…then Gero swiftly chopped Wash atop the head.

"YOW!" Wash fell on his back and cradled his aching head.

Gero turned away and opened his soda. "Training starts at dawn. That goes for the rest of you."

Wash went immediately silent, as did all but Juniper. They stared at the humanoid, then exclaimed a loud, "WHAT?!"

"That's your punishment. Training. _My_ training." Gero sipped his can. "I said I wasn't going to get you to Kanto like this. Never said anything about not at all."

Wash sat up, rubbing his head. "Then why did you hit me?"

"Tough love. That was a sample of what I will put you all through." He swirled his drink around. "Remember what I said about a wild variable multiplying? I'm the variable...and I'll be teaching you everything I know."

It was too good to be true. "Being trained by the second strongest councilman…?" Asadi awed.

"Exactly. You all have the will of fire burning inside you. I'm not cruel enough to snuff out that determination." He smirked with a passion. "No…I want to see that will of yours burn from your very core. Self-confidence in your abilities will help you win the fight. Never for a moment should you express doubt in yourselves. Always question everything in battle, but never doubt yourselves or hesitate. Our goal is to survive. We'll take our chances and pierce through their forces. Strong and proud."

Wash stood up and gripped his arm. He found an annoyed grin growing on his face. "Y-You really had no intention of taking us to Kanto…"

Gero raised his finger. "I do what I know is right. I figured if you all were going to give Ivan hell before he turns our world into the first Fusion apocalyptic utopia, you needed to speed up your training. None of you know how to use Fusion Mode yet, right?"

Everyone, even Juniper, shook their heads. Wash sighed. "I've bene trying, but…well, kind of hard to with how screwed up my head is."

' _ **Gee, what a PAL!'**_

"Then that's what we're focusing on. If it's power we need, that's what you're getting." He smirked over his shoulder. "I'll be putting you all through the same hell I put Juniper through."

Their eyes widened. "Same as…Juniper?" They turned to the lazy panda, who was snickering with a newfound deviousness not often associated with her. There was a tense idea of what they were getting into.

"This isn't the time to be lazing around. It's all or nothing from now on. I'll push you all so hard, you'll feel like your dying." His temporal aura blazed around him, emphasizing his excited smirk. "Let's hope you survive."

* * *

With brand new equipment and fresh food strapped to their backs, Tamara and her group were prepared to trek through the plains. The Beartic gave them everything they needed to survive the nights. It was a little over a week's worth of food for each, but they planned on rationing since there would just be mostly walking.

Spaz sighed in relief and stretched his arms. "Thank goodness. Goodbye, hard and craggy ground! Hello slightly more comfortable sleeping bag and even better tent!"

"Too bad we can't pay that Beartic back for his kindness," Casey said.

Tamara bent down and stretched out her legs. "I feel like helping out this Jean lady will be more than enough."

York glared. "Agreed." He cracked his knuckles. "Those traffickers are in for a world of hurt when we catch them."

"Yeah!" Willy explained. "We're gonna beat up the bad guys!"

Spaz laughed awkwardly. "Um…sure, buddy…"

Casey pointed at the dragon. "Is it really wise to bring him along?"

"Normally no, but I don't want to leave him with complete strangers either. I mean, they look like nice people, but I'm not taking chances." He held his hip. "Anyway, Tam, where we heading?"

Tamara held her arm over her eyes. "Ooo-kay! Shouldn't be too hard to look for a lazy Fusion. Lived with one for over five years." She crouched down and meticulously inspected the ground for tracks.

Casey gripped her jacket, staring hard at the ground. "I can't believe something like this was occurring under everyone's noses. Even with the Fusion Hunters."

Tamara picked up a pebble and inspected it. "Can't say I like them, but they do keep the violent Fusions off the streets. Still, can't help but wonder what you would need Fusions for. Can't be for normal illegal trafficking if you have to pay off prisons."

Spaz tapped his chin. "There's a strange thought. Were the police in Grandis City ever paid off?"

"Doubtful. Roteman was pretty strict on arresting criminals, especially Fusions, but he wouldn't let something like that slip under his notice. I don't see one time they could've done that without us noticing."

York glared to the side. "…Or maybe they did, but we were too preoccupied to notice."

"Eh? What's that mean?"

York clenched his eyes shut. "Well, after Roteman and Chief Liam vanished, things have been pretty hectic back home. Now everything else is in shambles with people probably scrambling to the safest bunker insight." York raised his fist. "We know Ivan used the Rogues before they got hauled off to prison. What's say that's the point we didn't notice?"

"Are you saying the Rogues might've been kidnapped?" Casey asked.

"Would any of us have been suspicious of it? It was the perfect set up to bring us down and get _them_ hauled off like the rest of the criminals." He bared his teeth. "Something like that just makes me so Arceus damn _furious_ …"

Spaz's ears drooped. "I haven't seen you this worked up over the Rogues since…well, when they got taken away."

York breathed through his nostrils and sighed. "I'll admit some of my old ways linger because of them, but they were a family to me…even if they hate my guts."

Tamara held her hips. "You honestly think the Rogues were taken away the same as these prisoners?"

"According to Beartic, Jean thinks it's all connected somehow."

The ninja cat sighed. "Ay yai yai…" She massaged between her eyes. "We don't have liable evidence…though, after being teleported to the middle of nowhere and the rest of the shit we dealt with…I wouldn't be surprised." She crossed her arms. "Regardless, we can't go running in guns blazing without a plan. I want to beat these guys to a pulp, too, but we'll be outnumbered and outmatched."

Spaz smiled. "When has that ever stopped you, though? I bet you can take them all down."

Tamara felt her heart skip a beat. She looked away and scratched at her cheek, which felt red all of a sudden. "Heh…don't hype up my ego too much…" She shook her head and straightened up. "A-Anyway, by all means, caution is our ally for the time being! We do things stealthily first…then we beat everyone to a pulp."

York punched his palm. "Can't wait to electrocute Faust when we get back to Grandis City."

"Love the enthusiasm, maybe tone it down. Right now, our main objective is finding these traffickers." She narrowed her eyes at the ground, then pointed ahead. "If what the Beartic said is true, I believe Jean went in this general direction."

Willy jumped on Spaz's head, nearly knocking the time mouse over. "This'll be fun!"

"Willy…" Spaz warned.

"Oh! I mean not fun."

Spaz patted his head. "You're a sweet kid."

Tamara cracked her knuckles. "No time to waste." She took charge of the group and marched onward, awaiting to confront the guilty party.

* * *

"ALRIGHT!" shouted the crazily dressed Frogadier Fusion. "One last performance for all you fine people! I'll be busting out my best moves for you all!" He spun and dramatically pointed at the bedsheet wearing ghost computer. "DJ Ghost Dex! Drop me a beat!"

"Th-That- _zzt_ -is me…DJ _Toast_ Dex- ZZT!" Codex spun under his sheet, then chose some random club music that blared from his chest.

Having gone two days into their new street performing business, the gang were racking up a decent bit of cash. They were still opting for a large tent, though that was kept off to the side. Despite having zero experience in street performing, they were lucky to be in a town that actually loved their quirky acts. They managed to get their hands on small props to brighten up their acts, like spray paint for Rebecca and a cheap ukulele for Emily. So far, they were getting by pretty well.

The three on standby watched Ren with scrunched faces, trying to contain their laughter at his rather silly dance moves. He was doing everything from the worm, the disco, the robot, and whatever he could think of off the top his head. He was going all out.

Emily laughed behind her hand. "He's really going at it."

Rebecca giggled. "I personally wouldn't mind joining in on the dance. Maybe the tango or the salsa…" She blushed brightly.

Emily rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, pull yourself out of la-la land." She pointed at their bin, which was full of money. "Besides, we're doing good with what we got. We can pay for a hotel room tonight and possibly get the tent for tomorrow."

Charlie grinned. "Maybe we can stock up on the hotel breakfast before we leave!"

"Like that train of thought!"

"Is that even legal?" Rebecca wondered.

Emily shrugged. "They give the food out for anyone to take. They won't miss a few dozen muffins and pancakes."

Charlie pounded his chest a bit as he looked to the sky. "It's getting pretty late. We should start heading in." He groaned and held his stomach. "I still can't believe you made me eat fire…"

"You eat tamato berries like they're nothing!"

"I'm talking about the smoke!" He belched out a puff of smoke, groaning again.

Emily waved it off. "Eh, you'll be fine."

Ren finished up his long dance sequence with a heel spin and a knee slide. "Ta-da!" The crowd clapped for him and threw some money into their bin. "Thank you, thank you! You've been a wonderful crowd!" He waved everyone off as the crowd dispersed.

Rebecca quickly counted up the money, then smiled. "This is great! This should be plenty for a room and breakfast!"

Codex glitched under his costume, sparks shooting out the eyeholes. "B-B-Breakfast is the MOST _portant meal of the SOLAR ECLIPSE!"

Emily patted his back. "Yeah, you need to rest."

After getting their gear packed away, they headed off to the nearest hotel. Rebecca sighed to herself, then asked, "So, the plan for tomorrow is to start moving again, right?"

Emily nodded. "Our best course of action."

"The city stretches out for a while. We should be able to find a new crowd to attract," Charlie figured.

Ren grinned. "Sweet! I've got to get my dancing legs in shape!"

Rebecca patted his back. "You do that, Ren."

Charlie suddenly bared a funny smile as a thought came to him. "You know, this may not be so bad. If we keep this up, maybe a talent agent will want to hire us. Or better yet, we could get jobs at the local theatre!"

"They still do those?" Ren asked. "You'd think people would rather see a movie…"

Rebecca waggled her finger. "You can't go wrong with a live stage performance. It's a classic outing for anyone."

Emily sighed and looked at them. "You guys seriously aren't thinking of dropping everything and joining the theatre, right?"

Charlie shrugged. "Could be a good idea."

"Yeah!" Ren agreed. "And hey, maybe we'll get so famous, the guys will know where WE are and be able to find us!" Ren then flinched at something. "Ooh…but what if we get so famous, we won't have time to hang out?"

Emily pinched between her eyes. "Ugh…Codex, back me up here."

"The average salary for a theatre performer is-"

"That's not what I meant!" She pointed at her friends. "Look, do what you want, but not now! There may not be time to run stage productions if the world is going through global anarchy."

Charlie blinked. "…A fair point."

They reached the hotel, with Emily going up to the front desk agent to get their room. They could only manage one room, so they all had to share. When she got back to them, she was twirling their room key on her finger.

"Okay, some minor ground rules. Girls get one bed, the guys get the other." She pointed at Codex. "And…you can just…sleep on the room desk or something?"

"I find these parameters perfectly adequate."

Emily sighed, remaining silent for a couple of seconds, then looked at her friends seriously. "Look, I get you all are having fun with this, but we can't stay here forever and make goofs out of ourselves. No matter what, we have one thing on our minds." She glared. "We're getting back to Kanto. And we will help the others take this guy down."

They smiled at her and nodded. "Heh…of course," Ren agreed. He gave her the thumbs-up. "Leave it to us! We'd never let a friend down! Much less our village!"

Emily smiled. "Good. Now…I want to have a look at the breakfast menu. We've got food to pack." They laughed and followed her to their room.


	66. To Yearn For

As their four-day journey into the plains went on, it felt each day they were getting farther from their goal. Finding the Fusion known as Jean left them with some clues to her direction, but not much on her actual location. As such, most time was spent recuperating from another long trek for their sore bodies. They have long since recovered from their original injuries, but now dealt with the aches in their legs hey would occasionally rest off.

For today, the group pitched themselves up beside a low, rounded hill a little before the afternoon. The place they settled down at also showed their closer proximity with plant life, now surrounded by a few trees that naturally grew berries.

Things were, thankfully, pretty chill for the moment. Spaz took the liberty of roasting the berries they were given for lunch over a camp stove. He licked his lips at the cooked surface of the skin. "Looking tasty. They should be ready soon."

"Great, I'm starved," Tamara said as she performed one-handed push-ups. She felt some lingering pains from the Devil Fire or whatever it was called to her abdomen, but they were no more than dull aches. Some exercise helped her keep her mind off it.

Over at their tents, Willy slid out sluggishly, having taken an extra couple hours of sleep than everyone else. "Morning…"

"Morning, little buddy," Spaz greeted, holding up a kebab of berries to the little dragon. "How'd you sleep?"

Willy nibbled on the first berry, then answered, "Not well…"

"Eh, I know the traveling thing is something to adjust to, but you'll get used to it." Spaz rolled his eyes. "Not like I'm happy about a forced camping trip."

"Don't like camping?" Tamara asked.

"Not so much _that_ and more so…I could be doing anything else right now, but I can't…because I was forced into this predicament."

Tamara rolled her eyes. "Eh, a little walking won't kill you."

"Tell that to my legs!"

Willy yawned and nibbled some more on his kebab. "I'm still bored…"

Spaz patted his head. "Bet you miss your pals, huh?"

"Mhmm…"

"Tell you what. I have an aspear berry somewhere in the bag. How about we use that to play some catch later?"

Willy looked up to him with shimmering eyes. "Promise?"

"Have I ever disappointed you before?"

Willy smiled and nuzzled up against Spaz's side. "Thank you!"

"Aww, you're welcome!" He hooked his arm around the dragon.

York and Casey exited their tents, having overheard the exchange. York crouched down and patted Willy's head. "Just hold out for a little longer. We'll reunite with them eventually."

Casey sat down and stretched her arms. "Yeah, uh…speaking of which, should we discuss how little our luck is working for us?"

Tamara flipped to her feet and joined across the circle. "I suppose you mean the lack of a Fusion by the name of Jean?"

"It's been four days now and still no sign of her." Casey groaned and held her face. "You'd think with her running off all the time, her friends would've invested in a GPS specifically for her."

Tamara held up her finger. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We did find some of those holes the Beartic mentioned. We're still on the right path." She crossed her arms and scrunched her face. "And geez. He wasn't kidding about them being molten rock on the inside. It looked like the aftermath of an eruption."

"She could be a Fire-Type," York suggested. "They can easily produce those temperatures."

"Yeah, but I remember Beartic mentioning something about her not tolerating the heat all too well. Who's heard of a Fire-Type that can't stand the heat?"

Spaz slowly rolled his eyes to his left as he said, "Ssssooo…not a Fire-Type."

Tamara groaned. "In hindsight, probably would've been smart of us to ask for her darn species, but we were all so tired that it wasn't top agenda material."

Casey hid a funny smile behind her hand. "And _some_ of us were a bit cranky."

York's head poked up. "Who? Me?"

"Wellll…"

"Hey!"

Spaz raised his hands. "I'm staying out of this. Didn't say anything."

Casey giggled at York's fuming expression. "Well…regardless, I think we can agree by her habit of burrowing underground…she could very well be a Ground-Type."

Tamara picked up one of the berry kebabs and bit off an oran berry. "Ground-Type, Fire-Type…doesn't matter which one if we can't keep pace with her. I say we head out in an hour. With any luck, we're getting closer."

Spaz groaned. "On the other hand, with our luck, the reverse is also true."

"Spaz, there's no room for pessimism here."

Spaz grinned and swung his fist. "Oh boy, I can just TELL we're getting closer! I can feel it in my gut!" Tamara giggled behind her hand, which brought up the time mouse's mood to genuine lengths. It was a good day if he could make her laugh.

This got York and Casey to share some knowing looks with each other. Willy didn't seem to understand what they were doing and just went back to eating his kebab.

Spaz sat up and stretched his arms. "I've been sitting down for way too long." He stretched out his legs. "I'm going to take a quick sprint around the hill. Be back in a bit!" He sped off in a green blur.

Tamara smirked at the fading dust trail left behind. "Geez, if he wanted to burn some energy, I could've offered a race."

Casey crossed her arms and smirked. "You know, that's something I never understood. You and Spaz are, without a doubt, the fastest in the village. How come I never heard anything about you two racing before?"

The ninja cat rolled her eyes. "Believe me, I wanted nothing more than to race Spaz around the village. He just wouldn't give me the time to ask. Every time I brought it up, I'm suddenly talking to a dust-shaped Pikachu."

York chuckled cheekily behind his hand. "Would it have anything to do with your pride? I bet he didn't want to break it."

"Hey! If you're saying I'm slower than Spaz, I'll fight you!" Tamara shouted.

"Case and point," he finished smugly.

"…I'm totally faster than Spaz!" she argued.

York shrugged. "Look, even if you two had a race and you lost-" Tamara growled. "- _hypothetically_ speaking, you would annoy him to death for a rematch. I'm not sure if you know this, but you have a tendency to try and prove you're the best at basically anything physical, especially races."

"…" Tamara's face lit bright red as she turned away and grumbled to herself, "Shut up…"

Casey laughed. "Oh, but don't think bad of it. I'm sure Spaz didn't want to race you because he didn't want to upset you. Plus, he admires you a lot, so he could even throw the match, which might have made you angrier."

Tamara rubbed the back of her head and smiled a bit. "Heh…you know, before we ended up crashing down in the middle of nowhere, I didn't know he looked up to me that much. It's…actually pretty sweet. He's a cool guy…" She laughed to herself. "I don't know why, but his words touched me more than all the others. It…meant a lot coming from him."

York smirked. "I'm willing to bet the feeling's mutual."

"Eh?" the ninja cat uttered in confusion.

Casey wiggled her claw. "Well, not to assume anything, but you have been treating Spaz a bit differently lately. A lot…I don't know, what's the word I'm looking for? Sweet? Yeah…you've been sweeter with him. A lot friendlier and…dare I say, more flirty."

"Flirty?!" Tamara exclaimed, absolutely appalled. "I do not flirt!"

"First time for everything…" Casey muttered.

York leaned back on his hands. "Which begs an interesting question…do you have a crush…on Spaz?"

Tamara's face burst with heat, with her whiskers shaking with the rest of her twitching body. "E-E-E-Excuse me?!"

"Someone's getting flustered~!" Casey sang.

"Uh, buh, buh! No!" Tamara swiftly corrected. "I am not flustered! I am simply astonished you would accuse me of such a thing!"

"Is accused really the word you want to use?" York asked.

"Don't know, not the point! I don't have a crush on Spaz!"

"Mmmmhmmmmm," the duo went.

"Oh no, don't you dare pull that one on me! I've seen plenty of those crappy sitcoms to know what you two Mesprit are thinking!"

York shrugged. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, we gave Wash just as much grief when he was struggling to tell his feelings to Juniper. He didn't want to admit it, but now they're happy with each other."

Casey clasped her hands and pressed them up to her cheek. "And the same thing could happen with you and Spaz!"

"Okay, no! Wash and Juniper are a completely different subject! Do I look like a Juniper to you?!"

York crossed his arms and gave her the brow. "Tamara, we know you're tough, but not devoid of emotion. You can't expect us to believe you don't have the tiniest bit of attraction to Spaz with the way you've been acting."

Tamara blinked, then proceeded to look down at her feet awkwardly. "Um…well…"

York raised his hands defensively. "We're not pushing you to instantly like-like the guy, but you do seem to be treating him a bit differently than how you usually are with him." He suddenly smirked. "Besides…kind of hard not to make assumptions. Don't think we didn't see what you did to knock him out."

Tamara's cheeks went red again, with her whiskers bouncing up in agitation. She prayed to Arceus they didn't see that. Even she still couldn't believe what she did, even if she secretly had no objection to the action either…why the heck was she thinking _that_? Did she…actually enjoy kissing Spaz on the cheek?

That only worsened her blush, which she desperately tried to hide. "People like you make my life more complicated than it needs to be…" She narrowed her eyes for a second, then smirked deviously…another unusual trait to her. "What about you two? Don't tell me recent events hasn't pulled you two together."

That got them to shut up, now on the opposite end of the teasing. They blushed and looked away from each other, though not as embarrassed. "Well, um…" York mumbled inaudibly.

Casey couldn't help but giggle at how adorably awkward he was being. "Wellll…not to say we haven't talked about it. We…considered the idea of dating before…everything went nuts."

Tamara crossed her leg over the other and leaned back. "How long have you two been crushing on each other, anyway?"

Casey giggled bashfully. "Is it wrong to admit since he got the Rogues off my back? He was…kind of like my knight in shining armor."

York blushed brighter. "Casey…!" he whined in embarrassment.

"Hey, it's true." That made him smile a bit.

Tamara smirked. "Heh, love at first sight-" Her eyes widened, then she facepalmed herself. "Ugh! I knew Artemis would get that romance nonsense pushed into my head somewhere!"

"May help you realize your feelings," Casey teased.

"For the last time, I don't have a crush on-!" She felt a strong breeze from behind, making her yelp and jump up, seeing the time mouse had returned. "SPAZ!" She blushed brightly. "Lovely to have you back. How was your jog-?"

"No time to talk!" he suddenly interrupted, surprising them. He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "We got a problem!"

"Whoa, Spaz, slow down! Where's the fire?" York asked as he and Casey stood up.

"You might want to see for yourself. It's BAD!"

* * *

Adjustments to living on a mountain were going well for the stranded group. Currently, Dakota and Poppy were working on touching up the front of their cave for added protection. There were some trees they cut down and fashioned into a sturdy wall with a door. It took a few tries since none of them were carpenters, but it came around.

Once it was set up over the cave entrance, Dakota turned to Poppy. "We need some webbing to keep it in place."

"On it!" Using the spider legs on her back, she crawled along the wall and spat her String Shot onto the corners and sides, gluing it down. "There you go!"

Dakota pulled to test the sturdiness and smiled with satisfaction. "I say we did a good job." She gave the little Ralts-Araquanid a high-five. "Great work, Poppy." She held her hips. "I say this is turning out to be a decent home." She set her attention on Caleb and Winona, who were hard at work with their own thing. "How's the garden coming along, kids?"

Since acquiring berries may prove difficult later on, they agreed to start a small garden that should be able to provide for all of them. The berries will take some time to grow, though Hawkins would be an added bonus to speeding up the process. The bat rodent and whale kitten were finishing up with the ground, patting down the packed mounds of dirt.

"Great! I gave them plenty of water!" Winona exclaimed proudly.

"That ground here is surprisingly fertile, Ms. Dakota," Caleb commented. "We should be able to grow loads of berries."

Dakota smiled. "Well, you two are turning out to be excellent gardeners."

"More like survivalists." They saw Hawkins walking up to them, kneeling down to expect the garden. "You kids are maturing well. Seems we have everything we need to live up here for the time being."

Dakota crossed her arms. "Any luck finding a way off?"

"Still too much mist ahead." He stood up. "And the side we're on is too steep to climb down safely. I can't have Harper or Caleb find us a path in the sky without getting themselves hurt."

"So…still stuck up here?" Dakota asked.

"If we get a large enough fire roaring, we could make an SOS. Until then, it'd be safer to stay here."

Dakota shrugged with a light grin. "No problem with that. We're slowly turning this place into a suitable shelter." She chuckled. "Maybe we should start digging through the ground next. Maybe I'll find a hot spring for us to use. Or better yet, make material for a stone stove. Get some minerals and ores and we could make a more appropriate shelter."

Caleb raised his hand. "Like Blockworld?"

"Yeah, just like that."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "If we could be slightly more realistic for the next few seconds…"

"Mock me all you want, but I've been pulling my weight just as much as you are. Give me that."

He closed his eyes and sighed. "I suppose you are fairly competent."

Dakota smiled dryly. "Gee, how sweet of you…"

"Mr. Hawkins?" The feline-like swordsman looked over at Harper, who was rubbing two sticks together over a pit of wood. "How do I start a fire? It won't make sparks!"

Hawkins groaned and rubbed his face. "First of all, don't do that without my supervision. Second…" He mumbled off his explanation as he approached her.

Dakota laughed behind her hand. "Oh Hawkins…never an easy day for you, is there?" She smiled at the swordsman's back, with a light tenderness. She held her cheek and leaned against the mountainside, sighing contently. "Hmm…I have to admit…for all the crud I give you, you're not as bad as I…"

She felt her mind wandering off for a moment before realizing what she was actually thinking. She recalled that brief comment made by Matthew and jumped up with a shrill shriek. She covered her mouth and darted her eyes quickly to make sure no one heard her before slipping back into the cave.

She patted behind her hands, feeling a sudden warmth creep up on her cheeks. _'Where the heck did THAT come from? Was I actually thinking Hawkins looks kind of…dreamy?'_

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she held the sides of her head and laughed awkwardly (maybe crazily) out loud. _'Oookay, take a deep breath, Dakota. This mountain air must be doing something screwy with your mind. You've never spent this much time around Hawkins, so you're just thinking weird thoughts. I-I mean, really now. Talk about ridiculous! Hawkins and me? HA! As if! Hahahahahaha…hahaha…hah…'_

She didn't sound convinced. Never in her wildest dreams could she believe such an idea to be true. With how at odds the two were with each other, the very thought of finding him attractive made zero sense. It really must be because they've been in such close proximity with each other over the last couple weeks or so. She lost track of time.

' _C-Come on, Dakota, be serious with yourself. This is no time for me to be thinking those things!'_

Even her thoughts didn't sound all that convincing, no matter how sure and confident she made the voice sound. She was now convinced it had to do with being around him so long.

Exactly, that had to be it. They've been stranded with nothing to do but survive, support the children, and make sure they had everything to make for a self-sustaining lifestyle for however long they were on the mountain. It'd make sense that her mind would eventually play around with the thoughts of finding Hawkins a little more…something than just a pompous jerk.

' _Hah…so I…don't like him like that…'_ Dakota still felt uneasy trying to admit. She gulped and held her aching head. _'Maybe I should…sit down or something…for a moment…'_

She sat down against the backend of the cave and gently massaged her temples. She took a few cleansing breaths, warding off all those crazy thoughts from her mind. "Mountain's making me crazy, mountain's making me crazy…" she muttered over and over.

"Lunch!"

"AH!" She nearly jumped out of her fur, but soon relaxed as it was only Wantanabe. He was balancing an oran berry atop his head, leaning it towards her. "Oh…thank you, Wantanabe." She took the berry with a sheepish grin, then nibbled into it. Perhaps a lunch will take her mind off this whole crazy idea of liking Hawkins.

The dragon Eeveelution, however, looked on with concern. "Are you okay, Ms. Dakota?"

The Sandshrew-Glaceon answered…calmly, one could say. "Oh, I'm fine! Perfectly fine! Mountain air's just a bit too much for me!" She nibbled faster on the berry.

Wantanabe blinked, then tilted his head. "Ms. Dakota?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"…Is this about Hawkins?"

She spat what she ate on the cave floor. "GAH! What gave you that idea?!"

"Matthew said you two were acting weird around each other. You're a lot nicer to him and so is he." He pointed at her with his paw. "Plus, you looked really freaked when I mention him."

Dakota bared her teeth. _'I'm gonna have to teach Matthew it's not nice to spread rumors…'_ She sighed and patted Wantanabe's head. "Don't look too deep into it, Wan. Nothing…big is going on between me and Hawkins. We just reached a common understanding and are…agreeing to be friends. Good friends. Definitely nothing more, I promise!"

Wantanabe blinked. "Well…okay!" He grinned. "As long as you're okay, that's fine by me!"

Dakota took a moment to gush at the heart melting sentiment, then gave the dragon Eevee a hug. "Why don't you run along and play with the others? Have you had lunch yet?"

"Not yet."

"Then go get some. Hustle!" She shooed him off. Wantanabe laughed and skipped off for some lunch. Dakota giggled behind her hand. "Sweet boy…" She sighed and pressed the back of her head against the cave wall. "My gosh…now even the children are starting to see something. Kids can be more perceptive than adults on occasion, but…come on, it can't be true."

There was no denying she had a stronger appreciation for Hawkins as a person. Even through all his methods and ideals about being the best and material worth, he has his moments and has been doing better acknowledging others. She couldn't believe how fast he adapted to teaching the children, when from the beginning she was worried he'd send all of them home crying. He came pretty close with Willy and Winona for being too tough on them.

Dakota turned the berry around in her hands, lost in thought. _'I mean…it's not like I hate Hawkins or anything. I never downright hated him. He just…got under my skin.'_ She bitterly rolled her eyes. _'Not exactly the best first impression. Tsk. Really, why would I like a jerk like him? He was nothing but an inconsiderate jerk who only cared about himself and valued his wealth over others. I don't see myself with a guy like that!'_

Her mind went silent for a moment, the small well of anger that bubbled inside disappearing as quickly as it came. Her face turned soft as she bit into the berry.

'… _I don't see myself with Hawkins back then. He was not my ideal partner. But…that's not who he is now. Now…Now he's much more thoughtful and kind…he's been a big help in getting me past my own issues…he's been bonding well with the kids…he's practically a big brother for little Wantanabe. Sure, he's…still kind of arrogant, but…it's a lot more tolerable.'_

Her face reddened a bit. _'Annnd…I suppose he's…kind of attractive…'_ She groaned and held her face. "Why was I born to be such an awkward mess? Why couldn't Asadi have been teleported with us?" She paused briefly. "…Actually, no, that would've probably made my life worse…that, or I'd die of overheating." She groaned again and curled up on the ground.

She just needed to sleep it off and hopefully she won't have any lingering thoughts about it.

She was about to close her eyes when she felt an energetic flipper hitting her side. "Wha-huh?" She turned over and was greeted by Winona and Caleb. "Hmm?" She sat up. "Do you two need something?"

"No, not really," Caleb answered. He then tilted his head and said, "We were just worried. We heard you talking and…you looked a little frazzled earlier."

' _Why was I blessed to nurture such wonderful kids?'_ Dakota smiled and held her hands up. "Kids, I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff?"

"Are you thinking about Mr. Hawkins?" Winona squeaked.

Dakota's face burned red again, reactively pulling on her dangles. "Are all you kids gossiping about that?!" She gasped and covered her mouth. She didn't mean to shout like that, but maybe Hawkins didn't hear-

"What's with all the shouting in here?"

Oh, never mind.

"EEP!" Dakota fell over and curled up in a more defensive formation.

Hawkins pushed open the crude door and looked around the cave before spotting Dakota curled on the floor. He narrowed his eyes seriously, one hand propped against his hip. "You know, there are better ways to manage your time than curling up in the fetal position."

Dakota uncurled and laughed awkwardly. "Heh, yeah, maybe…"

"What's with you?" He raised his brow. "You're looking…redder than usual."

"NOTHING!" Dakota shrieked. She coughed and quickly corrected her outburst. "Heh…I mean, nothing's wrong! Nothing wrong here! Hehehehe…"

They exchanged stares in silence, with Dakota desperately trying to hold out against his piercing gaze. She would be absolutely mortified if he knew what she was thinking. Can he even do that? He is a Psychic-Type. That did NOT help her nerves in the slightest.

Thankfully, it appeared he wasn't using any mind reading tricks to get the information. What he did instead, however, was kneel down and press his hand up to her forehead.

Dakota's dangles bounced up in a panicked reflex, as her face tried to keep itself cool under the amount of heat pouring through it. Her cheeks turned pinkish as a result. "W-W-W-What are you-?!"

"You feel cold," he commented. "Tch. Then again, I suppose that's normal for you. Doesn't feel like you're running a fever." He glared down at her. "…You could be overworked. Not that I'm surprised. You're kind of scrawny."

That managed to erase her embarrassment. "Excuse me?!" she snapped. "Just because I don't work out doesn't mean I'm brittle!"

"You'd collapse after a push-up."

Dakota smirked and poked him in the forehead. "I bet you're still a little bitter that you needed my help to beat Peregrine's stupid game."

Hawkins slapped her hand away gently. "I'm above petty derision."

Dakota stood up and dusted herself off. "And I'm above having my pride stepped on with your taunts."

He grabbed her wrist, surprising her. "…Are you sure you're not overworked?" he asked with sincerity, even if it was delivered from his stoic face.

Dakota's cheeks pinked again, but managed some self-control to keep her cool, no pun intended. "I-I'm fine." She took her wrist back.

"You're stuttering there."

"I-It's a condition?" Hawkins raised his brow, not convinced. Dakota walked around him and headed for the door backwards. "I just need some fresh air, that's all. Perfectly-GAH!" She tripped over her heels and flailed backwards.

She would've hit the ground had it not been for Hawkins speedily wrapping his arm around her waist and pulled her back up. It was so quick that Dakota barely had time to blink between the seconds. She was balanced on her heels while supported by Hawkins' arm. Their eyes were locked in that moment, with Dakota suddenly feeling skittish.

' _I can't even make up the level of awkwardness I'm experiencing…'_

This was possibly the first time a guy has ever held her like this…and she honestly didn't mind. She…felt safe with him, actually. Bolder, even. Another thing she can positively say about Hawkins…he did exude with self-confidence that was infectious.

He blinked twice before groaning out loud. "You're a real klutz, you know that?"

Dakota smirked awkwardly. "H-Hey…I'm usually more composed than this."

"Uh-huh." In unceremonious fashion, he dropped her, killing whatever moment they were sharing. He walked around her and headed for the door. "Try to keep it like that, because I don't need to be saving your tail if you decide to lose all sense of balance over a cliff."

Dakota sat up and rubbed her back, glaring at him. "Rude…"

"…Try to get some rest…please." Dakota's eyes widened as he looked back, now showing a softer look in his eyes. "It'd be a real pain if you got sick up here." He left the cave.

Even with the callous delivery, the words it carried felt genuine and meaningful. Above all else, he deeply cared about her health. Dakota smiled a bit while her heart fluttered inside.

"Heh…can do," she mumbled half-dreamily. She broke from her daze, feeling a pair of eyes staring hard at her back. Slowly, she turned around and gazed upon the big 'O' faces of Caleb and Winona. They…saw all of that. "…Don't you kids get any ideas!" Dakota warned.

The two giggled mischievously and scampered out of the cave before Dakota could grab them. Her ears drooped, matching the sour look upon her face. If there weren't rumors before, there certainly will be now. Her only hope was it STAYED between them and not with Hawkins.

" _Why me_?" she groaned, rolling on her back and covering her face. Hawkins was right. She needed to sleep.

* * *

"Hmm…now this is quite odd."

What the small group was unaware of was that they weren't the only ones on the mountain. As it turns out, there was one other lifeform lurking around. A Fusion who watched them curiously through her binoculars.

"I seem to have made an error when charting out this mountain. I was unaware there were other lifeforms researching out here." She zoomed in with the binoculars. "Then again, this group is mainly full of minors. Unlikely to be a school field trip. Could they be locals on the mountain?"

The Fusion that was observing them with such intrigue was a Delcatty-Silvally. Her sclerae were white with silver eyes lacking the pupils. She had a light black coat of fur with white ears and fur collar. She had the insectoid like forelegs and her rear legs were normal, but with the purple scales. Her tail had the fin like appendage at the end.

Despite her errors, she found herself becoming fascinated with each of them. "Oh, what does that matter? What I see is many different types of Fusion combinations. Oh my, is that an Eevee-Ditto? My, she certainly looks precious…and full of valuable data. What a brilliant combination to be born as. A match made in heaven."

She took out a clipboard from a bag she had with her and quickly jotted down some notes, even quickly making a detailed sketched of Harper in less than a minute. She was able to determine basic observations about her fur color and the state of her mane.

"Ooh, and that's just one. They all look chock-full of data!" She grinned excitedly. "They will be most beneficial in my research!"

* * *

Spaz led the group up the hill and told them to get down so they were out of sight. And from what, exactly? During his run, Spaz spotted a couple of vans parked out in the middle of the plains. The vans were unmarked, no company logo or anything, but they didn't have license plates, either.

York narrowed his eyes. "So…those are either government vehicles looking for aliens or…"

"They're our traffickers," Spaz finished.

Tamara glared. "You might be right…but why would they be all the way out here?" She peered closer. "Wait, I see something happening."

One of the vans opened up, with two suited Pokémon stepping out. A Conkeldurr and a Crabominable. Based on how she could see their lips moving, Tamara assumed they were conversing, though they were just out of earshot for her to pick up anything.

"They're too far away," she mentioned. She looked at Spaz. "Spaz, you're our recon guy. See what they're up to."

"Yes ma'am!" He sped down the hill and darted into a bush that was close by to the vans. He peered through with his ears erect, listening closing and quietly.

The Conkeldurr rubbed his knuckles as they walked around the truck. "Gates said once we're done with this last batch of crooks, we need to make a delivery for Mr. Faust. Another shipment of Fusion energy."

"Right." The hairy crab glared at the truck and banged on the side of the van. He heard stirring going on. "I think they're starting to wake up. The spray's wearing off."

"I'll give them another spritz. Make sure they don't break out." Crabominable scuttled for the backdoors while Conkeldurr pulled out a spraying gun. Based off the design, Spaz assumed it was a mix of Komala and Aromatisee DNA.

He nodded to himself before speeding back up to the others, dropping down beside Tamara. "Oh yeah, that's them."

York cracked his knuckles. "Then how about we bust up their little operation?"

Spaz held his hand up. "Not a good idea. They have those Fusion weapons on them. We can't run into a fight without knowing what they have on us."

"Spaz is right," Tamara said. "If we go in without preplanning, we'll get caught."

"We can't let them escape," York argued.

Tamara waggled her finger. "Or…we can take advantage of this golden opportunity. Why bust up the delivery service when you can wreck the store?" They raised their brows, completely confused by her metaphor. "…I'm saying we track the van and have it lead us to wherever they're taking the Fusions."

"Oooohhhh."

"That would be a better plan," Casey agreed.

"Even so, how? We're not spies with tracking devices," Spaz reminded.

"Got a plan for that, Tam?" York asked.

"How should I know? My strengths are being fast and beating up evil."

Spaz tapped his chin, then snapped his fingers. "Hey, hold on a minute!" He sped off for a second before returning with two handheld radios. "We can use these!"

"How will those help?" Casey asked.

"I was inspecting these and wondering why the camp gave them to us. These radios have built in radars."

Tamara, York, and Casey raised their brows. "Seriously?" Willy's eyes sparkled with fascination.

"Yeah. See, look." He switched them on and showed a screen with blips pointing in their twin's direction. "These two are linked together. One can track the other, likely in case one was lost or someone got separated."

York scratched his cheek. "Why would a bunch of campers roughing it out from modern society have tech like that? And these things look pretty darn expensive."

"Unless they belong to that Jean girl," Tamara assumed.

Willy gasped. "Oh my gosh! She's a spy!"

Casey patted his head and laughed. "Heh, I don't think that's it, sweetie…" She looked at Tamara and gulped. "Uh…did they mention anything about her being a seasoned traveler with a…diverse set of skills or something?"

Tamara rolled her eyes and swiped the radio from Spaz. "She's sounding more and more like that Vivi chick with each sentence. Doesn't matter right now. With these, we can use one to track the van."

York smirked. "Alright Spaz, do your thing."

"Right-o!" He sped back down the hill, just as the agents were finishing up in the truck.

Conkeldurr waved some pink mist out of his face. "There, that should keep them under until we get there."

"Great, let's get out of here," his partner said.

Spaz rolled under the van and pressed the radio against a pipe. With a combination of Grass Knot and Psychic, grass sprung out from under his back and wrapped around the radio. The grass blades tied themselves into a tight knot, guaranteeing the radio won't fall off.

Feeling the engine turning on, he quickly rolled out from under and sped back up the hill just as the trucks drove off.

"The deed is done!" Spaz exclaimed.

York nodded and stood up. "And once they arrive at the facility…"

"It's crime busting time!" Tamara shouted, punching her palm.

"We better hurry, though," Casey warned. "We don't know how far the radios can stay in range of each other."

"Good point." They raced back to their camp to pack everything up.

As they raced off, they failed to notice they weren't the only ones in the area. As it was declared by Ivan Faust, a hunt was placed on the Fusion that locked him out of his tower. As such, Fusions were sent to hunt and track all teleported Fusions and, if need be, take care of them.

One of the Fusions was spying on the group through binoculars. "I don't see the Rotom-Porygon-Z Fusion in their party." He lowered them and glared. "However…it seems they found one of the vans heading for the facility Mr. Faust mentioned. The one storing Fusions away."

His partner glared. "That'll be a problem if they break in," he stated in a gruff tone.

The lead Fusion, however, smirked. "Then again, if they get closer, we can easily ambush them and drag them the rest of the way. Free energy cells for the boss."

His partner snickered. "True that. But what about the Charmeleon girl?"

"We don't need her. They seem to be well off. We'll just leave her with the rest of her camping junk and let her fend for herself."

"I smell some recognition from this."

"Ha! Maybe we can get our own piece of land!" He then shivered fearfully. "Preferably anywhere that isn't Unova if that nutty witch actually usurps control…"

"There's no way they'd let someone like her run an entire region."

"I'm not taking that chance." They ducked back down into the bushes and prepared for their next move.

* * *

"Keep a strong mind and a stronger form!" Gero shouted, sipping at his soda while pacing around the living room.

Everything was cleared out, making it appear as a dojo, complete with sandbags, mats, and some equipment meant to strength everyone. When Gero said he was going to toughen them up, he wasn't holding back. He was making them push past their limits, rising beyond where they were comfortably strong.

Asadi was practicing by channeling her Electro Ball through her tail. The goal was to contain as much energy as she could and lessen the mental strain she was placing on herself. After about twenty dozen failed attempts, she was steadily getting the hang of it.

Dez was doing the exact opposite. As he was more of a powerhouse, he was trying to strengthen his overall power by firing off Discharge. Doing this would not only help strengthen the power of his Kami Volt, but also help with things like stamina and power loss. He was conditioning his body to get used to the large surge of expelled energy.

Shane was improving his natural sense to detect misfortune. Since it usually drove him into trances to get a more accurate prediction, Gero was having him wear a blindfold to dodge random objects, while wearing weights to slow him down. This would help with his dodging in both seeing and avoiding projectiles. Being able to bounce higher was an added bonus. And Juniper had the honor to throw dodgeballs at him.

Was went under intense mental training to better his synergy with Barbatos. He was manipulating his Fusion Move to take on different shapes, as he was more used to simple spheres and whips. He even tried controlling individual raindrops to further his training, though that left him with some nasty headaches.

Gero sat down and sipped on his soda. "If you don't feel like your bodies and minds are close to collapsing, you're doing something wrong."

Asadi was baring her teeth, panting through them. "Can't…hold it…any…longer!"

Gero looked to the charged Electro Ball, then stood up. "Well, in that case…" He pointed at a dummy hanging on a rope. "Aim for that dummy and let's see what you've got."

Asadi reflexively spun on her hands and flung the Electro Ball at it. She was surprised by the throw. It felt like there was real weight behind the condensed orb of Electricity. Gero and Juniper whipped out sunglasses and placed them on, warning the others to quickly turn and shield their eyes.

The Electro Ball struck with a huge bang, illuminating the entire room in a blinding, burning light. The attack fried the front of the dummy to a crisp in seconds. It tore apart the fabric and sent the fiery pieces scattering across the makeshift dojo, with a booming shockwave pushing into the group.

Asadi fell over onto her rear, absolutely baffled by her show of strength. "Holy moly…I can do that?!"

Gero nodded. "Yep. Your moves work with you like your muscles. If you keep pushing them past their limits, they'll break you down and slowly repair into something anew. Keep this up and you'll be able to do this with all your moves."

Asadi grinned. "Awesomeness!"

Dez ceased discharging electricity and sat down, grabbing hold of a bottle of water by his side. "Man…that hurts…"

Gero laughed amusingly. "Training you to build up your limit is essential. You have a lot of power already, so focusing on your limit is the goal."

Dez groaned. "You weren't joking earlier…" He guzzled down the water.

Gero set his attention on Wash, who was once again facing trouble with his training. He clutched his head and growled. "Dammit! Why is this so difficult?! I was able to work in sync with Barbatos last time!"

The temporal fighter walked up to him. "If I recall, you said this occurred while you were fighting a witch girl."

"Yeah…"

"Do you know what brought on this reaction?"

Wash held his head and sighed. "Easy. It happened right after Juniper got…" He went silent after that.

Gero narrowed his eyes softly. "…How long have you and Juniper known each other?"

"A little under three years, I guess."

Gero swirled his beverage around. "You must really care about her to bring out such an emotional outrage."

Wash covered his face behind one hand. "When Barbartos was still…less tamed, he caused a lot of trouble when I first came to the village. I didn't think anyone but the council could easily subdue him, but…Juniper surprised me. She took out Barbatos…pretty easily…" He closed his eyes. "And despite that…she might be the first person who never looked at me with fear."

Gero sat down. "You must've had a troubled past, young man."

"Yeah…"

"Juniper knows that feeling really well." The man closed his eyes. "She feared a lot of things while she was with me. As she was learning to reinvent herself from her malicious history, I had to teach her to understand and embrace that fear." He shook his head. "The fact she still can't use Fusion Mode might mean there's still something she fears…she's not willing to face her past directly."

"Weren't you the one who taught her to forget about it?"

"I told her not to let who she was define who she should be." He looked off to the side. "She never knew her parents…and I still don't know what brought them to give their infant daughter away. Juniper told me a lot of things about how she was raised.

"She didn't have fun like a regular kid. She didn't eat anything fun or exciting. Just some nutritional glob she told me was tasteless. Even the ones she called her brothers and sister had their sides that she didn't want to associate with anymore. Juniper was raised to be emotionless, uncaring, and not have a decent bone in her body."

Wash gritted his teeth. "Disgusting…"

"…Heh…" Gero closed his eyes. "Kid, did Juniper ever tell you why she likes soda?"

"Because you practically fed it to her as part of her diet?" Wash joked bitterly.

"Heheh…I can assure you her carbonation intake was a bit more controlled. She has been getting a little pudgier, I'll give you that." He patted Wash on the head. "But that's not what I meant." He smiled. "Think you can promise me something?"

"Sure?"

"If you get the chance, talk to Juniper. In private." He glanced at the panda, who continued throwing stuff at a helpless Shane. He sighed and stood up. "She never told you what happened during her first week here, did she?"

"She was pretty vague…" Wash admitted.

"Let's just say she was being a brat. Hard to feed someone who thinks everything you make is poisoned or...well, disgusting." He shrugged. "Though…that story does have a happy ending." He walked over to save the luck ghost from Juniper's merriment.

Wash looked at Juniper again, this time studying her smile. This one was different from the one she wore like a mask. The one from before was bare and casual, almost like it was meant to be there. He would often see through that mask and get glimpses of light shining through. Now back here, Juniper's smile was unleashed. It shined like the morning awakening of a sunrise. It was pure and genuine. The fear she felt was forgotten for now.

She had a beautiful smile.

' _It's like I keep finding more things about you to cherish…'_ He smiled softly at her. _'As always…your smile is an infectious sunrise.'_


	67. What's Wrong With Being Selfish?

In the snowy town that constantly blustered with frostbiting winds, crime was a known constant. Hard to stop, hard to control. That's how it was out on these streets. Survival of the fittest and smartest. That's the philosophy one had to adopt out here, for there was no other way of going on.

Around this time, it was expected for a crime to take place, like now. A small group of three, consisting of two Pokémon and a Fusion, had broken into a closed liquor store and made off with the money and some of the products. They were sneaking back into an alleyway used as their hideout, like most living on the streets. The town had so many alleyways to hide away in, you were bound to find one group hiding out inside them.

The crooks consisted of a Geodude, a Crobat, and a Ninetails-Lanturn, who was blue with an antenna coming from his forehead and a yellow 'mask' over his eyes. They dropped the sack of money in a pile of snow, along with the bottles of booze they snatched. They laughed amongst themselves at their good fortune. It was too easy to steal from the people of this town.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Geodude exclaimed. "Another fine score, boys! We'll be drinking well tonight!" He scooped up some cash. "And with this fat stack of moolah, we're another day closer to getting a ticket out of this darn town!"

"Why leave?" Crobat asked, smirking deviously. "This place is a goldmine for suckers. Anyone who thinks they can live better than us in this stupid town has another thing coming! We can do whatever we want!"

"Agreed!" the Ninetails-Lanturn exclaimed. He picked up one of the bottles and popped the cork off. "Let's drink ourselves to sleep and have a good night!"

"Hahahaha! Oh yeah!" They clanged their bottles together and started guzzling down on the alcohol.

Geodude wiped his lips and smirked. "I say we hit Kingdom Apartments next. There's so well-off folks living in there."

Crobat shook his head. "No dice, compadre. Territory's off limits."

"Eh? Why's that?"

"I tried to rob from there, but some old hag shooed me off." He flinched. "Making threats and junk. I'm pretty sure she said the territory around there was already in control."

The Fusion rolled his eyes. "Oh please. Who could be running things around there to get you that worked up?"

"You know who I'm talking about. I mean the-" He cut himself off at the sound of glass rolling in the alleyway. It sounded like a bottle that was accidentally kicked.

The three criminals were suddenly on edge, pulling themselves up and assuming attack position. At the end of the alleyway, they saw a shadow extending out against the wall. There was someone around the corner. First instincts said it was a cop, which wouldn't bode well for them. If it was someone intruding on their turf, though, that was a different story.

Geodude punched his fists together and spoke with a threatening tone. "Hey! Whoever's there, scram! You're stepping out our turf! This isn't a place for you to galivant!"

From the looks of the shadow, the intruder didn't retreat or flinch. Instead, they just giggled in response. A female, they could tell. Her laughter was mellifluous, easy on the ears and harmonious for the heart. After, she spoke with a seductive tone that filled their minds with perverse feelings.

"Oh...pardon me, boys. I got lost on my way here and...well, I saw you three strapping, handsome young men wandering by and...well, I know this is sudden, but…" A paw extended out from around the corner, beckoning them to her. "I was hoping you could help a poor little lady like me find my way to a motel for the night. I'll make sure you're rewarded for your troubles~," she purred at the end.

The Ninetails Fusion grinned lustfully and pushed his two partners out of the way. "Dibs!" He rushed over to the temptress.

"HEY!" they shouted.

The Fusion turned the corner and introduced himself to the hidden lady. "Well, hello there, pretty lady. Allow me to be your guide through this- wait, what are you doing with that…wait, stop…stop- OH DEAR ARCEUS!"

The other two flinched as their friend was being beaten senselessly out of sight. It sounded like metal frying pans were being bashed into his skull. They gasped when he fell into view, trying to scramble to safety, but was dragged back, with his screams dampening into nothingness.

They bared their teeth as the same laughter echoed across the alleyway, only now it was far more evil sounding, like they were being cornered by the mastermind in a torture horror film. "Sorry boys! There's a new gang in town! We'll spare you if you had over that sweet stack of cash you got there! Mwuahahahahaha! HAHAHAHA!"

"Isn't this a little over the top?" The laughing stopped short by the introduction of the second voice. The two thugs glanced at each other awkwardly. "And you didn't have to hit him that hard!"

"Hey! This is how gangs operate! We don't play nice out here!"

"Have I ever told you you're kind of a horrible person?"

"I like to think I'm eccentric."

Geodude suddenly plunged his hand into the ground and ripped out a chuck of rock for his Rock Throw. "Stay back or I'll bash your brains out!"

The eviler of the two chuckled deviously. "Oh Crawford~! You're on!"

From out of nowhere, a fist came barreling down on the Geodude, sinking him into the ground and knocking the rock out of his hand. Crobat shrieked and flew back from the boxing crab. The tough crab raised his pincers and took his stance.

"Put 'em up."

The Geodude came swinging with his fist, sucker punching Crawford across the cheek. "Who do you think you are, bas-!" He was suddenly countered with a flurry of Close Combat punches, bashing and cracking his face. There were visible dents from the consecutive blows.

Crawford sent an uppercut and punted Geodude across the air, careening into the alley walls. "Don't piss me off, bastard."

Crobat fluttered back, gritting his teeth tightly. "Who the heck are these…?" His eyes shrank as a long shadow casted over him and the alleyway. He heard a low grumbling coming from above him, fearing to look and meet the eyes of death. "Don't tell me…"

Against his better nature, he dared a look and nearly dropped out of the sky from fear. Hovering over him was a monstrous vision of the mighty Giratina, with fangs and bladed wings, staring into him with its piercing red eyes. It took all the willpower he had for his wings not to lock up.

Artemis stepped out of hiding and smirked at the bat. "Oh, I see you've been acquainted with my friend." She leaned against the wall. "Meet my monstrous friend, Sheila! I warn you, she's a biter…and killer!" She cackled madly.

Sheila, casted under the guise of a Giratina, glared down at Artemis. "I take back what I said. _This_ seems excessive."

"It's about presentation!"

"What happened to me making leather jackets with my illusions?"

"This was better."

Crobat, with his racing heart slowly beating at a normal pace, darted his eyes between the two in confusion. "Um…what the heck…?"

Artemis groaned. "Look what you did, Sheila! You're the worst gang member ever!"

Crobat bared his teeth and pulled his wings back for an Air Cutter. "Alright, no more games! I'm gonna-!"

 _BAM!_

The girls shot their attention back on the bat as he dropped unconscious. Chris landed beside his body and stood up, holding his hip and giving them a raised brow of judgment. "Did we really need to go down the dramatic route to get our point across?"

Artemis held a digit up. "Yes, because we want all the other gangs hiding out in this town to understand what they're up against. If we want to be the top gang, we need power. Once rumors spread, they'll fear us." She grinned crazily and rubbed her paws together. "We just need to go bigger!"

Sheila dispelled the illusion. "Or perhaps we should do things normally."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Looks like someone needs to go back to Criminal 101."

"I didn't want to be a part of a gang in the first place!" Sheila took a deep breath and sighed. "Besides, do we have to be a gang? Can't we just be, I don't know, vigilantes?"

"No. I want to run a gang." Artemis held her head up. "After all, we need to show these other guys who's boss."

Crawford crossed his arms. "Lass, this is the third gang we've run across since we went with this crazy idea. There aren't that many from what I'm seein'."

"Oh good, they're already hiding in fear of us!" Artemis snickered gleefully.

Sheila held her hip. "Are there even any other gangs in this town? Crawford's right, we aren't doing much except beating up thugs. Besides, if we be vigilantes, maybe we'll get a little more respect from the town."

Artemis blinked, then burst out into laughter, surprising the illusion rabbit. "HA! Good one, Sheila! For a second, I thought you were serious! Hahahahaha!"

"I…I-I am," she stuttered in confusion.

Artemis' eyes widened, then dropped into a glare. "Are you kidding me? Why the heck would I want to waste my time being some vigilante?"

"Well, we could get public support-"

"From this dirty, stinkin' town? Yeeeeeah, good luck with your little fantasy world."

Sheila huffed. "Look, I just don't want to get in trouble with the law! My parents would kill me if they thought I was in a gang!"

"They'd be even more upset if they knew you were doing unlawful vigilantism. Besides, newsflash, vigilantes don't get paid. They don't steal the money. We NEED money!"

"Maybe someone could hire us to minimize the crimes."

"Weren't you agreeing with Crawford that there aren't that many gangs here? What's the harm? We're taking the stolen money from robbers and keeping it for ourselves."

"But why should we lower ourselves to their standards?"

"You know, you're kind of insulting ME since this is the kind of stuff I did on my own!"

The girls argued back and forth, waving their arms/forelegs around, while Chris watched awkwardly, mixed about getting involved or not. If he knew one thing, it was never to get involved with angry women. Even so, this was a little hard to watch.

"Crawford, should we say something?" He heard bottles being picked up, suddenly glaring at the crab. "Crawford!"

Crawford huffed shamelessly and held the booze closer. "I haven't had a freakin' drink in weeks! I don't care what we do as long as I get my booze!"

Chris took a deep breath and slapped himself in the face. "Am I the only normal one around here?"

Sheila rubbed her temples, then clasped her hands together. "Look, all I'm saying is that we don't have to go the full criminal route. We could use some of this money to help others who are in a similar position as us."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "I'm not a charity case, you know. I wasn't taught to always be a nice person on the streets, okay? This is how things work around here."

"But why do they have to? What's wrong with being nice and helping others?"

Artemis smirked irritably. "Sheila, I get you live in a little bubble where everything is sunshine and rainbows-" Sheila glared at that remark. "-but has it ever occurred to you that Pokémon are just naturally selfish? It's pretty common." She tapped the side of her head. "I _could_ help some lady who's on the ground and probably in need of medical assistance, but why should I? I've heard cases where people sue you because you aggravated their condition even though they would've died without that help. People get wrapped up in their own little worlds over selfless acts. Frankly, I'm not about that life. And neither is this town."

"You can't really believe that," Sheila said.

Artemis gestured around the alleyway. "Look around you, Sheila! This town fell to pieces because of years of bad blood and gang fighting! And to me, this stupid town is just one bad memory after another for everyone who's down on their luck! I was born into this crummy life, even before I came here!"

"And that gives you an excuse to be selfish?" the rabbit asked in bafflement.

Artemis groaned. "You know what I get tired of hearing? 'Oh no, how can you be so greedy?' 'You should learn to be nicer!' 'Not everything is about you!' Oh yeah, you _say_ that, but then when reality sets in, you just want to uphold some moral stability without enforcing your own damn preaching. And here I am wondering the exact same question, but as my own version.

"What's wrong with being selfish?!"

There was some confusion to the question, though not totally unexpected. Sheila couldn't form an immediate rebuttal to her question, mostly because she was still having difficulty accepting the reality she was in.

Artemis stamped her paw down. "Asher made that very clear to me that being selfless when times are tough helps everybody but yourself. You focus too much on helping others with what little you have, you're the one who gets screwed over."

"You're saying that like anyone in your situation doesn't care about you!"

"That's exactly what I'm saying! Wake up, Sheila! This isn't your neighborhood! Gangs here and everywhere else only care about getting what they want and don't care who they have to step on to do it! Kindness is a rarity out here, but it's hardly worth its weight in use! I got off lucky meeting Asher, but I had to learn real quick that I needed to get things done on my own!

"I was homeless for a year, without a parent or anything! No one batted an eye at the dirty Eevee Fusion who was scraping by for a meal. I was just another dirty rat that needed to be watched with caution. People. Are. Selfish. It's a double-edged sword for both parties, but at least me caring about nothing but myself kept me going! And I would've still been fine even if I never went to that village!"

Sheila glared. "Are you saying nothing in Gappei Village mattered? Artemis, there are people there who cared about you! You were better off living there! Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I wanted to be free to do as I please! That's why I went to the village when Quinn found me! I did what I want and only cared for myself! I didn't need anyone's help! I was sick and tired of people dragging me down and making my life worse! I was better off being a lone thief stealing everything that _I_ wanted!"

"Other Pokémon and Fusions had to go through the same experiences as you did!" Sheila argued. "You aren't some special anomaly that had it worse than everyone else! There are others out there who could use help!"

"How would you know?! You lived in a pristine little neighborhood coddled by parents who were 'oh-so-loving' to you!" Artemis bared her teeth. "Don't act like you know what I went through!"

Chris held his hands up. "Art, maybe you should dial it back a-"

Sheila was fuming, a rare sight from her. "You think I don't know that?! That I was one of the lucky ones who got off easy?! You think I don't care about others Fusions who were mistreated and abused?! I'm thinking about what they went through! That could've been me if fate was different!"

"Sheila, please, calm down!" Chris shouted.

Artemis snarled. "Yeah! And now here's little Miss Perfect thinking about everyone but herself! You get too nice out here, you're going to be one of those poor souls you're crying about! I've had it bad enough, but now I'm back out here and all you want to do is forget about our situation and give a cut of our stuff to everyone else! Why don't you just give them half our food?! I'm sure that won't bite us in the butt later!"

"So, it's better to be heartless and not have a shred of decency for others who are suffering like us?!"

"You want to start a charity, be my guest, but _we're_ part of that freakin' charity! We don't have the luxury to give our food and money away all because someone else is suffering!"

"You're so selfish!"

"And what's wrong with that?! Am I suddenly not allowed to think about my health and safety?! Being selfish stops you from making stupid mistakes! Your top priority in the worst situation is to think about your safety!"

"And how does that translate to friends and family?!"

"Well, I can certainly give you a detailed explanation about how I feel on family! Sneak preview, family is unreliable!"

"Maybe if you took a moment to stop thinking about yourself-!"

"And WHAT?! I'm not freakin' Robin Hood! We don't have it easy out here! I'd much rather break the law than let myself freeze to death to keep a destroyed moral compass intact! That's the sad reality I was born into!"

Sheila growled furiously. "Why are you so stubborn about this?! What is so wrong about helping others even if your life isn't any better?!"

Artemis snarled vehemently. "Because if the world was a little more selfish, then perhaps everyone could have a moment of clarity and worry about what they're doing to themselves! If he would've just taken the time to see what he would potentially do to himself, my dad wouldn't have stupidly put me before himself! Maybe he could've just had us rough it and move away somewhere better for a less risky job! Maybe I could've had a NORMAL FAMILY! THEN MAYBE HE WOULD STILL BE ALIVE TO GIVE ME THIS DAMN SPEECH YOU KEEP PREACHING!"

Silence hung over the alleyway. All was quiet, save for Artemis' raging breathing. Sheila, Chris, and even Crawford stared at her in utter shock.

"Art…Artemis…" Sheila held her hand out to her.

Artemis turned away and growled at the ground. "This…is all I know. I had it great in Gappei, but this is how I had to live when there was no one else. My life wasn't happy…why should I care about anyone else when my own life should exceed everyone else's?" She clenched her eyes shut. "I was a scared little kid who needed to grow up too fast for her own good…all I wanted was to have a family. A normal family…I never wanted to become a criminal…but that's how I was raised…from the ones I hated, the ones I loved, and just the world itself…I've seen what happens when you give and expect something in return…I had to experience that.

"I've had food stolen from me. I've had blankets stolen from me on cold nights. I've let others kick me around and they didn't care. I was a stupid kid who needed to grow up…life isn't fair…so why should I care for them? What's wrong with being selfish?" She hung her head.

Nothing was said for what felt like forever. She hated the feeling, but Artemis felt guilt for what she said to Sheila. This town always brought back bad memories and they always foul her mood. She just wanted to curl up and forget this day.

"Artemis…" She glared as Chris decided to give his piece. "You're not alone, though. Don't we matter?"

The conniving Fusion huffed. "…Why else am I against being nice to others? Because I'm thinking for myself and for the gang I need to lead…"

Sheila narrowed her eyes sadly. Tears brimmed from the corner of them. "…You're right." Artemis' ears twitched. "Maybe I don't have a right to say I know what everyone went. Things are different out here. Maybe things worked differently for you and maybe that's what we need to be doing. But I don't want to believe the world needs to be selfish…

"When I came to Gappei, I wanted to eventually be able to help those in need, just like my parents did for me...I guess that's why I got York and Wash as my hutmates. Two Fusions who were originally the most unstable of the bunch because of a rough upbringing with no parents, or nearly falling into insanity. But...they got better. Sure, I still have my mom and dad...but Gappei...all of you guys...you're like brothers and sisters to me. Heh, I remember thinking of Liam as a grandfather figure. I just...I just miss all of it...the peace, the smiles and laughter..." Sheila covered her eyes. "Then it was all taken…"

Artemis bared her teeth, trying to hold back her tears. "Please stop talking…"

"I don't like being angry…I rarely am…but I've never felt so much rage in my entire life after what happened to us…I felt like I lost a second family…" Sheila gripped the fluff of her ears. "We're all stressed and cranky…we're all trying to cope in our own ways…and I think that's what you're doing."

Artemis wrapped her feelers around her face, breathing deeply through her nose. "Please stop…"

Sheila knelt down behind her. "I'm sorry about what happened to your dad...and I'm sorry you had to deal with a horrible mother..." She closed her eyes. "I get that I don't understand what you had to go through before you came to the village...but I do see you've been holding back a lot of stress from your past. You said it yourself...you've only ever needed Quinn to confine your feelings. He was someone you could trust because...he was the one person who understood you."

She touched the Sylveon Fusion's shoulder gently. "I think I finally understand why you want to go back to crime. Being bad…was your comfort. If you stopped thinking about how worried everyone is and close off everything, you believe it'll shut out the pain you feel inside…" Sheila hugged Artemis, making her go all tense. "You commit crime…because you don't want to face a harsh reality. It brought you comfort as a kid…to just be bad and selfish…you don't want to open up and confine your troubles to others…"

"…" Artemis shakily sighed and rubbed her eyes. "S-Stop…actin' like my freakin' therapist…"

"So I'm right?"

"…Yeah…" Artemis clenched her eyes shut. "I'm sorry for shouting at you…"

"I'm sorry, too…"

"Maybe I am too selfish, but…I want to focus on helping the family I have…I don't care about anyone else…you guys are more important to me than anyone else's wellbeing…"

Sheila bowed her head. "I get we need to survive out here, but it seems you need something a bit more right now…something to get the stress out…"

Artemis narrowed her eyes. "Maybe…" She looked at the unconscious thugs for a moment, then breathed out hesitantly. "And I think I know where I should start…" She shrugged Sheila off and started making her way out of the alleyway.

Crawford raised his brow. "And just where do ye think ye're goin'?"

"…Just do whatever you want with the money and booze. Give it to a hobo or something." She sighed. "I need to go somewhere."

Sheila narrowed her eyes worriedly, but didn't protest. "Okay…"

Artemis hung her head as she headed out into the street. She looked around twice before walking away, to find some information she needed.

Chris didn't go after her either. Instead, he turned to Sheila and held her shoulder. "How you holding up?"

"I feel terrible…" She plopped down in the snow and covered her eyes.

Crawford looked at his bottles of booze for a second, then groaned. "Good grief…" He scuttled up to her. "Want one? Usually does me some good."

Sheila grimaced and held her hand out. "Um…no…thank you, though…" Crawford shrugged and popped one open, guzzling it down.

Chris grabbed the money and swung it over his shoulder. "Let's rest back at the apartments and get things sorted out there."

Sheila breathed out, then nodded. "Alright…" She stood up and followed them out.

They headed out into the street and made their way back, but it seems not unnoticed. A soon-to-be realized horror stalking them from atop the roofs. Three Fusions on the hunt for the separated villagers. The one in the middle of the trio smirked and punched into his palm, emitting sparks.

"We got ourselves some prey, boys."

* * *

"Vivi? Vivi!" Eddie shouted as he looked around the cave. With their small resistance committed to training and staking out the activities in Grandis City, a lot had to be managed. For Eddie, it was keeping track of Vivi. "Arceus dammit, where's that kid?"

Ulysses, with nothing to do, timidly raised his wing. "Um…I believe she's outside. Sh-Sh-She said she was working on something."

Eddie groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Of course she is…"

Ulysses tapped his wings together. "Um…Mr. Eddie, sir?"

"What, kid?"

"Um…th-this is a little…awkward for me to say. I-It's regarding Vivi…o-or me, I guess. Um…i-is Vivi seeing anyone, by chance?"

Eddie blinked, unsure if he heard the question right. No, with the way with Ulysses was stuttering, he heard the question right. It wasn't the best time to be having this discussion, but Eddie wasn't in the mood to reject the question either.

"Okay, kid…let me give you some advice: tread carefully with the rest of that question."

"H-Huh?!" Ulysses gasped. "I-I was just wondering-!"

Eddie held his hand up. "I'm not your counselor and I'm certainly not an expert on teenage hormones. Look, Vivi's a sweet kid and all, but…" He groaned and shook his head. "You could do better, I'm just saying."

"W-What?"

"I try not to say this to the kid's face, but…Vivi's an idiot. A real big idiot."

Ulysses looked away awkwardly. "I-I mean…she's a little eccentric, I guess…"

"Eccentric doesn't cut it. She has the attention span of a child and she doesn't think her actions through. I swear, sometimes I feel like I need to put a leash on her…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "I try to keep my cool around her, best I can…"

Ulysses tapped his wings together. "So…by chance, d-does she like me?"

Eddie facepalmed. How did he get dragged into this conversation? "Kid, I'm not going to have a conversation I would've had in a high school. I don't know. She likes you, I guess, but I can't say the feeling is mutual."

"Oh…" Ulysses looked down awkwardly. "I'm…n-not really good at talking to girls."

' _And here we go…'_ Eddie groaned. "Kid, weren't two of your hut mates girls?"

"T-That's different!"

"I don't see how, but teenagers are a damn mystery to me. Just talk to her and try not to act like a sweaty mess-" He stopped at the sound of snapping tree branches outside the cave, alerting everyone inside. "What was that?"

Ulysses smiled awkwardly. "Did I…forget to mention she was climbing up a tree?"

Eddie facepalmed, leaving a visible red mark. "Dammit, kid…"

* * *

"Oooooh…pretty staaaarrrrs…" Vivi moaned as she sat upside-down on her head, leaning against a tree.

Eddie quickly exited the cave to investigate, immediately finding the turned-over archer. He wasn't even surprised, but he still wanted answers. He held his hips and gave her a firm, "Seriously?"

Vivi recovered from her dazed shock and waved happily at him. "Hello Eddie!"

"What the hell are you doing?"

She turned herself right-side up and grinned. "Remember that fancy computer we used to find Bartleby?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I still had it even after we escaped the military base, and I couldn't just get rid of it! I kept it in Bartleby's tree for safekeeping in case of an emergency and BAM! We got an emergency!" She pulled out the beaten piece of tech. "Course, there was some fixing needed to be done."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Simple, silly. I'm going to use it to locate Codex!"

Eddie raised his brow. "Do you realize why that might be a terrible idea?"

"How come?"

"I don't think Ivan's a techno wizard, but he could probably trace you sending long distance messages across the region. He'll realize we're still in the general area."

Vivi laughed. "Oh, don't be silly! Why would he think we have a computer on hand?"

Eddie pinched between his eyes and took a deep breath. "Kid, I don't think you realize how serious this is. You can't just do something and expect it to go your-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it. I just need to finish hooking this thing up and get a signal out to Codex!"

"D-Did you hear a word I said?!"

"Yeah, some grepa juice would be great right now, thanks!" she ignorantly replied.

"AGH!" Eddie gripped his head. "You're insufferable! We can't make lousy mistakes like this! One wrong move and Ivan hunts us down!"

Vivi held her hands up. "Chill, Ed-O! I had Codex look at it! In case of emergencies, he worked with it so the signal can't be tracked by anyone but him. We're good."

"How can you be so certain?"

She stuck her tongue out. "Because I am!"

Eddie clenched his fingers and seethed as the flames on his back burst to life. "I swear, you're such an…!" He held his words and bit back. He took a deep breath and reigned in his annoyance. His flames extinguished. "Fine…whatever. You ARE certain no one else can trace it?"

"Yes I am!" she exclaimed confidently.

"Fine…but don't do anything stupid. We need to stay as invisible as possible."

"Right-O, Captain!" She started hitting buttons.

Eddie turned back to the cave, rubbing his temples to ease himself. He was barely aware of the crackling of embers in his fur.

* * *

Alone and cold, Artemis trudged through the snow to find the place she needed information. It may have been a long time, but she knew where to get the details on things. The town was too small to keep secrets, which is how she came to this crazy idea. She distinctly heard something from one of the thugs that caught her attention, but she wanted to ignore it in the moment.

Now…she would have to face it.

She hung her head and sighed in misery. Her argument with Sheila was still fresh in the mind. She regretted shouting at her the way she did. She really has changed from who she was before. Perhaps back in the village, she would've given to a more selfless attitude, but…it's hard to distinguish now that she's back out here.

Asher only helped those he considered his companions. He put them and himself before others. Artemis adopted the mindset when she went out on her own. She thought it would be the right call, but…is it still?

She closed her eyes. _'I was so happy to go back to being a criminal...why do I feel so...'ugh' inside? I don't regret anything I did and I still don't. It was only just me after I left Asher...I didn't have anyone else to rely on. I didn't need anyone else...'_

She sighed in defeat and looked ahead. _'Nobody…except you…'_

* * *

 _Artemis poked her head out from her hut and looked to see if anyone saw her. She had her hood over her head and seemed to be sniffling a bit audibly. Thankfully, not many Fusions out today. She smiled and took a step out._

" _Freeze." She jutted to a halt and went stiff as Quinn floated down from above, arms crossed and brow raised quizzically. "What are you doing?"_

 _Artemis pulled on her hood and sniffled. "N-Nothing…" Her voice sounded hoarse. "Just taking a walk."_

 _Quinn narrowed his eyes, then shrugged, deciding to play dumb. "O-kay." He floated down to her side and patted her back. "In that case, how about you and I get some spicy chili from the mess hall? I'm sure that sounds extra appetizing to you."_

 _Reflexively, Artemis felt a churning in her stomach. Her cheeks puffed, but she retained her composure. "Um…not that hungry now…"_

 _Quinn floated back and shook his head. "You know you're not convincing anybody."_

" _I have no idea…" She coughed, then patted her throat. "No idea what you're talking about…"_

" _I could help you."_

" _I don't…" She gulped. "…don't need help with anything…" She took a shaky step down the porch stairs._

 _Without warning, Quinn extended a shadow and pulled her hood back, revealing her reddened nose and pale face. Her eyes had dark circles under them. "I thought I heard you moaning about something this morning. You're sick."_

 _Artemis pulled her hood back on and shouted, "I ain't sick!" Her boyfriend raised his brow. "…Fine, I'm sick." She held her head up. "What's it to you?"_

" _You need to lay down or something."_

" _Maybe if I was being lazy, I'd take up your offer, but not this! I can take care of myself!" She tried to walk down, but ended up tripping over herself and faceplanting with the ground. "Ugh! What was that for, Spooks?!"_

" _I didn't do that. You step on your own feeler."_

 _Artemis grumbled and blew on the feeler hanging over her face. "Just leave me alone."_

" _Now, you know I can't do that to one of my pals, especially you."_

" _I don't…" She pushed her paws down and tried to lift herself. "…need anyone's stinkin' help! I've been through worse!"_

 _Quinn rolled his eyes and floated upside-down in her face. "I get you have your pride and all, but…" He chopped her on top of the head. "Quit being a doofus."_

 _Artemis grumbled, then argued, "Don't worry about me. You'll get yourself sick. I'd hate to put you through that just because of me."_

" _Well, you're not wrong." Against her wishes, though, he scooped her up and carried her back inside._

 _Artemis, though feebly, tried to shake out of his arms. "Let me gggoooooooo…" she whined._

" _As you wish." He dropped her onto her futon bed. He pulled up her covers and draped them over her._

 _Artemis glared. "I said I-!" He poked her in the nose to silence her._

" _You're selfish, I get that." He smirked. "This is me being selfish. I'm putting my needs above yours. And what I need right now...is to take care of you."_

 _Artemis blinked with dreary eyes, then curled up under her sheets. He could hear a soft whimper under her breath. "…Why do you care so much?"_

 _He crossed his arms. "Why do I care about my girlfriend? Gee, that's a tough one…" he said sarcastically._

 _Artemis turned away and rested her head on her pillow. "I never needed the kindness of others to get by on my own. I was more than capable of fending for myself. And I didn't need to return someone's kindness. I was perfectly fine on my own, doing what I can…"_

" _And I get that."_

 _Artemis scoffed. "No, you don't."_

" _You were a criminal Fusion when I found you, who did things her way. You had no one and you wanted no one holding you back, so you had to act selfish. I get that. Laws are different when it's just you with nothing." He smiled. "But you're not alone anymore...and you do have something. No matter what anyone says, being selfish is perfectly fine._

" _People say when you're selfish, you forget about the needs of others at its most extreme. Conversely, the reverse isn't any better. Someone who is completely selfless abandons themselves for the sake of others. Ren would probably be the closest to that definition. I think you had a reason to think for yourself and disregard others. If you, a child at the time, could acquire the means to survive, then maybe most others could do the same. Even if you had to break laws, they didn't matter to you. Survival overwrites morals and…well, I would've probably done the same in your shoes."_

 _He gently caressed her cheek. "That doesn't mean you have to drive us away. This village…is your family."_

"…" _Artemis stared at him, quietly in awe. That was probably the first time someone told her 'You were fine with who you were.' It…hurt in her heart, in a good way, to be told that. She did accept the village as family, but…it was a touchy subject to her._

"… _Never knew what family was like…" she mumbled._

" _What was that?"_

" _Nothing." She pulled the covers over her face._

 _Quinn blinked, then smiled warmly. "Come on, Artemis." She didn't move. "I know where you're ticklish. You can't keep silent forever." He poked under the cover until his claw found its way to the side of her neck. Gently, he glided it across, generating a ticklish sensation throughout the brutish Fusion's body._

 _Artemis tried to keep still with her body involuntarily squirming. She clenched her teeth, legs twitching uncontrollably. With her mental fortitude not at a hundred percent, she broke within ten seconds and burst into laughter. "H-Hey! S-Spooks! C-C-Cut it…out-HAHAHA!"_

 _Quinn pulled away, laughing along, then turned her head to face him. "...Back then, you had a right to be selfish. Now...you don't have to. Sometimes we act selfless because...we care about the ones in our lives more than our own. Even if you try to act tough...I know you have a good heart."_

"… _Thanks, Spooks…" She smiled back lovingly._

" _Anytime." He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll get you some soup. Then we can watch a movie."_

 _She pulled the covers and twirled her feeler coyly. "Can it be a violent ninja movie?"_

"…" _Quinn breathed deeply, then smiled tiredly. "Sure."_

 _She grinned cheekily. "You're the best!"_

* * *

A tear dripped to the ground.

Artemis clenched her teeth tightly, trying to prevent herself from sobbing out in the open, but she couldn't. Best she could do was cover her eyes behind her foreleg. The floodgates broke open. She hated showing this side of herself to anyone but him. She hated crying openly. She's been trying to hold back all her stress regarding their separation. Going back to crime helped keep her mind off of Quinn. If he knew she was crying for him right now, it'd devastate him. She didn't need anyone dealing with her pain.

This was the first time since they were teleported she could freely let the tears out.

"S-Spooks…I miss you…"

She removed her foreleg from her eyes, still pouring tears. She looked up and, to her luck, found where she needed to be. A local shop she often frequented for food…and things to steal. She rubbed her eyes and walked up to the store, pushing the door open with her head.

At the sound of the front bell, a Diggersby turned to her. "Hello and welcome! How may I help you…today?" He could see she was just crying. "Miss, are you-?"

"Save it, I don't want to hear it." She wiped her eyes until the tears stopped coming. The fur on her face was disheveled, but it didn't matter. After brushing snow off her shoulders, she said, "I have a question for you. Have you lived here for at least ten years?"

"Um…yes, I have," he answered hesitantly.

"Good. A lot of people come here and I know this is the best place to get information on anyone." She glared at the clerk. "I'll cut to the chase. I need some information on someone. An address, specifically."

* * *

Abraham etched into the walls of the cave when he caught something in the corner of his eye. He turned, then raised his brow at Quinn, who seemed to be teary up as he stared at the ground.

"Quinn…are you alright?"

"Huh?" He lifted his head, then felt his face. He felt the warm tears running down his cheek. "Huh…sorry, I…don't know what came over me just now…" And yet, something about it made him feel sad.

Abraham narrowed his eyes, quite curious himself. "Hmm…"

* * *

Back on the road again, Emily and the gang were making their way to their next stop, which was…anywhere, at this point. Charlie, the most bored out of them, asked, "What are we doing now?"

"With the food we got from the hotel we stayed at, we just need a little more money and we'll be set for a trek out of town," Emily explained. "Or at least until we find proper help."

"Hopefully soon," Ren yawned.

Rebecca stretched her arms. "But what do we do if we can't get back home?"

Emily stopped, then held her face as she let out a loud groan. "Then I guess we go on the fallback plan of joining the theatre, even if the world's going to get messed up in the process."

Charlie grinned, glad to see she was on board with the idea. He gave the thumbs up. "We'll put on the best performance for everyone!"

Rebecca scratched her cheek. "Better be one heck of a performance for the misery we'll get out of it."

Emily sighed, then decided to check on Codex. "How you holding up, Code?"

She shouldn't have been surprised to see him sparking and glitching out again, but something seemed different about this one. A lot of sparks were coming out of his eyes as his head spun like a top. He was making alert sounds, no different from a text alert from a phone.

"Codex! Speak to us! What's wrong?!" Ren exclaimed.

"In-In-Incoming…message!"

"Huh?!" the group gasped. A message? From who? And why?

His eyes bulged, shining with light, before shooting onto a wall and projecting an animated image. The screen was pixelated, taking moments to get into focus. They first noticed the green and brown coming through, then the bulbous eyes, followed by a familiar tune they knew well by now.

"Hell-O!" the familiar face went, both face and voice distorted. "This thing working?!"

"Vivi?!" Ren gasped.

"Whaaaaaat?" Rebecca questioned perplexedly.

Vivi grinned and clapped excitedly. "Oh goodie, it worked! Hello friends!"

"Vivi!" Emily shouted. "How did you- I mean...HOW?!"

Vivi giggled. "Duh. I'm a smarty." She bonked herself in the head.

Emily sweat-dropped, then facepalmed. "Why did I even ask?"

"Hehe! I'm so glad you're all okay! I mean, you're the only ones I know of that are okay as of now, unless you're not actually okay! You're walking fine, so I just assumed that…" She halted her chatterbox moment to get a good look at them. "...Did you all join a circus while you were gone? Man, and here I thought I would end up joining the circus. Ooh, do some juggling!"

"We didn't join the circus!" Emily shouted.

"Then why are you dressed like a weird Unovian disco group? Heh…funny, a bunch of people from a village dressed in weird costumes. You should be called the Vill-!"

"Forget about that!" Charlie interrupted. "How's everyone on your end?!"

"Oh, we're fine. There's Quinn, Ulysses, Eddie, Bartleby, most of the council, some other Fusions we picked up named-"

"Wait, back up! Most?" Emily asked.

Vivi frowned. "Peregrine fought off EVERY single one of the Fusions after everyone else was teleported and defeated them all. He is a seriously scary dude when you make him angry. Bad news...he was captured."

"C…CAPTURE?!" Rebecca screamed. "Peregrine was captured?!"

"They wore him down pretty good." Vivi puffed out her chest. "But his sacrifice will not be in vain! We're actually working on a counterattack as we speak!"

"…Dare I ask?" Emily hesitantly asked.

"We're going to work on dismantling Ivan's forces so that they can't fight back at full strength! That way, no matter how many scary Fusions they have, we'll come out as the victors!" She raised her fist. "Praise the revolution!"

The Fusions shared strange looks with each other, deciding to nod and not question a single weird thing to come out of her mouth. Emily held her face and repeated what she said in her head. "Okay, but what about Peregrine, or any other Fusions that were captured?"

Vivi shrugged. "I got nothing. They could be anywhere, even under…that rock over there!" She squinted at it. "Oh wait, that's a pebble." She punched her fists. "Either way, we won't let Ivan fire off that stupid machine!"

Rebecca held her hip. "Well, you'll have to wait a little longer for the ceremony."

"How come?"

Ren pointed at Codex. "Codex hacked Ivan's computer and completely locked him out of his own system. Now only Codex can unlock it and get the thing to fire."

Vivi blinked twice, slowly pointing at Codex with her jaw hanging. "You mean…you have Ivan's weapon all to yourself? Only you can use it?" She closed her jaw, then huffed through her nostrils. "...Huh...I was wondering why that crazy witch chick was gathering so many Fusions and having them teleported off."

The group was in silent registration before letting out a frightened, "EXCUSE US?!"

"Hmm? Oh yeah. A little while ago, they were taken back to the crater that was once Gappei and had them all teleported off. Weird."

So much was written over their faces. They have never switched from once decent, cheery moods to downtrodden, timorous demeanors so fast since their landing in Hoenn, even with the initial conclusion with will have them hunted down. Now…Now it was realized that they not only put themselves in danger, but every single Fusion that was teleported away in that event…including their friends!

Rebecca clutched her head and paced in a panic. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! We're so dead!"

"What have we done?!" Ren screamed dramatically.

Emily slapped him across the face. "Stop screaming!" She pointed at Vivi. "Do you know anything about who they sent?!"

Vivi tapped her cheek. "Let's see…a buff dude, a weird punching bag looking fellow, some goof with buckteeth, some hippie looking guy…"

Emily's face fell. "That's not what I meant, but thanks…"

Vivi crossed her arms. "Look, only advice I can give you guys is to watch your backs. Trust me, it's hard to trust people on the streets. That's why you have to look out for yourself only!" She closed up her hood. "Master of stealth and camouflage!"

Charlie looked worriedly at Codex. "We're especially doomed if they realize we have Codex. He's the one with the reactivation code."

"Hmm…" Vivi hummed quietly before the magical lightbulb appeared above her head. "I got it! Maybe you can send me the reactivation code thingy and throw them off their tracks?"

It didn't sound like a bad idea, but Codex didn't agree. "Won't-Won't-Won't-Won't-Banana-Won't work." His head twitched. "I-I c-c-c-can barellllly control my-my-myself."

Vivi blinked, then looked to Emily. "Um…"

"Magnets."

"Ah."

Ren held his face and groaned. "And until we get him fixed, we're the number one targets. There's no telling how long that'll take."

Vivi shrugged. "So, just fix him up."

It took all of Emily's willpower to refrain from full-on sarcasm. "...You're putting way too much faith in our nonexistent techno skills."

"I don't see what you're complaining about." She mashed her fists together. "Just…jam some wires back together and you're good as new!" A chorus of facepalms were heard.

Charlie grinned uneasily. "Heh…we'll figure an alternative plan before we try that route."

"Alrighty then! Stay safe! Stay in contact! Sleep well! Don't let the scary hunters bite!" She ended the video chat there.

Emily stared at the bare wall with a dry face. "…Gee, what encouraging words."

"She's certainly…something," Rebecca hesitantly said.

"Very…unique," Charlie added on.

"Like a sack of potatoes," Emily mumbled.

Ren gulped and quietly tapped his fingers together. "S-So…does that mean anyone in the streets could be spying on us?" he meekly whispered.

Rebecca gripped his shoulder to ease him. "Ren, we're fine, don't worry."

"All the more reason we can't stay in one place for too long," Emily brought up. "So, we keep to the original plan and keep moving."

"And what happens if someone does find us?" Charlie asked worriedly.

Emily glared, as she didn't want to consider the possibility. Their enemy was strong, that much was certain. She didn't want to take the chance of a brawl starting. It was luck of the draw from this point onward.

"…Just keep walking and stay on your toes." She continued ahead, with the others hesitantly following after. They kept a brisk pace, wanting to stay as inconspicuous as possible.

* * *

Artemis pushed the doors to an apartment building open, letting the fresh snow fly in. Unlike the dump she and the others were crowded up in, this one had actual residents inside, so a much cleaner and safer complex. Her eyes scanned the hallway, noting that no one was out and about. She took a deep breath, then walked on in.

She took an elevator up to the third floor and proceeded down the hallway, eyes set on one side. The clerk she spoke to, as she expected, had some information about customers that frequented the place. He knew who she was talking about since she mentioned a particular customers preference to razz berries. He was willing to provide an address.

"3-11...3-13...3-15..." She stopped and set her eyes on the next door in the line-up. "3-17. Yep," she huffed. "This is the place."

She raised her balled feeler and went to signal her presence, but hesitated at the last second. Her face twitched with apprehension, a bead of sweat dripping down the side of her head. She clenched her eyes shut and turned away from the door.

"Grr…I can't do it…" She stamped her foot down. "I knew this was a mistake…" She looked back at it. "Maybe I'll just leave an angry, rambling note and get my point across…"

Something echoed in the back of her mind. She couldn't quite place where she heard it from, but the voice was definitely familiar. A certain nightmare lizard, speaking to her in a calm, comforting voice. It felt like something she heard in a dream.

' _You're not powerless. You're stronger than that. The Artemis I know is tough, mischievous, outgoing, and doesn't let anyone see her when she's vulnerable.'_

Artemis held her breath, letting loose a couple tears from her eyes. She growled and shook her head. "Ugh…you're the worst sometimes, Spooks…getting into my head and junk…"

She turned back to the door, glaring daggers at it, then huffed an annoyed sigh. Before she convinced herself to opt out, she rapped her feeler against the door and waited for her fate to be sealed.

…There was no response.

Artemis raised her brow, then knocked again. Still nothing. A third time, she got nothing. After three or four times, Artemis was beginning to get annoyed. She worked herself up to speak to this vile _hag_ and she didn't even have the courtesy to answer her damn door.

"I swear to Arceus, I didn't come all the way here for…" She growled and banged loudly on the door. "Open up, you old witch! NOW!"

"Quit banging on my door, bitch!" Artemis heard feet stomping towards the door. She backed off a bit and stood firmly as the locks came undone. The door swung open, with an unfriendly face greeting her. "What do you want? Can't you see I'm trying to-?"

Her eyes widened at the face before her. It was unfamiliar, yet it also wasn't. Her eyes scanned over the familiar features on the Fusion's body, from the rubbery membrane jacket to the red mohawk.

Artemis crossed her feelers and huffed at the feckless Vaporeon, providing an uncaring demeanor with it. The Vaporeon stared at her for another thirty seconds of silence, then mirrored the Fusion's expression. This exchange was laconic and tense, but it told all it needed for both parties to catch up to speed with each other.

The fire was still fresh.

"Tch. Long time no see…Mother."


	68. A Bitter(Sweet) Reunion

Daughter and mother stared each other down, eyes fixed into sharp glares. In the short span of time they were reunited, there was a tense silence. So tense, not only could you cut through it, you could crash into like a brick wall. The sparks of an old, familiar hatred brewed inside both of them. This was a meeting neither wanted to occur, but fate forced them together once more.

What will come from this reunion of a broken family?

Irma eyed Artemis up and down, carefully studying her. Her face was fixed into an expression of smug indifference. Raised brow, teeth showing in her frown, and even a laziness in her posture. Contrasted heavily by the bold display of Artemis, who kept her back straight and chest puffed out. Her eyes were narrowed with a lack of emotion, hiding the utter dislike for this…creature she had the audacity to call her maternal figure.

Finally, after a long silence, words could be exchanged.

"…Tch. You've certainly gotten…taller." She said it like she was resisting an urge to insult her. Or maybe she legitimately didn't know how to start this conversation off.

"And…you're not as repulsive as I remember." One thing Artemis clearly remembered was the lack of care her mother put into herself. 'Old hag' was more than an insult, it was a description. Her mother used to look thirty years older in the face. Now, aside from some darkened patches under her eyes and a few wrinkles, she looked to be in better health.

The conversation didn't get lively after the brief, barebones exchange. More uncomfortable silence to follow. No more words to share for the moment and no sudden movements…until Irma decidedly got bored of standing around and turned back into her apartment.

Artemis raised her brow. "You going to invite me in?"

"Nope."

"…" Artemis let herself in and kicked the door shut. She got a good look at the place. Decent furniture, a neatly organized kitchen, and a 'not terrible' blue paintjob on the walls. "Lovely apartment…" She glared at the Vaporeon. "Who'd you gamble it from?"

Irma straightened out a blanket on the couch. "Well, I see these last few years have done little to improve your rotten attitude."

"Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree…" Artemis muttered. She occupied her attention on everything but her mother, as the mere sight of her made her stomach want to vomit. "So, did I interrupt something important? If so, I would've gladly kept banging on the door to tick you off."

"How expectedly childish," Irma grumbled. "I was sleeping."

"What else is new? I'm surprised you haven't gone comatose yet." The Fusion poked at her head. "I would've guessed all the alcohol you drank would've done you in by now. I'm not one to celebrate someone's death, but you wouldn't hear me mourning over your decomposed corpse."

"I consider that a blessing, then. I would've had enough unpleasant memories in my final moments. I'd be cheerily sighing in my grave not having to listen to your whimpers." Irma finished straightening up the couch, then scratched behind her head. "So, what brings you back to this hell? Haven't you finally decided to crawl back home?"

"I would rather be _in_ Hell. I'm sure the demons down there would be better company than you." Artemis glared. "For your information, my friends and I were teleported here."

"Well, that's something you don't hear every day. Someone actually tolerates your company." She held her chin. "Oh…I suppose that second part is a little unusual."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "So, you haven't heard?"

"Oh, I have. Been circulating around the news when it happened." She walked up to her beverage brewing appliance. "So, your stupid village got blown to pieces?"

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that last bit. Anyway, fought some guys, then one of them teleported us all away. Much to my heart stabbing 'joy,' we ended up in a forest not too far from here. We've taken up residence in that old apartment complex."

"That old dump? Heh…I haven't lived there in a while. I often go back to collect some furniture I left behind and pawn it off."

Artemis crossed her feelers and shot her mother an accusatory glare. "I was honestly surprised a hopeless bum like you still wasn't living there. What changed? Blackmail a rich guy to give you this place? Steal it from someone else?"

Irma shook her head. "Nope. Bought it with my own money."

"Ah, drug money, that makes much more sense. I knew this day would come."

Irma rolled her eyes. "I work at a diner, you brat."

She would've believed she sold drugs over that. "You work at a diner?"

"I see you've been raised by Chatot while you were gone."

"Ha-ha…so, you finally decided to get off your lazy ass and make something of yourself? Congratu-freakin'-lations! You've finally learned to stand on your own four legs like a normal Vaporeon."

"Sass aside, I hardly believe it myself." Irma pulled out a mug from her cupboard, then stuck a coffee pod into her brewer. "The work is a pain in the ass, but it pays well enough."

Artemis smirked callously. "Your boss must be one heck of a forgiving doormat if he let an old, drunken hag like you stay on staff."

Irma smirked to herself. "Oh yes, because _you_ have never considered drinking yourself into a coma. I wonder how many cold nights you had to sit through where you were crying out for attention and needed something to get through the pain." She placed the mug under the brewer. "By the by, I don't drink anymore."

Artemis raised her brow. "You're lying."

"Am I?"

"…You're not." She didn't see her mother make any subtle facial changes to indicate a fib. Either she was a master at hiding it—astronomically doubtful—or she finally showed some self-discipline. "I thought there was something different about you."

Irma smirked. "Just goes to show, with age comes wisdom. You'll learn when you're older."

"Ha. If you're supposed to be the role model, not a lot of people set their expectations to make better choices when they're in their fifties."

"I'm 48-years-old."

"And yet, you've already gone through seven midlife crises…that I know of."

Irma turned on her brewer and watched the coffee pour out. "I doubt you came here just to have an insult match. So, what is it? Here to finally beat your bitch of a mother up? If so, could we do it outside? I don't want to clean my blood off the floor."

"You look different, but you have the same morbid humor." Artemis sighed and lowered her head. "I needed to vent and…you're, ironically, the person I can most comfortably vent at."

"Am I supposed to feel honored or…?"

"A lot of shit went down ever since that day. I lost my home, a good chunk of my friends, and now I'm stranded out here to survive like before. I have to take care of my friends the only way I know how. Things aren't as simple as they were." She glared around. "I thought I could take my frustrations out by beating up criminals, but…not much to do there. Ended up snapping at a friend and…ugh, I'm a confused mess."

"You were also an overly emotional twit," Irma added.

Artemis restrained herself from snarling. She didn't have it in her to get angry. "I thought I could live peacefully for once in my life. For a time, I had it good. Now I'm back to where I was and all I can do is act like the same brutish thief I was. I don't regret what I had to do, but I just don't have it in me anymore." She glared at the floor. "I never lost a home I cared so much about…now I'm lost."

Irma groaned and held her head. "Tch. Is that why you came crying all the way here? Go on the news and share your sob story like every other whiner who feels 'lost' and 'oppressed.' I don't care."

"Tch. I'm offended you would compare me to something so low." The Fusion looked to the window. "There's a bit more to this than my friends. Fact of the matter is, you've been nothing but an ungrateful bitch for my entire childhood and used me like some...tool! You never cared about me or my existence. I was nothing more than the little mistake you had the misfortune of birthing. You have to be the worst mother in the history of mothers. There's just nothing about you I can respect or care for. Just useless waste taking up precious oxygen."

The Vaporeon's coffee finished brewing. She pulled it off and blew on it. "I wasn't exactly thrilled over the idea of having kids, but here we are now. They're nothing but leeches. Oh sure, parents love raising kids for that extra shot of dopamine and love they want in their lives. They want to feel accomplished for raising such a well-mannered, respected Pokémon to take part in the next generation to run the world.

"You know what I felt accomplished by? Waking up and being grateful I didn't die in my sleep."

"And now?" Artemis asked.

"Getting a paycheck and hoping my favorite shows don't get canceled." She walked up to the couch and plopped herself down. "Kids are expensive and annoying. Why would I want to live with something like that? I would've been more comfortable living in a quiet home with your stingy father. Next thing I know, I'm giving birth to an egg with some abomination developing inside."

Artemis held her head up and scoffed. "Well, I see where your true colors lie. I'm sure Grandma and Grandpa feel the same way about you." She paused purposefully. "Hmm? Oh wait, I wouldn't know because I don't know any of my extended family. Never met my grandparents and never met my aunts or uncles, if I have any. Then again, with your horrible personality, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you were disowned."

Irma sipped her coffee. "Impressive, kid. Your time in that stupid village gave you the power to read minds. You could make a killing with scams."

There was a long silence after that, with Artemis blinking through her glare, looking quite bemused. The coldness in her glare lightened, though it stuck around.

"Wait…you were…actually disowned?"

"Yep." She said it with a straight face, as if she was spouting off today's weather.

"Um…wow…" Artemis didn't feel particularly sympathetic, but she was more surprised that she got that right.

"Though, you have your facts mixed up. It was the other way around."

"The family was horrible?"

"Yep."

"You don't look all that beat up about it."

"Maybe at first, where I would cry myself to sleep…but now, it's a stale, useless memory that I look back on and laugh at."

The Fusion huffed after a moment, clearly peeved by this revelation. "Let me get this straight…you had a shitty childhood and you make up for it by putting me through that? You couldn't have treated me like a normal daughter?"

Irma shrugged. "What was normal to me? I didn't know how to raise a kid. My earliest memories came from the beatings I took."

"This explains so much, and yet so little." She huffed. "Quinn would get a kick out of hearing this. Bet he would love to see what makes your dreams tick…"

"Quinn?" Irma asked, sounding a little curious.

Artemis tilted her head and responded with a dry stare. "Big shock, I'm sure, but I got myself a boyfriend. A rather sweet one, if you must know…and probably the reason I had the guts to come and face you again."

"I didn't need to know," Irma grumbled. "Still, you with a guy? Poor kid's either willing to look past your… _you_ or he's two bulbs short of a light fixture."

"Believe me, he's twenty times smarter than you," Artemis grumbled. _And that's me being generous._

Irma closed her eyes. "Ugh…why did you have to bother me with all this? Woke me up and all I get is some little story about how much better and worse your life has gotten. Big whoop, sweetheart…you got a better family than me. You want a medal or a pat of congrats?"

Artemis groaned and rubbed her face. "I don't get you…if you didn't have the best relationship with your family, why turn all over on me? Or is our family line just cursed to be full of assholes?"

"That's one theory I can get behind…" Irma admitted. She slurped her coffee for a solid five seconds, then smacked her lips. "Though really, maybe it's just because I don't give a damn."

"How comforting…" Artemis spat.

"Let me make one thing clear. I've thrown you out into the snow…do you remember me ever striking you?"

"…Not really…"

"As much as I despised you, I wasn't going to be the same hellish monster as my own parents. Did little to improve my own temperament or my beliefs on Fusions, but it'd be too good to them if I followed in their footsteps."

Artemis snorted sourly. "What? So you were the softer abuse?"

"There's a description that works." Irma leaned into the couch and sighed tiredly. "I tried to keep out of everyone's hair, but it seemed my folks were always raging about something. Fusions...always talking about Fusions. 'Back in my day, Fusions would cause mass arson' and some shit like that. Always getting drunk and taking their anger out on me for whatever stupid reason. Maybe because I was the weakest…so I was the lightning rod they could exploit.

"Fought back against them when my anger reached a point, then they just flat out declared I no longer exist in their eyes." Irma shrugged. "That was basically my experience with parenting. I decided then and there to not have kids. Too much of a pain and I didn't want to give my parents some sick satisfaction of turning out like them, especially if they saw you. Maybe a part of me wanted to cut you some slack, but your father…didn't make the stress any easier." She straightened herself up.

Artemis looked away. "Yeah…Dad…"

Irma set her coffee down on a coaster. "Guess it rubbed off in my older years. Maybe I was just pissed after what happened to your father. Say what you will about that parsimonious pansy, at least he knew how to treat a lady. It's called a circle of hate, kid. Eventually, the past catches up to you and affects the present. Hatred just never seems to die, no matter how irrational it is."

Artemis pulled up a chair and sat in it. She crossed her forelegs and gave one hell of a glare at her mother. "Uh huh…well, that's all sad and depressing, I'm sure, but it hardly changes how you let it affect you. So…do you honestly think your pathetic sob story is going to change what you put me through?"

Irma snorted, actually finding what she said amusing. "Kid, there's no greater insult to me than expecting an apology. I did what I did, but I'm not whining about it." She then glared, suddenly appearing serious. First time Artemis saw a look like that. "And frankly, even though there's no way in hell you'd say it or that I deserve one, I never want to hear an apology come out of your trap. Apologizing for being a shitty daughter to a shitty parent…that's some new grounds of stupid there."

Artemis raised her brow, genuinely intrigued. "Didn't know it was possible…that's the best advice you've ever given me."

Irma sipped her coffee. "You want to run around and prance with your friends and live happily? Fine by me. Jump off a cliff if you want. It's your stupid life." She glared into the dark, caffeinated beverage, as her murky reflection glared back at her. "You're no longer my problem."

The Fusion's face was neutral after taking a breath, remaining silent for the moment. "…The feeling is mutual. And right now, I just want to survive out here and get my friends to safety. That's all that matters."

"Whatever you say, kid."

"You don't sound all that worried that the planet is in danger."

"I made my earlier point clear, though the greatest danger would be deciding dinner for later."

"You really are a sad old woman."

"Comes with the growth."

Artemis groaned and pressed her forehead against the chair. "I ask myself why I bothered coming here…you're still the same as you were before, just better and getting your dead life under control…without your precious tool."

Irma was strangely silent from that. She was staring more intently at her coffee, thinking back to something. A dry smile curled at her lips, followed by a sour chuckle that grated into Artemis' ears. She never wanted to hear a laugh that dispassionate and dead ever again.

"…Never once in my life did I ever worry about you when you up and disappeared." She glared at her coffee again. "And yet, in the blink of the eye, it's been a month of me searching through the snow."

"Pardon?" Artemis asked, now confused.

"Probably the most active and determined I've ever been...looking for my daughter in the snow."

"You…were actually trying to look for me?" That didn't sound right in the slightest. There had to be a catch. She expressed this suspicion with an interrogative glare. "You're even more pathetic than I thought if you were that selfish to get me back."

"Well…that's the funny thing that always nagged at the back of my head. Love certainly wasn't motivating me...but neither was greed. That's what struck me as strange. Why did I bother searching for you? Hmph...to this day, still can't figure it out for the life of me."

Artemis looked away in a snap. "Tsk. You were probably going to beat me up for disappearing."

"Perhaps." She held her cheek lazily. "You certainly made me angry that day. Oh, how I wanted to wring your neck for running off like that. And I'm sitting here, still waiting until you inevitably knock my teeth out. What's the hold up? We both know you can do it."

Artemis spat on the floor, fazing Irma enough to grunt. "Believe me, I fantasized countless times beating you to a bloody pulp and breaking every bone in your withered body just to get some long-deserved satisfaction out of it." She huffed and glared at the ceiling. "…And it would've been too easy."

"Hmph…well, one thing's clear: you're the better person in this room."

"And that's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't get used to it. You're the second biggest thorn in my life so far." She glared out the window. "If it weren't for that Asher brat, you'd still be holding a place at the top."

Artemis blinked twice. "Wait, hold up? Asher?" She glared. " _You_ know Asher?"

Irma smirked lazily. "How else did you think I got off my lazy ass? He's even more annoying than you, and THAT is a feat."

Artemis was…definitely in need of an explanation. "Alright…what's this about?"

* * *

Sprinting through the plains was exhausting work, but it had to be done, as Tamara and the gang tried to keep pace with the truck which was gradually getting farther away. They could've had Spaz go on ahead and do some recon, but they didn't want to run the risk of getting picked off separately.

Casey panted heavily, sweat pouring through her jacket. "How much…farther…is it?!"

Tamara examined the handheld radio. "I don't know, but we might lose the signal any minute!"

York growled. "Dammit! At this rate, we'll never find it!"

"We know they're going straight!" Spaz reminded optimistically. "If we just keep going this way-!"

"Annnnnnd, we lost signal."

The second Tamara announced this, they tripped over themselves and collapsed to the ground. Casey rolled onto her back as her chest heaved for air. She wasn't used to the kind of physical endurance pressure they went through.

"I can't…feel my legs…" she mumbled.

"On the plus side, you'll be in shape for any marathons you attend," Tamara joked. She pressed her face into the ground. "Oh good grief, my heart…"

"I feel fine," Willy said.

"That's because you've been riding on my head, buddy," Spaz said, face muffled in the ground as the rainbow dragon sat on top of him.

Willy stuck his tongue out and smiled. "Oh, right! My bad!"

Tamara picked herself up and sat down, exhaling a long breath. "Maybe this is the perfect time to take a break. We know the general direction they went in. That's good enough." She pressed her hand to her forehead, groaning inwardly. "Got a splitting headache…"

Casey pulled herself together and opened up her bag. She tossed everyone their water canteens before undoing hers. "We still haven't come up with a plan for when we get there." She gulped some water down and wiped her lips. "Those guys have tech to stop us."

York glared. "I could infiltrate the facility. Can't be any harder than my previous infiltrations."

Tamara sighed, then glared at the armored lizard. "York, as comforting as that sounds, I can see a number of reasons why that's a stupid idea. You were a part of a small gang who robbed from trucks, not a flippin' maximum security facility."

"Hey, I can totally break-in without getting caught!"

"And you think they won't want to be extra sure they don't have Fusions running amuck under their noses?"

Spaz held his hands up and got their attention. "Guys, no fighting. Even if York managed to break in, one of him isn't going to take down all those guards. Think about it. Like any normal prison, there's a very real risk of a prison riot breaking out and you have to be prepared for it. With a facility full of Fusions, what precautions wouldn't they take to keep them under control?"

"True…" Casey agreed. "But, that doesn't leave us with many viable options."

"Maybe if we knew the layout of the building, we could plan around it," Tamara mumbled out loud. "Or maybe find a way to blend with the crowd without drawing suspicion to ourselves."

"How? We don't exactly look normal," York reminded. "Besides, they might realize we're a little too young to be hanging around." He held his chin. "Still, if it's a blueprint of the building we need…"

"Problem…the blueprints would be…in the freakin' facility…" Tamara huffed and pinched between her eyes.

Casey fell onto her back and rubbed her face. "We're running around in circles trying to figure this out…"

"Hey, if any of us could break-in, it's me!" Spaz exclaimed. "None of them will be able to catch me once I get moving!"

"We don't know that, Spaz," Tamara brought up. "I have no doubts about how fast you are, but I wouldn't want to put myself in that same predicament. The one thing the enemy have over us is the element of the unknown." She raised her finger. "If you don't know the full extent of the enemy, you're doomed to fail. You can't go running in, assuming the guy who fights up close doesn't have a gun stashed somewhere on his person."

Spaz grimaced. "Good point…"

"This would be a lot easier if a meteor inexplicably fell down on their base…"

York breathed out and guzzled down his water. "So, that's it? We just sit here until we come up with something?"

"We need information none of us have." She pulled out the radio and held it between her hands. "We need a strategist, someone who knows how to get what they want through deceptive, clever, or ingenious ways. None of us fit the bill."

"Hmm…how about, instead of thinking of a genius plan, we come up with a stupid one?" Spaz suggested.

"…Spaz, I'm going to need context," Tamara demanded as she raised her brow.

"Well, no one would expect it. A plan so convoluted and absurd that it just might work!"

"…" Tamara breathed out. "We don't have any other options, so…"

Spaz grinned. "We could try sabotaging them from outside the base. Maybe when they try to leave in van, we pop their tires until they have none left."

"That would get annoying…"

Willy chugged down his canteen and decided to look around at the landscape. Beautiful scenery, even if there weren't all that many plants. Oh, and he could see something not too far away. It almost looked like-

He dropped his canteen and gasped. "Uh, guys!"

"Wouldn't someone be a little suspicious their tires keep popping mysteriously?" Casey asked.

"Guys-!"

"They're leaving in a plane, right? Why don't we throw someone to catch the plane?"

"Spaz, I don't think any of us could throw someone that high in the-"

"GUYS!" Willy shouted.

"Whoa, Willy? What's wrong?" Casey asked.

"Scary Fusion!" He jumped into Spaz's lap and shivered.

"Scary Fusion…?" Tamara stood up and glared in the distance.

She didn't see anything that immediately stood out, but then she noticed something low to the ground that was moving towards them. It was dark and…feathery. A Pokémon, perhaps? It wore a large hat and a cloak of…feathers…and had noticeable red claws…

Tamara's face and whiskered fell. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" York asked.

"You're not going to like it." She pointed to the figure.

York, as well as the others, gazed upon the downed individual. They could guess this figure was exhausted, injured, and barely clinging to consciousness. They looked like they've been crawling for hours. York took better note of the distinguishing features of the individual…and his heart sank.

It was an injured Eli.

"ELI!" York sprinted for the Rogue, kicking up dust at his heels.

"Eli? As in one of the Rogues?" Spaz questioned.

"What's he doing all the way out here?!" Casey exclaimed.

York slid on his knees and held Eli up, resting his back into his arms. "Eli! Eli, it's me! York! What happened?! Who did this to you?! How'd you get here?!"

The dark poisoner's eyes fluttered, struggling to look up at his former ally. His chest heaved from exhaustion. Dried blood was on his right arm. "You…bastard…what are you…ugh…" His eyes glazed over, then he fell unconscious, securely held in the worried lizard's arms.

York bit his lip, then set Eli down. "We need to help him. Casey, there should be a medical kit in the bag. Get it, now."

Tamara blinked. "Wait…hold up. You actually want to help him? These guys hate your guts, York."

Casey ran over with the first aid kit. "Got it."

York huffed and looked at Tamara. "I know we aren't on good terms anymore, but I can't just let an old friend down. Besides, it doesn't matter what they did back in the village. That wasn't them. They were being used." He glared. "And if Eli's all the way out here, what do you suppose that means for us?"

"…" Tamara sighed and held her face. "Good grief…you're lucky I stand by justice, York." She knelt down beside them. "However, the second he tries to throw a sucker punch at me, I'll suplex his face twenty feet under."

"Fair enough."

Spaz watched them tend to the unconscious Rogue. He could feel Willy still shivering in his arms. His only memory of the Rogues was them hurting others and attacking their home. Poor thing must be terrified of Eli.

He patted the top his head and stroked him gently. "Everything's going to be alright, Willy. Let's help them out."

Willy looked up at Spaz's kind eyes. He trusted his guardian deeply. "O-Okay…" He still shivered, but he didn't want to disappoint Spaz. He had to be brave for them.

* * *

If there was one thing Artemis would never picture, it was Irma actually having familiar contact with her old best friend. If she could barely stand her own daughter, Asher was a step up.

Artemis crossed her feelers together and tilted her head. "You mean to tell me, ever since I left, you and Asher have been keeping in regular contact? I didn't even think you knew about him."

"And, to this day, I wish I didn't." She sipped her coffee. "He was an annoying pest hovering over me. I was busy looking for your sorry ass before he finally got me to stop. Kept telling me I should give it a rest and go back home. Didn't see why he cared, but I spent too long trying to look for you, anyway. After that, he kept coming back and back to check on me, probably making sure I didn't decide for an eternal nap. Kept throwing newspapers at me, too. Pretty sure he wanted me to get a job."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because he wrote on the newspaper 'Get a job.' In really bright red marker. In the wanted jobs section of the paper. Probably took thirty...maybe seventy newspapers to the head before I got the memo."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Well, you've always been pretty slow about getting the point…"

Irma groaned and pinched between her eyes. She felt her head thumping just thinking about the frustration she had to put up with. "He was more of a pest than you, I swear. Always butting into my life and trying to make me make better decisions for myself. Stole my alcohol so I couldn't take a swig. Kept forcing me out of my fourteen-hour naps. The kid was acting like my freakin' parent…actually, no, he was acting like an annoying parent who was a massive upgrade to my own."

Artemis looked out the window. She could still remember his kind eyes and warm disposition when he offered a hand of friendship out to her. Come to think of it, between her actual parents and him, he taught her everything she needed to know to live on her own. How to cook, steal, care for herself, beg, blend in, etc. She never saw him as a parent figure, but…he was definitely a guardian that looked out for her. No wonder she had such a little crush on him at the time.

"…Hmph…I know the feeling, I guess…"

"That kid is a no-good criminal like the rest of us. Takes things for himself and does what he wants. Spend enough time around here and his reputation becomes all the more obvious. No one knows what motivates him to do what he does. He's just out there, living alone, and doing what he can to make things easier.

"And so, he wasted his time helping a useless sack of shit like me get back on her feet." She pinched between her eyes. "I saw why you liked him so much. You both were frustrating little brats. You two gravitated towards each other."

Artemis pressed her paws down on the chair and gazed at the floor. "…You actually made the effort to do better for yourself…"

"More like pestered into it, but…" She shrugged. "It has its perks. Better than living in that old dump, definitely." She glanced into her mug and groaned. "Drats…finished all my coffee."

The Fusion rubbed her foreleg, looking out to the window once more. "…I really do miss him."

"Hmm?" Irma cocked her brow and looked seriously at her daughter.

"I thought coming back here, my friends and I could've got through better if we had his help. He was a miracle worker. Turned a timid little runt like me into this bold, mischievous rogue you see today." She closed her eyes. "I sometimes wished I could've stayed with him…but I don't regret what I got now." She shook her head. "I just want to see him again…just one more time…tell him I'm doing alright…"

Irma stayed silent for a moment. She didn't scoff or shoot annoyed grunts at her. Her face was firm, fixed into a neutral glare. She looked at her empty mug, then set it down on its coaster. "Artemis…"

The Fusion's ears twitched. That had to be the first time she used her name since she got here. "…Yeah?"

"…Have you noticed anything different since you got here? Something…new? Maybe something missing from this town?"

"Something new…" Artemis scratched her cheek and racked her brain for anything out of the ordinary recently. Actually, it was something she herself commented not too long ago. "…Crime's pretty low, actually. Only found a couple small gangs doing small crimes. Just the occasional vandalism, but that's normal."

"It's him."

"Hmm?"

Irma narrowed her placid eyes. "Ever since you left, Asher's been busy getting things straightened up. Frankly, it's because of him that people like us can get a goodnight sleep around here."

"I don't understand."

"Since no one's bothering to get this town back into shape, he's calling the shots now. He declared himself the crime boss of this town."

"C-Crime boss?!" Artemis gasped. _'I mean…not unexpected, but…he's actually a…?!'_

Irma shrugged halfheartedly. "Of course, when you declare yourself the boss of organized crime, you're bound to meet opposition. Some were clearly skeptical and even challenged him to his claim…" Irma glared. "…Every time I look at that brat, it reminds me more of why I dislike Fusions. For a Weavile, it's all a matter of getting the hits in before they end you in one blow. But he isn't a pure Weavile.

"I remember one battle taking place outside my apartment. A front seat to this infamous crime boss who has pulled me back onto my feet." She huffed. "I hear on the news about Pokémon and Fusions getting into fights…saying things like that Fusion has mastered the other half of their DNA. Never understood it too much, but…I learned from experience.

"Fast, strong, tough, elusive, crafty…while someone like me was getting that last drop of rum, he was busy training and perfecting himself. He understands the full aspect of his Dusknoir half and how to utilize it as a Weavile. That kid, in my eyes…" She glared at Artemis. "…he could very well be as strong as that council of yours. He's invincible."

The fact this was being opined by the mouth of her mother showed the weight of her words. She would never say something like that unless she truly meant it. It further sank Artemis into everything she come to know about Asher. Criminal was one thing, unbeatable is another, but that was all she come to know him as herself. That was how she viewed him.

Irma, however, didn't idolize Asher like she did. She didn't have a reason to say this…unless it was true.

Her claws lightly dug into the chair. "…I've looked up to him all my life…I always believed no one could beat him…and now you're saying he might be stronger than I could imagine?"

Irma nodded. "He was challenged by numerous Pokémon and Fusions. Whole groups at once. Hardly believed my eyes. There's nothing else like him around here. There's just no denying his strength. He's strong. He's…unquestionably strong."

"Damn…"

The Vaporeon breathed out, then stretched her limp tail. "I don't know where he is or how you can find him. However, I'd give it time…he shows up when he needs to, right? Came at the perfect time for you. Came at the right time for me. Maybe it's a matter of waiting for him to show up."

"…Maybe you're right." She exhaled and lowered her head, smiling fondly. "I'm glad he's doing alright…"

"Still a cocky, arrogant bastard," Irma added out loud, but then refuted it with a shrug and said, "Can't blame him, I guess."

Artemis stepped off the chair and stretched her legs. "Guess this means I need to wait a little longer." She shook her head. "Well…I've got nowhere else to go, so I've got nothing but time." She stretched herself out and breathed a relieve sigh.

"Feeling better?" Irma asked.

"…Yeah, much better, actually." She lifted her head and frowned sternly at the woman. "I still hate you."

"Hate you, too."

There wasn't malice behind either of their tones like earlier. Somehow, there was a mutual agreement between each other that didn't have to be spoken. The hate was there, but they didn't have to express it like angry Mankey fighting over food. It felt more…natural like this.

Artemis turned herself towards the fridge, marching over to it. Irma raised her brow as the Fusion opened it up. "What are you doing?"

"Raiding your fridge. Got a problem with that?" she asked as she pulled out berries, vegetables and other stuff.

Irma huffed to herself and rubbed her face. "Of course you are…" she grumbled under her breath. "Fine, whatever. Half that stuff will probably go bad in a couple of days, anyway. I could just buy more food."

"Wasn't asking for your permission." She searched through her cupboards and pulled out some recyclable shopping bags. "I'm taking your bags, too!"

Irma pressed her paw to her face and groaned. "Irritable brat."

"Old hag."

* * *

Back in the abandoned apartment complex, the others were sprawled out over the place, minding their time until their friend returned. Sheila was up against a wall, legs held close to her chest, with the bag of stolen money sitting close by. Despite Artemis' halfhearted permission, they didn't do anything with the money yet. Honestly, Sheila was still pretty upset about what she said to Artemis.

Chris tried to keep in usual spirits as he took occasional glances at the door. He rested back on his hands and sighed. "She's been gone for a while." It was his poor attempt at making small talk, but the silence was killing him.

"Yeah…" Sheila mumbled.

Crawford was guzzling down the stolen booze in a fit of joy. "Oh yeah! This is the good stuff, lads!"

Sheila groaned at him. "Crawford…you could make an effort to show a little concern for Artemis."

"Boohoo, I hope she is alright," he halfheartedly replied. He threw the empty bottle away. "Lighten up. She's tougher than any bastard in this damn town. I ain't worried about her." He used his pincer to pry off the bottle cap to his beer.

Sheila sighed, defeated by this point, and just brought her legs closer to her chest. She just hoped whatever Artemis was doing didn't land her in any serious trouble.

Chris glanced at Sheila and saw she was in desperate need of help. He turned himself around to face her. "So…what do you suppose we do with the money?"

Sheila frowned deeply. "…Food, obviously…" She closed her eyes and withheld from groaning. "But after that…I honestly don't know. This…This isn't my element. I just can't shake how wrong it is to become criminals…it doesn't feel right."

"You have to remember, we're not in your neighborhood," Chris pointed out. "Things work differently out in rougher edges."

"He's right," Crawford chirped in. "Take me, for instance. Like I was the kind of guy to extend a claw of friendship to anyone who needed it. What I needed to do was beat down anyone who got in my way and stay in shape for all the underground fights I'd get into! Weakness is for the weak!"

"Uh…yeah, exactly," Chris muttered. "I mean, you can't expect the world to revolve in a perfect circle."

"I suppose so…" Sheila mumbled.

Chris tilted his head. "Come to think of it, I'm curious. You're so averse to crime, yet you are attracted to tougher guys. Your perfect bad boy. Why is that?"

Sheila's face reddened, which she immediately covered behind her hands. She instantly regretted sharing that with them. She'll never live it down. "I don't know! I mean, I got the idea when I was little because…well, tough guys are supposed to be cool and stuff! I've had crushes on bad boys on TV like any girl my age did…" She shrugged uncertainly. "Opposites attract?"

"I'm going with your original theory that your Zoroark half is making you more…susceptible to that background."

Crawford smirked. "Would that mean York's yer type since he was a lawbreaker? I think ye have competition for him."

"No, no, no, absolutely not!" Sheila denied. She flinched, then reeled in her excitement. "I-I mean…I wouldn't consider him a...'bad boy' bad boy. I'm talking guys wearing leather jackets and riding on motorcycles with a toothpick in their teeth. Guys who generally do really bad stuff and have a stupidly annoying attitude about it, and yet they're so...gosh darn attractive, GAH!" She rubbed her head viciously. "What's wrong with my brain?!"

"And York?" Chris asked.

Sheila sighed, dropping her arms down. "And York's just…well, York. Not really the guy I fawn over."

Crawford tapped his bottle against his chin. "So, do ye fantasize over a guy sweeping ye off yer feet on their sick motorcycle?" he joked.

"I don't go that far!" Sheila barked. She slumped forward, exhaling a defeated sigh. "Maybe my brain is still hooked up on my childhood fantasies…"

"Yeah, maybe a little…" Chris agreed.

Crawford smirked. "Still, maybe ye'll get yer chance if we ever meet that Asher fellow Artemis keeps yappin' about. He might be yer type."

Sheila rolled her eyes. "I'll make that judgment when I actually meet the guy."

Chris smirked and held his cheek. "Assuming you don't drool at the sight of him."

Sheila's face exploded with heat. She flailed her arms and pouted irritably. "I do not drool over guys!"

"Sure, lass, sure…" Crawford said as he sipped some beer.

Sheila whined softly and covered her face behind her large ears. Chris laughed, covering his mouth behind his clawed hand. "Chill, Sheila, I'm just teasing."

"I'm not," Crawford bluntly said.

Sheila shuddered with embarrass, now definitely regretting telling them about her romantic preferences. Before she could sink any lower into her mortified well, she detected something through her ears. She peeked out from behind her ears and looked to the door. "…I hear footsteps."

"That so?" Chris stood up and stretched his arms as he walked to the door. "Artemis must be back."

Sheila listened closely to the footsteps and noticed something wrong about them. "Wait…these sound too heavy to be her…" She gasped sharply and sprung to her feet, shouting, "Chris! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"

Chris was able to react in time, as the walls exploded open, shooting him with wooden debris. He landed on his feet, then narrowly avoided the teeth of a Carnivine-Sharpedo. He was blue with a white body, had the yellow 'X' scar on top his head, and had sharp, white teeth. They nearly snapped down on Chris' arm.

Crawford sprung up and scuttled into action with a Power-Up Punch, but took a sucker punch from his blind spot, thanks to a Magmar-Chansey. He was a much lighter red, bordering on hot pink. He had three hair-like growths coming from the sides of his head. On his stomach was a pouch, containing an egg. The Fusion reared his foot back and slammed it into Crawford.

Sheila jumped and caught Crawford. "We've been compromised!"

A hand reached through and pushed away some wood hanging off the hole. Entering was an Electivire-Conkeldurr, the very same one Artemis fought back in the village. His muscle tendons sparked with activity.

He looked to the three and smirked dryly. "Hello, Gappei Fusions…I like what you've done with the place. Not as impressive as your village, but still cozy."

Sheila dropped Crawford and raised her fists. "You're those Fusion Renegades!" She glared. "How did you find us?!"

"I can tell you, it wasn't that hard." The large Fusion chuckled lowly. "You were trekking through pretty tall snow. Would've taken a while for that to disappear."

Chris clenched his teeth as he got to his feet. "What the hell do you want? Haven't we been through enough?"

"Hardly." The Electivire-Conkeldurr quietly scanned his eyes over the room. "One of your little friends made Data pretty upset. Completely shut down our operations." He glared. "Seems the little virus isn't here."

"Virus?" Sheila mumbled.

"Is he talkin' about Cody?" Crawford wondered. "What the heck did ye do, Codes?"

The Fusion closed his eyes and laughed. "Oh well…even if he's not here, we don't have to leave empty handed." He glared at the Gappei Fusions. "We have three wonderful batteries to take with us."

"Batteries?!" they shouted.

The Carnivine-Sharpedo growled at his superior. "Don't get in over your head, Hoss! You know how you get when you're cocky!"

"Not to worry." Hoss stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. "I'll be quick." His tendons flared with electricity. "Bring 'em hell, boys! Thunder Punch!" He kicked off the floor and flew towards them.

Sheila sprung out in return. "Now, Dizzy Punch!"

Their fist collided with one another, sending out sparks of their attacks. For the most part, they were evenly matched. Hoss smirked. "Say…you've got some muscle on you." His tendons pulsed with energy, then his fist started to push back against Sheila's.

Sheila dug her feet into the floor. _'He's strong!'_

While she had him occupied, Crawford scuttled straight for the Magmar-Chansey. "No one sucker punches me and stays conscious! Close Combat!" He threw a rapid flurry of punches.

The Fusion crossed his arms and took the incoming attacks. Due to being a Normal-Type, it was hurting quite a bit, but he had the stamina to endure it. One final punch pushed him back, with his feet staying firmly planted in the floor. He laughed, blowing fire from his mouth. "Nice try. Flamethrower!" He spewed flames at the crab.

Crawford jumped back, feeling the heat of the flames against his face. _'Me fists didn't feel warmer when I was punchin' him. I can rule out Flame Body as his ability, thankfully.'_

Chris used Comet Punch and flew towards the Carnivine-Sharpedo. The flytrap shark countered with his speedy Aqua Jet, crashing against Chris' fists. Chris rapidly beat down against the approaching attack, then quickly pulled off a Metal Claw, dispersing the water instantly.

"Vacuum Wave!" Chris swung his fist up and knocked the Fusion into the air with the air pressure of his move.

The flytrap shark balanced himself out and came flying back down, opening his jaw wide. "Ice Fang!"

Chris winced as the teeth sunk down on his arms. He felt a chilling sensation crawling up to his shoulders. "Iron Defense!" His skin flashed and turned metallic briefly, then he forced the flytrap off. "Now, Tank!" He punched his fists together, turning his body completely metallic, then he charged straight for the flytrap.

The flytrap smirked, then whipped out Vine Whip. Before Chris could react, they wrapped around his ankles and pulled his straight into the air before slamming him back down into the floor, canceling out his Tank.

Sheila bounced around the place, avoiding Thunder from Hoss. "You'll regret attacking our home!"

Hoss smirked. "Doll…that's the least of your troubles." He lunged and reached to grab her, but she dodged. However, she missed the tail that wrapped around her waist. She gasped before taking a sharp Thunder Punch to the face.

She flew back and nearly slammed into the wall, but she straightened out and canceled her flight with a well-time ricochet. "Grr…I've got no time for this." She landed, then spun on her foot before posing seductively at the enemy. "Attract!" She winked and send a flurry of hearts at them.

Hoss' cohorts, who were distracted, were hit by the hearts and gawked at Sheila with stupid grins and drool running down their faces. "Check out the babe!" They whistled at her.

Hoss, meanwhile, just laughed as the hearts came at him. "I won't fall for your charms. Ion Deluge." His body coated itself in electricity, illuminating the entire room. The Attract nailed him, but they were overcome with electricity at the last second, then were promptly absorbed into his body.

Sheila gasped. "You've got to be kidding!" She glared and sprung off her feet. "Blackout Kick!" She aimed her darkened kick for his face.

Hoss, however, sped out of the way and appeared behind her. "Whatcha' aiming for?"

She landed with a start. _'He's fast, too?! Drats…what does Ion Deluge do again?!'_

Chris saw this, then shouted at Crawford, "Crawford, get those other two knocked unconscious, now!"

"Aye!" Crawford raced for the two Renegades as they kept admiring Sheila.

However, Hoss got before them and, in an unusual move, wrapped his tails around them. "Thunder!" Not holding back, he zapped the two mercilessly until the Attract spell was fried right out of them.

"YOW!" the Carnivine-Sharpedo shrieked.

Hoss pointed at the Magmar-Chansey. "DJ, support!" He turned and charged for Sheila.

"R-Right!" DJ held his hands out and formed two egg constructs with a green aura. "Soft-Boiled!" He cracked one in his hand and restored his health, then passed the other over to the flytrap shark.

Crawford sneered. "I should've figured they had a healer!"

Sheila bounced across the walls. "Chris, tag team!" She pulled her fist back. "Dizzy Punch!"

"Comet Punch!"

They both attempted to sandwich Hoss between their punches. The powerhouse smirked and held his hands out. "Ion Deluge!" He caught their punches and absorbed them into his body.

Sheila growled and swung her leg at his face, but he avoided it when it was only millimeters from contact. "He keeps getting faster!"

Chris racked his brain, then gasped. "Oh crap! Sheila, get away from him!" They jumped back before Hoss' tails could wrap around them. "I just remembered! Ion Deluge turns our Normal-Type moves in Electric-Type moves! He must have Motor Drive as his ability, too!"

"You mean we've just been boosting his speed?!" she screamed.

"Just don't use Dizzy Punch or Attract!"

"It's too late for that." Chris was captured around the waist by Hoss' tail. He had sped over in the time he took to jump back. Hoss glanced at Sheila, then sped up to her side and grabbed her.

"H-Hey!" She tried to pry his tail off.

Hoss laughed. "Enjoy the ride!" He spun them around like one of those carnival swing rides, then chucked them across the room, slamming them through the wall.

Crawford jumped and fired off Bubble Beam at DJ. The Carnivine-Sharpedo intercepted with Aqua Jet and slammed into the crab, throwing him into his friends.

"Nice work, Wave," DJ commented.

Wave landed, then posed boastfully. "Was there any doubt?" He glared. "Still, these guys are a lot weaker than I hoped. I didn't come all this way for grunt work."

Sheila glared as she bit on her lip. _'We haven't kept up with training ever since we got here. Plus, with us rationing food, we're not quite at our best…'_

Crawford, however, wasn't taking this laying down. He stomped his legs down and stood up, growling at their attackers. "Ye callin' us pushovers?!" He raised his pincers at them. "Come on, the lot of ye! If ye think ye can take me, then prove it! I ain't goin' down until me last breath!"

"Crawford, shut up!" Sheila ordered through clenched teeth.

Hoss, however, looked amused by the crab's bravery. "Hmm…you've inspired me, crab. I'm suddenly feeling generous." He whipped his tails as he spread his legs and raised his fists. "I do see a warrior's spirit in your eyes, so I want to test that for myself." Sparks went up his body, channeling through the tendons. "You want me to take you seriously? Let me show you at my best."

His tendons pumped with a red energy coursing inside. They more they pumped, the brighter the tendons became until they were a solid red. Sheila bit her lip, feeling her hair standing on end. She and Chris backed away cautiously while Crawford kept his guard up.

"What's this? Plannin' somethin' flashy against me?" Crawford asked. "It'll take a lot more than yer fancy light show to make me quiver-!"

"Now…Critical OVERLOAD!" Hoss arched his back and roared as his body erupted with a stupidly high amount of electricity. The very pressure of his move's activation broke apart the floorboards and made the complex rattled, wearing out what little support it had left.

The Gappei Fusions looked on in absolute horror. They could feel his power climbing exponentially. A Fusion Move that was boosting his power way beyond anything they've seriously faced.

Hoss stomped his foot down, then smirked. "Let's go!" He lunged straight for them.

* * *

Artemis dropped a jug of milk, spilling out onto the kitchen floor. Her jaw was visibly seen quivering as she stared into the fridge, petrified.

"Hey!" Irma snapped at her. "You spill it, you clean it!" Her ears drooped as she took noticed of Artemis' trembling demeanor. "What's with you?"

Irma's ears twitched, picking up on a noise. She turned to her window. She didn't see anything, but she could tell the direction of the noise. Her eyes narrowed cautiously.

"That's…coming from the complex…" she muttered.

Artemis' eyes shook with fear. "My friends are in trouble…"


	69. The Reaper of the Frost

The three Fusions were thrown through the old building with nothing more than a swing of the arm. They slammed hard into the building across from them, depressing the walls inward. It was not even ten seconds and they were gravely wounded. It took a lot out of them just to stand. It was a miracle they had not lost consciousness from the single attack.

"Th-That power…!" Crawford gasped, pressing his pincers into the ground to keep standing.

"What a violent Fusion Move…" Chris commented.

Laughter emanated from the old complex. A hand reached out from the large hole, gripping to the chipping sides. The Electivire-Conkeldurr took a heavy step out into the cold snow, cloaked in a red aura that also pumped through his tendons.

"Critical Overload. You losers are in for a real treat." He breathed in, then flexed his impressive muscles. "This boosts my attack power and defenses to their uppermost limits! And thanks to those speed buffs you gave me, I'm faster, too! I'm a living, breathing juggernaut like this!"

Sheila bared her teeth into a half-snarl as one eye shut from the pain. "Dammit…how are we supposed to beat a guy like this?"

"I don't know…" Chris glared. "We can't even stun him with your Attract, and none of us really have any useful debilitating moves to use on him. Wish one of us was a Poison-Type."

Crawford, however, was absolutely livid. He growled and punched his pincers together. "Are we just goin' to stand here and let these chumps use us as punchin' bags?! Hell no! I ain't goin' out like this!"

"Crawford, think rationally!" Sheila scolded.

"I've rationally decided that they aren't goin' to give us any time to recuperate!" Crawford scuttled swiftly for the towering Renegade. "Come get some, ye big buffoon!" He lunged at Hoss, empowering his pincers with Power-Up Punch.

Hoss smirked and met his punch with his Thunder Punch. Crawford gritted his teeth, feeling the overwhelming force that nearly bent his arm back. "You call that wimpy ass tap a punch?!" He forced around the punch and struck Crawford straight in the face, sending him flying into the air. "You're just an inferior Fusion!"

Crawford straightened out and sneered. "Inferior this, bub!" He opened his pincers. "Piss off!" He rained down Bubble Beam. The stream of bubbles landed their mark and exploded on contact with the hulking Fusion.

However, in that moment, Wave struck with his Aqua Jet. With Crawford suspended high in the air, he was unable to dodge. Instead, he did his best to counter with his Crabhammer.

"Power Whip!" Wave used the speed of his Aqua Jet and slammed his glowing arm into the crab's attack. It wasn't quite the one-sided power clash from earlier, but Crawford's pincer was still stinging from the electric punch. Wave slapped his pincer out of the way, then opened his wide jaw, teeth coated in a toxin purple. "Poison Fang!"

Crawford gasped before quickly catching the teeth as they closed on him. He grunted from the strain, but it was better than having poison coursing through him.

With the distraction, Sheila bounced straight for Hoss. Now knowing she can't use Normal-Type moves, she had the next best thing. "Blackout Kick!" Wrapping her leg in pitch black energy, she struck her foot for the goliath.

However, Hoss easily managed to block the incoming kick, not the least bit fazed. "Come on!" He wrapped his tail around her waist, with her arms pinned to her sides. "Put some more effort into it!" He slammed Sheila repeated into the ground.

Chris glared and sprinted for her with his Focus Punch active. "Let go of her!"

He suddenly felt DJ get up behind him, locking his arms under his own. "Seismic Toss!" He performed a vertical leap, grabbed the iron boxer's wrists, spun him around, and threw him straight into the ground.

Chris bounced off his back, pushing the air from his lungs. With some clarity intact, he used his hands to block the Fire Punch coming for him, though it stung immensely. He glared and reared his fist back. "Vacuum Wave!" With a swing of his fist, he sent the egg keeper flying through a pressure wave. He sprung up on his wobbly legs, then resumed for Sheila.

DJ straightened out and targeted the fleeing boxer. "Lava Plume!" He blew the thick, heated smog, cutting off Chris' path between him and his injured friend.

"Sheila!" Chris shouted. He turned and blocked a Fire Punch with his Night Slash.

Meanwhile, Sheila felt her face bruising from the repeated impacts to the ground. The snow was painted red from the blood she spat out. Her body was feeling weaker by the second. It was nothing compared to the pain in her ears from her assaulter's irritating laughter.

"Take a good look at me, doll! I'm the king of pain! There's no one stronger than me!" He bent down and ran his finger across her chin. "Though, I'd be willing to spare a pretty face like yours-" Sheila spat blood in his face, shutting him up.

"I'm…not…giving up-GAAAAH!" Hoss put more weight on his foot, then proceeded to stomp on her back.

Hoss dragged his finger against the blood and flicked it off. "Sounds like you need to know your place."

Crawford kept fighting off Wave, but was getting pretty pissed watching Sheila be toyed with. He hated braggers like this chump and it only furthered his rage how he wasn't taking any of them seriously. "LET HER GO, YE MUSCLE-HEADED BASTARD!" He flinched, nearly losing his hold over the flytrap's jaws.

He saw the cornered of Wave's mouth turn up. To Crawford's shock, Bullet Seed fired from his mouth and sent him flying back, rolling into the snow. He rolled to his feet, then stopped another Aqua Jet with his Power-Up Punch.

Hoss pulled out a disabling collar from behind his back. "This'll get you to be more compliant." He opened it and bent down to strap it around Sheila's neck. She clenched her eyes shut and held her breath.

"Hey asshole, check your hearing! He said let her go!"

From the corner of his eye, Hoss saw an incoming Moonblast slam and explode across his face. It didn't do much to hurt him, but the surprise attack was enough to throw him off balance. Sheila panted in relief, now able to recover, then gasped as ribbon-like feelers picked her up in the air.

She looked down and saw, to her greater relief, it was Artemis. Accompanied with her was an unfamiliar Vaporeon, who had a feeler wrapped around her ankle. She was panting heavily, probably because they ran here.

Artemis smirked uneasily at Sheila. "Yeesh…you're a real jerk, Sheila. Why didn't you invite me to the party?"

Sheila was hurt, but still managed a befuddled glare. "S…Seriously? You're…cracking jokes…at a time like this?"

"Believe me, you'd rather have me cracking puns than cracking under pressure." She set the illusion rabbit beside Irma, then glared with great hostility at the Renegades. "Do I need to know anything specific?"

"The Electivire Fusion…he has a Fusion Move that powers him up. He took us all out without even trying. And he can use Ion Deluge. You won't be able to use Normal-Type moves."

Artemis cracked her neck. "Oh…goodie." She marched towards the three Renegades. Seeing Artemis approaching, Chris and Crawford backed off to recuperate.

Sheila and Irma exchanged awkward glances at each other, having never formally met.

Irma faced the tall Fusion, then gave a short, half-hearted wave. "…Yo." Sheila blinked, then turned right back to the fight.

Hoss picked himself up and dusted the snow from his fur. He glared at the approaching Fusion. "More of you? How lovely." He smirked. "I remember beating you pretty good back in Gappei, little missy. Whatcha' got now?"

Artemis stopped, then spread her legs out. "I thought I'd play a little song for you boys." She took a deep breath. "Hyper…VOOOOOOOOOICE!" Sound waves rippled from her gaping mouth, blowing away the snow in front of her.

Sheila gasped. "Artemis! I said don't use Normal-Type moves!"

Hoss smirked and held his hands out. "Wrong move, girl! Ion Deluge!" He wrapped himself in the static cloak, then…had his ears assaulted with an ear-splitting shriek and the rippling shockwaves of her scream.

DJ and Wave screamed their heads off and covered their ears. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Hoss slammed his hands between his ears, growling. _'Why isn't it being canceled?! My Motor Drive should be sucking it up!'_ He flinched. _'And why does it hurt so much?!'_ He turned and saw Wave was feeling particularly injured by the Hyper Voice. _'…No…her ability! It's Pixilate! It's a Fairy-Type move! And it's stronger!'_

His body started sparking with red energy. His eyes widened as this before gritting his teeth. _'Shit. I don't have much time left!'_ Furious, he sped right through the Hyper Voice, ignoring the pain as best he could.

Artemis stopped firing and jumped back from Hoss' tail grab. "Duality Dance!" She spun around and posed as her pink and red colors swapped places. "High Jump Kick!" She leapt in the air and dove straight for Hoss.

Hoss dodged at the last second and struck her with his Thunder Punch. Artemis gasped, feeling her ribs close to breaking from the impact. She was flung across the snow and slammed into a building. She tried to get up, but was then picked up by Hoss' tails. She bit back a scream as he sent a powerful Thunder through her system. Anyone could see she was in a great deal of pain.

"Artemis!" Sheila cried out. She bit her lip worriedly, then shifted to a furious scowl. "You…jerks!" She pushed herself up with great difficulty.

"Sheila, stop! You're injured!" Chris called out.

"I. Don't. Care!" She put aside her own injuries and rocketed straight for Hoss. Her legs screamed in burning pain, aggravating her eyes to water. "Ice Beam!" She fired the icy energy from between her hands.

Hoss turned and growled. "Shit! Iron Tail!" He dodged, then used one of his tails, coated in an iron aura, to bat her away. It struck her hard in the abdomen, but she locked her arms around his tail to keep from flying.

Sheila huffed, held her breath, and slammed her foot into his face, forcing him to release Artemis. Hoss flailed wildly, even desperately, to get Sheila off. He bashed her into the hard ground and walls, but she wouldn't release. The sparks around Hoss were getting more unstable with the passing time.

"Let go of me!" Hoss screamed.

"Hang on, boss!" DJ and Wave shouted as they ran to him.

DJ felt a hand clasp his shoulder. He turned and received a strong right hook of a Focus Punch to the face. Chris put as much weight on his punch as he could, keeping it firmly planted for as long as his brief window of contact would allow. "Never underestimate our village!" He swung the fist down and bashed DJ's head right into the concrete, erupting the ground with snow and rock.

Wave turned to fire on him, but felt two pincers clamp down on his shoulders. To his horror, he was pushed into the ground and pinned by the boxing crab. Crawford sneered. "I'm not the nicest guy on the block…" He punched his pincers together. "But I'll be damned if I let ye harm another one of me friends! Ye got that, punk?!"

"Wait, stop-!" he tried to plead.

"Close Combat!" Crawford punched furiously into the flytrap shark's abdomen. Wave gasped a breathless cry, feeling the weight of each punch depressed the ground under him and bury him deeper in. Crawford finished with one solid, devastating punch to the chest, cracking something inside the Renegade. Wave gasped for air, then fell limp to the ground.

Sheila was flung around before she planted her feet into the ground, keeping a tight hold of Hoss' tail. "You're starting to get desperate! Wonder why? There something you don't want us to know?!"

Hoss flinched as the energy build-up became critical. "Sh…Shiiiiit!" Hoss arched his back and screamed as he erupted with red energy like before. However, unlike earlier, this seemed to be damaging his body rather than empowering it. He screamed in pain as his body deflated to normal.

Crawford pulled himself from his crater and sneered. "Now I get it. His Fusion Move is like a refined Belly Drum, only the damage cost comes later." He glared. "He doesn't look quite as strong, either. I bet it's only a temporary effect."

Artemis pulled herself up and spat on the ground. "So…that means…"

Sheila cracked her knuckles. "He won't be using it again until he gets healed."

Hoss was sweating bullets from the searing pain in the pit of his stomach. He turned all around and found himself completely surrounded by the four Fusions. "You…haven't won…yet-"

Crawford slammed his pincer into the Renegade's face. "That's what ye get for bein' a cocky bastard!"

Sheila slammed her palms into Hoss' chest and blasted him with Dark Pulse. "This is for everyone you hurt!"

Chris powered up his Focus Punch and stopped Hoss with a powerful blow, making the goliath gasp out in pain. "This is for destroying our home!" He grabbed his tails and flung him into the air.

Artemis jumped, wrapped her feelers around his wrists and ankles, and stretched herself back. "This is for just pissing me off!" She slingshot herself and struck Hoss straight down with Iron Head.

Wave and DJ growled and raced to help Hoss. Sheila flinched as she tried to move her legs, but managed to jump high in the air. It was unbearable, but she had to pull through for one last attack. "After everything you've done to us…we're not going to back down! Call us weak all you want!"

The two tried to lift Hoss, but they found their feet frozen in place by a stray Ice Beam. "GAH! Where'd this come from?!" Wave shouted.

Irma had her back turned as she quietly whistled and innocent tune, with a bit of icy mist escaping her mouth.

Sheila spun herself around and gathered up dark energy all around her, channeling it through her hands. "For everything terrible thing you've done…this is for all the pain you've caused working for that mad man! NIGHT DAZE!"

She spun faster and faster towards the earth. With a swing of her arms, she collided with the ground and created an expanding dome of explosive dark energy that engulfed the three Renegades. The others quickly retreated from the blast while blocking the chilling snow kicked up by the blast. Irma growled and tried to keep her feet planted to the ground, nearly thrown off into the wind.

A lot of snow was kicked up in the blast that came crashing back down on the street. Sheila was among the snow, panting with the back of her body covered in the white flakes. She collapsed on her hands and knees. Her body was pumping with so much adrenaline that she didn't feel the cold touch of the snow.

Artemis pulled herself out of a mound of snow she landed face first in. She blew some off her nose, then used her feelers to dust herself off. "Sheila…" She slowly limped up to the rabbit, then draped her feelers over her. "How you feeling?"

Sheila wished she could say she was fine, but her body had a second opinion. Everything felt numb, no doubt going to change once the adrenaline stops working. "Not…good…" She bit her lip as she tilted to her side, caught in Artemis' feelers. "Can't…go on…"

Artemis smiled. "Hey…we got them, don't worry. You deserve some rest."

The boys and Irma walked up to them. Chris, holding his injured arm, plopped himself down in the snow. "That guy was tough…I think he broke a rib or two."

"I'm with ye there…" Crawford grumbled. His pincers were bruised and he probably had rearranged organs in places they shouldn't belong. He wouldn't be surprised if his heart was pumping close to where his spleen should be. He glared at Artemis. "Our place is shot. We can't stay out here like this."

Artemis held her paw up. "Not to worry. I got us a place we can crash at."

Irma was immediately suspicious and shot a glare at her daughter. "Pardon?"

Artemis smirked cruelly. "Make room for about four guests, old hag."

"Let me get this straight. When you ran out of my home and dragged me along with you, it was only so that you can force me to let you and your playmates become squatters in my own home?"

"Aww, you know me so well!"

Irma deadpanned before groaning to herself. "So, this is what ten years of horrible parenting gets me...karma is a bitch." She held her forehead and sighed. "I have a medkit at home. You better keep up, because I'm not stopping for any of you." She turned and started on her way.

Chris helped Sheila to her feet, while the rabbit looked down at Artemis, confused. "Um…Artemis?"

"Yeah?"

"When…you left to do something, you…went to find her?"

"That's right."

Crawford raised his brow. "Would that happen to be yer…?"

"My mother? Oh yeah. Spitting image of me…if you ignore the wrinkles and breath that could make a Garbador blush."

"You're hilarious, kid!" Irma shouted. "Like a Chatot whose only joke is spouting random fart noises."

Artemis stuck her tongue at her. "Ignore her. The dead get cranky when pulled from their slumber."

It was clear this was a family relationship they wanted _nothing_ to do with. Sheila breathed it, then huffed. "I…see you two had a… _wonderful_ talk while you were gone."

"Yeah, long story there. I'll explain on the way-"

Without warning, two black tails sprung from the snow and caught their prey: Artemis. The gang and Irma gasped as she was brought into the air, out of reach for anyone to grab her. Artemis tried to rip the tails off her waist, but froze as the tips of them pressed against her temples. She could feel the energy behind them, waiting to be released by a hairpin trigger.

Everyone tripped over themselves in shock, watching as the snow rose, revealing the Electivire-Conkeldurr underneath. He panted heavily at them, holding a Soft-Boiled in his hand. He cracked it and felt the refreshing aura remove his most grievous injuries. He picked himself onto his feet as he said, "No funny business…or she fries."

He was barely on his last leg of energy and he still managed to take all their attacks. There was no way they could repeat what they did a moment ago without injuring themselves beyond repair. The few hits they took from Hoss during his power boost left them barely conscious. What could they do now while he has an equally injured Artemis as his hostage?!

"L…LET HER GO!" Sheila screamed, the only action she could realistically perform.

Hoss bared his teeth into a snarl. "Oh, I'll let her go…and in return, you all will accompany us as our prisoners."

"Fat chance!" Crawford shouted. "We're not makin' any demands with-!" He stopped at the sight of sparks shooting through the captor's tails.

"You all need to learn fast that the strong will always step over the weak. It'd be so much easier if you all just submit and let us take you in. A new world will be born from our actions." Hoss glared. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be. You're all on your last legs."

Chris tightened his fists. "Listen here! If you think we're just going to let you-!"

"Guys, stop!" They froze at the sound of Artemis' cry. She panted quietly, too tired to fight back. What choice did they have like this? It was clear Hoss could easily break them down the longer they resisted. She didn't want anyone else getting hurt in a pointless battle. "…We're too weak to keep going like this."

"But Artemis-!" Sheila tried to plead.

"Stop!" Artemis barked, making the rabbit flinch. "…Just stop…" She inhaled deeply, then sighed. "…We surrender. Just please don't hurt them."

Hoss raises his fingers. "That's all we wanted." With a snap, Wave rocketed towards the group in their confusion and slapped on the disabling collars onto their necks…including Irma's.

"Wha?! Hey!" Irma pulled on the collar angrily. "I'm not with them!"

Hoss placed a collar around Artemis' neck. "I saw that Ice Beam you used earlier. Besides, can't have you blabbering about our work here." He flung Artemis in front of the group.

"Artemis!" Sheila tried to run, but her legs gave out under her. Fortunately, Artemis struck with her feelers and propped her up.

"…Sorry Sheila…I didn't have any other choice." She huffed. "I'm not risking my head to keep you guys safe…this is the safest route we have."

Sheila bit her lip, looking like she wanted to cry. "Th-This can't be it for us…"

"What other choice do we have?" Artemis stood up and kept her head low. "…Just get us out of here."

Hoss rotated his shoulders. "Wave, DJ, get them to the rendezvous point. We're leaving."

"Aye, boss!" They started directing the group with hand gestures and threatening looks. It was humiliating, but they complied and began to walk down the street.

Artemis felt a weight of guilt for how easily she gave themselves up, but what choice did she have? Any longer out there and they would've been creamed. In a way, she knew she made the right decision. She just wished it wasn't the only decision.

Irma growled as she pawed at her collar. "Just great…I was supposed to have a relaxing evening all to myself, then my useless daughter walks up on my doorstep and suddenly I find myself being arrested." Artemis glared, but didn't talk back.

Crawford was grinding his teeth together. "What I wouldn't give to break their skulls…"

Chris clenched his eyes shut. "I can't believe this is happening…"

"Hey!" They flinched at Wave's Vine Whip cracking near them. "Less chatting, more walking! You all are going to make fine batteries!" He pointed at Irma. "The Vaporeon is less than useful, so we'll just keep her under wraps until the DNA bomb goes off."

Irma rolled her eyes. "Wonderful…"

Artemis gazed at the ground longingly. _'All I wanted was to have a good life…is that too much to ask for?'_ A miracle was in need. She would pray to Arceus for days on end just for something to go right for once in their lives. They already lost their home. They didn't need more drama to go through.

She sighed depressingly, but then blinked twice at her breath. She normally didn't pay much mind to the cool mist that came from her mouth in the cold, but something was off about it now. It wasn't this thick earlier. In fact, she noticed now the air was getting colder, too. From the corner of her eye, she saw frost rapidly forming over windows.

"What…the…?"

Far off down the road…a pair of red eyes opened.

At the speed of sight, every single one of them, prisoner and captor, felt an overwhelming sense of dread overcome them. Chills ran up their spins as the area seemed to darken into a haze. They looked up and found themselves surrounded by illusions of large eyes staring down at them. They compelled them all not to move.

Hoss' eye twitched as he tried to move his legs. "What…the heck…?"

Chris' legs twitched, trying to move from their place. "I…I can't move!"

"No…it's not that we can't move," Sheila said as she tried to walk forward. "Something's…compelling us…not to leave…"

Artemis' eyes widened. "Does…Does that mean…?"

"Eh?!" Hoss growled. "What did you idiots-?!" He paused as a cold mist started rolling in. It was as thick as a dense fog, like a cloud that could be touched. "Who is…?" He didn't know why, but he had the sneaking suspicion his answers were closer than they thought.

Renegades and prisoners turned and observed the mass of swirling mist approaching them, with the silhouette of a lone figure in the center of it. Completely concealed inside and indistinguishable, yet they could feel the confidence in his stride. It was a palpable feeling that demanded respect.

Crawford grimaced at the presence. "Holy shit…does anyone else feel this energy?"

Chris rubbed his arms, with visible breaths escaping through his teeth. "If you mean the cold, then yes…"

Irma narrowed her eyes, then sighed. "Good grief, that showy bastard…" All but Artemis looked at her for answers. "You'll hear the occasional canard or yarn of a death god who roams these streets, whose very presence commands the weather to kill all life in the vicinity. All legends told from the superstitious, but a fact exists inside these rumors: if you see him, you're already dead."

The figure surrounded in the mist reached to rub the back of his head. His voice was smooth, relaxed, but also chilling. "Good grief. Can I get some peace and quiet around here? It'd be better if everyone could just…chill out."

Artemis' jaw hung open while her ears stood on end. _'It…It is him…'_

The figure stomped his foot down, commanding the cold mist to part slightly. The Renegades stared down at him in bafflement, gawking as the mist revealed the face of the Gappei Fusions' savior: a Weavile-Dusknoir. Yellow feathers and blue fur as pale as a ghost. A dreary gray scarf with a hood hanging by his nape. Two yellow bands on each upper arm and crimson red eyes.

Those malefic eyes projected a faint black glow that compelled the Renegades to stay where they were.

"Mean Look…" Wave muttered.

With his arms crossed, Asher smirked and expelled the mist from his body. It exploded outward with a force that made the Renegades and their prisoners plant themselves into the ground. Its presence was strong, like it was his very will in physical form.

Hoss glared softly. "And his ability, Pressure…"

The mist parted from Asher, giving everyone a full view of his form. He stood proudly and boldly before the enemy, with a lax grin that showed zero sign of fear, hesitance, or odious feelings. He felt no hatred or anger to these Fusions, for they weren't deserving of it.

Chris' jaw trembled as he took a step back. "That's Asher?! That's the guy who you idolize?!"

Artemis beamed from ear-to-ear. "Yep! That's him! That's Asher! Isn't he cool?!"

Crawford was hesitant to agree, so he just whipped his head away. "H-He's…alright."

"Y-Yeah…definitely cool…" Sheila stuttered. She completely forgot the pain in her legs and paid special mind of the heat rising in her cheeks. _'Oh my gosh…he's so…so…'_

Hoss, getting over his initial shock, now stared down the intruding Fusion with contempt. "Who the hell do you think you are, darn brat?! Trying to play some hero?!"

"Hero?" Asher tilted his head. "No…I'm no hero, but you're certainly unfortunate."

Hoss eased up and narrowed his eyes interrogatively. "Is that so? A small fry like you making threats with us? Is that what this is about?"

"Look, it's not my fault you walked all the way out here to get your asses kicked. It's rather sad and pitiful...but I suppose it's understandable if one were to face me." He placed his hands on his hips. "So...you three have the option to run with your tails between your legs...or I'll personally escort you to your deathbeds." He smiled kindly. "Care for a glass of warm milk with that?"

Hoss blinked, then bit his lip as he tried to hold back his snickers. "You…You…" He snorted, letting out a small laugh before stomping his foot down and pointing at the supposed reaper. "Now I see...you're just some lowly Fusion full of pride and arrogance. What a joke! A small fry like you!" He arched his back and laughed his head off.

Asher joined along in his laughter, but with a more jovial, carefree spirit, as if it was a laugh between close chums. The contrasting laughter disturbed both sides of the party, each knowing that something bad was going to happen in the next few seconds.

As Asher laughed, Hoss took the opportunity to reel his fist back and charge up a full-powered Thunder Punch, then brining it down as hard as he can on top of him. The impact with the ground pushed up the snow and broke apart the street, sending slabs of asphalt flying from the white blanket.

It wasn't that easy, however. In a flicker of speed, Asher appeared by his head, arms casually folded behind his back. He spun and delivered a sharp kick into the muscular Fusion's jaw, throwing him off his feet.

"WHAT?!" Wave and DJ screamed.

Hoss was blank with shock as he flew. _'How did he move so…?'_ He growled and dug his fingers into the ground, catching himself. "Thunder!" He raised his arms, then thrusted them out with a blast of lightning cutting through the air.

Asher ducked under it and speedily dashed under Hoss, then flipped kicked him in the nose. Hoss gasped as blood sprayed out form his nose. Asher pulled his fist back, then slammed it into Hoss' gut. A darkness flickered around his hand before blasting Hoss through the street, via Shadow Punch.

"Shit!" Chris exclaimed.

"He's fast!" Crawford shouted.

Irma huffed irritably. "What the hell was I worried about?"

Artemis was bouncing around, waving invisible pom-poms in her feelers. "Yeah, that's showing them, Asher! Kick their asses!"

Sheila remained silent as she watched the apparently badass Fusion in awe. So this was the guy Artemis idolized. The badass criminal that taught her everything she needed to know out on her own. Sheila couldn't describe what she was feeling, but the fluttering in her heart gave a telling sign.

Wave roared, whipping out his Vine Whips. Asher turned his body and let them fly by. "A good effort." He grabbed them both and pulled Wave into his awaiting elbow, directly onto his X-shaped scar. Wave bounced off with a stunned gaze.

DJ charged in from behind, with a Fire Punch furiously crackling. Asher spun on his heel and shielded himself with Wave, who took the hit in full. The flytrap shark screamed out in pain, scaring DJ into pulling back.

"Ah! I didn't mean to-!" He felt Asher dash past him, with the Vine Whip clutched firmly in his hand. He spun it around with remarkable technique, getting it wrapped over DJ. With a pull and snap of the vine, it instantly bound DJ's legs and arms together. He found his arms tightly secured behind his back. "GAH! What are you, a ninja?!"

Taking the other Vine Whip, Asher pulled Wave into the air, bringing DJ along with him, and slammed them both into the ground. He jumped back and punched the air, sending forth a barrage of Shadow Punches that pummeled them through the snow.

DJ, being part Normal-Type, was unaffected by the punches and was able to undo his bindings. "Lava Plume!" He spread the thick, red hot smog into a wide wall, dividing the opposing sides. He then charged through with his fists aflame.

Wave recovered from his injuries and rocketed through the Lava Plume with his Aqua Jet, leaving himself resisted against its intense heat. He shot out to strike Asher, but he wasn't on the ground anymore. Instead, to the flytrap's shock, Asher had predicted his attack and was now hovering above him in mid-jump.

Wave turned himself towards the sky. "Bullet Seed!"

As the seed projectiles came for Asher, he extended his hand and formed a solid purple blade of energy. "Night Slash." He sliced through the seeds coming at him, not leaving one to land a mark on his body. He fell towards the flytrap and slashed him down the middle, taking him to the ground with a loud thud.

While his eyes were on Wave, DJ took the opportunity to jump from his heated smokescreen, with a Fire Punch blazing erratically. It was wrapped in the fumes of his Lava Plume, making it akin to a meteor entering the atmosphere. "I'll roast you into dust! Fire Punch!" The heat of his punch mixed with the cold air around Asher created a powerful steam that went around his fist.

"…Fire Punch."

A fist wrapped in flame met DJ's, stopping his attack in its tracks. DJ gasped and was nearly pushed back by Asher's counter attack. The flames licked Asher's arm, but he wasn't fazed by them. They, too, were mixed with steam from the mix of cold and hot air. This mix of temperatures created a powerful pressure emanating between their punches. There was no longer snow under their feet, but the bare asphalt of the blanketed road.

The Fusions and Irma could feel the mix of air hitting them from where they stood. "A Weavile that uses Fire Punch?" Chris said aloud. "That's not something you usually see!"

"True, but it's a nice heat," Crawford commented.

Chris glared. "Still, this guy is kicking their asses while we were getting floored. It's crazy."

"We'll chalk it up to us not being at a hundred percent," Artemis said, patting him in the back.

Irma huffed. "Even that's an understatement. That kid can take out anyone if he needed to. There's just no point denying how strong he is."

"He is pretty strong…and awesome…" Sheila mumbled, staring intensely at the battle, eyes never leaving Asher. Well, they left Asher for a moment when she caught Artemis smirking right at her. Sheila flinched and jumped back. "W-What?!"

"You're blushing~!" Artemis teased. "Whatcha' thinking?"

Sheila covered her burning face and turned away. "I-It's cold out here, that's all!" Artemis threw her head back and laughed.

DJ tried his best to stand up against the frost reaper, but the force of his punch outweighed the heat of his. His Fire Punch was extinguished, blowing back his wrist, leaving him open for Asher to catch him by the other arm. He turned and threw DJ over his shoulder, colliding with Wave's head.

Asher breathed, then set his hands upon his hips. "Come on, guys. I haven't broken a sweat in like...years. You're gonna have to try a bit harder."

From behind, he felt the pressure of a punch heading straight for the back of his head. He turned curiously and saw the green glow of the fist near his face. He showed no fear, however, as the fist passed right through him as if he were nothing but air.

Hoss growled. "Ghost-Type!"

"Fighting-Type!" Asher shouted back playfully.

Hoss spun around, this time aiming to use Iron Tail. Asher pulled up Night Slash and blocked the Iron Tails with it. The tails curved and tried to lasso Asher's waist, but he pogoed himself with his Night Slash, avoiding capture. Hoss raised his hands as the blade swung down to his face. He caught it between his hands, but was caught off guard by how much power Asher put behind his swing. His feet sunk into the street, depressing the ground with cracks.

' _This guy wasn't bluffing. How can a scrawny punk like this get so strong-?'_ He was thrown out of his thoughts by a strong Shadow Punch to his defenseless gut. The punch threw him back as it passed through his body, passing on a feeling of nausea for a brief moment. He fell to his knees and faced the ground, panting.

"This guy is nuts…" Chris awed.

Artemis squealed. "What did I tell you? Asher is so freakin' awesome!" She smirked teasingly at Sheila, seeing she still looked heavily invested in the fight. "Wouldn't you say, Sheila?"

Sheila silently cursed the thuggish Fusion for putting those thoughts in her head. Outwardly, she flailed her arms and shouted, "Stop it!" The huge blush on her face did not help.

Back to the fight, DJ and Wave silently exchanged nods to each other, then ran at full speed around Asher. DJ flipped upside-down, facing towards Asher, and spewed Flamethrower across the street. _'I'll get him to jump so he doesn't have anywhere to go. Once he's in midair, Wave'll total him!'_

Simulataenously, Wave went on the offensive in a more direct fashion. "Aqua Jet, plus Power Whip!" He coated himself in water and took off at high speeds, with his arms glowing with power. He spun through the Aqua Jet, turning himself into a spiraling blue and green howitzer missile.

They had everything set up to score serious damage over the reaper, but Asher wasn't having it. With quick movements of his eyes, he assessed the situation before spawning a Night Slash. Once the carpet of flames was a meter from him, he slashed across the ground and bifurcated it into separate paths. The splitting flames curved into Wave's attack, turning most of his Aqua Jet into a Steam Jet.

"HEY! I can't see!"

"Allow me to guide you, good sir."

The steam parted open, revealing a one-way ticket to pain via the Shadow Punch to the face. Combined with Wave's excessive spinning, he flew in a spiral of steam and crashed through the glass door of a building, sliding across the recently waxed floors.

Asher patted his hands together, keeping the Night Slash tucked under his arm. DJ kicked off one foot and sprinted with two Fire Punches blazing. However, he felt them flickering unstably, finding it harder to keep them active. _'This mist…it's a representation of his Pressure ability. Drats! How long until I run out of steam?!'_

He had hoped he could score one hit on Asher just to make a point, but Asher ruined his chances by tossing his Night Slash like a boomerang and nailing him in the kneecaps. This threw DJ forward and into the perfectly aligned kick to the jaw. He bounced twice off the road before landing face first in the snow.

Asher rotated his shoulder, loosening the muscles. "Weren't you guys bragging about being tough or something? Geez, how'd you take these guys down? I'm starting to think that was a pity victory."

Hoss pulled himself up, slowly recovering from his brief dance with breathlessness. All he could see was red as he glared down the frost reaper. His fingers dug into the snow, then he charged like a rampaging Tauros with his fist alive with Thunder Punch. "Then I shall grant you no mercy!"

He swung with all his might. He will not allow the slippery reaper to escape him a second time. He'll crush Asher's legs and guarantee he'll take the beating of a lifetime.

Which is why it came to him as a surprise when Asher lifted his arm and took the Thunder Punch instead. The rippling force through the snow showed the immense power behind his punch, but it didn't barely anything to warrant a reaction from the stoic reaper. What's more, he had a suspicious orange outline over his body. Hoss' fur stood on end, realizing too late what he walked himself into.

"Counter."

With a downward swipe of his hand, all the energy delivered onto the reaper was reversed back onto Hoss and more. Hoss resisted the pressure for two seconds before being flung backwards and hitting the ground with a solid thud, rocketing the air out of his lungs. He tumbled before landing on his hands and knees, petrified in a stunned daze.

Wave and DJ immediately tried to retaliate for their fallen comrade, but Asher pulled a fast one and struck them both with a single Night Slash that blazed with a great deal of energy and power. Wave and DJ's eyes glazed over as they were once more introduced to the cold pavement.

Asher spun the Night Slash and rested it upon his shoulder. He breathed a cold mist, then smirked towards Hoss. "Well…seems all your cronies are down for the count, wouldn't you say?" Hoss glared spitefully at the reaper, digging his fingers through the asphalt.

Artemis stood on her hindlegs and cheered. "You're the best, Asher! I'm so happy you're here!"

Asher smiled and waved to her. "Hey-!"

"Yeah, yeah, happy days!" Irma groaned before tapping furiously at her collar. "How's about you skip the chitchat and get these damn things off our necks, you punk?!"

"Looks like someone hasn't been going to anger management recently."

Irma's cheeks burned hearing Artemis' response of laughter. " _You_ need anger management?! Who'd have thunk it?!" She laughed harder, holding her gut and falling onto her back. Irma snarled at her, but calmly took some breaths and _reluctantly_ reigned in her anger.

Even after the battle, Sheila was still in awe. _'Geez…I know Artemis has been teasing me about my preferences, but…she wasn't kidding about this guy…'_

Asher made a motion to step forward, then stopped to the sound of Hoss'…rather jovial laughter. Last thing he would've thought was for someone to be laughing in good fun, unless they've gone mad. Curious, Asher set his sight on the muscular Fusion some meters in front of him as he picked himself off the ground.

"Well...I must admit, I underestimated you." Hoss spread his arms out and exclaimed, "You're clearly the strongest Fusion I've ran into around here! Congratulations!"

Asher tapped his Night Slash against his shoulder lazily. "Comes with the territory." He tilted his head to the side. "I'd just get back on the ground and surrender if I were you. This won't end well for anyone."

However, Hoss just laughed it off. "Now why would I do that? After all, a man of your caliber deserves only the highest respects!"

As someone who took great pride in himself, Asher looked away and smirked in a sly manner. "You've got a good head on you. Finally realizing who's in charge here."

"Indeed…" It was no secret that the muscular Fusion's words were nothing short of unctuous. In truth, he felt quite humiliated by the countless, yet simple offenses he took in their brief bout, but it allowed him to assess one truth of their battle: he still had his ace. "Perhaps I can offer you a challenge."

Any sane person would see the obvious trap behind this request. For Asher, it only stroked his curiosity and competitive nature. "…Go on."

Irma, who has had the misfortunate of experiencing Asher's previous altercations, groaned inwardly and covered her face. "That idiot…"

Crawford glared. "Neh?! What's that about?! Aren't we winnin'?!"

Hoss rose to his feet and patted the snow off his body with his twin tails. "You weren't here for it, so you don't know my true capabilities. I have yet to unleash the full potential of my power. It is, what you would say, a trump card of mine. Perhaps you wish to prove just how strong you are."

"…" Asher gripped his Night Slash tightly and smirked with interest. "I'm listening."

Crawford's eyes bulged. "Oh…that son of a biscuit eater…he's not actually gonna…"

Sheila clutched her ears, silently screaming through her teeth. "Is he insane?! Doesn't he know what that monster put us through?!"

Artemis bared her teeth worriedly. "Dammit, Asher…now's really not the time to inflate your massive ego!"

Hoss crossed his arms and grinned. "Here's the deal: you allow me to power up with my Fusion Move…" He jabbed his thumb into his chest. "And I'll let you have a free shot at me."

"You sure?" Asher asked slyly. "You'll regret it."

Hoss laughed it off. "Consider it a pity shot before I turn your face into fine art." He smirked. "I don't make bets unless I know I'll win."

"I like your style."

"H-Hang on a minute!" Sheila cried out. "You don't know what he put us through earlier! You'll get killed!"

Asher winked at the illusion rabbit. "Settle down, hot stuff. Try and have a little faith in me." Sheila's face glowed bright red.

"Just shut up and listen to him," Irma grumbled. "It's not like he'll listen. He's a stubborn fool about these sorts of things."

Asher flashed a mock salute to Hoss. "Alright, big guy. Do as you please. Power up to your max."

Hoss laughed quietly, bending down a bit with his arms hanging limp. "I'll be sure to remember this battle, with you memorialized as a worthy opponent." He paused for a moment, then inhaled sharply and tensed his muscles.

The red energy pumped through his tendons once more, building up the power to his epic Fusion Move. The power rippled from his body into the street, stirring up flakes of the snow. Hoss sounded a war cry as more power exploded from his body, blasting back the snow in the form of a wave. His body crackled with the rising power, waiting to be unleashed.

The gang covered their faces as snow blew in their faces. DJ and Wave, having recovered thanks to DJ's Soft-Boiled, laughed and got closer to Hoss to watch the eventual one-sided fight. Hoss took enough hits from Asher to know that they were pitiful compared to the power behind his own hits. All he had to do was land one solid hit on Asher and it was game. The beatdown of the century was upon them.

And yet, Asher stood completely complacent, with a relaxed smile adorning his face even as the snow and winds blew into him. It was unnerving for the people he was trying to save, like he wasn't taking any of this seriously.

Crawford bared his teeth. "Lady…please tell me he has a fancy boosting move of his own!"

Irma tapped her chin thoughtfully, then deadpanned. "Yeeeah, no. He has no natural boosting moves. That was most of his main set of moves, I'm afraid."

Chris covered his face. "We're so screwed. Even if he can take a few punches, what chance does he have of actually going up against that monster?!"

Sheila glared suspiciously at Irma. "And why are you still calm about this?" Irma didn't say anything, nor did she look at her. She kept her eyes solely on the upcoming battle. Sheila's shoulders relaxed. "…You said that was most of his moves. I counted five. Save for his Fusion Move…what else does he have?"

Irma's brow dipped. "…Just watch."

Hoss was slowly reaching critical output, now emitting so much pressure that it created windstorms. Asher stood before the storms, unprovoked, as he dispelled his Night Slash. Wordlessly and with a cheeky smirk, he aimed his hand at the muscular Fusion, waiting for his opportunity to strike.

Hoss laughed like a drunken madman. "And now, experience the power to break all Fusions! This is the power that contrasts the weak from the absolute!" His body enveloped in a deep red. "Now...witness...Critical Overload!" The energy exploded off his body in a flashy show of light, rising to the sky in the form of a pillar, and…

…completely fizzled out into black wisps.

There was a long, almost eternal ten seconds of silence between him, his allies, and their prisoners. Hoss stared at the sky blankly. DJ and Wave stared dumbfounded. The gang, save Irma, was just confused.

"…" Hoss turned his head towards his friends. "Guys? Be honest with me. Do I look stronger?"

"Um…" Wave mumbled, scratching his chin. "N-No…you…look the same, actually."

"Ah…I see…" Hoss waited about three seconds in that silence before screaming his head off. "WHAAAAAAAT?!" He patted himself in a mad panic. "What happened?! My Critical Overload completely vanished?! What happened to it?!"

DJ clutched his head. "I-I don't know! Maybe he used Disable!"

"Freakin' Disable?! My Fusion Move isn't something you just use twice in a row! How would he have used fu-?!"

"Hoss!" Wave suddenly interrupted, his voice carrying a weight of fear behind it. His leafy legs trembled as he shifted back. "I-I-I don't think he used Disable…"

There was an uncomfortably creepy laughter coming from where Asher stood. All eyes fell on the reaper, as he experienced some kind of change. He was arched back, arms outstretched, and expressing one of the evilest laughs any of them have heard. The face of evil.

To top it all off...he was surrounded in a deep red aura. The aura of Critical Overload.

"Oh yes~! Oh my~! I see why you love this move so much! Such strong, enriching, euphoric power~!" Asher expressed ecstatically.

Hoss stumbled back. His jaw trembled in disbelief. "Wh-What?! He…He…!"

"Did he just…just…?!" DJ stuttered.

Irma narrowed her eyes. "Steal your pitiful Fusion Move? Good, you three aren't complete idiots."

Artemis' eyes widened in realization. "Is that…?"

"Snatch," Irma confirmed. "Not a move you often see on the streets, but Asher made it a favorite of his. Any stat-boosting or healing move can be taken away and applied to the user. He makes it a point to let everyone who fights him power-up...just to pull this on them."

Asher relaxed his arms and advanced towards his opponents, rotating his shoulders for good measure. "We share that in common, never making bets unless we're absolutely certain victory is ours. And now I have the means to do just that."

Hoss' jaw quivered in fear as the reaper came closer. "Th…There's no way…"

Asher got right up under him, folding his arms behind his back. "Now…how about I cash in on that free hit?"

Asher reeled his foot back and, in a show of strength no one EVER expected from someone his size, rammed it right into Hoss' stomach. In that instance, as Hoss' eyes bulged out and the air rushed from his lungs, he was sent rocketing hundreds of feet into the air in nearly a second, way too fast for anyone to properly grasp the range of his power

The gang's eyes were all on the flying Fusion, bulging from their skulls. DJ and Wave were equally stunned, too distracted by their flying companion that it left them open to a spinning kick from the reaper. They could feel the power being held back behind those strikes, like every inch of their bodies got a taste of what was pulsing inside.

They were sent flying in opposing directions, smashing through the opposite buildings. All of this in the span of time it took for Hoss to reach the peak of his flight. Asher glared up at the sky, bent his legs, and jumped straight in the air for the muscular Fusion.

Everyone was just stunned. "HOLY…!" Crawford shouted.

"Did he really just…?!" Artemis yelled.

Hoss climbed to the very peak of his flight, eyes trying to regain focus as blood sprayed from his mouth. His stomach was caved in from the kick. _'What…the hell…?'_

His eyes widened as a cool mist surrounded him. He only had a second to register Asher's return, who performed a midair flip and kicked Hoss across the face, sending him flying to the opposing buildings. Asher pressed his feet to the building closest to him and rocketed after the muscular Fusion.

Hoss' back slammed hard into the multiple-story buildings, destroying all the windows from his impact. He bounced off, gasping in pain, then had his head shoved back through the walls.

Asher, with his hand pressed into the Fusion's face, dug his feet into the walls and proceeded to drag Hoss through the walls in a downward dive for the ground. Asher was running down the side of the building like it came naturally, all while dragging Hoss through it all.

"Fire Punch."

With a spin, Asher slammed Hoss into the ground and used his momentum to multiple the force of his fiery punch, creating a torrent of flames that exploded upward. Hoss cried out in pain, spitting out blood, as the fist singed into his chest.

He quickly darted his eyes to the right and saw Wave trying to blindside him with Power Whip. Asher deflected his arm, then blasted him with a massive Shadow Punch, ramming him through a nearby building. DJ tried to get him with the Fire Punch, but Asher flicked his claws and used Counter, redirecting his attack back onto him.

Asher felt Hoss' body rumbling and jumped off before the tails could grab him. Hoss, in a burst of adrenaline and rage, roared at the reaper, screaming, "DIE! DIE! DIE!"

All three Renegades, fueled with rage from humiliation, lunged for the reaper with bloodlust in their eyes. Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, and Power Whip were flailed with precipitous, yet deadly intent. The only thoughts on their minds was turning this cocky reaper into paste on the road.

But Asher was undeterred. With his feet remaining static, he avoided their flurry of blows with little effort. He moved so fast, there looked to be eight or ten of him. That only fueled their killing intent more.

Asher continuously dodged their attacks before pulling out his Night Slash blades. He torqued his body and spun on his foot, turning his blades into one massive ring. This ring of energy grinded against the Renegades, slowly building into a massive purple sphere of cutting power. The sphere grew in size, with the Fusions pressed into it and being cut up by the energy, before exploding, sending all three of them flying with serious damage to their fronts.

Asher landed gracefully, then propped one Night Slash over his shoulder. With the mist wrapped around him, he smirked at his fallen opponents. He had won.

Hoss slammed his hands onto the ground, wheezing in pain. His eyes were bloodshot with stress and rage. He was two hairs away from foaming at the mouth. "Y-You…You bastard…who do you think…you are?"

Asher faced him with narrowed, steely eyes. "…I am Asher, the crime boss of this territory." He waved his Night Slash at him. "Any who step into it and amass trouble will be met with a swift end by me. Nothing personal, of course. You were just too weak."

Hoss grounded his teeth angrily. "You don't know who you're messing with…"

"Doesn't take a genius to figure out who you work for." Asher slowly approached him. "Ivan Faust…I did some light research on him. No record of him outside being an activist. Led a double life as a scientist working to discover the boundaries of Fusions. Lab was mysteriously destroyed and he, too, vanished from history." He tilted his head. "I'd say you picked a crappy role model."

"What…do you know? Living in this dump?"

"This _dump_ was the site for many gang wars between Fusions and Pokémon in the old days. It's barely a shell of its former self, with people trying to get by and avoid the hassle." He spat on the ground. "I'll be the one to restore everything back to normal. And I'll do it my way, even if I have to start some trouble to do it. That's why I'm the crime boss. I'll have the public recognize that, no matter my sins."

Hoss breathed heavily, slowly getting onto his knees. "You're…a strange guy…" He smirked knowingly. "There's no such thing as easy gain, you little twerp. You make act tough and macho, but you're just like the rest of us."

Asher sighed disappointedly. "What's it going to take for you idiots to realize I'm not going down?"

Hoss laughed and fully rose to his knees, pressing his hands down on them. "You've already dug your grave the moment you stole my Fusion Move. Snatch is a pretty handy move, but it comes with some consequences." He smirked, showing his teeth in a vicious manner. "For instance…taking a boosting move that damages you after use."

"Huh?"

"Your time's up, bub."

Asher's eyes widened as his body lit up bright red. His Night Slashes vanished, then his body exploded with a damaging red energy. His body writhed and contorted with pain as it tried to resist the effects of Critical Overload's disastrous drawbacks, but even that was out of Asher's realm of control.

"Oh no!" Sheila cried out. "We completely forgot about that move's recoil!"

"Dammit all!" Crawford shouted.

"This suddenly got really bad!" Chris shouted.

Artemis clenched her teeth worriedly. "Asher…"

With Asher now free to smack around, Wave wasted no time going in for the revenge strike. He spun and slammed his Power Whip into Asher's face, throwing him into the air. Meeting him on the way up was DJ, who threw down a barrage of Fire Punches for his face. He spun and delivered a final, heavy punch into his chest, throwing him down like a meteorite.

Asher struck the ground and bounced up, then was entangled in Hoss' tails. The muscular Fusion breathed heavily, then tightened his muscles as electricity crackled through his fur.

"Crime boss, you say? Get off your high horse, bastard! This is true power! THUNDER!" He didn't hold anything back, lest he run the risk of Asher staying conscious. He poured all his electricity through his tails and into the reaper, roaring as he did so.

The flash was so brilliant, it was akin to a second sun. Everyone had to cover their eyes as the light enveloped the entire street. The electricity itself caused their fur to stand on end.

Hoss was weakened, but he managed to perform a ten second charge on the reaper before finally giving out. The combined beatings with the presence of Pressure made him feel weaker by the second.

Asher hung limply in his tails, smoking like a freshly extinguished bonfire. Hoss panted, then flung Asher into the snow carelessly. He gripped his arm as he walked to DJ and Wave.

"Boss!" the flytrap shark shouted. "Are you okay?!"

"I'll live…" He grunted. "Grr…I can't feel my face…everything's numb…broken, even…" He glared at Asher's limp body. "…That guy…he was no joke…we got lucky…if we hadn't held out against my own Critical Overload, we would've been screwed…"

DJ breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness that's over…"

While this was a triumphant moment for the Renegades, it was a defeat for the others, most shivering in fear that their only hope of freedom was crumpled on the ground.

"ASHER!" Artemis screamed.

Sheila held her face. "No, no, no…this can't be happening!"

Crawford viciously pounded on his collar in a last ditch effort to free himself. "I'll chew my way out of these things if I have to!"

Chris was pulling on his collar as hard as he could. "I'm not going out like this!"

"Asher!" Artemis continued to call out. "ASHER! Please! You have to get up!" She was about to run over to him when she received a sharp, hard slap to the back of the head. "YOW!" Rubbing the sore spot on her head, she turned and snarled at her mother. "What the hell, you old-?!"

"Will you shut up already?!" Irma screamed in her face. "Your incessant whining is giving me a headache!"

"Don't you see the danger we're in?!"

"Danger?!" She poked Artemis in-between the eyes. "Some friend you are! Don't even trust yours!"

"What are you-?!"

"You don't see me fretting now, right?" She spoke calmer now. "Remember what he said to the rabbit not too long ago. Try and have a little faith in him." She sounded almost sagely passing on that word of wisdom.

Artemis blinked, then turned back to the scene. What did Asher also say earlier? He wouldn't make bets unless he knew he'd win? Like gambling where you didn't want to rely on luck, so you would rig the game by cheating. In this case…did Asher…did he plan for all this?

Hoss breathed out, then glared at DJ. "I need a heal. We still need to get those five loaded off."

DJ nodded. "Roger." He formed the Soft-Boiled between his hands, then pushed it with his hand, guiding it towards Hoss.

As Artemis watched the egg fly by, she really started to put into perspective what Asher has been doing all these years. She was letting fear and anxiety get to her…when that's the kind of thing Asher forbade her to feel in dire situations. Fear was a motivator, but it shouldn't be a guide. It clouded judgment. It didn't have the means to properly foretell when the next successful attack with mean the most.

Looking at his still body, Artemis really began to think back…

* * *

" _GAH!" Artemis tumbled across the snow, rolling to a stop on her back. She blew some snow off her face, then flailed like an immature child. "No fair, no fair, no fair!"_

 _Asher stood before her, hopping on her toes. "You mad?" he asked cheekily._

 _Artemis sat up and pouted. "Why can't I beat you?!"_

" _I'm just that good. Also, you're still a runt."_

" _I am not!" Artemis rubbed her face. "This is so STUPID! How can you get through a fight without looking the least bit concerned about anything?! I can't even take a punch without flinching!"_

 _Asher stopped hopping and crossed his arms. "It comes with conviction. Do I look like a guy who wants to get punched in the face?"_

" _No, but you give off that impression."_

" _I like messing with people. It's all about mind games for me. If I know how someone is, I can capitalize off that." He smiled. "But…there's also a secret technique to it all."_

" _Training?"_

" _That's not a secret," he answered, bonking her lightly on the head. "It's about confidence."_

 _Artemis raised her brow skeptically. "That's it?"_

" _You never see me freaking out, do you?"_

" _Perhaps…but how can you be so confident about everything?"_

" _Because I have to be." He held his hips. "In a fight, there should only be one thing on your mind at all times. The drive to win. Never for a moment should you say 'Holy shit, I'm going to lose/die here.' That's not what I'm about." He raised his claw and pointed straight towards the sky. "As long as the light to your path burns bright, you must continue forward. Victory is more than just winning. It's an expression of moving forward in life. That is why, I'll always have one thing on my mind when my life is put to the test!"_

* * *

"…And that thing is…" Artemis mumbled.

The Soft-Boiled was within an arm's reach of Hoss. He reached for it, like he was aiming to pick up a glass of water. He stretched his fingers around it and curled them around the egg to crush it…only for it to disappear into a black mist. Hoss' eyes widened, recognizing the mist immediately.

"Wha-?"

In the split second of his shock, he and his underlings cried out in a horrific pain as their midsections were slashed by a bitter wind. The slash wound froze and spread out over their bodies in the form of frost. It stiffened their movements. They were each hit simultaneously. That kind of speed…they recognized it.

"Wha…WHAAAAAT?!" Hoss roared before whipping his head around.

Asher was crouched over in the snow, holding the Soft-Boiled in his left hand before cracking it and regaining his stamina. He gazed over his shoulder, shown to be wearing his hood. Like through the mist earlier, only his sinister red eyes were seen.

The three looked on in shock as the Fusion wielded a solid blade of ice over his shoulder, emitting a cold, mist-like aura. It made a faint crackling sound, a sound familiar to the formation of ice. A crystalline sound, even.

Asher stood up and faced them, breathing a mist from within his hood. "Satisfied?"

Hoss' eye twitched. A vein could be seen physically pulsing on his forehead. He grounded his teeth together, feeling a heat growing despite the ice around him. "How…HOW COULD YOU HAVE POSSIBLY SURVIVED THAT?!"

Asher glared, looking legitimately annoyed. "Tsk. Did you really think I would steal a Fusion Move without knowing what it could do?" Their eyes widened. "When a Pokémon wields a Fusion Move through means of copying and such, it's usually too much to handle to use repeatedly. In our case, it's a matter of caution." He tilted his head slightly. "I was watching the whole time. Just thought I'd keep my eye on things until I was needed."

There were no words to describe what the Renegades were feeling right now. 'Dazed' was probably the best word for it. "You…You mean…" Wave mumbled.

Hoss grounded his teeth furiously. "You took all of that damage...ON PURPOSE?!"

"…Heh." Asher extended his arm and formed his Night Slash blade. "I had to prove my point _somehow_."

DJ curled his fingers and growled. "Who…the hell…ARE YOU?!"

Asher bowed to them. "As I said, I am Asher, Reaper of the Frost. You stepped into my territory, now you'll face the consequences."

Hoss snarled, then lunged at the reaper. "Reaper, schmeaper! Who the hell do you think you are?!" He went in for a Thunder Punch.

Asher turned and blocked with his arm, stopping the Thunder Punch in its tracks. Hoss gasped as his skin started breaking and bleeding, with the frost digging into his skin like needles. He growled and jumped back, clutching his shaking arm.

"What…What did you…?!"

Asher tapped his claw twice on his frozen blade. "When I slashed you three…I left behind a special status effect. Frost. It acts like a recoil effect whenever you aim to attack."

Wave clenched his teeth. "You mean…every time we attack you…we'll just be hurting ourselves?!"

"That's about right."

Hoss growled and powered Thunder Punch through both his fists. "Do you think this'll be enough to stop us?! You'll see! When Ivan unleashes his machine, we'll be bringing the new era to everyone!" Wave and DJ activated Power Whip and Fire Punch.

Asher narrowed his eyes, then proceeded towards them with soft, graceful steps as the mist rolled in around him. "Let me leave you off with one final piece of advice…" The mist wrapped around him, completely obscuring him, then he vanished.

The Renegades' eyes widened, feeling the reaper right behind them as he walked away. He walked right past them and they didn't even notice.

"Live your lives. Learn from defeat. Accept the future. Only you can change what happens to it. Don't let the past control you. Even a nobody like me can make a future for himself. You need some new wisdom in your lives…and I'm more than happy to share it with all of you."

Hoss slowly turned his head, feeling a new coat of frost wrapping around him. "What…What did you…?"

"…Underworld Frost." He slashed his ice blade downward.

The Renegades screamed out in pain as icicles exploded out from their bodies, blowing a deathly, chilling air that froze the snow and street at their feet. The pain was ripping apart the last bit of mental resistance they had. It was maddening! He walked right past them...and cut them without them realizing!

In an act of desperation, they made the last ditch effort of lunging at him, ignoring the cautions of the Frost effect. Asher glared, then whipped his Night Slash around, slashing them all with one large, powerful slash.

DJ and Wave were thrown back and crashed into the ground, down and out. Hoss stumbled back and fell on his hands and knees. Unlike last time, he was rapidly losing consciousness. His eyes were glazing over as he struggled to look up at Asher.

"Y-You…You…!"

Asher turned his back and walked to the others. "That was your first lesson. Learn well from it."

Hoss' arms were giving out on him. "You…BAASSSSSSTAAAARRRRD!" he screamed before finally giving into the pain and falling on his face.

The gang watched in awe as Asher approached them, dispelling his Underworld Frost. "Holy shit…" Crawford gasped.

"That was…wow…" Chris mumbled.

"No kidding…" Sheila uttered, covering her burning cheeks.

Artemis' eyes sparkled in awe, never before feeling this happy and proud in her life. This was the guy who brought her back up to her feet. She never once regretted her criminal actions, all thanks to him. He was her light. He was the one who brought her up.

Asher stopped before them. With a smirk hidden within his hood, he raised his Night Slash and performed five fast, precise strikes at them. Faster than they could blink, their collars shattered off their necks, relieving them of their disabling hold.

He dispelled his Night Slash, then pulled his hood back. He smiled coolly as he ran his hand through his crest of feather.

"So Artemis…long time no see, huh."


	70. Heated Conflict

Eli sat with a blanket draped over his shoulders, with a fire crackling in front of him. He had some bandages applied to his burnt skin. Casey was making some tea for him. Tamara and Spaz sat on the other side of the fire, staring at Eli cautiously. Spaz kept a protective arm around Willy.

The dark poisoner could feel the uncomfortable atmosphere, but he didn't mind.

"…" He looked up at Tamara. "…For the record, I'm pretty sure you were five pounds of force away from breaking my spine."

Tamara glared. "My apologies. Should've gone for your head."

"That doesn't sound very heroic."

"It's been a rough few weeks."

"Clearly."

Casey finished preparing the tea and handed it to Eli. "Here. This should help with your throat."

Eli gulped, feeling how dry it was. He blew on the cup, then cautiously sipped. He could feel its healing powers working their magic.

York was tapping his foot impatiently, with a mix of worry and what could be described as restrained fury. Last thing he ever expected this far out in the desert was one of his old friends crawling on his hands and knees like he escaped the war. This didn't bode well with their current situation, only adding to his anger.

"…What happened to you?" he asked. "Because I'm at the end of my patience today as it is…" He glared. "And you being out here furthers my suspicions." Spaz shifted away, feeling how uncomfortably angry York was becoming.

Eli picked up on this, lowering his cup. "Best to quell that anger, York. It won't do us or the others any good." He closed his eyes for a moment, then glared at his tea. "Ever had one of those moments where you felt trapped in your own mind, but you didn't know why or what was going on? That was my night fighting you guys.

"...Everything felt like a fog. That Data guy came to our base...when we were so close to leaving and starting our lives over. He brainwashed us into attacking you guys. The cat snapped me awake, but I fell unconscious before I could get a word out. After that, they brought us to some remote facility all the way out here."

"The one we're looking for," Casey mumbled.

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "But, why? If they're just imprisoning Fusions, the Fusion Hunters already do that."

"They needed batteries for their machine." They raised their brows curiously. "It's powered by the energy of Fusions. That doomsday machine needs our energy if he wants to mutate the entire planet. Tsk...you should've seen them. Completely drained of passion or any sense of vigor. Zoey and Sunny...Braith and Gordon...Sullivan and Mikayla..." He gritted his teeth, then sighed. "…Norris just huddles up in the back of his cell."

Most of them weren't all that happy to have Eli with them, but they could see the seriousness behind this facility. That machine needed their energy to turn everyone in the world into a Fusion like them. They wouldn't be able to understand the inner workings of the machine, but that would explain why they would need an entire facility dedicated to this one task.

And York clearly wasn't taking it well. If he wasn't pissed before, he was straight-up apoplectic. He could barely contain the sparks in his frills.

Tamara noticed and glared. "York, don't you dare-" she began scolding.

"I'd listen to her, York," Eli interrupted. York tensed up. "If I was banged up trying to get out, what chance would you have barging in like a lunatic?"

York raised his fist. "Are you saying we should leave our friends to suffer?! They're in danger!"

Eli raised his finger in objection. "Being held hostage and used as batteries? Yes. Danger? No. I experienced it myself for the last few weeks. It's not painful...but it is a miserable experience to sit through." He huffed and scratched behind his head. "What a pain…"

Casey glared curiously. "How did you escape, anyway?"

He tapped the side of his head. "I'm a genius, remember? Can't hold me in a cage." He settled his cheek into his palm. "Spent the last few weeks acting as sickly as possible. Put on a convincing act. I even made myself throw up on purpose."

Spaz stuck his tongue out and gagged. "That is…so wrong…"

"Have I ever mentioned my dream to join the theater? I know a thing or two about method acting."

"Seems a little excessive for method acting…"

"You say one thing, I say whatever." He sighed. "Anyway, I got medical aid for my 'sickness.' Swiped the keys to the harness they had me strapped to and I made a break for it. My only concern was getting out. Like hell I could get everyone freed." He groaned. "Their defenses are, however, useful. Turns out you need to have an ID on you at all times or the defense grid will start firing on you."

"So that's why you looked like you were cooked in an oven," Willy brought up.

"One way of putting it. Continuing, I got out the front door and used every trick in the book to disappear. I escaped, but..." He grunted in annoyance. "Well...safe to say, if you all hadn't magically appeared here, I would've just planned my grave." He scratched his cheek. "I thought of burying myself under a cactus so I could be reborn as a Maractus or something."

Tamara nodded. "So…you really were born lucky."

"It's a gift blessed upon me by Arceus himself." He crossed his arms. "If I wasn't so egregiously injured, my first thought would've been to break them out. But, even I don't know if I could come up with something. They planned for escape ever since that building was constructed. Their head of operations wanted no faults in the system."

"Nothing?" she asked.

Eli folded his arms behind his head and fell onto his back. "What do you expect from me? I'm lucky, but I can't pull a deus ex machina out of my ass. We need something a bit more reliable than blind luck." He glared at them. "So…unless one of you has been holding out on something useful, we might as well consider our chances shot."

"Eli, that can't be true!" York argued. "No prison can be unescapable! We've proven that time and time again when we broke Fusions from jail!"

" _Pardon_?" Tamara asked sharply.

"Please ignore that."

Eli shrugged indifferently. "Don't know what else to tell you. Security's tight. Only way to break everyone out is by getting to the master control center. It monitors the prison." He smirked dryly. "No way in hell we've get far enough to release everyone."

Tamara crossed her arms. "We want to break into that prison as much as you do, no matter how indifferent you sound. If you can't come up with a plan, then you can give us advice. How much do you know about this prison? And how does Faust even have something like this up and running? He was unearthed not that long ago."

"Ah, _that_ I know the answer to." He glared. "It's not his work. It's his lapdog, Albert Gates."

"Albert Gates?" York mumbled, the name not ringing any bells.

Spaz, however, _did_ recognize it. "Oh…right, that Cacturne scientist. I saw him back in Profectus Inc. He seemed like a pretty okay guy when I saw him."

"Well, he's no angel sent from the Hall of Origins, I can assure you." Eli sat up. "You hear bits and pieces about the guy and apparently he does shit that shouldn't be seen by the public. If anyone knew about that place, the skeptical of our haters would find its practices appalling. But that man is different. He has a completely different agenda to Faust. He has a more…tainted soul, from the few times I laid eyes on him.

"I don't know the full story, but Gates does work for Faust. Made this facility specifically for his return. He planned on bringing him back to the world so he can enact his plan."

Spaz flinched. Could it have been on that same day where they were protecting files? Why does a part of him feel a tad guilty those files got into Julian's hands? Only reason he wasn't wracked with grief is that they would've found his way to him sooner or later.

Eli sighed, rubbing his neck. "I've heard stories about that guy...I did some heavy research with what little I could manage in there. Bit and pieces, phone calls, key words, the whole shebang. Albert Gates apparently has a shady background, working with Fusions to bring out their full potential. From what I gathered, it wasn't all that morally sound. Cleansing wicked Pokémon by raising Fusions to kill."

York glared. "Are you speaking of assassins?"

Eli nodded. "And I've seen at least three of them roaming the halls. From what little I've gathered…I questioned something." He brought his hands together. "I heard Gates ranting about something, saying how he couldn't acquire anymore Fusions after he was compromised. He kidnapped a kid once and tried to bring out his full potential in…unorthodox ways. Experimentation, if you will.

"…I think that last assassin of his was Augustus."

Their eyes widened. "Augustus?!" Spaz gasped.

"That bloodlust-filled coffin chinchilla?!" Tamara exclaimed.

"That's the one. Something about Augustus always bugged me. That mental trigger only Norris knew…it turned Augustus from a sweet kid to a rampaging serial killer. My guess…Gates wanted to make sure his assassins did go on the loose again."

"Seriously?" Spaz mumbled. "That's…so flippin' messed up!"

Willy tilted his head. "Again?" he asked curiously.

"Preceptive kid," Eli complimented. "I overheard something about Gates trying again with his Fusion tests after losing some big, important assassin of his, probably went AWOL, according to him. Some chick named Spins, if I remember correctly."

"Spins?" Spaz questioned.

"Who the heck names someone 'Spins?'" Tamara grumbled.

"I mean, my name is Spaz, so…"

"You actually picked your name, so I'll give it a pass."

"I like it!" Willy exclaimed.

Eli looked down at his lap, then brought his knees up to his chest. "…Augustus wasn't with us when we were dropped off, so…" He looked up. "Was he with you guys when we were hauled off?"

He didn't like the sad faces shown his way. That spelled bad news. York looked down, hesitant to explain. "Eli…he…he, um…" He couldn't say it, so he looked to Casey for help. She nodded understandingly.

"...We're not sure. Everyone combed the forest before we were attacked again. No Fusion or 'officer' could find him. He…just vanished."

"…Oh…" He cupped his hands together. "…I hope he's doing alright…" His face was masked in the darkness casted under his crest.

York sighed. "…I didn't know Augustus quite as much as the rest of you…but I do empathize with his disappearance."

Eli looked up with a weary smile, but also mischievous eyes. "Once a Rogue, always one."

York glared. "Don't start with me."

"You know who you were-"

"Don't."

Casey raised her brow. "Should I ask?"

"You really shouldn't."

"Aww, York…" Eli teased. "That ashamed of us?"

York shook his head. "It's not that…there are just some skeletons left in the closet, I guess…" He closed his eyes. "…I'm sorry."

"Hmm? Sorry? For what?"

His eyes clenched tighter. "I couldn't get it through Norris when we fought, but…I do regret…everything I did. Betraying all your trust and abandoning the way of the Rogues. I just didn't like what we were becoming. I knew how violent Norris could get and I didn't want him taking measures he would regret later on…especially when it came to Casey's well-being. You guys…were doing things that put everyone in danger, from those who despise us…to those who want to help us…"

Eli glanced between the two, then narrowed his eyes. "You two an item?"

They blushed and looked away from each other awkwardly, sheepishly smiling. "Sort of…" Casey answered.

"Unofficially, but…" York added.

"Tsk…" Eli then smirked. "Who am I to get pissed over the past? Right now, that shit doesn't hold as much weight to our current objective. You saved my skin now, so I say it even's out." He sipped his tea.

Tamara held her cheek with a bored look. "Glad to see you two working things out and all. So...we need to rescue the Rogues and any other criminals being held in that facility? Lovely."

Spaz scratched behind his head. "Kind of strange, but…if we want to stop Faust, I guess we'll have to get Fusions even more vile than the Rogues to help us." He groaned. "I am SO not looking forward to that."

Eli's eyes widened in realization. "Oooh...right...forgot to mention one tiny little detail. There's another prisoner you all are probably familiar with."

Tamara shrugged. "What difference does it make? Some other scumbag we carted off and eventually got shipped out here?"

Eli glared seriously. "I mean _familiar_ terms."

The way he said it sent shivers up their spines. He wasn't addressing some common thug they put away before. He meant someone they legitimately _knew_. That…That meant…

"You…You don't mean…?" Spaz muttered worriedly.

York glared with concern. "…Who?"

Eli looked off to the side. "...He fought hard to get everyone to safety. That's what he told me." He closed his eyes. "He also said that if any of you caught wind that he's being held captive and try for some stupid prison break…well, something along the lines of 'I'll teach those maggots a swift and painful lesson for their stupid stunt.'"

Their eyes widened in collective horror, even Willy. There was only one person in the village who would speak with such conviction and harshness. But…that's impossible…how could _he_ have been…?

"Y-You can't mean…" Spaz stuttered.

"How could they have…?" Tamara uttered in disbelief.

York gulped, worried to get the answer. "Eli…please tell us you don't mean…P-Peregrine…"

Eli didn't say a word. His silence was all the answer they needed.

"No…no, no, no!" Tamara shouted, clutching at her head. "How…How is that possible?! He's _Peregrine_! Freakin' Peregrine! There's no way a single Fusion could bring him down!"

"And they didn't," Eli replied. "He fought off every last invading Fusion, repeatedly injured, poisoned despite being a Steel-Type, and inflicted with all manner of harm so that capturing him would be a snap. He was far superior…they just outlasted him long enough to see him collapse."

Spaz covered his mouth. "Oh no…"

York growled and punched the ground. "Dammit! Now we definitely need to bust into that place! My friends _and_ one of our mentors?! I'm not having it!"

Eli waggled his finger. "I agree, but subtly is key. The master control room is heavily guarded. If we let you barge in like this, we'd just have to save your ass along with the others. We would need to coordinate a proper attack on the base if we want to do something."

Tamara glared. "We're actually working with you?"

"Problem?"

"No offense, but you come off as the perfidious jester type who likes to cause mass chaos wherever he goes."

He smirked. "Well, that's show biz for ya." He then looked at her seriously. "Even so, you need me." His fingers curled. "…And I want my friends back."

"…" Tamara huffed, having nothing left to argue over. "Good grief, you're lucky I have a righteous attitude." She stood up and held her hips. "Just point us in the direction of the facility and we'll work from there."

Eli closed his eyes and smirked amusingly. "Now this is not how I expected my day to go. Working with the enemy."

Spaz scratched his cheek. "Though...if we find Jean, maybe she can help. She's supposed to be researching these guys, right?"

"Every little bit helps," Tamara mumbled.

"Jean?" Eli questioned.

York pulled him up by the hand. "We'll explain later. So, what else can you tell us about the facility?"

Eli counted off his fingers. "Let's see…very big, heavily guarded, very dangerous."

"…That's it?"

"Hey, I spent a few weeks pretending to be sick with a view of Sunny crying her eyes out. I didn't really get much done during my escape."

Tamara facepalmed. "We're so screwed…"

Willy watched as the grown-ups discussed the planned break-in in silence when he felt a disturbance to his sensory horns. Curious, he looked around, sliding out from Spaz's arm. "Huh?"

His jiggly body shivered as a breeze picked up. He shook himself from the cold, then gasped as dead leaves swirled within the currents. His eyes followed the leaves and saw them forming a high ring, surrounding them.

"Um…guys…" he whimpered.

Casey looked up and glared cautiously. "What in the…?"

A breeze flew through the fire and extinguished it instantly. The group quickly got on their feet and raised their fists to the ring of leaves. "I've seen horror movies that started out like this!" Spaz exclaimed worriedly.

York glared. "Eli, I thought you said you weren't followed!"

"I wasn't!" he growled. "Don't you dare question my escape mastery!"

Tamara crouched down and pressed her hand against the ground. She sensed the vibrations through it and graphed the wind through her whiskers. "…No…I feel a strong presence…two, in fact…and they definitely aren't Pokémon."

York growled. "Fusions…more Renegades?"

"Why would the Renegades be all the way out here?" Spaz wondered aloud. "I though the point of sending us here was to get rid of us."

"We can find out in a moment." York glanced at Casey. "Casey, keep Willy safe. We've got this." She nodded and picked the rainbow dragon up into her arms. "Tamara, how many we facing?"

"One…two…two, definitely two."

"Okay, that's manageable."

"Wait, hold on." Her whiskers twitched from a disturbance. "These leaves aren't helping much, but…I'm sensing something coming closer…"

Spaz's speedy reaction allowed him to spot the flash of green poking out from the cover of leaves, aimed for the ninja cat. He shrieked, then shouted, "Tamara! Behind you!"

Tamara flipped backwards on instinct, avoiding a flurry of green energy piercing into her. They stabbed deep, rounded holes so clean cut that they could've been done by a standard cookie cutter…assuming cookie cutters also punched dough open when used.

Her eyes spotted a second flash, this time near Casey and Willy. "Get down!"

Casey and Willy screamed as the same attack came at them, but York shielded them with his body, holding up thanks to his armored scales. He got a brief glimpse of the weapon before it retreated back into the leaf cover. "I think that was Sacred Sword!"

Spaz dodged a third wave of thrusts, though they were so surprising that they nicked some fur off his side. "Gah! Is it shaped like a rapier?!"

Tamara stayed in the center of the leaves as she scanned for a fourth assault. "This doesn't feel like a Fusion Move we're caught in. I've seen Ghost/Grass-Types pull this sort of move. It's used to disorient their opponents before diving for a kill."

York glared. "Hit and run tactics, eh? Clever, but…infallible." He extended his frill. "Get down. Dragonic Thunder!"

Tamara clenched her teeth. "Wait! We can't fire until we know what we're-!"

York didn't stop to listen as he fired his Fusion Move through the leaves, channeling it like an erratic beam until he would ultimately find his mark.

"…Absolute Counter."

York's eyes widened as a blue light erupted from behind the leaves. Quick as they could, Tamara grabbed York and Eli while Spaz pulled Casey and Willy out of danger, throwing themselves out of the leaves. The explosion caused them to scattered across the natural winds, along with the smoke.

After recovering, they sat up and got a good look at their attackers. First was a Wobbuffet-Palkia. Best description to give was that he looked like a shiny Wobbuffet—which was pink—decked out in armored plating resembling the legendary space lord's.

His companion was their ghost that Tamara guessed, a Gourgeist-Virizion. His hair/arms were green with the curl on his head being pink. His pumpkin body was also green. While it wasn't much of a stand out look, what really made it obvious was the Sacred Sword shaped like a rapier, which he held with a great deal of professionalism.

The Wobbuffet Fusion smirked down at them. "And just where do you think you're going? Naughty, naughty little children. It's rude to interfere with official business."

Tamara picked herself up and hissed. "Greeeeat…just what we needed. A spacey punching bag and the rejected, Hollow's Eve musketeer."

Eli glared. "Just who the hell are you two?"

The pumpkin musketeer spun his rapier. "We are Porthos and Otto! We've been sent to hunt you lot down!" He pointed his blade at them. "Or rather, we were looking for someone else, but we discovered he isn't among your group."

Otto crossed his arms. "That ghost calculator is bringing us too much trouble than needed."

Spaz blinked. "Codex…?" He glared. "Why are you hunting my pal?"

Porthos pressed the tip of his blade against the ground. "We'd tell you, but there's just no point."

"We've got time," Tamara mumbled.

"Oh, well in that case, your friend simply-!" Otto smacked him in the back of the head. "OW!"

"There's no time for pleasantries." Otto rubbed his wrist. "Hunting you all down shouldn't even be our priority, but things changed once we discovered you were heading off to Gates' little facility." He glared at Eli. "You weren't with them earlier, so you must be an escapee. Can't imagine many Fusions all the way out here. Though, what do you expect from the lowly children of the streets, you pitiful Rogues?"

York stepped forward. "I don't know your game, but I've had it up to here with you Renegades."

"And thus begins the final act for our heroes." Otto stroke his chin and smirked at them. "So, which one of you is playing the hero? Because it'll be the last game you'll ever play."

York flexed his frills. "…We're done talking."

Tamara raised her fists. "Alright, let's-!"

"No!" They blinked twice as York's body crackled with electricity, with an eerie snarl bellowing through his bare teeth. "They're mine." He sprinted straight for Otto first. "Dragon Tail!" He jumped and spun downward as his tail became empowered.

Porthos spun his blade and thrusted it at York. York collided against it with his tail, then jumped back. He kicked off the ground and raced at Porthos instead. The pumpkin musketeer thrusted his blade, which York effortlessly dodged. However, he felt a heat coming off the blade. He had a second to inspect before jumping back as it lit in the flames of Will-O-Wisp.

' _Shit! That was too close!'_ York spun as he leapt back and landed on his feet. "Thunderbolt!" He fired the bolt of electricity from his frills.

Porthos spun his blade and pierced straight through the Thunderbolt, sending it scattering in ten different directions around him and Otto. He then continued to put the pressure on York, thrusting with his blade while the armored lizard did his best to keep distance between them. He had to use his hard scales to block some close hits, grunting at the marks left behind.

Porthos pulled back and jumped, giving Otto a free line-up on York. "Aura Sphere!" He threw the attack like a bowling ball, grazing across the dirt as it homed in on the lizard.

York spun on his hand and knocked it away with Dragon Tail, then fired Thunderbolt. Otto extended his arms. His body wrapped in a purple energy that bended the space around him. The Thunderbolt orbited around him before firing back against the lizard.

York countered with his Dragon Rage, but the resulting explosion threw him clean off his feet. He tumbled over his back a few times before spinning to his feet. He shook his head and growled angrily at them. "Come on! At least try and put some damn effort into it!" He fired a second Dragon Rage, which they dodged.

The others stayed put as they watched York attack the Renegades. It was quite clear that York didn't want any of them interfering with the way he went after both Fusions. With all the anger he's been suppressing after the Rogues being carted away, as well as this new information about their predicament, it was simply the breaking point for him.

Eli crossed his arms. "He really hasn't changed."

Spaz glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Eli narrowed his eyes as York furiously bashed his Dragon Tail into the ground, trying and failing to hit either Otto or Porthos. "York worked well with the Rogues on any ol' mission, but he took things to heart too seriously. He's reckless. He's always fighting for others, but never himself. I suppose that's where the line between him and Norris divides."

"Is it wrong to think about others?"

"In cases like this, you're not putting any effort into remembering you have your own limits." Eli glared. "When York gets like this, it's hard for anyone to stop him."

Casey narrowed her eyes softly, watching as York was battered back by an Aura Sphere. "He…often wonders if things would be different had he stayed with you guys…"

"Maybe so…"

Tamara closed her eyes, then bared her teeth with an annoyed growl. "Well…some of us don't care…" She lowered her clenched fists.

York roared, firing Parabolic Charge to sap their energy. Porthos spun his Sacred Sword and diverted the energy into the ground. With the lizard flying in the air, he made a spinning dive with his Dragon Tail. Porthos held up the blade and stopped the Dragon Tail from within an inch of his face.

The pumpkin fencer threw him back, then reared his head back. "Fire Blast!" York crossed his arms as he was engulfed in the flames.

"GAAAH!" York screamed, cloaked in flames. He bounced across the ground, rolling to put out the flames. His skin was seared red with burns.

Otto crossed his arms. "Your chances of success are minimal. Give up. You'd be better off joining the rest of your friends in the facility."

"Shut UP!" York screamed, pushing himself up. "I swear…I'll beat you two…and I'll break my friends out of that hellhole! You hear me?!"

Porthos held his hand up. "Calm your spirit, mighty warrior." He held up a phone in his other hand, the sight of which made York's blood go cold. "We will guarantee that you won't get within twenty meters of the facility once we inform Gates. We wanted to surprise him with some new prisoners, but we can't take risks now."

York bared his teeth. "Do you think they can stop me?"

"You won't be able to get through their defenses. Even if we lose on this day, we will be defeated knowing you have reached a road block."

York growled, crackling electricity through his frills. Otto aimed an Aura Sphere at him as a warning sign.

Porthos hovered his digit over the contact list. "Now…I do wonder how Dr. Gates will go about handling-" Suddenly, a Water Shuriken flew like a boomerang and struck the phone right out of his hand. "GAH!"

It bounced across the ground with the water construct embedded in the face. A foot came down swiftly on the screen, cracking it in two. "Good freakin' grief…" Tamara grinded her foot into the phone while cracking her knuckles. "Hey villains, first rule of being evil: get to the point before you gloat."

"Tamara?" York questioned quietly.

"We get it, you big dork, they have your friends locked away in prison." She glared. "They have Peregrine, too, so don't go making this a pity party revolving around yourself."

"But-" A fist swiftly smacked down across the back of his head. He yelped and tended to the sore spot before shooting a surprise look at his attacker. "C-Casey?"

She scolded him with a glare, then wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "York…let your friends help you…you don't need to act like some high, moral guardian for them."

"Yeah…that's my job," Tamara added as she rubbed her neck. "What was it you guys tried to tell me? That a hero doesn't have to be the strongest of the strong? Fight on their own?" She glared angrily. "Don't go acting like a damn hypocrite after bashing it into my skull!"

Spaz stepped up beside Tamara and inhaled deeply. "I don't care too much about the Rogues...but they don't deserve this." His cheeks crackled with sparks as his eyes dipped into a glare. "And they'll certainly pay for locking up Peregrine."

York blinked, allowing himself a moment of clarity. They've made comments how he was slowly acting like Norris this entire journey, from his fits to his reckless attitude. He was letting his old ways cloud his judgment with the present. He held his head and clenched his eyes shut.

"…I'm such an idiot…"

"Yeah, yeah," Tamara readily dismissed. "You can self-loathe later." She unsheathed her claws. "Fencing boy is mine."

York stared at her for a moment, then huffed in amusement. "Heh…Spaz, you and I will take the space bag."

Spaz cracked his knuckles. "With pleasure."

"Eli!" York called out. "Make sure Casey and Willy stay out of harm's way!"

Eli smirked. "Putting too much faith in an enemy, but sure."

York dug his foot into the ground. "Now…let's show these posers some Gappei Village pride!"

"Right!" Tamara and Spaz shouted.

Porthos scoffed and formed a second Sacred Sword. "Then let us commence with the battle with honor! I'll burn the name of Porthos into your skin!" He lunged straight for Tamara.

"Ah, shut up!" Tamara growled, countering his attack with her Night Slash.

Porthos grunted as his attack was stopped near instantly, showing the power by Tamara's claws. _'She's tougher than I thought!'_ He clenched his teeth and summoned the strength to push her back. Tamara flipped in midair and threw Water Shurikens, which Porthos sniped down with his rapier.

York and Spaz were keeping their distance from Otto, who stared coldly at the duo with his arms crossed in a refined manner. They couldn't attack him without first understanding the mechanics of his Absolute Counter.

"If we attack him, he'll just send our attacks right back at us," Spaz grumbled.

York glared. "So far, it's reflected my long-range moves, but I doubt that's the extent of its capabilities." He smirked. "So why don't you do what you do best so we can get the drop on him?"

"Be a pain in the ass jokester?"

"That's the one."

Spaz smirked. "With pleasure." His body vibrated with speed, then he took off like a speeding bullet, circling around Otto fast enough to kick up a ring of dust.

Otto narrowed his eyes. "Do you intend to defeat me by making me dizzy? Your efforts for success have not risen, but certainly lowered with this pathetic maneuver."

"Who you calling pathetic?!" Spaz swiped his hand across the ground, using Psychic to blast dirt at him.

"Aura Sphere!" He fired the aura through the dirt, diverging its intended path.

York glared. _'Okay, as I figured, doesn't work on normal attacks like that.'_

Back over with Tamara and Porthos, they were clashed in a heated battle of the blades and claws. Tamara spun around in the air, countering Porthos' rapier attacks with pinpoint precision. Upon landing, she sprung right for his face and attempted to nail him with Aerial Ace, but he used his Sacred Sword to block the attack. The force alone almost made him slap himself with his own attack.

Tamara kept up the pressure, but had to pull back as he used his second Sacred Sword for a side strike. She rolled across the ground, then threw Water Shuriken into his hand, knocking the blade out from it before dissipating. She used his stunned confusion to strike him hard in the gut with Aerial Ace.

Porthos spat blood as he slid back into the ground. He panted, then wiped his lip before summoning both Sacred Swords again. He crossed the blades and yelled, "You should think twice for underestimating a master of the blade!" He lunged and thrusted with his Sacred Swor…okay, at this point, Tamara was just going to refer to them as Sacred Rapier, because that's essentially how he was using it.

"Oh, I'm sure a friend of mine would LOVE to have a word with you!" Tamara exclaimed, kicked back from his range. She flipped onto her hands and sprung herself at him, dropkicking him across the face.

"Fire Blast!" Tamara rolled out of the way before the five-point flame consumed her. As if she wanted to be burned by more fire. Porthos spun his blades, then engulfed them in the flames of Will-O-Wisp. "Are you quaking at the speed of my blades?" He thrusted with a flurry of speed.

She used Aerial Ace to sponge/deflect the damage while avoiding the burning effect of the flames. "What I can't _quaking_ at is that your name is actually Porthos!" She leaped back and threw Water Shuriken at his feet, which he dodged. "Did you actually legally change your name or something?!"

Porthos stopped fighting and held his finger up proudly. "Actually, I did! See, while I am part Virizion, I always enjoyed the character of Porthos from the classic-OOF!" Tamara decked him square in the face with Aerial Ace, spraying blood from his mouth. He spun and crashed face first against the ground. He jumped up and pointed furiously at her. "You wicked fiend! How dare you distract me?!"

Tamara pointed back just as furiously. "You distracted yourself, dumbass!"

Casey and Eli blinked with bewilderment. "Um…he seems a little…" Casey mumbled aloud.

"Stupid," Eli bluntly finished. "He's an utter dumbass."

Willy looked up. "Is that a bad word?"

Casey patted his head. "Never call anyone that, Willy."

"Until you're thirteen," Eli added.

"Don't corrupt his innocence!" Casey shouted.

Porthos huffed, then spun his two Sacred Rapiers. "You shall pain for your insolent comments, vile fiend! Come! I'll burn you asunder!" He flew right for the ninja cat, once again coating his blade in Will-O-Wisp. Tamara struck back with Night Slash, keeping the burning blades out of reach.

Otto continued to watch as Spaz circled him in the ring of dust. He huffed. "This is becoming pointless." He formed an Aura Sphere.

Spaz smirked. _'Bingo!'_ He came to a dead stop behind Otto and fired Thunderbolt.

However, to his disappointment, Otto heard the crackle of electricity. "Absolute Counter!" His body glowed in the light refracting purple, orbiting the Thunderbolt around him before firing it back against Spaz.

Spaz gasped in pain. "Shit! It works like Mirror Coat! The power was boosted when he reflected it!" He bounced along the ground.

With Otto distracted on Spaz, York ran straight for him. "Wild Charge!" He coated himself in electricity.

"Spacial Rend." He slashed his arm upward and send a pink, distorting energy slash out.

York canceled his attack and barely dodged the space cutting move, actually seeing the physical space in front of him get severed before realigning itself to whole. He quickly got up and batted away multiple Aura Spheres being thrown at him.

' _Okay, that's something. He didn't go for his Fusion Move immediately after using it on Spaz. Either it can't reflect physical based moves or there's a brief period where he can't use it. I need to keep the pressure up until I have more evidence.'_ He torqued his body and batted an Aura Sphere right back at Otto.

Otto blasted it back with another. "You can't win. Porthos and I are the perfect duo of sword and shield. The perfect combo!"

"Ah, you're a shield, eh?" Spaz speedily jumped above him. "Then let's put some dents into your rusty hind!" He fired multiple Chrono Shocks at him.

"Absolute Counter." The Chrono Shocks curved and bounced back at Spaz, who barely dodged in time.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Spacial Rend." He bifurcated the Thunderbolt to fly past him. This left him open for an attack by York, via Dragon Tail. "Absolute Counter."

York swung downward, but the energy wrapped around his tail flew off and struck him hard across the face, sending him flying backwards. Otto then immediately fired a Hydro Pump that pushed York through the ground, burying him into a pathway of dirt.

"You can't beat my absolute defense. It'll reflect any attack you send at me."

York coughed up water and shook his body dry. He glared at the spacey bag as he picked himself up. "It's powerful, I'll give you that." He smirked. "But it's definitely not absolute. Dragonic Thunder!" He fired the dragon-shaped lightning strike.

"Absolute Counter!" His body glowed in preparation for the attack, but it suddenly curved upwards. "What?!" His Absolute Counter faded a moment after.

Spaz had his hand outstretched, using Psychic to guide the attack. He smirked and flicked his fingers down, engulfing Otto in the electric attack. He screamed out in pain, his skin darkening from the insane power of the move.

"Whoa…" Casey mouthed.

"Now I see." Casey looked at Eli curiously. "That move can reflect anything, but he can't use it in rapid succession. He either needs to wait a moment to recharge or break the chain with another move."

Otto nearly doubled over as his body smoked from the burns. He coughed, then glared up at them. "…Very good. Perhaps I was wrong to pin you all as fools. In that case, Aura Sphere!" He spun, sending out a chain volley of Aura Spheres at York and Spaz.

York turned and started running as they chased him down. Spaz sped through them, having them collide into each other as he approached Otto. "Psychic!"

"Absolute Counter!" He coated himself in the counter attack, but gasped as Spaz instead used Psychic on himself and threw himself in the air.

"You're too reliant on that move of yours! You're so quick to counter everything that it's your first instinct! Thunderbolt!" He blasted Otto once Absolute Counter faded.

Otto nearly fell over, keeping some stability as he panted. "Damn you…"

Meanwhile, Tamara and Porthos continuously clashed with each other, green and purple strikes sparking in the air after every collision. Their final clash sent them flying backwards. Tamara panted heavily from exhaustion, as well as the burns on her hands. Every time she got struck, those Will-O-Wisp flames would graze her hands. She couldn't move a finger without feeling an uncomfortable stinging.

' _He's an idiot, but he knows how to wield those darn blades! He has the precision and speed to shoot down raindrops. I need more drive if I want to keep up, but how am I-?'_

"Oi!" Porthos spun his blades cockily. "Do you now understand the power of my speed and precision, ninja girl? No one catch match my speed when I fight!"

…

…Something snapped inside Tamara.

All but Eli and Otto gaped in shock, having heard the fencer clearly. _'Oh, he did it now…'_

"Um…what's going on?" Eli asked.

Tamara lowered her head, sporting an exasperated, toothy smirk, practically feeling a vein pumping in her forehead. "…Buddy…what did you just say?"

"You heard me! I have the fastest swordsmanship skills in the world! Your snail's pace couldn't match up to me!"

"Well…I must thank you, then…" A blue aura surrounded her as she crouched down. "I didn't quite have enough drive to beat you, but now…"

"Now perish by my blade!" He thrusted it into her, but struck her afterimage instead. "Huh-?"

"How dare you challenge me to a test of speed?!" The entire right side of his face succumbed to a sudden burst of pain from her Aerial Ace kick. He flew across the air, then was ax kicked straight into the ground before being kicked in the jaw. It was like being attacked by multiple Tamara's, but there was clearly only one.

And she was moving FAST.

' _Where did she-?!'_ He was broken from his thoughts by a sharp uppercut to the back. Tamara grabbed his arms, spun him around, and slammed him face-first into the ground.

Her friends watched in pity for the fencer. "He shouldn't have done that…" York mentioned.

"Yep," Spaz agreed. "He's doomed."

Despite this, Porthos seemed to be having a good time, even if he was a few strikes away from having a broken spine. "Aha! You truly are a worthy-!" Tamara punched him in the face.

"Shut the hell up!" She carried that punch with a lot of weight, keeping in contact with him for an extra second before throwing him off. She put power through her legs and lunged with Aerial Ace powered through her fists.

Porthos readjusted himself against the last attack, then held his Sacred Rapier up. "Sword of Nature!"

Tamara got within range to use her Aerial Ace, but she felt the power fade out of her. "Huh-?" She was then struck with the rapier construct, which glowed sky blue, no different to her Aerial Ace. Porthos struck her multiple times in the span of a couple seconds before giving a hard thrust and shooting away.

"Tamara!" Spaz cried out.

Tamara dug her claws into the ground and caught herself. She panted heavily as blood trickled down the side of her arms, having used them to block most of the hits. "That…felt like…it had Aerial Ace's power…"

Eli glared. "A move that reflects attacks and one that steals power for your own. These two aren't messing around."

Casey clenched her teeth. "This is too much…I've got to help them!" She tried to move, but Eli held his arm out.

"You'll only slow them down."

"I can help!"

"Me too!" Willy cried.

Eli sighed and pinched between his eyes, before glaring back at the fight. "You'll have your time…sooner or later…"

"Spacial Rend!" Otto pushed York and Spaz back with the space cutting blade.

York blocked it with his arms. "We can't attack recklessly! We need to keep up with the coordinated attacks!"

Spaz glared. "York, we've been trying to attack him, but you can't counter something that isn't an attack, right?"

York smirked. "Good point. Set him up, Spaz."

"Quick Attack!" Wrapped in white light, Spaz speedily raced at Otto.

"He's fast!" Otto shouted, as the Quick Attack naturally boosted Spaz's natural speed. "But a weak attack like that doesn't deter me! Aura Sphere!" He formed the attack.

"Now!" Spaz dug his foot into the ground and turned at a ninety-degree angle, throwing Otto off.

Otto snapped his head up as York flew directly above him, with his frills expanded and sparking in preparation. Otto growled. "Absolute Counter!"

"Nice try! Flash!" His frills illuminated like a blinding spotlight. Otto cried out and covered his burning retinas. "Now, Dragon Tail!" He spun downward and slammed his tail on top of Otto's head, pushing him into the ground.

Spaz turned on his heel and lunged back at Otto. "Volt Tackle!" He rammed into Otto's side and threw him far back. Spaz stumbled forward from the recoil, but countered it with Recover. "That's what I'm talking about!"

York landed beside him and crossed his arms smugly. "Seems this guy isn't used to having his rear handed to him."

Otto panted, holding his searing side as he stood up. "It…would appear…that I've miscalculated my efforts."

Spaz got on all fours and sped right for Otto with Volt Tackle. "Now for the haymaker of all Volt Tackles! Eat electricity, you-!" His Volt Tackle fizzled out. "What-?"

Tamara gasped and quickly looked around before realizing the worst. "Spaz, LOOK OUT!" Tamara cried.

Suddenly, a barrage of rapier blades flew out from behind Otto and jabbed into Spaz's front. Spaz spat out air as the force threw him backwards. Tamara quickly intercepted and caught Spaz before he hit the ground, digging her heels in to stop their momentum.

"Gah…" Tamara panted and looked down at Spaz. "Spaz…"

The time mouse grunted in pain, then smiled wearily at her. "Heh…I'm fine…don't worry…" He was trying to not worry her.

Tamara clenched her teeth, then scowled directly at the duo. "You two…"

Porthos and Otto stood back-to-back, with the fencer holding his sword aloft. "As we established, we are the perfect combo of sword and shield! We cover the offensive and defensive aspects of battle and can surely make up for each other's weaknesses when we are one!" Porthos aimed his sword at them. "You fools don't stand a chance!"

Tamara helped Spaz stand while he used Recover, then they glared at them. "I've had it up to here with you arrogant villains making a mockery out of us!"

Otto scoffed. "And like your pitiful Rogues, you're all talk." That one struck a nerve with York, who growled like a feral beast.

Porthos spun his blade and stepped forward. "Now, shall we-?"

"Toxic Bane!"

The duo jumped back and barely avoided toxic sludge that blasted at their feet. They were greeted by the company of Eli as he took his step forward, despite walking with a bit of a limp. "All this talk of swords and shields?" He brandished his claws. "I prefer my hands and claws."

York gasped. "Eli, stopped! Your injuries-!"

"Don't be a damn hypocrite. You've done worse with a broken leg." He pointed at the duo. "These guys won't even require my full power to beat!"

Otto glared. "What are you on about?"

Eli smirked haughtily, keeping his finger trained on them. "These injuries are only superficial...nothing compared the wrath I shall rain down on you fools!" He thrust his whole hand out dramatically. "You cannot comprehend my power!"

"Power?" the other parroted.

Otto crossed his arms, not convinced. "You're bluffing."

Eli wagged his pointing finger at them. "Tch, tch, tch. Am I? You're standing before a master planner! Even as we speak, I've already set up the pieces for your defeat! Tch, tch, tch," he once again sounded with the wags of his finger.

Everyone stared at him curiously and in awe…except for York, who gave him a deadpan glare. _'That's the same bluffing voice he uses for poker. What the hell is he trying to pull?'_

Eli extended his foot forward and continued to wag his finger. "You don't have the guts to take another step forward. It will certainly be your finest mistake."

Otto groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Are you serious right now? It's quite obvious you're bluffing about something. You want us to take a step forward, then we shall and prove that you're wasting your time."

So, he and Porthos took a confident step forward, with seemingly no issue. As Otto suspected, Eli was just pulling a fast one on them. Porthos laughed at this. "An amusing trick, but also wasted time! Now prepare for the-!"

Everyone froze at the sound of a low groan, following by the cracking of earth. Otto and Porthos looked down and saw the ground under their feet was cracking open. They took one look at each other, then screamed as they fell into a deep pit that caved in on itself.

Everyone, even Eli, stared at the hole in bewilderment, before Spaz broke the silence. "Woooow! Eli, I have to admit, I had my doubts about you, but when you talk, you talk BIG!" He blinked and tilted his head. "But…how did you know that part of the ground was unstable?"

"I…didn't. I didn't know at all. I was just goading them to get closer so that I could sneak off a couple Toxic Banes."

"But…then where did this hole come from?" Casey questioned aloud.

York narrowed his eyes. "Giant hole out in the middle of nowhere…don't tell me… _she_ dug this…"

"She?" Eli asked.

The Renegade duo groaned as they dragged themselves out from the pitfall. Otto slammed his fist down and growled, "Who is responsible for this?"

"By the luck of Jirachi…" Their eyes widened as a small form crawled past the pitfall. "So, you two really are tied to that facility I've been in search for."

The gang gasped at the sight of the Durant-Groudon emerging from the rubble. She looked to be the shape of the regular Durant, with the red armored plating of a Groudon with a few pairs spikes protruding from her back at an angle facing away from each other. Her eyes were a fiery orange. She had a backpack strapped over her, comfortably sitting between the angled spikes.

"Is that…is that Jean?" Casey asked aloud.

The Durant Fusion clicked her mandibles together in a thoughtful manner. "Seems fate has spoken for me. I was right to take a nap in this exact area. Just as I planned from the start," she stated boldly.

"Whoa!" Willy awed. "She's even cooler than I imagined!"

Eli deadpanned at the ant. He could hear the subtle inflexions in her tone only a professional could pick up on. _'She totally fell asleep and got lucky.'_

York suddenly realized something and gasped. "Wait! We've been fighting over her campground this entire time?!"

"Talk about a stroke of luck," Spaz mumbled.

Otto and Porthos stood up and dusted themselves off, with Otto saying, "Another one of you? Doesn't matter if there's one or a dozen of you Fusions. What's one more going to do?"

Jean glanced at them. "You're an intriguing bunch." She turned to the gang. "You all look exhausted. Rest up. I'll take over for a little bit."

Tamara punched her palm and shouted, "Like help I am! I'm going to beat that idiot musketeer into a-!"

Spaz quickly clasped his hand over her mouth as he waved sheepishly at Jean. "Please, please, have at it!" He dragged Tamara back while she waved her fist at the Renegade duo.

Otto huffed at the ant. "And what difference can one puny any make compared to them?"

Jean clicked her mandibles as she scratched under her chin. "Well, I've already planned for your defeat, so we'll just have to watch and find out."

York smirked. "Heh…sounds like the tactical type." He looked at Eli teasingly. "Sounds like your type."

Eli rolled his eyes. "Do not set me up with an ant."

Otto huffed and turned away with his arms crossed. "This is a waste of time. Porthos, lay down the law to this interfering pest."

"Gladly." Porthos stepped forward and aimed his Sacred Rapier at her. "Listen up, ant! You've made a grave error revealing yourself! You now face the-!"

"Yeah, yeah, sword and shield duo," she interrupted rather rudely. "Look, I heard you the last two or three times underground. I was trying to sleep." She glared seriously. "Can we move onto the part where you'll swing your blade at me?"

"…You're no fun." Shaking off his disappointment, Porthos delivered with a strong thrust that was wrapped in a cone of air.

Tamara growled. "He really is fast."

However, before the blade got within reach, Jean pulled her head back, then roared at Porthos. Porthos froze up as a frightening mirage of the ant's face stared at him, twisted in nightmarish ways. He hesitated with his attack, allowing Jean to dodge with greater ease.

Willy gasped. "Oh, oh! That was Scary Face, wasn't it?"

"Incredible," Casey commented. "She must not be a speedy fighter, so she must've learned it for situations like this."

Porthos steeled his nerves and struck again. Jean rolled out of the way. "Your movements are far more sluggish than a moment ago. Do you feel frightened by me?"

The fencer wasn't frightened by anybody, but the power of Scary Face left a pretty scarring image in his mind, unable to deliver with as much speed as he wanted. "Fire Blast!" He spun around and blasted the ant with flames, scoring a direct hit.

…Until Jean disappeared into the ground.

Porthos gasped and scanned the area, now on full alert. "Otto! She vanished!"

"Calm down and focus! She can't be that far!" Otto formed an Aura Sphere, keeping his eyes peeled on the ground. _'I won't let one sneak attack get by me.'_ He grunted and wiped his brow. _'Never realized how hot it was outside.'_

The ground split open behind Porthos. He spun and stabbed into the cracks. Jean popped out from the opposing side and slammed her head into the back of his skull, taking him down.

"Aura Sphere!" Otto threw the attack at her.

"Guillotine!" She lunged, extending out her mandibles into large, steely blue blades. They stretched for the wind up, then slashed the Aura Sphere in an instant. The two halves flew in opposite directions before exploding.

Otto narrowed his eyes. "Intriguing. Perhaps this'll be worth the entertainment. However…"

"Sacred Sword plus Will-O-Wisp!" Porthos spun his flaming blades at Jean while her back was turned.

"Dig." She immediately buried herself into the ground.

Porthos immediately went to stab into the ground. "Show yourself! This is not how one fights with…honor?!" Porthos shrieked and jumped back from the hole as a thick, heated smog shot out like a geyser. The massive cloud erupted into the shape of a mushroom and rained down flaming rain. "Holy…!" He spun his blades and deflected the flaming rain.

The heat could be felt by the others. "That heat is insane!" Casey shouted. "Is that Lava Plume?!"

Otto glared. _'That is most certainly Lava Plume. However, it's clearly bigger than most I've seen. And the heat is unbearable from over here, even if I have a dual resistance to fire.'_ He wiped his brow. _'Why is it getting…hotter?'_ He looked up at the sky.

The sun was high above them, with the light seemingly being amplified, like a light passing through the lens of a magnifying glass. He glared. "Figures…"

York covered his eyes as he gazed up at the sun. "What a scorcher…it must be her ability, Drought."

Spaz nodded. "Yeah…but didn't those nomads say she wasn't a fan of the heat?"

"Groudon aren't naturally Fire-Types without going Primal," Tamara explained. "She was born with an ability that acts as a double edge sword."

Otto shouted out, "Porthos, don't let any of that smog touch you or you're toast!"

"Oh yes, because I _certainly_ wanted to be cooked alive today!" Porthos sarcastically yelled back.

Otto grumbled and rubbed his aching temples, feeling the presence of a migraine. "We can't afford to waste more time on this." He formed several Aura Spheres and chucked them into the hole where the Lava Plume was spewing. _'They'll track her through her network of tunnels and cave her in with the explosion. I'll make sure she can't dig her way out of this one.'_

"Otto! Under you!"

Otto's eyes widened. He quickly noticed the two blade-like mandibles sticking out the ground, winding back like a spring-loaded toy ready to clamp down on its target. "Guillotine!" he shouted, jumping back just as the attack sliced up where he was once standing. It was so swift and instant, he could see the light trail of the blades form a perfect sheet of light.

Jean burst out from the ground and used Lava Plume to create a thick layer of defense to stop the Aura Spheres flying out at her, setting them off. As she was suspended in the air, she glared between Otto and Porthos. "Did you believe that would stop me?"

Porthos stepped up and crossed his Sacred Rapiers. "You are nothing more than a vile trickster! You fight with no honor in your soul!"

Jean landed and flicked some dust off her back. "And next you'll say 'I'll be sure to give you a swift and just end, dearest fire ant.'"

"I'll be sure to give you a swift and just end, dearest fire ant!" Porthos lunged with his blades out, but froze upon realizing what she just said. _'Wait! What the hell did she just-?!'_

Jean narrowed her eyes. "You're not dealing with a fighter. You're dealing with a mastermind." She took herself underground, avoiding the rapiers by a hair. "Next you'll get angry and stab at the ground to pinpoint my location."

Furious, with this ant, Porthos decided to try something. He stabbed the ground repeatedly, keeping a close ear out for the sound so he can detect where she'll next pop out. "You think you can outsmart me, you little…?!" Porthos stopped, realizing in a blank state he was doing exactly what she thought.

Otto gritted his teeth, feeling the tiniest bit a sweat form. _'How did she…?'_

The others were nothing short of impressed. "Incredible…" York muttered. "That's some next level manipulation there…"

"She's reading them like the text of an instruction manual," Eli added. "Who the heck is this chick?"

Otto shook his head and got his thoughts in order, then shouted, "Don't let her get to you, idiot! She's just one ant!"

"You're a thinking man, Mr. Otto. You'll be a most interesting opponent."

Otto swung around with an Aura Sphere, but found no trace of the ground ant. He could've sworn he heard her from behind. He canceled the Aura Sphere and held his head, exhaling in quiet, panicked breaths as he struggled to keep control. _'Don't let her get to you, don't let her get to you…she can't outsmart you.'_

"I've had enough with your game!" Otto spun around, seeing Porthos losing his mind at the holes. "I shall end this in one go! Fire Blast!" He shot into the holes, letting the heat travel through the tunnels until it reached her. "You may be part-Groudon, but you still have a crippling weakness to fire! Tell me I'm wrong!"

Jean responded from the various holes, but not to his statement. "Now Otto will say 'Yow. Watch where you're shooting, you moron.'"

"What?" Otto asked. "Why would I say-?" Suddenly, the ground under him heated up. He gasped as the ground split open and engulfed him in the flames of Fire Blast. Jean had manipulated the tunnels so that the Fire Blast would go to that exact point under him.

"YOW!" he screamed, scorched and blackened by the flames. He snapped at Porthos. "Watch where you're shooting, you moron!" His eyes then widened in disbelief. _'She did it again! I said it without thinking!'_

Casey covered her mouth in shock. "She hasn't even done that much and they're already falling apart…"

York grimaced with unease and awe. "Jean…she's incredible. She's playing them like a game of chess. It's like she already has a complete psychological profile on them. She knows all their moves and how they'll respond, and in such a short amount of time, too. She's completely in control of the fight."

Jean popped out from the ground and brushed some dirt off her side. "Hmph. Simple execution, if I say so myself." She didn't seem to notice her back was charred and smoking from the Fire Blast.

The group stared with exasperated expressions. "Well…almost completely in control…" Tamara mumbled.

Otto shook his head, now sweating profusely. "H-How can this be? W-Who the hell is this crazy chick?!"

Porthos gasped, realizing something. "Oh. My. Arceus. Otto, I think she's an international spy!"

Otto slapped him in the back of the head. "She's not a spy, you idiot! She's just some…hippie ant out in the middle of nowhere!" He then pointed angrily and Jean. "And YOU! I don't know what your game is, but I know what you're doing!"

Jean raised her brow. "Oh? Care to enlighten me?"

"You haven't made any effort to attack us directly! You've been dodging and weaving through us like a snake! You're no good at prolonged combat, are you? I'm right, aren't I? I bet you've never won an actual fight in your life! Now that I know what I'm getting myself into, I won't let you land another attack on us!"

Jean hummed to herself, actually appearing impressed. "My, my, you are smart, just as I thought. Maybe with enough practice, you'll be as perceptive as me." She tapped the side of her head. "While you are right that I don't care for prolonged combat, you are sadly mistaken to believe I've never won any of the fights I participated in."

Otto glared. "Then why don't you show me some moves?"

Jean sighed. "Fine, if you insist." She lifted herself up. "Precipice Blades!" She slammed herself down and sent forth a chain of jagged spires, each tipped with a red crystalline coating.

Otto spread his arms out and lit himself in the reflective purple glow. "Absolute Counter!" The Precipice Blades struck the invisible force surrounding him, then prepared to reverse their forward motion back onto Jean.

"Fissure!" Jean slammed her body down again, this time splitting the ground up with a thunderous rumble. Otto and Porthos cried out as they slipped into the gaping abyss.

Porthos stabbed his Sacred Rapier into the side and vaulted himself out before it closed. Otto managed to grab the edge, but ended up firing off his counterattack at a weird angle. It flew past Jean, with the pressure only leaving a scratch across her cheek. She didn't flinch.

"She knew about Absolute Counter and… _countered_ it like a pro!" Spaz exclaimed.

Eli narrowed his eyes. "This chick's a tactical genius."

Otto pulled himself up before the abyss closed, panting heavily while pale in the face. Color came back to his cheeks in the form of red. "Two…TWO K.O. MOVES?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! OVERKILL MUCH?!"

Jean couldn't quite form a smile, but the playful clicking of her mandibles expressed it. She gave her version of a shrug, simply lifting her front legs a tad. "Meh."

Porthos was just as apoplectic, though for a different reason. "How dare you use deceitful trickery in our battle?! Have you no shame or honor?!" He raised both his blades and crossed them. "I will not except any further disrespect in our battle! I want the ninja cat back! She was a much more respectful opponent!"

"She was pulverizing you, dumbass!" Otto shouted.

"Yes, but she did it…WITH HONOR!"

Jean huffed, rubbing the side of her head. "Not my place to care. I don't do prolonged fighting. Besides…" She glared at Eli. "That one knows the location to a place of interest, so it'd be a real shame to let him slip away because I let you two have your way. On the other hand, I've grown quite weary of this fight..." She closed her eyes, nodding her head at the duo. "If any of you are interested in fighting, feel free."

York held his hands up to decline. "I mean, you look like you have things handled-"

"Now, now, York…" The armored lizard watched as his friend step forward, rubbing his knuckles into his palm. "Didn't you say you wanted to team up again? I'd say my injuries have healed nicely enough to pull some danger."

"Huh…fair point." He stared ahead, then smirked villainously. "Alright…this'll be an experience." He walked up beside Eli as they marched forward. "When was the last time we teamed up like this?"

"Oh? I believe that was the Cat Burglars who were robbing our old place. Gave Norris quite the headache, but plenty of fun to chase."

"Oh yeah, now I remember. Didn't we use my electricity and your poison for some old school torture interrogation?"

"Got him to spill in five minutes."

York extended his frills, channeling electricity through them, while Eli brandished his two claws together. The others stared at the two with unease, feeling an ominous air permeating the immediate surroundings. York was acting more…Eli-ish than just a moment ago.

' _This won't end well…'_ they all thought with equal parts worry.

Otto grunted to himself. "Tsk. The runts again…let's see if you're as much a disappointment as earlier."

"If you say so!" York sprinted at full speed, then performed a spinning leap with his Dragon Tail ready.

Otto spread his arms out. "Useless! Absolute Counter!"

He activated his ultimate counter move, but it wouldn't have done him any good. York's tail connected with his face with the force of a jackhammer. He had depowered Dragon Tail a second before he made contact.

"Your counter move's impressive, but it only works against our moves, not standard attacks like this!" He whipped Otto across the face, then blasted him with Thunderbolt now that Absolute Counter was on its cooldown.

"GAAAH!" Otto screamed, erupting with electricity.

"Hang on, Otto!" Porthos lunged into action. "Sword of Nature-!"

"Toxic Bane!" Porthos gasped as two hands slammed down on his back, coated in the debilitating dark poison. Eli landed on the pumpkin fencer's back, then grabbed him by the hair. "Feel the poison coursing through you, buster?"

Porthos gritted his teeth, then summoned his Sacred Rapier. "Damn you-!"

Eli smashed and pressed his face into the ground. "Sorry, say that again. Didn't quite catch it." He lifted his head again, then slammed it back into the ground. "One more time, still couldn't hear you." He repeatedly bashed Porthos' face into the ground, making it increasingly more bloodied and bruised.

"Sacred…Sword!" He spun himself around to slash Eli, but the dark poisoner jumped out of reach. Porthos picked himself up, then flinched as the poison took its effects. He clutched his aching stomach and clenched his eyes shut. "It…hurts, so much…"

York closed his eyes and smirked. "Well, looks like he won't be an issue for the time being." He glared at Otto. "You should be quaking in your boots, _Otto_. Now that I've finally calmed down…" He cracked his knuckles and walked towards him. "You're pretty much screwed."

Acting on fight-or-flight response, Otto swung his fist at York. "Damn you to hell!"

York deflected his punch. "Let's see how good you are at street brawling." He socked Otto across the face, then followed it up with a drop kick to the chest. Otto stumbled backwards, regained his balanced, then fired Hydro Pump. York sidestepped and rushed him with a fist ready.

Otto prepared an Aura Sphere, but it canceled after Eli slashed him across the back with Night Slash. "GAH-!" Otto was left wide open for a punch dead center in his face. "AGH!" He covered his aching face, shaking vehemently. "Y-Y-You bastards-!"

"Venoshock!" Eli shot him from above, furthering his injuries, then spun downward with a solid ax kick to the skull. He kicked off Otto's face and hung around safely through the air.

York marched up to Otto, arms outstretched. "Come on, asshole! I'm wide open!" Otto roared and summoned two Aura Spheres, but got blinded with York's Flash. He covered his eyes, then gasped after York kneed him in the stomach and kicked him back. "Acting like some superior jackass who can push us around…imprisoning the Rogues…underestimating me…you've committed far too many mistakes to count."

Otto growled and raised two massive Aura Spheres over him. "I won't listen to this!"

Eli swooped by York just as the Aura Sphere came down, striking him in various points on the body. "Acupressure!" He flew past just as the Aura Spheres came down.

Otto panted angrily, glad he got a direct shot on York, but then held his breath with disbelief, seeing the armored lizard still standing in that spot, with his arms crossed over his head. He smirked from under them. "Heh…stings a lot, but not that bad. Thanks for the defense boost, Eli."

Otto jumped back and powered up a Hydro Pump. _'This isn't like me! I need to stay calm! I can't let them get to me!'_ He snarled through his teeth. _'That damn ant has me completely off my game! I was perfectly in control, then she started getting inside my head!'_

Jean was quietly observing the battle before setting her attention on Otto. She spoke with a voice loud enough for him to hear, "Allow me to wager a guess. Now you're thinking how you could've won had it not been for me throwing you off your game. Tell me I'm wrong." Otto flinched angrily.

York and Eli stood together and raised their fists. "Striking the enemy where it hurts with mass confusion, eh?" York spoke aloud.

"I like your style, ant," Eli commented.

York smirked. "Ready to raise hell?"

"Oh, most definitely."

They sprinted right at Otto, straight as an arrow. Otto snarled and fired volleys of Aura Spheres at them. "Damn brats! Don't act all high and mighty on your feeble thrones!"

York and Eli smacked away the Aura Spheres with Dragon Tail and Poison Jab respectively. "Says the guy claiming to have the ultimate defense!" York argued back. "Flash!" He blasted Otto with light.

Otto was quick to cover his eyes, but York and Eli slammed their fists into his unprotected stomach, digging them deep in before the force knocked the space punching bag back. Otto spat out blood and clutched his bruised stomach, hyperventilating with distress.

The gang watched in utter disbelief at what they were seeing. "York is acting like a completely different person…" Spaz noted.

Casey nodded. "I knew this side of him back when he was still a Rogue. York was never a little angel then, now Eli's bringing out that old part of him. It's almost frightening how much York has changed since then."

Otto foamed at the mouth, snarling like a crazed Mightyena. "Y-You dare…question my authority?! You fools…will not live to see the new world like the rest of us! I swear it!" He raised his arms. "Embrace the power of one who can rip apart the fabric of space! Spacial Rend!" He slashed with great effort and sent an X-slash that ripped through the physical space of the air. It was coming in so fast that it caught York and Eli off guard.

Fortunately, they had help. "Precipice Blades!" Stones spires shot from the ground in front of them and took the brunt of the hit, slashing off the crystal points.

"Thanks, Jean!" York shouted as he and Eli leapt over the rocks.

Otto fired Aura Spheres to keep them back. "Porthos! Get off your lazy ass and help me!"

Porthos pushed himself up, biting his tongue, then scowled at the Rogue duo. "Fire Blast!" He reared his head back, then fired the five-point flame blast.

York and Eli felt the heat at their backs and jumped out of the way, leaving it for Otto. The space punching bag smirked and spread his arms out. "Fools! Now I've got you where I want you! Absolute-!"

"Pocket sand!" Jean burst out the ground and chucked sand in his eyes, then dove straight back down.

"AAAAAAAH!" Otto screamed, instinctively rubbing his eyes while his counter move dissipated.

"Dragonic Thunder!" York fired from behind with his massive, electrical attack.

Sandwiched between the Fire Blast and the Dragonic Thunder, Otto screamed out at the top of his lungs, feeling the flames and electricity mix with each other and contain him in a sphere of spiraling red and blue.

York and Eli kicked off and lunged right for him with Wild Charge and Night Slash. "This is the end…FOR YOU!" They slammed their respective attacks into his sides. The explosive force of their attacks caused the sphere of flame and lightning to explode outward, flooding the surrounding area in red and blue. The gang shielded their eyes against the heat and light.

The Rogue duo landed and crossed their arms, staring smugly at the teetering Renegade as he swayed like a leaf in the wind. He lifted his arm with great struggle, trying to point at the two, possibly to chew them out. His scowl held for as long as he remained conscious before his lower half finally gave in and collapsed under him, sending him flat on his face.

Eli dusted his hands off. "Heh…he wasn't as tough as I thought. What a chump."

York turned away, hand on his hip with a smirk across his face. "You said it." They glanced over at Porthos, who was succumbing the effects of Toxic Bane. "As for you…"

Porthos could barely keep himself up on one arm. He pointed up at them, anger in his eyes. "I only…wanted…a fair…fight…"

Eli held his hips. "I would've obliged, but…frankly, I'm not risking my ass going back to that nightmare house."

"Damn you…" Porthos then directed his pointer at Jean. "You…I need to know…before I lose consciousness…are you…are you…?" he wheezed in a struggle.

Jean didn't need to hear him out. "I can neither confirm nor deny your question."

"…I knew," he gasped in triumph before plopping to the ground.

Jean huffed. "Well then…glad that little detour was taken cared of." She turned to the others. "As for the rest of you…I see you're looking for the same facility that I seek."

Once everyone grouped back together, Tamara nodded to her statement. "That's correct. We've been trying to look for you ever since we came across your friends' campgrounds. The Beartic told us we should look for you."

Jean looked off to the side. "Ah, you must mean Greg. Nice fellow, a little nosy in my personal business, though." She glared at the group. "And you all have been actively seeking me out to join forces. I'm right, aren't I?"

Spaz held his hands up, chuckling nervously. "Heh…listen, we get that a group of strangers looking for someone out in the middle of nowhere is a little suspicious, but we're-"

"-on my side, I know. I also know who all of you are." She pointed between York, Spaz, Tamara, and Willy. "Your four are a part of the missing Fusions after the incident outside Grandis City." She pointed to Eli. "You are a part of the Rogues, a criminal gang of Fusions. And you are a former member," she directed at York. "And last but not least, Casey Lee, the famous musical artist."

Their jaws were hanging after she finished. They were almost completely speechless that she dismantled any possibility of distrust in a manner of seconds. As expected from what she displayed, but still.

"How…How did you…?" Spaz stammered quietly.

"Easy." She pointed at York and Eli. "The way these two spoke and interacted indicated a past history, as well as the context clues behind their words. I narrowed that down to the rest of you Fusions being a part of the village based off your different interaction with…York, I believe that's what you're called." She pointed at Casey. "And, of course, you're a hard face to forget. I even have some of your songs on my playlist. Lovely music for my workouts."

Casey blinked, her face blank of emotion. "Um…thank you, I guess." _'Wow…this is a lot to take in.'_

York breathed, letting the minor disturbance flow right out of him. "Okay…now that we've got that settled…" He glared at Eli. "You still know where the facility is?"

Eli nodded. "Hard to forget, that's for sure."

Jean closed her eyes. "Excellent. I suppose we'll take the time to properly introduce each other before we commence any further. I would like your word on this facility, Mr. Eli."

"Can do."

"Ooh, ooh, ooh!" Will bounced up and down. "Ms. Jean, Ms. Jean! I have a question!"

"Yes, child?" she asked.

"Are you a spy?"

Jean raised her brow. "A spy, you say."

Casey awkwardly laughed it off as she picked up Willy. "Heh, sorry about that. Between the sneaking around, secretive stuff, and the fancy radios we used to get here, he's under the impression you're some kind of spy."

"Hmph. Well, that's certainly preposterous."

"That's what we believed. We just thought you were-"

"Some _kind_ of spy? Hardly an appropriate way to describe the work I do."

Everyone fell silent, staring wide-eyed at the earth ant as if she grew a second head from her back. "…I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Tamara asked.

Jean held her front leg out. "Let the introductions begin. I am Agent Jean, a member of the International Police."

They gawked at the ant for a solid ten seconds, then fell over onto their backs in exasperation.

Jean blinked, then tilted her head. "My next guess…you all are about to say, 'Are you serious?'"

They jumped up and yelled, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"


	71. We're Not Done Yet

"Welcome, newcomers! Mi casa es sus casa!"

After escaping from the three Renegades, Asher escorted Artemis and her friends back to his place of residence. As it seems, he upgraded from an old spot in the alley. Opening a hatch from the ground, it led into a secret hideout bunker fitted out to be a suitable living space. According to Asher, he paid off some Ground-Types to make the space for him.

He had a generator in the back that was pumping power through all his appliances and stuff. Some exercise equipment sat in the far right corner, completely with weights, a treadmill, and punching bag. A television and game system sat around in the center, with an armchair facing it. Finally, to complete the look was a makeshift kitchen, housing a fridge, oven, sink, countertop, etc.

Artemis' eyes sparkled in awe. "SO COOL!"

Irma, however, groaned, covering her face. "Ugh…exactly as I expected it to look like…"

Asher smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment." He faced Sheila and noticed she was eying up his kitchen with big, sparkling eyes. He tilted his head. "Uh…something up with her?"

Artemis waved it off. "Sheila's a whiz in the kitchen. Practically grew up in one. And, let me tell you, she can bake some of the meanest desserts that'll ever assault your taste buds!" She licked her lips. "Oh man, now I'm craving some desserts right now!"

Chris smirked. "You sure you don't want to steal them, like every other time Sheila bakes something in the kitchen?"

"I have no shame in admitting that."

Asher snickered behind his hand. "Well, in that case…" He turned back to Sheila and bowed to her. "My kitchen is your paradise, sweetheart. Do as you please. I've got plenty of stuff laying around and waiting to be used up."

"You mean it?!" she shouted excitedly. After he nodded, she could've squealed on the spot. "Great! We all deserve something to eat after that mess! I've been dying to bake something again!" She raced to the kitchen and started searching through cabinets.

Crawford stretched his arms and scratched his back. "Speakin' of which, do ye have any booze layin' around?"

Asher pointed at the fridge. "Somewhere in the back."

"Much obliged." He scuttled for the fridge.

Asher walked over to his armchair and switched on the TV, which was on a news channel. He felt a set of feelers wrap around and pull him into a hug. He smirked gently, taking his arm around Artemis as she pressed her head against his arm. "I really missed you, Asher…with how hectic things were back home, it's nice to see a familiar face out here."

He patted her head. "And I'm glad you're doing well for yourself. You even evolved. That's great." He held his hip and asked, "Things new with you?"

She grinned. "I did get myself a boyfriend."

"I find that hard to believe. Guy must be nuts."

"Oh hush!" She shoved him playfully into his chair. She sighed, then inspected the den with greater attention. "I have to say, I never expected you to move out of the alleyway. What changed? You've obviously been busy since I was gone."

Asher relaxed into his armchair and reclined back. "The culmination of controlling the crime in this town and keeping things pressed under my claw. I took advantage of our penurious town and used it to insert myself into a position of power. Fusions and Pokémon alike on the streets have come to respect me. I've got my own gang who makes sure to keep all the riffraff under control."

Chris was lifting one of the weights when he asked, " _You_ have your own gang?"

Asher smirked. "Feel free to call me the Godfather," he said in a forced accent.

"Yeeeeah, I think I'll pass."

Asher threw his hands up. "Suit yourself." He spun his remote in his hand and started flicking through channels. "I suppose we should address the Donphan in the room. This little debacle surrounding Dr. Faust and his little crazy doomsday machine."

Chris glared. "I think they mentioned something about wanting to use us as batteries."

"Yeah, that doesn't sound good." Asher pressed his fist into his cheek. "Still, I can't wrap my head around any of this. Someone was insane enough to build a machine that'll send our planet out of control, all to change all the normal Pokémon into Fusions like the rest of us. Talk about crazy."

Irma grumbled, "Yeah, that's what I need: to grow an extra pair of limps or change color."

Artemis glared. "And it doesn't seem the Fusion Hunters will be much help."

"I heard their entire base got usurped after the prison break," Asher brought up. "That right?"

"Sounds like it," Crawford chirped in. "Personally never cared for those jackasses, but I'm havin' second thoughts at a time like this. Maybe if they did their jobs better…"

"Harsh, but true," Chris muttered.

"And it doesn't help all those bloody crazy Fusions are runnin' rampant with their freakin' tech and whatever the hell the Rogues were cobblin' together back home! Just what we needed: weapons meant to detain us and weapons meant to harness our power! What a lovely day!"

Artemis sighed. "Yeah, our odds…aren't all that good."

Sheila was mixing a batter together, but stopped halfway through stirring. She glared into the creamy mix. "…That…doesn't mean we should give up, though…right?"

"They have us outgunned. We'd probably be better off here," Chris mentioned.

"And give them the satisfaction of winning? They went too far when they attacked our home. Now they're going after us until they find Codex. This is…too much…and I'm sick of it." She clutched the stirring spoon tightly. "This is far from over."

Artemis smirked to herself. "I was never a numbers gal, so…who the hell has a right to tell me the freakin' odds?"

Chris sighed, holding the back of his head as he smirked at them. "Why did I even say anything? Of course we're going to do something about it."

Asher stared at the group in silence for a moment, then resumed clicking through channels. "You certainly have time until that machine goes off. Good luck getting back to Grandis City, though. It's hell out there."

Artemis blinked, then faced the frost reaper in confusion. "Wait…are you saying…you're not coming?"

He set the remote down and scratched behind his head. "Don't get me wrong, but…I have a responsibility here. Second I leave, every bigshot in a five mile radius comes swarming for control. My guys won't be able to fend all that off. They need a pillar like me to keep the peace, otherwise everything I worked for comes crumbling down."

Crawford bared his teeth and waved his pincer at him. "Oi! We need that crazy strength of yers! We've got an entire army of Fusions waitin' to kick our asses the second we return! Ye have other things to worry about than a power shift here! The entire planet will be one massive war zone!"

"…" Asher sighed, then pressed his hand against his forehead. "Ivan clearly wants to make sure that none of us get anywhere near that damn machine. Even if I came along, what chance does a small group like us stand?"

Sheila glared down. "…Who said it was just us returning?"

"I'm not following."

"You should've seen how any of us were scattering for our lives before we were teleported. We watched our home get invaded twice, and lost in the second round. Now all of us are somewhere in the world trying to scramble back to our former lives." She gripped the counter, leaning against it. "There's not a doubt in my mind they're trying to get back to Grandis."

Asher spun around and lay on the armrests of his chair. "You actually think all your friends and neighbors are going to find a way to cross land and sea to get back to Grandis City, just so they can dismantle that machine?"

Artemis thought for a moment, then chuckled under her breath. "Well…yeah, duh." She grinned. "We got our butts handed to us once, maybe twice. But we're not letting them get another win over us. This time, it'll be our day to shine."

"Tsk," Crawford huffed. "Lost? A mere fluke." He punched his pincers together. "I won't give them a second chance now! Fill me with booze and I'm good to go!"

Chris shrugged. "Better than letting the world get destroyed, so…guess we'll just have to up and save it. Why not?"

The frost reaper stared at them, utterly baffled at their casual commitment. Soon, that perplexation turned into laughter. "Hehe…you're all crazy. I like that."

Sheila giggled. "Plenty of crazy back home. Maybe if you come with us, you'll get a taste of the Gappei hospitality."

"There's plenty of character to keep you entertained for a long time," Artemis added.

Sheila smirked her way. "Like certain greedy Fusions who keep swiping all the desserts I make before I could hand them out."

Artemis held her paws up in defeat. "What can I say? You make one _mean_ pound cake."

Asher eased back into his chair and pressed his fist into his cheek. "Tough call…it'd be a shame to leave home without me running the joint." He closed his eyes and thought for a moment. "…On the other hand, I'm not the biggest fan of inevitable chaos."

"Does that mean you're in?" Chris asked.

"Hmm…I'd have to find someone strong enough to keep watch of the place while I'm gone, but…" He smirked at them. "Heh…I can make it work."

"Haha! YES!" Artemis cheered. "The dream team of crime back at it again! You and me! Causing trouble and taking names!"

Asher laughed. "You really haven't changed much."

"This calls for a celebration!" Artemis shoved Sheila, who nearly dropped the bowl of batter in her arms. "Sheila, whip out those desserts! We're eating a ton of cake and brownies tonight!"

"Ah! Artemis, the oven can only cook so fast!"

"Oh, just set it to, like, a thousand degrees for…hmm, let's make it five minutes!"

"That's not how cooking works!"

"Sure it does!"

"How have you not burned down the cafeteria yet?!"

"Hey, guys!" Everyone quieted down and turned their attention to Chris. "While that's all great, there's still the issue of power we need to work out." He gestured to Asher. "I mean…Asher is no different from the council in power. We saw that with our own eyes. He could give Peregrine a run for his money if he wanted to."

"So?" Crawford grumbled.

"Where does that leave _us_?" he asked, pointing at himself, then his friends. "Those other three creamed us. Badly."

Artemis shrugged. "I mean, we didn't do to bad. Sheila got some pretty good hits off when she lost her cap."

Sheila awkwardly scratched her ear. "Heh…not like me to lose my temper like that…"

Asher raised his brow, then sat up, settling his arms in his lap before saying, "Let me teach you something about the law of the street. It's not about who can hit harder. It's about hitting in the right spot. When I was dishing out trouble to those three, I aimed to hit them where it hurt the most. I've studied most anatomy on Pokémon and applied what I knew to that. As for the losing thing...have any of you actually gotten decent sleep and eaten anything sufficient since you got here?"

A collective grumble of stomachs answered for him. Artemis blushed. "Um…that'd be a fat 'no.'"

"Then I suggest getting some training in once you're back to full strength, because I do believe you can beat those guys."

"And what good would that do us against their massive army?" Crawford reminded.

Asher snickered through his teeth. "Ah, them? Who said you needed to fight all of them up close? Why not just...cheat your way to victory?"

Sheila tilted her head. "Cheat?"

"Causing mayhem behind the scenes. I'm talking every dirty trick in the book. Deception, ambushing, traps, sabotage, the whole shebang, baby~!" Asher sprung onto the back of his chair, arms outstretched from his sides. "You want to go big? Bring disaster to the party! Invisible until the show begins!"

Chris crossed his arms, starting to get the idea. "You're saying we act like a bunch of dirty tricksters to take them out one by one."

Asher chuckled. "Aye…but is it wrong to be underhanded and conniving when there's something on the line?"

Sheila suddenly felt a mischievous side poking out to the surface. "After everything they've done…dirty tricks are the least of their worries." She smirked at Asher. "Maybe a little illusionary assistance will suffice as well?"

"I like the way you think, sweetheart!"

Artemis pouted angrily at Sheila. "Seriously? Where was this side of you when we were a gang?"

Sheila blinked, then awkwardly returned to pouring batter into a pan. "Um…w-well, I was still a-adjusting to things, so…"

Artemis continued to pout off to the side, while mumbling something just enough for the illusion rabbit's sensitive hearing. "Sure, sure...don't act all cool and sketchy with your pal, Artemis, but you'll do it to impress a guy you have the hots for..."

Sheila's face exploded bright red, nearly dropping the bowl of batter in her arms. Asher glanced suspiciously at her. "What's wrong-?"

"Nothing, nothing!" she quickly dismissed. The frost reaper stared for a moment, then shrugged it off.

Crawford drunk from a bottle of booze when he heard a knock on the ceiling hatch of the den. He raised his brow curiously. "Oi, Ashy! Ye got company!"

"I do?" He scratched his head. "Huh…must be one of mine. Irma, let them in."

She glared dryly at him. "What do I look like, your maid?"

"I'll give you a twenty."

"Opening the door, now." She climbed up the ladder and pushed the hatch open. Everyone froze at the Vaporeon's loud gasp as she slipped from the ladder and landed on her back. "WHAT THE?!"

"What's wrong?!" Artemis shouted. She and the others gasped as well as three familiar faces jumped down into the hideout. The Sylveon-Scrafty's face twisted with anger. "Not you idiots again!"

It was none other than Hoss, DJ, and Wave, who were looking worse for wear. Wave had his arm slung over his chest with Vine Whip, indicating it got broken in the fight. DJ was trembling at the legs, hobbling with a wooden board. Hoss had a swollen black eye and bruising all over his body.

He glared with his right eye at Asher. "You…finally…found you…"

Asher hopped from his seat and crossed his arms. "Oh, good grief…haven't you three learnt your lesson already?" Everyone raised their guard, while Irma slinked back behind her daughter to charge an Ice Beam.

The three Renegades settled their anger onto Asher, raising their fists at him. Before Asher could decide on either dropkicking or judo flipping them to the ground, something…unexpected happened. They dropped on their knees and…BOWED to Asher.

"Teach us your ways, Master!" the three exclaimed. The group faltered forward in shock.

"Pardon?!" Chris shouted.

"Where did this come from?!" Artemis yelled. "Didn't Asher beat you idiots unconscious…a half hour ago?!"

DJ looked up to Asher and said, "Your power is incredible! We've never met someone as strong as you in our lives!"

Wave added on, "We were arrested years ago because we wanted to be the strongest of the streets! Dealing with Pokémon who looked down on us, we wanted to stand out as the strongest of the strong! To be the superior trio of Fusions!"

"We wanted to live a life of strength and power! That's why we followed Faust in his plans! If the world had more Fusions, that meant more challenges to explore!" Hoss shouted. "But…then we met you! I am ashamed to go back to Mr. Faust with this defeat on my shoulders! I've never lost a true fight in my entire life! You were the first to defeat me, and with such skill and ease!"

Asher blinked, not sure if he should be flattered or kicking them out of his home. "Um…wow, uh…thanks?"

"We want to be stronger! When you struck us down with that Fusion Move of yours, I was overwhelmed with anger…but now I feel a great awe at your commanding presence. I wish to learn from you the meaning of the word 'strength' so I can one day be as strong, if not stronger, than you!"

Asher crossed his arms. "You three are seriously turning your backs on your boss because of a little power gap?"

"That's not the question you should be asking." The three flinched at the sharp tone of the illusion rabbit as she marched up to them. Her cold glare loomed over their arched forms. "Why should we take your word for it? After everything you've done to us and our village, do you expect the rest of us to forgive you for it? The only reason I'm not kicking you back out into the snow is because it would leave a bad taste in my mouth to hurt someone while they're already down." She curled her fingers. "All the strife and anguish you brought onto our village can never be forgiven. We all had to suffer out here for it. All our friends and family gone somewhere with the rest of your friends probably tracking them down to get Codex…why should we take anything you say and accept it?"

DJ and Wave slinked back from her hardened gaze, but Hoss remained unmoved from his position. His eyes were fixed on the ground, shaped into a glare filled with shame.

"...We don't deserve forgiveness. And we're not asking for it. Being cooped up in that Fusion Hunter jail for so long...I was willing to do anything to taste freedom again...all of us were. That bastard, Cragtail, made us feel worse than we were before. And all I wanted was to be the strongest there was.

"Faust offered us a chance to be ourselves in a world that wasn't governed by hate and prejudice towards the Fusions. We didn't care what that damn machine was going to do...but to walk back with this shame on my back..." He dug his finger into the floor. "...My ultimate Fusion Move bested and used against me...that's a disgrace I can never wash away...one I'll never be able to live down...these scars left behind are the reminder that I have a long way to go to be the strongest...

"You have every right to hate us. It doesn't matter. I can't bring myself to go back to Faust knowing I failed." DJ and Wave bowed their heads in agreement.

Sheila kept her glare on them for a little longer, then stepped away as Asher walked forward. Arms crossed behind his back, he stared them down with a stern glare of his own, though much more tranquil than Sheila's.

"...Crime is a beauty of chaos, is it not? But who am I to turn down other criminals who want to see what could've been better? Frankly…a lot of you being held captive probably didn't have much choice, if I'm correct. It was either work for Faust or continue to exist in that prison…or the third option, be his batteries for his machine.

"Let me make one thing clear...you want a part of my gang? For me to tutor you in my ways? That's the grunt work I'll be shoving you through the ground." He pressed his claw against Hoss' head. "It's either stay and atone for your sins like men or walk back to Faust with the shameful scars forever etched into your bodies."

Artemis smirked. "School of hard knocks?"

"More like getting rammed by a train, but we'll go with that."

Wave looked up at him. "Does that mean…you'll take us in?"

"Only if you follow my rules and the rules of my sub-commanders." Asher tilted his head and shared a toothy smirk. "Don't expect an easy time. You three idiots caused a lot of trouble for my pals here. You'll pay for it with hard work and charity to this town."

The three were silent for a moment, then bowed their heads. "Very well, Master."

"And none of this 'Master' shit…call me Boss Asher," he corrected with a cheeky grin.

Artemis facepalmed. "Annnnd, there it is."

DJ sighed. "At least it'll be better than dealing with that crazy witch…"

Asher froze on the spot, then looked down at him again. "Uh…crazy witch?"

"Yeah. Psychotic little lady who seems to get a lot of pleasure out of torture and maiming."

Chris shivered. "I…think I know who they're talking about. Wasn't she the Kirlia-Mismagius fighting Wash and Juniper?"

"Yep, that's the one," Artemis confirmed.

Asher gulped, then raised his claw. "A question, gentleman. What…would her name happen to be?"

Hoss raised his brow. "Her name's Cruella."

"…" Asher slowly backed up, turned away from everyone, then covered his face before slowly exhaling from his nose. "…Oh shit, it's her again."

"Her _again_?" Crawford questioned.

Artemis spun Asher around. "Hold the phone! Asher, are you saying you know that crazy chick?"

Asher awkwardly tapped his claws together. "Right, so…how do I put this delicately? Um…yeah, I happen to know her…because…she's my ex."

All eyes, ally and former Renegade, stared at the frost reaper the size of dinner plates. Chris breathed in slowly, then mumbled, "…I'm sorry, what?"

"She's you EX?!" Artemis and Sheila screamed.

Asher grinned and performed jazz hands in response. "Heh…surprise?"

Artemis proceeded to 'calmly' shake the reaper by his shoulders and 'calmly' scream in his face. "YOU DATED THAT LOCO WITCH?! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Asher grabbed and pried the Fusion's paws off. He smirked. "What can I say? I like a girl with a bad side."

Artemis deadpanned. "She doesn't have a bad _side_ , she has a bad EVERYTHING!"

"Yeeeeeah, kind of realized that after I found out what she did on some of her…walks. She was passing through, we talked for a bit…about a few hours later, we started making out and…things were pretty chill for a few months." He scratched behind his head. "I wonder if she's still mad I ratted her out to the Fusion Hunters."

"Ye're the reason she was thrown in the slammer?" Crawford asked.

"I mean…when you see your girlfriend attacking literally anyone that looks at her funny or…questions her insane conspiracy theories and mad ramblings, it became all the more obvious she was…mentally unstable." He held his face and groaned. "Another reason I had to become the crime boss around here. Seriously, she nearly murdered like…seven people. I didn't even want to know what she was going to do with that bag of feathers and baseball bat."

Chris held his hips. "And now you're worried she might still have a grudge against you?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if she tried to profess her love to me by stabbing me to death," he answered with a straight face. "That girl is clingy…among other, more dangerous issues."

Artemis covered her face and growled. "How…could you have possibly dated someone who was that unstable?"

Asher held his hands up, smirking. "In my defense…she was pretty hot."

"Not a good reason, Romeo!"

"Ignoring that, I'm going to have to confront her eventually…phew, that'll be a mess." Asher turned back to Hoss and the other two. "Alright, listen up, you three. I have some commanders who will be keeping a special eye on you while I'm gone. They'll run down everything you need to do and they WILL contact me if you try anything. And don't think you can outmuscle them. What my commanders lack in my level of strength, they make up for with brains and careful planning. So, don't get any dim ideas."

"Y-Yes sir!" they exclaimed.

"Pardon?"

"Y-Yes, Boss Asher!" they corrected.

Asher smirked. "Much better."

Sheila sighed, facing away with her arms crossed. "…Well, if you're serious about staying here, you might as well give us a heads up on what we're dealing with." She glared at them. "That machine, for instance. And what we might run into back home."

DJ gulped. "We can safely tell you there's a ton of Fusions making sure no one gets through that barrier unharmed. You'll have to fight your way through dozens of crowds."

"Not a bad idea," Crawford mused.

"What about the machine, though? If we destroy it, this whole nightmare can be over," Chris pointed out.

Hoss huffed. "We can't give you a whole lot. We're not exactly electricians. However, firing on it won't do you any good. Faust made us replace the exterior with a tougher material to negate your attacks. Destroying it from the inside is your best bet."

"I do know of an access point," Wave added.

As Wave said that, Asher turned around and walked to the kitchen. "You all keep the idiots company. I got to make a call."

Wave sighed, then continued, "Anyway…we had to transport that thing back to Kanto and run some basic repairs on it before that ghost virus hacked into the system. I was working at the top of the machine and found a hatch inside. I think it's where the mainframe is being held, though there was so much wire and junk that I couldn't be sure. Plus...well, techy stuff ain't my thing. My best guess, it's where the energy is focused before it's fired off into a wave."

Sheila held her chin and thought it over. "Getting there and destroying it would be simple."

"But actually getting to it would be a cruddy nightmare," Artemis reminded.

"That's all we know, promise," DJ finished for them. "We were just guarding Profectus Inc. before Faust sent us to hunt your friend down."

Chris held his face and sighed. "This'll be an issue. And we still have no way of getting home."

"Not necessarily." Asher returned back to the group, spinning a phone on his claw. "May take some time, but I called in a favor with a friend. Said he can get us a place to fly into Kanto under the radar."

Irma raised her brow. "Wait a damn minute. Are you telling me you have a connection to someone with access to a _plane_?"

"My extensions run far and wide."

"And _yet_ you couldn't get me a special flight and home in Alola?"

Asher smirked. "I have to keep a close eye on you, you know."

"I hate you so much…" Irma grumbled.

Chris crossed his arms. "Okay, never mind, but how long will it take for him to get here?"

"Hard to say," Asher admitted. "Could be a while before he can get the plane here." He shrugged. "But, that leaves us time to kill. And you all definitely need the training."

Crawford huffed and slammed his pincers together. "Time to sharpen me skills."

"Agreed. But first…" Sheila stuck a pan in the oven and set a timer. "We'll have dinner."

"We're having cake for dinner?" Asher questioned.

"Sounds good to me!" Artemis exclaimed.

Asher rolled his eyes, then laughed. "I…think I'll call in another favor and get us takeout along with that cake."

"Not as good as cake, but just as delicious!" Artemis cheered. "Sheila, give me some cake!" She rushed to the kitchen.

"AH! Artemis, the batter's barely cooked!" She chased her into the kitchen.

Asher smirked at Chris and Crawford, who were chuckling under their breaths. "I…think I'm going to enjoy this new company."

* * *

"You're a spy?!" Tamara shouted in Jean's face.

The ground ant flicked some spit off her face. "International police officer, to be more precise, but spy works, too."

"Cooooool…" Willy awed.

York head his head, feeling his eye twitch. "Why didn't you start with that?!"

"I could've…but, my job isn't something one speaks freely of." She raised her brow at them. "Besides, in my experience, people tend to flip out when I say 'spy.' The media and movies of today seem to get the impression everyone we meet is a potential target. Do you know how many people I know thought I had laser pens and razor-sharp boomerang bowler hats?"

"Do you have a super cool spy car?" Willy asked innocently.

"Nope." She paused briefly. "…Well, I do have a guy who drives me in a limo."

"Coooooler…"

Jean bowed her head to them. "Anyway…a pleasure to meet you fine folk. I must say, that was quality battle prowess back there. You all have been trained well, it seems."

"Heh…yeah, thanks." York sighed, then looked back at the others. "Also…sorry if I got out of hand back there. Guess some of the old me slipped out."

Casey waved it off with an awkward grin. "Oh…don't worry. You were a little frightening, I'll admit, but no big deal."

"Speak for yourself," Tamara interjected, pointing at the armored lizard. "Seriously, how many other crimes did you commit that we don't know about?"

"Should I make a list?" Tamara facepalmed.

Eli laughed. "Believe me, you would've been in for a show if he and Norris were teamed up. Those two work like thunder and lightning."

York chuckled quietly. "The fight would've been over pretty quickly." Tamara rolled her eyes.

Jean glanced over at Otto and Porthos, who were tied to each other. "I'll make sure to have someone pick them up soon. In the meantime..." She pointed at Eli. "You are a person of interest. You were in that facility I've been looking for."

Eli nodded. "And you've been looking for it."

"Sort of. The facility itself became a recent problem, but it's the man running it that I'm after. I was assigned a few years ago to pick up on a case involving an unknown man. Someone who has been illegally taking Fusions into his custody by any means, whether through kidnapping, blackmailing the parents, or, in horrific cases, parents actually donating their children. Case went cold some odd years ago, and I haven't had the best luck for a while, until I got a scent just recently. Some digging here and there and I discovered our man has connections to some rumors around the Fusion Hunter's disappearing and more unstable inmates. The ones they can't get to redeem."

York nodded. "Well, Eli told us the name of the man you're looking for. We believe he's Dr. Albert Gates."

"Hmm…not familiar with him." She glared. "We've been trying to track his assassins for years until operations stopped. Intel says one went missing while the others went into hiding. We were never able to determine the fate of the other assassin, nor find any information on this mysterious leader."

Eli narrowed his eyes at the mention of a missing assassin. He glanced at the party with confliction. _Should…I tell them…?_ he wondered.

"What can you tell me about this Gates fellow?" Jean asked, pulling Eli from his thoughts.

Spaz answered, "Dr. Albert Gates. He worked as a developmental scientist for Profectus Inc. He seemed like a pretty nice guy when I first saw him, but...well, hearing all this, I guess first impressions aren't everything."

"Profectus Inc., eh? Clever, clever man."

York cracked his knuckles and bared his teeth. "When I see that guy, I'm going to tear him limb from limb. Turning children into killers? That's unforgiveable…"

Eli glared. "After what he did to Augustus, he won't get any mercy from me."

Jean held her leg up to gain their attention. "Well, now that I know where I'm going, I can get started on the infiltration."

"Infiltration?" Tamara asked.

"An operation such as this can't be performed by brute force. Sneaking into the premises and blending with the workers will allow us to take it down systematically before the big break."

Tamara smirked. "Heh…just as I thought."

York glared. "Well, we're coming along to help."

Jean narrowed her eyes. "You know there are a lot of safety regulations and protocols that forbid me from bringing along minors. To allow you to come with me, I would have to deal with a ton of paperwork and shit from my superiors…"

Tamara raised her brow. "Where's the 'but' to your point?"

Jean blinked, then chuckled to herself. "…Not my first offense, though. What's one more on the board?"

York smirked. "Good. You weren't getting rid of us, anyway."

"As I predicted." She faced the ground. "We have a long walk ahead of us. I should have everything prepared for a stealthy operation." She began digging into the dirt.

Spaz raised his brow. "Um…everything we need is in that little knapsack on your back?"

"Who said this was all I brought?" She punched a hole open in the dirt and backed away before gesturing them to it.

They looked into the hole, then gasped. An entire space was carved out into the ground, with five separate cases hidden inside it. Three silver briefcases and one large trunk one would find in the back of a theater holding costumes. The last one was a standard cooler.

"Do you know how exhausting it is hauling this stuff around? Why else would I need to take some many breaks to get this far?"

"Man, you're good…" Casey mumbled.

"What's in all of these?" York asked.

"Oh…you'll find out when I get a chance to use them. They'll help us with the infiltration part of the journey." She pointed at them. "Now, if you want to come along, that means you'll have to do some heavy lifting. Start hauling stuff up!"

The group groaned collectively, then Tamara patted her lean muscles before jumping down. "Better get this over with. Spaz, help me get this trunk up!"

"Gotcha!" He leaped down after her.

Eli rubbed his wrist, then showed a smirk at York. "Heh. Another prison break. Feeling excited?"

York smirked back. "Brings back memories. Looking forward to it."

* * *

Hawkins and Dakota were walking back after an expedition through the mountains to find more berries for their small garden. They each had an armful of various kinds, though not too many so not to drop them over the ground. As usual, Hawkins remained stoically focused on the path while Dakota was nervously biting her lip.

"I hope the kids are alright."

"We've only been gone for an hour."

"You never know what can happen in an hour."

"We left Caleb in charge. If anything happens, he knows what to do. They're fine."

Dakota sighed. "You know I can't help worry. I'm their mother in some regards."

"You worry too much." He shifted his arms so the berries wouldn't slip out through a gap in his hold. "There's no one else on this mountain but us."

Dakota shook her head. "If you say so…" She glanced at the swordsman again, then turned away with a bright blush to her face. She squeaked inwardly. _Gah! Darn kids…I haven't been able to stop thinking about what they said. Seriously, get a grip, Dakota! Why did I even agree to come along?_ She paused, then sighed. _Right…because I didn't want any of them getting into trouble, like slipping down the side of the mountain or something._

"You sure you're not catching a fever?"

Dakota shrieked and nearly threw the berries out of her arms. Miraculously, they all landed back into them without any squishing or dropping. She laughed out loud, sounding very forced. "Totally fine! Nothing wrong here! Hahahahaha!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "It's not good to lie to me. I can't have you being a deadweight back to the camp because you were too stubborn to get some rest."

Dakota glared back. "I'm not deadweight! And I am perfectly healthy!"

"She's telling the truth, you know."

Dakota closed her eyes and grinned smugly. "See? What I'd tell you? Even the mysterious voice agrees with me-" She stopped abruptly, with an oran berry rolling out of her hold. "…Who said that?"

"That'd be me!" They turned up and met eyes with a Delcatty-Silvally, who was laying atop a flattop spire. She wiggled her claws at them in the form of a wave. "Helllllo~."

Hawkins glared cautiously at the newcomer Fusion. He set his berries down, then put one arm protectively in front of Dakota. "And…who might you be?" _This is bad. Is she an enemy…or is she a traveler? Drats…either way, that means there might be others on this mountain._

The Fusion hopped down to their level. "No need to be so tense." She flicked some dirt from her fur. "It's almost like you folks have been in for a fright. I must admit, I didn't know anyone else was up here until recently. But that can't make any sense. I would've saw you come up at some point." She pointed at them, grinning curiously. "Then again…it doesn't look like you know how to get back down."

Dakota shuffled back while Hawkins prepared the energy for Leaf Blade inside his palm. "We're not answering any of your questions until you tell us who you are. What do you want with us?"

The Fusion tapped her chin. "Not in the mood to be open? Very well, I can do the opening myself. If you must know, I only wanted to speak with you two. You've caught my…attention." She licked her lips, sending shivers up Dakota's spine.

"She's c-c-creepy…" Dakota whimpered.

The sci-fi cat giggled. "Oh, don't be alarmed, sweetie. I only wanted to ask you and your friend here a little question."

Hawkins glared. "And that would be?"

She tilted her head and grinned. "Would it be alright if I experimented on you two?"

"Experimented?!" they screamed.

Without hesitation, the Leaf Blade formed within Hawkins' hand and was swung right up to the Fusion's neck, stopping just short of cutting her. Hawkins snarled as he pressed it against her. "Experiment on us? Who the hell are you? Some mad scientist or something?"

Dakota had her arms clutched tightly around Hawkins for protection. "Did we just stumble on a horror movie by accident?!"

They expected the Fusion to break out into mad cackling like every other clichéd, mad scientist. Instead, she remained unfazed by their spastic reactions. Confused, even. "Huh…23% of people I've talked to have responded in this sort of manner. Interesting." She looked to the grass sword against her neck and ran her claw across the surface. "Hmm...the texture on this Leaf Blade is smooth."

Hawkins and Dakota blinked at her. They shared a glance before Hawkins went back to interrogating. "Hey! Pay attention!" He pressed the blade against her neck more. "Are you with those Fusions who attacked our home? The ones who razed Gappei Village?"

The sci-fi cat tapped the side of her head. "Gappei, Gappei…" She clicked her claws together. "Ah, yes, them." She pushed the Leaf Blade away. "Quell your excitable fear, for I am not a part of that whole debacle." She turned away and sighed in disappointment, with the back of her forepaw pressed against her forehead. "A real shame, though. If I were there, there would've been so much precious data to collect. So many wonderful, different types of Fusions…" She giggled excitedly at thought.

Dakota and Hawkins silently agreed she was telling the truth, though Hawkins kept his blade raised. "Alright…assuming we can believe you…what's this talk about experiments?"

She waved her paw around casually. "Oh, you know, the usual stuff: invasive studying of your biology through observations, behavioral patterns that could be connected, effects on the moves-"

"Um," Dakota interrupted. "Does any of this involve…needles and dissecting and such?"

Her eyes widened. "Dissecting?" She tilted her head, utterly baffled. "You speak madness, my friend. Why would I dare cut open precious data? That sounds like a waste…" She looked off the side. "…And extremely illegal, too. Do you know how much trouble I'd get in with the police if I was performing unlicensed surgery?"

Hawkins lowered his Leaf Blade. "Then why did you say 'experiment on us?'"

"I wanted to test out your abilities through mere observations and tests. I can easily determine internal organs and such thanks to my eyes. It's like I can see living data off any subject."

Hawkins glared. "You…could've just said you wanted to observe us. Not the best first impression, you must admit."

"Hmm…I wonder if that's why everyone I meet runs away screaming…" She quietly pondered this revelation.

Dakota finally sighed in relief, feeling her tension unwind. "Oh…thank goodness…what a relief…"

"Dakota, you can let go of me now."

Her face turned bright red upon remembering she had her arms around Hawkins. She squeaked and bounced back from him, laughing out loud. "Hehe…sorry."

The sci-fi cat huffed, then turned back to them. "Well, word usage aside, I've been observing your group for quite some time and I wish to study all of you." She held her paw out. "Greetings. I am Eunice."

"…Hawkins." He refused to shake her paw.

Dakota, a little more willing, shook it instead. "I'm Dakota. Nice to…meet you, Eunice."

"Likewise." She stepped back and, surprisingly, whipped out a notebook and began writing down on two pages with minor text on them. "Subject names: Hawkins and Dakota…"

Hawkins glared at this. "You're not studying us."

"Too late! Once my mind starts racing, there's no stopping it!" She grinned at them. "Mind if I join you?"

"Why?" Dakota asked.

"I have extra food at my campsite to spare. Plus, I would love, love, LOVE to study your little friends. I've already made some notes on the Eevee-Ditto in your group. Truly fascinating that the Eevee, who possesses unstable molecules for evolution, would possess the genetic reconstitution and alternating DNA of the mysterious Ditto. Quite fascinating. I've been taking into account a variety of other factors. Has she only been able to turn into other creatures or has she mastered transforming into non-sentient material? Furthermore, what would you say her growth potential is? Would you say she has the capacity to transform into complex machinery? That has always fascinated me. I have a theory that if you combine Porygon DNA with a Ditto..." She rambled on and on and on…pretty much forgetting she was talking to someone.

Hawkins and Dakota stared at her strangely. It was certainly better than having the Renegades on their backs, but…this was just strange. "Is…she even remotely aware of our situation?"

"I'm not sure her head's in the same universe…"

Dakota shrugged. "Well…she looks harmless enough…"

"You're not seriously thinking…"

"Hawkins, she _knows_ these mountains, right? She's not lost or anything. She can get us OFF the mountain."

"Weren't you worried about strangers or something attacking us?"

"Even if we're managing to sustain ourselves, we can't stay up here forever. The kids want to go home, I can see it in their eyes."

Hawkins sighed, then rubbed the back of his head. Even if he didn't like it, they couldn't be picky with their help. "I suppose you're right…" He whistled sharply, bringing Eunice back onto their plane. "Alright, alright! If you cease your prattling, you can come with us."

Eunice grinned. "Oh, thank you." She shoved her notebook away, then started jumping up the mountainside. "I will retrieve my belongings. I'll be joining you shorty!" she shouted down as she disappeared over the cliff.

Silence once again permeated the breezy air. The two Fusions looked at each other before Dakota sighed. "Well, that sure was…something."

Hawkins pinched between his eyes. "That's one way of putting it…" Deciding not to hold things up, they collected their berries off the ground and continued back to their campsite. Looks like they were making lunch for an extra mouth.


	72. The Gift of Soda

"Hiya!" Shane bounced into the air, summoning a Whirlpool above his head, then flung it downward at Gero.

The time martial artist stared at the approaching vortex of water, then sprung into the air, right over it. Arms behind his back, he stared at it with curious attention. "Hmm…"

The Whirlpool collided with the floor and dispersed, but with an extra surprise. A volley of Shadow Balls flew out of the destroyed vortex and flew right for Gero. Their speed was increased thanks to the rotational force of the Whirlpool. A little detail Shane paid attention to, most likely.

Gero smirked as he raised his arm. With just his wrist, he deflected the approaching Shadow Balls across the room, safely, detonating away from him and the others as they watched. "Excellent control over your moves! Being able to masterfully control both the Whirlpool and Shadow Balls without disrupting the flow of either is brilliant technique! A surprise like that can catch most opponents off guard!"

Shane bounced on his spike and grinned. "Thank you, sir!"

"Woo! Yeah, Shane!" Juniper cheered, waving her arms side to side. "Let him have it!"

The group was enjoying their dinner as they watched Shane train with the time martial artist. Admittedly, they were all improving rather well under his tutelage. Not on his level, clearly, but they were getting to higher grounds. It was only a matter of time until they reached the next stage of their training.

Shane leapt in the air and condensed shadow energy between his hands. "Night Shade!" He fired a jagged, black beam straight for Gero.

The Sawk Fusion's eyes flashed blue, then he vanished before their eyes. Shane gasped out loud at the powerful strike delivered to his back immediately after. He slammed hard into the floor, depressing himself into a small crater.

Gero landed behind him, then crouched down to pat him on the back. "Lesson over."

"Woooooo…" Shane groaned.

Dez snickered. "Eh, a good attempt, but at least you're improving, dude."

Shane picked himself up. "You really think so?"

Asadi nodded. "We all are, of course. That was a pretty clever strategy with the Whirlpool and Shadow Balls."

Shane chuckled sheepishly. "It sort of came to me earlier today." He stood up. "I'm getting better predicting misfortune, too. I was making tea earlier and sensed the kettle was going to spray hot water at me. Got out of the way just in time."

Wash grinned. "That's great."

Gero smiled softly at Shane. "Your potential with forewarning unfortunate events is a proud ability. Heighten its reach and you could easily gain a form of precognition."

Shane grinned. "Sweet!"

Asadi stretched her limbs and tail out. "So, does that mean we're done for the day?"

Gero nodded. "I'd say yes. And, because you all have bene doing so well in such a short time…" He stepped out for a moment, then came back with a delicious looking cake, half vanilla, half chocolate. "I thought you all deserved a little treat."

"CAKE!" Juniper almost busted into a sprint for the confectionary treat, only stopped by Wash as he held her by the scruff.

Wash smirked. "Why must I be the one to keep you under control?" He sat her back down.

Juniper crossed her arms and pouted. "Hmph!" She turned away from him, though she couldn't hide her light smirk.

Gero cut up slices of cake for everyone and passed them out on plates with forks. He lifted his own and torn off a chunk. "You're all doing tremendous work. Soon enough, you'll be ready to go back to Grandis and end this coming nightmare."

Asadi took a bite and moaned in delight at the chocolatey flavor. She grinned at the martial artist. "Heh, with your teachings, how can we go wrong?"

"Best to save those words or risk jinxing yourselves." Gero sat down and crossed his legs, taking another bite from his cake. "But for now, we chill into the night. Let the good energy flow through all you."

Dez snickered. "You would've been the coolest councilman, I swear."

"I was definitely the most relaxed." Gero smirked. "Speaking of which, would anyone care to hear some embarrassing stories about the rest of the council?"

Asadi nearly spat her cake on the floor in laughter. "You're serious?!"

Gero nodded. "Oh yeah. I've got a million of them."

Dez laughed. "You're not kidding! Oh boy, this is going to be _good_!"

Wash chuckled behind his hand. "I must confess, you have me interested, too."

Shane waved his hand. "Ooh, how about some dirt on Peregrine?! I've always wondered if he had another side other than that grouchy, crusty side of his."

Gero waggled his finger. "Not unlike Peregrine, definitely. He has always been a temperamental Fusion. I'd imagine you all have experienced once or twice his acid vitriol. That duck doesn't take crap from anyone."

"You'd think he'd lighten up on us every once in a while…" Shane grumbled.

"Eh, don't hold it against him. Peregrine may be a grouch, but he has a heart. He probably pushes you kids in hopes that you can surpass his expectations. Safe to say he does care about all of you."

"Yeah, I guess you got a point…" Dez admitted. The others nodded quietly.

Gero then smirked. "Now…when it comes to his soap operas, that's when his more emotional side gets out. Let me tell you, he's one hell of an angry crier!"

Asadi covered her mouth to retain her mischievous giggles. "Spill the beans, old man! I want all the dirt!"

Ger couldn't contain his own snickers. "Heh...so, there I was, wandering around the village when I decide to check up on ol' Perry, see if he was in the mood for some sparring..."

He retold his tale with expressive gestures and dramatic tones, leaving the group laughing their heads off. Juniper laughed along, though was off in her own little world as the story time went on. She eased back onto her hands and stared up at the ceiling. She held a warm, nostalgic smile on her face.

* * *

Later into the night, when the fun died down, Juniper took herself up to the roof of the temple for some peace and quiet. She snagged an extra slice of cake because, well, why not? It would've been a waste of perfectly good cake if she didn't take extra.

She dangled her feet over the edge while savoring the taste of her confectionary treat. She leaned back on her hands and stared at the starry night sky, with her spiral eyes shimmering lightly in awe.

"Heh…I forgot how much fun I had up here. Just me and my soda." She looked around, then groaned. "Ugh, I knew I forgot something. I'm slacking today…"

"Tell me something I don't know."

The sleepy panda looked over her shoulder and smiled at her boyfriend as he climbed up the ladder entrance. "I think I've told you enough of my deep, dark secrets. I still haven't told you about the bodies that weren't discovered." He raised his brow. "…Too soon?" she asked sheepishly.

He shook his head, then closed the hatch. "Mind if I join you?"

She rubbed her chin. "Hmm…nope!" she exclaimed, sticking her tongue out.

He smiled and found a spot at her right side. He hooked his arm around her and pulled her against his side. Juniper giggled dreamily, rubbing up against him and nestling her head under his chin.

Wash rubbed her arm, then glanced down to her leg, which was free of bandaging. "How's your leg?"

Juniper hummed curiously, swinging around her right leg. "Feels like a useless sack of potatoes…but, other than that, it's doing great!"

"That's good…" Wash rubbed the back of his head. "Listen Juniper…I'm sorry…if I just focused more on the-"

 _POW!_

"GAH!" Wash cradled his throbbing head after getting a swift bonk from his girlfriend. "Jun!"

Juniper waved her hand, then wrapped her arms around him. "I don't want to hear another word of this. It's getting old."

"But-" Juniper pressed her hand against his lips.

"Not your fault. Not _my_ fault. No one's fault." She paused. "Well, except that nutty witch, but not the point."

Wash scratched behind his head. "Still…I feel responsible. I feel like I actually hit you."

Juniper smiled sweetly. "Wash...there's a load of things in the world so menial and unpredictable that it's no use in trying to apologize for everything. Way I see it, neither of us were prepared, so...no one's at fault." She tilted her head in a cutesy manner. "So…no more of this worrying, 'kay?"

The ghost frog sighed, slouching forward in defeat before smiling wearily at her. "I suppose you're right…"

"And a happy froggy makes for a happy panda!" She hugged him and nuzzled her cheek against his.

"Alright, alright…" he dismissed, patting her arm. He reached behind his back with his other hand. "Hey, uh…" Juniper pulled back as he retrieved a diet cola and presented it to her. He cleared his throat and, in a cheesy, romantic tone, said, "For you…erm…my sweet, fizzy darling?"

Juniper's eyes were wide in shock, then her face twisted and scrunched up as she tried to hold back her giggles. She took the soda from his hand, involuntarily shaking it in her hands. "W-Well…look who's trying t-to be all romantic and s-stuff…" She gave in and broke out in hysterical laughter, falling onto her back.

Wash inwardly groaned and rolled his eyes. "Haha…better me than Barbatos."

"Oh Arceus, I'd bust a gut if he tried that on me!" She flipped onto her stomach and pounded her fists down. "Hahaha! Guess it wouldn't be that surprising! Does this mean I have _two_ boyfriends?"

Wash flinched, then his eyes flashed purple as Barbatos assumed control. He glared at the panda and pointed angrily at her. "Listen here, you lazy twit! I do _not_ want any part of this romance crap, especially with you! I hate you from the bottom of my heart-!"

Juniper shot up and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek, then winked cutely. "Love you, too, Barbo~!" she exclaimed flirtatiously.

The split ego's face glowed bright red, covering the cheek she assaulted. "Y-You…You little…!" He roared, pulling on his cloak. "I'm done with this! She's your problem, Wash!"

The Frogadier Fusion shook his head, with Wash regaining the controls. He sighed and pinched between his eyes. "You're shameless, you know that?"

She snickered behind her hand. "What can I say? I'm cute and charming." She opened her soda and sipped on it.

The ghost frog rubbed his temples. "Well, thanks to you, he's going to be complaining for hours." He took his mind off his flustered id and focused on the sky. "…It's beautiful out tonight."

Juniper nodded. "Not the first time I've come here. Found myself doing it after I...well, changed." She sipped her drink. "I loved coming up here with a cold soda and just...relaxing for once in my life."

"I see…" Wash looked down. "Wish I had something like that before…"

Juniper smiled sadly. "I guess both our childhoods got screwed over. We're a couple of messed up kids!" She laughed awkwardly, at least attempting to make light of the new topic.

It got a small chuckle out of Wash. "Yeah…" He narrowed his eyes, then looked down at his girlfriend. "Say, Juniper?"

"Hmm?"

"You…never told me the rest of your story. Like…I know how you got here, but…I still don't know what got you to change."

"…" Juniper smiled down the mountain, feeling nostalgic again. "Wash...have I ever told you the real reason why I like soda so much?"

"Can't say you have. Then again, you have a habit of dodging questions," he reminded jokingly.

Juniper grinned sheepishly. "What can I say? Old habits die hard."

He chuckled. "Right. So…you think you're ready to tell me?"

She smiled before scooching up to his side until their hips touched. "Well, I don't see why not." She took one more sip from her can, then held it between her hands.

"…Let me tell you something. I was an eight-year-old, murdering assassin who was exposed only to the worst the world can offer. Even so, for as cold as I was, I was still a kid. I had a kid's mind." She narrowed her eyes. "I had to repress those childish feelings. I didn't experience much, nor did I know the best of the world…then I met Pappy…"

* * *

 _It was quiet. It's been quiet for hours. Days, even. Not much words traded between both occupants of the temple._

 _Gero sat on the floor of his living room, a can of soda sitting in front of his lap. He stared with an unreadable glare at his captive opposite to him, the notorious child assassin, Spins. She glowered at the man who had her bound and tied down. Legs and arms were completely restricted. Not enough to cut off blood circulation, but just tight enough to where she couldn't undo the knot herself._

 _How long had she been held prisoner again? Ah yes, a week. And any attempted escape out the temple was swiftly ruined before she even got the sliding doors opened (which were a pain to open with just your bound hands and teeth)._

 _They had been like this for about two hours, just…staring at each other. Gero would occasionally flip through a book or see if anything was on TV, but he could see Spins was not at all amused by his casual demeanor. Holding a child hostage? That'd be downright criminal if it weren't for her own misdeeds._

 _Gero finally stood up after a long period of silence and left the room for a moment. The Spinda-Mienfoo didn't even bother with a—what was she at now? —eleventh escape attempt. It was a waste of time after the previous failures._

 _She heard her captor return, setting down a plate of various berries before her. "Eat up," he said, walking back to his spot. "You haven't eaten all week."_

 _While her stomach indeed growled for sustenance, Spins wasn't tempted by its display. "I will not eat this gross slop."_

" _Slop?" Gero questioned. "You do know what a berry is, right?"_

" _Hmph. I only eat what the Leader provides me, not this colorful mess that burns my eyes."_

" _Colorful mess, eh?" Gero rubbed his chin, then smirked. "Oh, don't tell me. You're those types who eats gray slop with all the nutrition, but none of the flavor?"_

"…" _Spins glared off to the side with a huff._

" _Now I get why you're so crabby. Seems your precious leader has a thing against any emotion that doesn't involve murder. Keeping you and your other assassin chums happy, but without the benefit of pleasure and happiness."_

 _The panda gritted her teeth. "When my superior finds out what happened to me, you will be hunted and maimed for your insolence."_

 _Gero wasn't fazed. He crouched down, tilting his head in amusement. "My, my...since when do children talk so mature and...violently?" He poked her in the forehead, which greatly irritated her. "You're, like, seven...maybe eight, yet you're quite the recalcitrant brat. You're hardly threatening."_

" _I've killed many in cold blood."_

 _Gero chuckled, pinching at her cheek to tease her. "I'm sure you have." He retracted his fingers from an attempted bite. He shrugged and stood up, swiping his soda off the ground. "Your little organization isn't as sly as they let on. The fact that your targets each had a particular opinion against Fusions, it didn't take long to come to a conclusion." He frowned, then looked over his shoulder. "...You poor child. Why must you be cursed with a life with no childhood?"_

 _Spins spat on the ground. "I was raised to purge the filth of this world who bring down Fusions."_

 _Gero sipped from his can. "Kid…it's not just Pokémon who bring down Fusions. We can do that all on our own." He looked at her judgingly. "But why do I need to explain that to you? A Fusion killing Pokémon? Yeah, that'll look great in the papers."_

" _The cesspool of our kind is but a small factor to the bigger issue. Generations of Fusions have been wronged by the Pokémon of centuries. Yet you stand there…defending them?"_

" _Seriously, are you sure you're a child?" Gero turned around to face her. "I have a little theory going on. Ever heard of the circle of hatred?"_

" _Release me."_

" _I suppose you haven't." Gero sipped from his can. "Kid…this isn't the life you want. If you keep going like this, there's nothing left for you to stand on. The road you want to pave for the betterment of all Fusions…it'll be a road mixed with blood. Black asphalt with the dried blood forever immortalized into that path. I wonder how far the trail goes. Will it reach the end of your road?"_

" _Release. Me," she demanded more firmly, "or I'll kill you myself."_

 _The martial artist took a moment to think it over, then finished off his soda. "Kid, mind watching my can for a moment?"_

" _Do not ignore me."_

" _Oh, I think you want to pay attention to this." He lobbed the can in the air._

 _Spins watched, unprovoked by his words, decided to watch out of her own dead amusement. Her eyes widened as a blue flash wrapped around the can before crushing into a tiny, crumpled mess. Memory flashes to a week ago resurfaced. It was the same trick he pulled on her when they first met._

 _Gero caught the crumpled metal, rolling it between his fingers. "I'm giving you a choice to turn away from this foolishness. Even if you feel no regret, this will only continue to breed the circle of hatred."_

 _Spins, getting over her awe at his brief display of skill, grunted defiantly. "Tch. You may have caught me off guard…but I will remain unmoved."_

 _Gero sighed. "I'm trying to give you a choice here, yet you throw it away…like a stubborn old man who desperately needs help." He glared. "And_ you _, my dear, are in serious need of help."_

" _I don't need your charity."_

" _Even if you act tough and cold…I have to wonder if this is who you really are, or someone you're supposed to be. What kind of mental trauma were you put through to turn into such a ruthless, heartless monster?"_

" _This is who I am. Get used to it."_

 _Gero closed his eyes. "Is it the real you? Or is this the you your precious master wants?"_

 _Spins bared her teeth into an angry snarl. "You will not break me, Fusion. And you will NOT keep me prisoner here!"_

" _Well…my only other option is turning you into the police." Gero rolled his eyes. "Then again, might be the worst idea in my life to let a bloodthirsty kid like you get a hand on the prisoners and guards. Even so…" He pointed at her seriously. "You're not leaving this temple until I say so."_

 _Spins snarled again. "That's NOT your choice!"_

 _Gero stared at her, unresponsive for a moment. His eyes drooped, perhaps in disappointment, before exhaling a deep sigh. "…No…I suppose it isn't."_

 _Spins narrowed her eyes, mildly curious as the man went to a mini fridge and retrieved another soda. He went to the center of the room, set the can down, then went to the opposite side of the room from Spins before facing her. He pulled out a knife, then threw it._

 _She didn't flinch. The knife barely grazed her bindings. "What is this?" she asked cautiously._

 _The martial artist touched his hip, standing in a slouched manner. "Seeing as how you feel so bold, you can leave." He pointed to the can. "All you need to do is grab that."_

 _She glared, suspicious of his intentions. "I'm not drinking that carbonated filth…"_

" _I'm not asking you to drink it. If you can pick up that can, you can leave and I won't stop you." He dropped down to his rear and crossed his legs. He smirked tauntingly at her. "Unless, of course, there is some shred of childlike innocence left in you…and you're afraid to oppose a grown-up."_

 _Spins hissed at him as she reached for the knife with her bound hands. "A foolish game. What will this prove?"_

" _You'll have to find out."_

" _You'll regret this."_

 _Gero rubbed his fingers together. "I'm sure one of us will."_

 _Spins got the knife under her bindings and slashed them off. Free from their restricting discomfort, she stood up and walked to the can as she rubbed her aching wrists. She stopped in front of the can, taking a few cautious looks at the martial artist. He had his head down, like he fell asleep._

 _Spins bared her teeth._ He's mocking me. What a pathetic challenge…grabbing some stupid can of carbonated junk…

 _She reached down to grab the top. Suddenly, she felt a strong force slam into her stomach, instantly sending her flying backwards._

" _GAAAH!" Her back slammed against the wall. She fell to her feet and doubled over from having the wind knocked out of her. She clutched her stomach as her spirally eyes shook in pain._

 _She forced her head up to glare at the martial artist as he stood up. He cracked his neck on both sides before saying, "I said I would let you leave without resistance_ if _you grabbed the can. I never promised resistance towards the can." He reached down and picked it up. "This would be a fun party game…if you knew what fun was."_

 _Spins bared her teeth into a ferocious snarl. "Why, you…!"_

 _He got within two meters of her and crouched down, dangling the can before her face. "Come now, child. I thought you wanted to return to your precious leader."_

 _Spins growled and kicked off the floor, reeling her arm back. "Force Palm!"_

 _Like the swift movement of a flowing stream, Gero backhanded her palm past his face, while simultaneously kneeing her into the stomach. As she lay on his knee in pain, Gero raised his hand and swung it down on her back. "Brick Break!"_

 _Spins was smashed into the floor, leaving a near perfect imprint of her body. She growled and flipped out of the floor. "Drain Punch!"_

 _Gero jumped backwards, backflipped, and sprung off his hand. "Your moves seemed to be focus on killing intent. Not really suited for battle, I'm afraid. You're too focused on the killing blow that you leave yourself open, albeit in subtle areas."_

 _The assassin leaped after him. "It doesn't matter how I do it! I'm taking that can from you, then maybe I'll leave you to die in the Serperior's place!"_

 _Gero glared. "Are you sure you're a child? What child…speaks with such vile nature? You poor thing…what have they put you through?"_

 _Spins threw some punches, but Gero deflected them with his one hand. "Don't feel sorry for me! I am doing this for the betterment of pokemanity!"_

" _Taught to murder over extremist delusions…" Gero sighed. "A sad thing to see from one so young. To lose one's youth so quickly." He blocked her chop with his arm and threw his leg into her side. "A shame it'll amount to nothing in this fight."_

 _Spins pressed her feet and hands to the wall as she landed against it, then ricocheted off. "And who allowed you to decide that?!"_

" _Don't know." He leaned back, evading her attack, then spun on his hand. "Who decided to take away your innocence?" His foot connected with her face and threw her through his wall, leading to where he believed the kitchen was. "A child shouldn't have to suffer like that."_

" _Shut! Up!" Plates went flying from the hole, flying at the speed of a baseball hit by a professional batter._

 _Gero's eyes flashed blue. Time grinded to a halt before him until everything came to a standstill. With quick hands, he collected all of the flying plates and stacked them onto his hand. He set the soda down so that he had a free hand to use. "Now time will flow as usual."_

 _Time resumed, with only a slight breeze from the previous thrown plates hitting him. "You're lost, child. Is this really the future you want set in stone for you?"_

" _This is the life I know!" She came flying from the kitchen, both hands pulled back with charged up Force Palms. "I will be the one to end this misery!"_

 _She threw her Force Palms into him, but only hit his mirage self after he stopped time. Her back was assaulted with three strikes, pummeling her into the floor. She flipped up and saw the temporal fighter setting his dishes in the corner of the room. She growled and dashed for him while his back was turned._

"… _Low Sweep."_

 _He turned instantly, catching her off guard, and slammed his leg into her own. She bit back the urge to scream, feeling her legs lock up from the sudden flux of pain. She stumbled back, wobbling on both like two poorly made stilts that could barely support the user's weight. Any steps she took sent a shock up her body._

 _Gero stood up and held the can out. "What kind of expectations did this leader of yours plug into your head? I suppose one with less than stellar applications, but I sense sinister intent for all his supposed justice." Gero glared. "Child…is this justice to you?"_

 _Spins bared her teeth. "I will wipe out the scum of the earth. Any Pokémon who dares try to harm another Fusion…will be met with a swift, merciless demise!" She attempted poorly to sprint at him, but the Low Sweep did a number on her legs._

 _Gero dodged her punches merely by taking some steps back. "And, dare I ask, what harm do you mean? Bullying? Propaganda? The Fusion Trials?" He took one big leap backwards, arms behind his back. "Where is the line drawn? Or did you cross it so many years ago that you forgot there was a line not to be crossed?" He glared. "Or did your precious leader not tell you there was one?"_

 _Spins snarled. "I did nothing wrong! My actions were only to make a better world! That's what he told me!"_

" _You're getting angry. I thought assassins were supposed to remain professional." Gero frowned seriously. "Did his brainwashing not take away that childlike innocence?" He sighed. "Poor child. You really do need saving."_

" _I told you before! I don't need your saving! This is the life I know!"_

" _No…it's the only life you know."_

 _Spins tried to attack him with another Force Palm, but he grabbed her by the wrist, swung her off her feet, and slammed her down on her stomach. He pressed his foot on her back to keep her from moving._

" _Not the slightest bit of regret in your actions...but I bet that's because your precious leader didn't want that childhood innocence 'corrupting' you."_

 _Spins sneered as she tried to push herself off the floor. "What…the hell…do you know?!"_

" _Can't say I know everything…but maybe it's just the good Samaritan in me, but there's something awful about a person who educates children into being some murderers. Doesn't matter if they're well-intentioned extremists or some knight templar figure. There's a line you shouldn't cross. Bringing and destroying a child's innocence breaks any sympathy I have for them." He bared his teeth, showing the first signs of anger from this whole fight. "They're as awful as the Fusion Trials."_

 _Spins slammed her head against the ground. "Don't you dare pretend this world is not filled with sin! These Pokémon have harmed our kind for generations! We've been abominations, freaks, criminals-"_

"Killers _," Gero added with sharp emphasis._

 _She pressed her forehead down and shouted, "The Pokémon of this world are stains! They only wish to rid us from their world! Our existence is meaningless to them, so we make a meaning!"_

" _And acting like demented zealot is going to solve anything? Are you going to cleanse this world in its own blood?"_

 _She struggled against his foot. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"_

" _Do you call this 'justice?' Doesn't matter how cold-hearted you think you are, you're just a confused kid who's been brainwashed to think Pokémon deserve death because of the faults of their ancestors. You're young and full of questions. You're told something and suddenly it becomes your entire worldview. You're a scared, confused kid who was told anyone who wasn't a hybrid like us was out to kill you." Gero paused for a moment. "…How many stories has he told you? About the Fusion Trials? I wonder how much he exaggerated the events."_

 _Spins tried to turn her head to face him. "You-!"_

" _Answer me this," he interrupted. "Let's say you get away from me, snap my neck even. You continue with this impossible goal of yours to end the cycle of hatred. Somehow, you and your organization win and end it through blood violence." He glared. "What's there left for a scared child who only knew how to kill?"_

 _Spins' eyes widened. "I…I…" Her heart was pounding wildly. She clenched her teeth, pushing harder against his foot. "You…You…" She swung her arm and knocked his leg off her back. "WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ANYTHING?!" She threw a Force Palm right for him._

 _To her utter shock, he caught her hand and tanked the explosive force from within his closed palm. Smoke seeped out from the tight gaps of his fingers. "You're acting irrationally. You don't know how to control your emotions…because you were told to suppress them, weren't you?"_

 _Spins shook violently to release her hand from his grasp, but he had a strong hold of it. "What good are Pokémon?! My own parents got rid of me because I was a mistake! Gave me away as a baby! I don't even remember their faces!" Gero narrowed his eyes, seeing signs of tears brimming from her eyes. "The Leader nurtured and cared for me! He taught me what I needed to know! I've seen the horrible things these Pokémon can do! Why should I believe your word over HIS?!"_

 _She threw her other fist, but he caught that one, too. Suddenly, all the fight had drained out of Gero. He couldn't bring himself to do anymore. All he could do is watch and pity the panda struggling in his hold. It brought tears to his eyes, seeing such a young youth corrupted into a life she didn't deserve._

 _It wasn't his choice to keep her captive in his home. It felt like an obligation. She says she wants to make the world better, but…Gero wasn't hearing the words that needed to be said. If she wanted this, he had to know if she meant it._

"… _Are you happy?"_

 _Spins stopped for a moment, staring at him appalled. "Happy? Happy?!" She bared her teeth again. "What does happiness have to do with any of this?!" She struggled again, even trying to kick him in the stomach with little impact. "LET ME GO!"_

" _Are. You. Happy?" he repeated firmly._

" _Why…DO YOU CARE?!" She pulled as hard as she could against his grip, kicking her feet to squirm out._

" _Child...you've never smiled a day in your life, have you?" This prospect made him frown. "A world of doom and gloom...from all this hatred. These actions only brew more hatred...but why can't you just smile? All the murder in the world can't equal to the weight of a smile."_

 _She finally pried her hands free and started beating on him, but…there was no power behind them. A tear fell from her face as she threw the weak punches into his chest._

" _You were never truly his loyal minion. You had to survive. You had to trick yourself into believing this was alright." His voice was cracking. "You never wanted this…but you didn't give yourself a choice."_

" _Sh-Shut…SHUT UP!" Her voice was strong, but not her attacks. They were meaningless slaps against his skin._

" _Are you happy?"_

" _Stop…saying that…!"_

 _Gero glared. "Do you love what you're doing?"_

" _Yes-I mean, no-maybe-I…I DON'T KNOW! I just want them all to pay!" She scratched at his arms, once again proving pointless._

" _Are…you happy?" he repeated._

 _The fight was draining out of her, as was the rage. Her eyes were flooding with tears as her nails pressed into his arm. She breathed shakily, chest heaving in exhaustion. She inhaled sharply, scrunching her face as she tried to fight back any more tears. "Why…do you care…?"_

 _Gero pulled back and sat on the ground, legs crossed. He allowed her to sit up and rub her eyes. "You've been through a lot. A child your age subjected to this kind of pain. You've had long nights where your body was screaming in agony from intense training. Days where you wanted to cry, but you were forced to bury all those emotions. They wanted you to be a cold, ruthless killer." He narrowed his eyes sympathetically. "No matter how much you try to deny it...you're a child who was taught never to cry or smile...you were forced to…create this persona…to cope with your situation. It got so bad…you truly believe this is who you can be, isn't it?"_

 _Her lip quivered, no longer able to hold back the tears. She clenched her teeth and bowed her head. "I…I-I…did…n-n-n…" She pressed her face into his chest, letting out one loud sob. Gero felt the tears running down his front._

 _He gently stroked her ear. "No one deserves this. And, deep down, you know you don't want this…"_

 _Spins pulled back, teeth pressed together tightly. "But I…I…did nothing…wrong…" Her fingers curled, worrying Gero. "I was…supposed to…" Her arms shook. Her hands rose up and pressed her claws into her cheeks. "I…did…nothing…wrong…I…did…nothing…wrong…"_

 _Gero narrowed his eyes. "What are you-?"_

" _I did…NOTHING WRONG!" He gasped as she started violently clawing into her own face. "I did nothing wrong! I did nothing wrong! I DID NOTHING WRONG!" Fur was being pulled off and blood was being drawn. A light trickle of the scarlet life smeared into her fur._

This is…some kind of self-reprimanding reflex. _Gero quickly shot his hands out and grabbed her by the wrists. "Stop that! Right now!" he ordered firmly._

 _Spins faced the floor, blood smeared into her fur, with tears dripping down her face and to the floor. "I…I killed…I kill them all…killed…killed so many…"_

 _Gero pulled her into a one-sided hug and stroked her head gently. "You poor thing. Your entire life revolved around killing. You never had the choice. Forced to forget you were a kid...forced to grow up to soon. But no matter how much you try...you're still a child inside."_

" _I…did…nothing…wrong…" It almost sounded robotic. He could feel her arms trying to lift to her face._

" _That side of you that makes you a killer...still exists in your mind. Your child side...sees the sins you committed."_

" _I…did…" She couldn't finish the mantra. She broke down into tears and pressed her face into his arm._

 _Gero stroked her back caringly, eyes filled with nothing but pity and sympathy. "Do you regret the things you've done?"_

" _N…No…" Saying that made her cry harder._

 _Gero sighed. "You really are just a scared child." He patted her head, then stood up._

 _Spins tried to reach for him as he rose, but was too overcome with emotional distraught to continue. She cried into her arms. "I…don't…know…what else…to do!" she cried out._

 _Gero picked up the unopened can of soda. "You're not lifted of your sins. I don't know if you'll ever be absolved of them. Emotion is stronger than logic, and sometimes that's what we need." He crouched down before her. "You need to let go of that hate...that hate only breeds more hatred."_

 _Her eyes shimmered a small lightness. This man, who not just five minutes ago was pulverizing her, was trying to…help her. What…why does she deserve this treatment?_

" _But that's entirely up to you. I can only guide you. I can't make these decisions for you. You've had to listen to a superior all your life and didn't question it."_

 _Spins looked down. "…I…"_

" _Are you happy?"_

"… _No."_

" _Do you want to be happy?"_

"… _Yes." He handed her the soda, then stood up. "Huh? What's…this for?"_

" _Find out for yourself," was all he said as he went to the hole made in the wall, inspecting the damage._

 _Spins watched him for a moment, then looked at the can in her hands. She sniffled, wiped her eyes, then popped it open. There was a satisfying fizzle sound that came with it. She was cautious to put it to her lips. She never had anything like this before. What if it was terrible? What if it did something horrible to her? She never had anything expect the HQ's grub and water._

 _She gulped hesitantly, then took a hesitant sip from the can._

… _Her eyes opened wide, filled with shock._

 _It was…it was…nothing like she ever tasted. The fine carbonation dancing on her tongue, the refreshing taste assaulting her taste buds, the coolness sliding down her throat. Nothing like this has ever entered through her mouth before._

 _It was…the first bit of flavor she had ever experienced._

 _She pulled the can away to stare at it, eyes sparkling in admiration. She read the label painted onto the can. "Diet…Cola…"_

" _A world that only breeds hatred will forever remain broken." She looked up, now seeing the temporal fighter standing before her again. "To change that...a ray of hope needs to be given." He held his hand out to her. "Understand your troubles, accept your regret. If you learn to forgive yourself…give the world your best smile and shine."_

 _Spins was hesitant to accept his inviting gesture, yet…something about this man…made her feel safe. Welcomed, even. After all the crap she put him through, all the horrendous and unforgivable actions she committed…he was still holding his hand out to her._

 _She lifted her arm, then gently touched his palm. Gero curled his finger around her small hand and pulled her up. He smiled warmly at the child. His smile…it made her feel welcomed. It…It was so nice and…happy._

" _If you want…you can leave behind the past you choose to change. Child…what is your name?"_

" _I…They call me…Spins…"_

" _Is that the name you wish to be called?"_

 _She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head timidly. "N…No…"_

 _Gero crouched down and held her shoulders. "Then how about a change? From now on, you're someone who's going to change the world with the most beautiful smile anyone has ever seen." He smiled brightly. "A name deserving of such a mission...how about...Juniper?"_

" _Jun…iper…" she repeated._

 _She mouthed it over a few times in her head. It…sounded…nice._

 _She looked up to the man's cheerful face. Slowly, a weak, trying smile stretched out on her own. It was perfect. "Juniper…"_

* * *

Juniper finished the last of her soda, then set the can down. "…and that's the end of my tale."

"Wow…" Wash was in awe at the progression from Juniper's manic personality to who she was today. They really were two completely different people. Juniper had to survive by creating her own persona to fit in with her fellow assassins. The real her…the one he come to love…was just scared child who had to follow her superior's orders.

"Wow?" Juniper snorted. "Come on, I can get better than that."

Wash faced her, still stunned. "That's why you smile all the time…and that's why you're so addicted to diet cola…just…wow…"

She nodded softly, then looked out over the town. "I want to change people by giving them something they need most. Something to feel happy about." She held up her empty can. "And this brand of soda...it was the first bit of genuine delight I've ever felt. It...warmed my cold heart."

Wash smiled at her. "Well…I'd say your missions going strong. You really did help me out of my own darkness."

She grinned. "Happy to help!" She turned away and played with her ear coyly. "Though...if we're being honest..." She giggled into her hand. "I wouldn't have been able to say all of this without you. You've helped me open up more and admit my history, for as bad as it was." She smiled brightly to her boyfriend. "So...thank you, Wash!"

The ghost frog closed his eyes and grinned. "No problem. I'll always be here for you. You can count on it."

Juniper made a happy noise, then looked down to the town, blushing. Her ears shot up when she realized something. She looked around and found no one but her and her boyfriend on the roof. She blinked twice, then grinned.

Wash stretched his arms, then made the motion to stand up. "How about we head inside and turn in for the night? Gero probably wants us to-" He felt her hand grab his wrist and pulled him back on his butt. "Huh?" He faced Juniper to ask what she was doing, then he froze up.

Juniper leaned in close, smiling flirtatiously at the frog. "Wash, you…do realize we're…alone, right?" She ran her hand across his chest.

Wash's face went bright red. "Uh…y-yeah, I guess so…"

 _ **Oh boy…I think we discovered a new side of hers.**_

Wash didn't deny that as the panda wrapped her arms around his neck. "We haven't had many moments where we could just...cuddle up to each other and enjoy each other's company. So many precious, alone times ruined because of one thing or the other."

The ghost frog grinned awkwardly. "Heh…y-yeah…"

Juniper nuzzled herself under his chin. "You're not the only one trying to be romantic. I had a feeling you'd come up here. Nice, quiet spot under the stars."

Wash wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yeah. It is pretty beautiful up here." He looked away, awkwardly blushing. "I suppose the sky is, too."

Juniper blushed, then she laughed quietly. "You little flirt…" She turned his face so that they were facing each other. "But I know what can make it better."

"Oh?" Wash asked curiously.

She moved her face in close to his, her lips lined up with his. He could feel her gentle breaths against him. Her sweet smile lit up his world as she spoke in an equally sweet tone, "My gift to you…for being the most amazing guy in my life."

She leaned it…and kissed him. Right on the lips.

Wash's eyes widened in surprise, but then they relaxed and closed before he leaned into the kiss with her.

Juniper mentally giggled, feeling her nerves jitter with excitement and pleasure. Wash pulled her in closer while rubbing her back. They held it there, maybe for about half a minute, silently embracing each other in a state of bliss. In that moment, they forgot about their troubles, the things they done, and their own fears.

It was just them, loving each other.

They held it until they needed to breathe again. They pulled apart, only slightly, and stared into each other's awestruck eyes.

Juniper giggled, then winked. "Plenty more where that came from, Washy."

Wash narrowed his eyes softly and smiled. "Thanks, Jun. That was…wow."

"Again with the 'wow' thing." She giggled and kissed him on the cheek. "You're very welcome, though." She ran her hand across his chest as she leaned her head into his shoulder. "Now you have me conflicted. Do I love you or soda more? What a hard pick."

Wash rolled his eyes, chuckling to himself. He then blinked suddenly, then smacked his lips together. It took him a moment, but he recognized a familiar aftertaste on his lips. He took a deep breath, then laughed, pressing his hand to his forehead.

Juniper smirked. "What's so funny?"

"Heh…your lips…taste like soda."

"Huh? That so?" She pulled him in and kissed him once more. This was a quicker, more playful kiss. She winked. "Looks like I found a surefire way to make you taste diet cola, so get used to the taste."

Wash shook his head playfully. "If I got breath spray that's cola flavored, would that put me over soda in your list?"

"Oh, most definitely. Without a second thought."

Wash laughed. "A victory for me, I guess."

Juniper giggled, then settled her head under his chin. "…Can we stay up here for a little longer? I don't want this moment to go away."

"…Sure. I'd like that."

She beamed. "Fantastic! In that case…!" She grabbed him and pulled him onto his back. She flopped down at his side and held his arm in hers. "Let's continue with our lesson on the wonderful art of rest, relaxation, and napping!"

Wash chuckled. "Yeah…I think we all can use that."

She snuggled up to him, with her arm draped over his chest and her head nestled under his chin. "I love you, Wash."

Wash wrapped his arm around her and held her against his side. He leaned his head down and kissed her atop the forehead. "I love you, too, Juniper."

They closed their eyes and allowed themselves to drift off. They didn't even care if they slept on the roof all night. This moment was too pure to ruin so soon. No attacks, no disturbances, no worries. Even if the worst of the worst came at them tomorrow, they were not going to let it ruin this moment. They both found their happiness in each other and it was going to stay like that.

They lay there together in peaceful harmony.


	73. Setting Up For the Counter

Ivan couldn't help but be impressed with the turnout he received. His speech over the world was heard by many attentive ears who took value in what he had to say. It was admirable and filled him with a sense of self-pride that he amassed such a gathering of individuals who wanted to change the world like he did.

When his speech was broadcasted over the world, Fusions from all over had requested to take part in his forces, his special army to help defend and secure Grandis City until the day of firing. He could see numerous types of Fusions gathered on the streets, waiting for his word to be spoken. They would willing follow his orders if it meant change.

He observed the gathering from his office, with Gideon and Syndony present in the room. The demon cat was sprawled out on the floor, getting some sleep in, while the teleporter was messing with a touch screen pad.

Ivan took a deep breath, then sighed in content. "My, oh my…look at this turnout. Have you ever seen a more glorious sight than this? To think, they all came from around the world to honor my vision. They, too, see the value in what I promise. My words have touched their aching hearts and gave them a new sense of hope." He sighed. "I, too, am touched by their response."

Syndony opened one eye and looked up at the hovering alien. "Don't be so surprised, sir. Your speech was an inspiration to everyone. There is no other man with your ambition."

"Even so, I've never expected this. Three hundred years ago, I could only dream of gathering this many to partake in my rallies. We would've made our words loud and clear to the stubborn and prideful who dare hang on to their traditional views." He huffed. "This is the talk of change. We shall bring peace in their honor!"

Gideon looked up from his touch pad, then rolled his eyes. "Um…while I do believe _most_ are here for that reason, I doubt _all_ are."

"Whatever do you mean? Are you saying they are not here to make change to this planet?"

"I think some are here because _Cruella_ has bee spreading some…questionable rumors over the internet."

* * *

 _Cruella slammed her hands down on the keyboard, narrating, "Join the crusade! Become a loyal and active member of the Renegades and get your own city to rule! Except Unova! I'm the King of Unova! No other governments in my land!"_

* * *

Gideon showed said rumors on his touch pad. "That damn website she made is exploding with comments asking how they can get their own cities to rule. I swear, if that girl weren't strong, she'd be an utter nuisance."

"…Wait, we have our own website now?" Syndony asked.

Ivan sighed and rubbed his face. "I'll have a talk with the young lady later…and see to working out this whole 'rulership' debate. I'm beginning to see the vices of the internet…she makes us sound like warlords."

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Yeeeeah…not like we're holding an entire region hostage and keeping the citizens of this city locked in their homes until our _doomsday_ device goes off…"

Ivan sighed, brushing off his comments before changing the topic. "Speaking of which, how are we on acquiring our…special guest?"

Syndony stood up and stretched her legs. "If you mean the computer, no luck. We haven't gotten reports back, other than some of the other Gappei Fusions being found and captured. They're being shipped off to Gates' facility."

Ivan huffed. "I see…" He glared out the window. "...Finding that robotic Fusion is trickier than I anticipated. How dare he halt my attempts for a brand new age?"

Syndony yawned. "I wouldn't work yourself up over it. We've got this place held down pretty tight, so the machine's not going anywhere. It could be months until we capture him. You've waited three hundred years. A few months is nothing for you."

Ivan shook his head. "I suppose so."

Gideon glared off to the side. "Actually…"

"Actually? Hmm, why use that word?" Ivan asked.

Syndony glared. "You know something I don't, Gid?"

He scratched behind his head. "Well...I noticed the other day that some of the cars that were delivering the ethereal energy never showed up. We got confirmation they were delivered to Kanto, but they never reached the city's border. It could've been a typo in the numbers, but..."

"But…what?" Syndony pressed on.

"I don't want to automatically assume sabotage. It could just be technical error or even mortal error. Maybe we didn't get that many shipments of the fuel yet, but…we're supposedly missing about seven."

Ivan held his chin and pondered it. "We can't risk it being some technical error on a computer…"

Syndony's eyes drooped lazily. "…You know, we still haven't found the remaining council and those Fusions. What have they been up to ever since they ran off?"

"You may be onto something, Syndony." Ivan floated around the office for a moment, mumbling to himself. "If they're interfering with our transport, then they're setting us back just as much as the Rotom Fusion. Grr…if we weren't locked out of the tower, this would be infuriating."

"So, what's the plan, sir?" Gideon asked.

"In the meantime, just inform the next transport coming soon to stay on their guard. Fighting is an option, though I doubt they're any match for the Fusion Council." His eyes glowed ominous green. "I refuse to accept more setbacks. I want my tower activated soon. I want to bring peace to this horrible planet."

They bowed to him, with Gideon saying, "You have nothing to worry about, sir. These fools have no since of the power they are dealing with. We will find them and retrieve the stolen fuel for you, then your machine will be up and running and completely operational. You have our word!"

Syndony smirked. "Heck, if we're lucky, this is just a strange case of dumb luck for them." The two Fusions turned and headed out of the office.

Ivan stared out the window, running his digits against the glass. "Right… _dumb luck…_ "

* * *

Heading towards the shielded off city were a pair of jeeps, delivering the newest cargo of the ethereal energy. The lead jeep was being driven by a Breloom-Dragonair with a long tail and blue body, and an Excadrill-Magmortar that had clawed cannon hands and a red body.

The Excadrill Fusion was driving while the Breloom Fusion played on his phone. As he was getting close to his high score on a candy-based puzzle game, he received a message. He swiped the message and read it over to himself. "…Huh."

"What?" the mole Fusion asked.

"It's a text from the boss. Says that we need to stay vigilant on the roads. Possibly sabotage or other forces at hand. Keep cargo safe."

Excadrill rolled his eyes. "He's just being paranoid. There haven't been reports of NO shipments being delivered."

"True, but it sounds like some of them have gone missing."

Excadrill waved it off. "It's probably nothing."

"You sure?" Breloom asked cautiously.

"Of course! I mean, seriously? He makes it sound like there's some mysterious boogeyman waiting in the shadows!" He threw his head back and laughed. "What a joke! Just give me five seconds and that boogeyman's toast!"

Breloom scratched the back of his head. "If you say so…but weren't there some escaped Fusions from the village still lurking in these parts?"

"What are they going to do? They haven't done shit since they ran off. If you ask me, they're just a bunch of cowards hiding and praying they don't get caught."

Breloom was about to say something else when his eyes turned back to the road. Excadrill didn't seem to notice despite being the one driving. Breloom narrowed his eyes. "Hey…is it just me or does it look darker up ahead?"

"Eh?" Excadrill leaned forward and noted the dark space up ahead on the road. The sun had barely set under the horizon, so it shouldn't be this dark out. He flashed his high beams at the dark space. It still looked inky and…unnatural. "The hell? Is this part of the road painted vantablack or…?"

Suddenly, springing out from the road were two massive hands of darkness. They shot for the lead jeep with clawed fingers. Breloom screamed while Excadrill swerved the car, shouting every swear word in his known vocabulary. He barely avoided the left hand, which ended up taking out the jeep behind them. Breloom watched it crash into a tree from the rearview mirror.

"Magma Burst!" Excadrill aimed his hand out the window and, despite the name of the move, fired a boulder of condensed lava at the shadow space. Just as he thought, it wasn't natural. The shadow peeled off the road and dodged the attack, which blew up the road and melted the debris.

"We're being ambushed!" Breloom shouted.

"Thank you for your contribution, Captain Obvious!" Excadrill screamed as he spun the wheel, swerving around the large crater he made. "Call the boss and tell him we need backup!"

Breloom pulled out his phone, but an arrow broke threw the window and pierced through, taking it onto the street. "…Yeah, I don't think that's happening."

Excadrill looked out the window and aimed his hand cannon again. "Magma-!"

"Dude, look out!"

Down the road, a figure was running at them with a sword. Before the mole Fusion could get his hands back on the wheel, the swordsman empowered his blade and slashed down the middle of the jeep. Both Fusions found themselves separating from each other as the jeep split in two and rolled off in different directions of the street.

Breloom ripped his seatbelt off and jumped out just before the half-jeep slammed into a tree. He picked himself up and panted in relief, but froze as he was picked up by the mushroom cap. He came face to face with a calm, yet clearly angry-on-the-inside Lucario-Samurott.

"Good evening, young man."

Breloom instinctively threw a punch, but Lewis caught it. The draconic dinosaur raised his hands in surrender and shouted, "W-What do you want from us?!"

Lewis got up in his face. "I want…my village back…" He socked the Fusion in the gut and dropped him onto his knees. Breloom coughed and sputtered as he was hunched over.

Excadrill pulled himself out of the wreck and aimed at Lewis, but took a sucker punch to the face from Gracelyn, flying across the road and slamming into Breloom. Gracelyn stepped out of hiding, waving her hand. "Apologies, dearir."

Lewis raised his brow her way. "Must you apologize to them?"

"Personal vengeance is no excuse for rudeness."

Back at the other jeep that crashed, the remaining Renegades tried to crawl away, but were halted by a shadow rising up from the ground. It stared down on them with a spiteful glare. _"Going somewhere?"_

They shivered and quickly pressed themselves back against the toppled jeep, where Vivi quickly jumped out from behind and tied them to the underside. She landed in front of them and saluted to the frightening shadow. "Enemies secured, Captain!"

The shadow faded, with Quinn stepped from the dark wisps. He rotated his shoulder, then flicked out a set of badges that he swiped off the Renegades. "And with that, we have just enough IDs to sneak through that forcefield."

A Seviper-Arbok hissed at him. "What do you hope to gain from this?!"

Quinn glared at him, which got the snake to shut his mouth. "Do you _really_ want an answer to that, you damn hypocrite?"

"Fool!" A Mankey-Houndoom that was tied down slipped out from his binds and lunged at the nightmare lizard. "Ivan Faust will bring us all at peace with the world! You cannot comprehend his mighty-!" A foot slammed down on his back and pounded him into the pavement. "Oooow…my back…"

Eddie dug his foot into his back, then shot a glare at the cowering Renegades. "Any other smartasses want to preach the good word of their precious leader?" They shook their heads nervously. "Then shut the hell up."

Quinn juggled the IDs in his hand. "All this talk of peace sounds good on the surface…until you remember your grand plan involves a device that benefits no one, even Fusions. You call this peace? I smell an apocalypse in the making." The Renegades glowered, albeit nervously.

Eddie sighed, then looked at Lewis. "This better be enough."

Lewis nodded. "This'll have to do since we can't afford to keep feeding more prisoners. Without the prison, we can't put them anywhere else."

Eddie shook his head. "I still say we just ditch them on the side of the road."

"We won't stoop lower than them. Besides, if they make it back to the city and realize the trouble we're causing, an entire army will come after us. We can only stay quiet and out of sight."

The IDs were snatched from Quinn's hand by Abraham. "Won't matter. We don't intend to let this continue on for any longer." He waved the IDs in the air. "Now that we all have one of these, we can get through their barrier and start taking out their operations one by one before reaching that machine. Plan out our attack before we begin the final push. And then-"

"Then we go to Data and overthrow him!" Vivi cheered.

Eddie flinched and covered his ears. It was more of a shriek than a cheer. "Yes…I suppose so…"

Quinn narrowed his eyes. "I still don't think our numbers are enough to take out Faust. You did see how many Fusions there are bending over backwards for the guy."

Abraham crossed his arms. "We don't have a choice. From where it stands, we're the only ones left standing. We don't know what everyone else is doing or where they are. We can't count on a miracle to come to the rescue." He glared ahead. "It'll just have to be us."

Eddie huffed. "Encouraging words you got there. No pressure at all."

"Don't take my words as a sign of default. We are plenty enough to put an end to Faust's operation. All we need to do is destroy that machine. That shouldn't be too difficult for a group of reckless powerhouses."

"Then we can't afford to waste more time. He'll fire that machine any day now." Lewis bent down and grabbed a group of Renegades by their bindings. "Let's drag these chumps back to base and set up for the next step."

Vivi jumped up and down, waving her arms. "May I make a suggestion?!"

"Oh no…" Eddie grumbled.

Vivi punched her fists together. "How about we charge head first into the city and just go for the machine?! Or how about we get a stupid amount of explosives and set everything to blow!"

"Vivi, that's not really-" Eddie tried to get in.

"Even better, we get a TANK and blow up their HQ! That'll show them we're serious!" She giggled excitedly. "Ooh, I always wanted to ride in a tank!"

Eddie gripped his face and desperately tried to keep himself from screaming out loud. He took a deep breath, then narrowed his eyes at her. "…Vivi, why don't you head back and…see if anyone needs help with a thing?"

"Can do!" She spun on her heel and marched off.

"And don't get lost!" he quickly added. "Do not, I repeat, do NOT make any turns! Just keep going in a straight line!" He sighed once she was out of earshot and facepalmed. "…She's going to get lost going in a straight line…I just know it…"

The Excadrill-Magmortar blinked. "…She's a little-"

"We know!" everyone shouted.

Quinn glanced at Eddie, noticing he looked a bit frazzled. "She finally wearing on your nerves?"

The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion pulled on his face. "I know she means well, but...Arceus, she doesn't take anything seriously. I nearly snapped at her like five times this week."

"Does she even realize how serious this is?" Quinn wondered out loud.

Eddie sighed. "She...wasn't really raised correctly, either. I doubt she had time to grow up and just stuck to her own world." He shook his head and shrugged it off, tensely. "It doesn't matter. If she can hold a fight, that's good enough...for now." He walked on ahead, probably to make sure Vivi didn't get lost… _again._

Quinn dragged the other prisoners behind him. Lewis followed behind, but turned back to Gracelyn. "Oh…and make sure you get their cargo. We can't have that stuff out in the open."

"Already on it, dearie." Gracelyn pulled out the canisters of mixed, colored energy. "I must admit, the science impresses me, but I wouldn't want to know how they obtain this power."

"Some secrets are left to the wicked and curious. Best not let them go to waste…even if we have no real use for them." Lewis continued on ahead, with Gracelyn and Abraham following behind with the containers of ethereal energy.

* * *

After their numerous rounds of street performing and money making, Emily and her group were back on the road. They walked through a rural setting with a vast grassy area, soon met with some trees up ahead. From the looks of it, they were coming up on a berry orchard.

Charlie licked his lips as he eyed up the numerous trees. "Guys, check it out! Free food!" He nearly bolted over the fenced off area, but was grabbed from behind by Emily. He slipped off his feet and landed on his rear. "Ow…"

"Heel," she ordered. The ice maiden took a look at the trees herself, then sighed with a deep frown.

"Something wrong?" Rebecca asked.

"Nothing much…just kind of wish we landed somewhere in Sinnoh. Seeing these trees makes me kind of miss Annabeth and Marion," Emily admitted.

Ren patted her shoulder. "Aw, don't feel so glum. Things haven't been that bad for us so far."

"I suppose." She sighed. "They must be worried sick about Cade, though. I can only imagine the kind of grief they're enduring once they heard the news."

Charlie stood up and frowned as well. "Never really considered that myself."

Rebecca stepped forward. "Well, feeling sad about it won't help. All we can do for them and everyone else is keep pressing forward and finding a way back home." A few glitching and buzzing sounds blared in their ears. "…Right after we find a mechanic for Codex…or a doctor. Who do we need to fix him up again?"

Codex's head spun and eyes sparked. "Sinnoh is primarily known for many things that are-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-!" Rebecca bonked him on the head with her twig. "…Much appreciated."

Emily sighed and ran her hand across her head. After glancing at the orchard again, she asked, "How much food do we have left?"

Ren opened up their bag, then frowned. "…Barley a week's worth. And that's just for one of us."

Emily pointed ahead at the orchard. "There's a village just past those trees. I think this is their farm. We should stop by and see if we can buy some of the berries off of them."

"Assuming they don't mind Fusions," Rebecca awkwardly reminded.

Emily shook her head. "At this point, I don't care if they throw tomatoes at us. I just want some food."

They continued down the road before coming up on the gravel path towards the village. As they walked down it, they found themselves surrounded by the berry trees and their fresh aroma. Judging by some of the baskets laying around, they made it in time for a harvest. The smell was certainly intoxicating.

More so for Charlie, if anything.

"So…gooooood…" He drooled at the sight of the fresh berries just _begging_ to be eaten up. He wanted them all. He needed something to satisfy the little bit of hunger biting at his stomach.

Emily glared at him. "Charlie, I swear, if you don't get yourself under control…"

"But they look…so…DELICIOUS!" He couldn't contain his evocative drive for food any longer. Without giving anyone a chance to grab him, he dashed over the fence and raced to an open bucket.

"Charlie, wait-!" Rebecca pulled out her stick to use Psychic on him, but stopped when a white blur swung down and grabbed Charlie under the arms.

The Munchlax-Lilligant dangled above a bucket, much to his dismay. "WAAAAH! So close!"

"Now, now, my friend, this is no place to dine as you please. This orchard must be cared for properly, so try to be at ease." Charlie gasped as he was thrown back over to his friends, landing on his bottom. A figure dropped down from the trees and brushed some leaves off his body.

They stood before a Passimian, though not one they would often see. He looked fairly normal, if a bit bulkier. His fur was much shaggier than what they'd expect and he possessed a type of hard-shell armor over his arms, legs and torso, no different in texture to the trademark helmet on his head.

He straightened up and waved to them. "Sorry for the surprise, but I see you are new around the land. Quite a find, as we don't often get an eccentric five-man band."

Ren chuckled awkwardly. "Right…um, sorry our friend almost devoured your berries. He…well, you know…"

The Passimian waved it off. "It's quite alright. He did no harm, as far as I can tell. Even so, try to keep him under control, lest we have no food to sell."

"Heh, we'll make sure to keep him situated," Rebecca promised.

"That is all I ask for, my dear. Now, why exactly are you here?"

Emily scratched behind her head. "Well, it's…kind of a long story. Or…rather, a story we don't like remembering." She took a deep breath, then faced him directly. "The thing is, this might be hard to believe, but…we're members of a village back in Kanto and it…well, we lost it in a fight."

"A village in Kanto?" he mumbled under his breath. The Passimian then gasped, covering his mouth. "You mean Gappei Village and the day where it went into calamity?" They nodded, then he bowed apologetically to them. "My sincerest apologies for what happened. Even my people found it a tragedy."

Emily blinked twice and tilted her head at his wording. Rebecca, meanwhile, held her hands up. "Thank you, but you don't need to apologize. It…It was pretty hard for us to go through that. Still fresh in our minds, actually."

"I see." The Passimian breathed out. "Regardless, I can't express how worried I was to hear of the demise that befell the wonderous Gappei Village. It was so full of life and wonder, so amazing. And all destroyed for what? Some extremist message?" He covered his face. "The news came to everyone in my village and we were indeed shocked by the event. I never understood how someone could go through such a vile, heinous intent. I truly am sorry." He bowed once more.

Ren held his hands up. "It's alright…really. No need to apologize."

"Of course." He grinned to them. "Perhaps good ol' introductions will clear this dreary air." He held his hand out. "The name is Simon, all the action and with the flair!"

Ren grinned and shook his head. "Pleasure to meet you, Simon! I'm Ren! That's Rebecca, Charlie, Emily, and Codex over there!" They waved awkwardly at the lemur.

"A pleasure to meet you all!" Simon gleefully exclaimed.

As the two chatted amongst themselves, Emily pulled the others aside, giving the Passimian a strange look as she did. "Something wrong, Em?" Rebecca asked.

"Does…anyone else think that guy talks funny?"

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

Emily held her fingers up. "'Calamity' and 'tragedy.' 'Village' and 'message.' He's mostly speaking in rhyme."

Rebecca blinked, then rewind the conversation with the lemur in her head. "…Huh. You're right, he does. Funny I didn't notice that."

"Must be an odd quirk of his," Charlie guessed.

Emily held her head and groaned inwardly. "Good grief, I pray he isn't some weirdo."

"Who's a weirdo?" Emily shrieked and jumped backwards from the lemur, who was up in her personal space. He snickered behind his hand. "I couldn't help but hear you talking about me. Perhaps questioning I'm strange and unusual, would it be?"

Emily held her hands up and shook her head. "N-No! Nothing like that! I wasn't saying anything bad about you!"

Simon laughed out loud, which got Emily to ease up. "No need to be so flustered. Nothing bad was said from what I heard."

Rebecca grinned awkwardly. "Personally, we were a bit curious about your…unique manner of speaking. You seem to be rhyming every so often."

Simon smirked. "Heh, you noticed that, I see. True as it can be, it's a trait of mine. Though, not completely unheard of. Some speak in pentameter or pantomime." He shrugged it off. "It is something I've done since I was a child, helped me stay calm in some darker nights. At first, it was just for fun, but it became a broken habit I do without thinking right."

"Darker nights?" Charlie questioned.

"Eh, nothing to be concerned over, I promise you. A story for another time, maybe two." He chuckled awkwardly and cleared his throat. "If…we're being honest, it's…something I do without thinking. I have to…actively watch my words so it…doesn't annoy people. I grew up reading…a lot of rhyming books and…listening to music."

Ren grinned. "Man, that's so cool!"

"And difficult to do, I see," Emily added with a smirk.

Simon sighed. "Extremely. Hardwired into my brain." He blinked, then pointed at them. "Um…is he in pain?"

Charlie laughed. "Hey, you did it again, that's so-wait, what?" He turned around, then gasped. "AH CRAP, CODEX!"

Codex was having another one of his crashes, buzzing, jittering, and sparking uncontrollably on the ground. "C-C-C-C-Coffee beans wer_ thrist discovered in...ZZZT! And Welcoem tot eh tonight show, weht yer- COMpANY fruit pies!"

Simon stared at him in utter befuddlement. "Um…is he having a seizure? I'm honestly not sure."

Ren grabbed Codex and slapped him across the face. "Codex, get a hold of yourself, man!"

Codex blinked, readjusting his eyes as the glitching came to a halt. "…I am well again."

Ren let him go, then held his face and groaned. "Ugh…they're getting worse and worse."

Simon leaned over and asked, "Need I ask?"

Emily sighed. "He's…more machine than living flesh like the rest of us. He took a magnetic blast to the head or something and…well, I assume you know what happens when magnets and electronics interact."

Simon crossed his arms. "I'd hate to be in his shoes. From how it looks, it seems quite painful." He rubbed his chin and thought it over. "Though, if it is treatment he seeks, I have a solution to make the pain null."

Rebecca's eyes widened with hope. "Wait! You mean…you can fix Codex up?!"

Simon fell his chest swell with pride. "Hehe…I may not look it, for my humble upbringing as a farmer might tell, but when it comes to electronics and such, I certainly excel."

"You can seriously fix him?!" Ren jumped for joy and wrapped his arms around the lemur. "Haha! Man, oh man, you are a lifesaver, Simon! We lucked out finding you!"

Charlie laughed and grabbed Codex by the arms, spinning him around. "Haha! You hear that, buddy? You'll be fixed up in no time!"

"Please…refrain from swinging me…" Codex groaned.

Simon skipped down the gravel path, beckoning the group to follow. "Come, come, my friends. I'm sure my mother would love to meet you. We'll get you settled in and work on your friend, too!" He scurried off down the road.

Emily breathed out in relief. "A place to finally relax and get Codex's issues sorted out…we really did luck out." They picked up their stuff and followed the strange, yet friendly Passimian back to his village. For once in their journey, they were met with a providential turn of events.

* * *

Eunice hummed to herself as she held Harper by the foreleg. She touched the shapeshifter's gelatinous mane. "Hmm…fascinating. The consistency of the mane is soft, yet still retains its moldable properties."

Harper giggled and squirmed around. "Hee! Stop it! That tickles! Hehehehe!"

Dakota sighed by the campfire while Hawkins roasted the berries. "Please don't hold her like that…"

Eunice turned around, now holding Harper upside-down by the tail. "Eh, what was that?" Harper laughed and squirmed around.

Hawkins rested his cheek against his hand and glared at Dakota. "Remind me again why we invited her?"

Dakota covered her face and refrained from groaning out loud. "Just…Just cook the food, please…"

Eunice pulled on Caleb's wings and examined their wingspan. "I've never seen these types of combinations before in Fusions! ...Well, I have seen three other Skitty-Wailmer and Skitty-Wailord before."

Winona gasped. "Really?!"

"Oh yes. Even a little kitten as soft and squishy as you, child."

The whale kitten jumped for joy. "Yay! More of me!"

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "Why, of all the people we could've encountered on this mountain, did we get stuck with the weirdo hermit?"

Eunice's ears twitched at his remark. She smirked over her shoulder. "You dare throw insults my way, sir?" He raised his brow at her. "Oh, pay me no mind, I just find it funny how you would point me out as some recluse out in the mountains. I suppose that's to be expected from someone who grew up with a silver spoon."

Hawkins glared. "Pardon?"

"It's not that hard to read. Your face says it all. A rich kid who thinks high of himself and stands to be the pinnacle of all who cross him." Eunice chuckled. "Hubris is such a fascinating topic, don't you think?"

Hawkins curled his fingers. "You trying to say something?"

"I'm only pointing out you have no right to judge me for my worth, as I can assure you, I am no hermit. I have to wonder how many others you willingly undercut to make yourself look better in comparison."

Hawkins nearly jumped up from his spot, only to be stopped by Dakota. "Behave yourself!" She glared at Eunice. "That's really rude of you, you know."

"Is it now?" Eunice sighed. "Oh dear, there I go again. I must admit, my socializing skills have much to be desired. I always thought striking up a conversation by analyzing the subject and getting to know them were the prime topic starters."

"You sure you're not a hermit?" Hawkins grumbled through his teeth.

Dakota narrowed her eyes. "How _did_ you know Hawkins was wealthy?"

"It's my skills as a profiler. I can read people fairly well, as you can see." Eunice sat down by the fire. "You see, I value information and knowledge above all else. I gather everything I can to learn about so many wonderful and different personas. It's a hobby and work."

"And very annoying," Hawkins grumbled.

Eunice shrugged. "You should count yourself lucky. Many would pay to have an outsider's perspective to point out rather…debilitating flaws."

Hawkins pulled out his Leaf Blade, but Dakota pushed his arm down. "Hawkins, you're better than this. Calm down."

The swordsman took a deep breath, then dispersed the blade. "…You're lucky I rather not make a scene in front of the children."

"I believe that is the most logical step," Eunice agreed, plucking a berry off the makeshift grill with her claw.

Hawkins leaned back and crossed his arms. "Alright…if you insist you're not some recluse living on these mountains, then who the heck are you? Someone like you doesn't seem like the type to just wander around for kicks."

Eunice ate the berry whole and swallowed. "Astute observation." She scratched her chest. "Hmm…I suppose I should explain myself. Where to begin? Hmm…

"Well, for starters, I'm actually a detective for the International Police. I work with big cases for the craftier criminals that slip through the normal police departments. This isn't any different. See, recently, I was working with my partner, Jean, on a case and I concluded something was going on in another region. She's the stealthier of the two of us, so she went without me. I tend to let my excitement for new discoveries get us in trouble. I decided to come up here to do some private research of my own when I happened upon your little campsite."

Dakota raised her brow. "The…International Police? Are you some kind of spy?"

Eunice chuckled. "Oh, if Jean heard that, she'd probably be offended. 'Some kind of spy?' Well, not me, per say, but the basic idea is there." She narrowed her eyes seriously. "The thing is, we were looking in on a peculiar set of disappearances from Fusions. Namely involving some rumors around the Fusion Hunters. Some Fusions get rehabilitated, while the less-than-pleasant ones eventually get…transferred. This eventually led to a case of other Fusions with no criminal records disappearing, too. Almost like someone was snatching them up."

"Traffickers?" Hawkins guessed.

Eunice nodded. "That would be the end of the story…but it goes on. See…in light of recent events, we made the discover that it connects to…a certain individual who has resurfaced in recent times. Does the name Ivan Faust sound familiar?"

Dakota scratched her head. "Not really."

"I heard it." Their eyes fell on Hawkins. "An acquaintance of mine, Ren, talked about him a lot. A Fusion Activist who fought for Fusion Rights a few hundred years back."

"Correct," Eunice said. "However, that's not where the story ends. See…through matters I do not possess the numbers for, he is now in our time. He's the one who led those attacks on your village."

"What?" Hawkins gasped.

"It gets worse. Very soon, he's going to unleash a superweapon that'll mutate all Pokémon on the planet into becoming Fusions. Tests and theories show the process is...well, it has a small chance of killing those exposed to it. And I suppose it'll also wipe out the planet's core in the process. A little side note there."

"WHAT?!" Dakota screamed. The kids looked their way curiously. Dakota quickly waved them off. "Don't mind us! Adults talking!"

Hawkins glared. "A device like that actually exists? How?"

"In simplistic terms, mad science. A device created purely out of spite." Eunice sighed. "You hear them all in my line of work. Someone always has a reason for the things they do, from the rational to the irrational to…well, those rare cases where someone does it _just_ because." She sighed. "Ivan Faust had a daughter that was a victim to the Fusion Trials. That's his story, at least.

"He blames the hatred spawned by Pokémon and wants to reset everything. Do you know how some schools will have kids where uniforms as to not have anyone standout? It's that use of conformity that casts away the judgment zones. If everyone's the same, there's no reason to hate differences, right? While that may be true in some aspects, I'd imagine it's the individual that'll decide how that'll go down. And when you force this change without warning…"

"Mass confusion and panic, possibly breeding distrust," Hawkins guessed.

Eunice nodded. "Add to the fact that his influence has led to followers willing to do the worst to get results. Some reasoning even suggests his influence spawned an organization designed to right the wrongs, as it were, by wiping out specific Pokémon. Crazy, right?"

Hawkins glared at the ground. "So…this Faust fellow is some kind of templar knight…"

"That's horrible!" Dakota exclaimed. "How can anyone be so-?!"

"Questioning the psyche of a madman or an extreme dreamer is often tricky," Eunice interrupted. She huffed. "Let it be clear that his actions don't come from a place of villainy. I can't say I fault him for wanting to end the circle of hatred that has perpetually fueled this bigotry for years...but he's going about it at means that, if committed, will never be reversed.

"The damage will be set in stone...and we'll have to pick up the pieces of his 'creation.' Personally...a world in panic that's set back to the Stone Age isn't going to try and cooperate matters. Fear and panic will be driven...which is where the 'Renegades' come in. Leaders to set everything straight...despite their views."

"…" Hawkins took a deep breath and held his knees. "Well…this is all beginning to sound like a convoluted adventure novel…"

"Perhaps so." Eunice closed her eyes for a moment, then looked up at the sky. "I'm not like most Fusions, or Pokémon for that matter. I often don't express my emotions, which causes some troubles. I'm part of a lineage of Fusions that have always been half-Silvally, no matter what combos you try. Some believe I don't have emotions, but that's simply not the case. I pour my emotions into understanding precious data. That's what I desire most.

"What I mean is…there's so much in this world I want to discover. Certainly, if Faust were to set that machine off, I could live out my days uncovering even more combinations of Fusions than ever before. So, why do I stand against Faust?" She glared. "Because I do care about what happens to the creatures of this planet. Even if it means I'll never get an opportunity like this again, someone has to stop that machine from setting off."

Dakota frowned. "I see…"

Eunice sighed. "The circle of hatred…a perplexing idea. No matter how much change occurs in the world, that circle will always continue to spin round and round. It's never a fixed point where it'll end. Rather, it can only be shrunk. If the circle gets too big, consequences will abound." She narrowed her eyes. "That's what you and those Rogues went through?"

"The Rogues?"

"Heh…you both were basically mortal enemies, the two worlds that thrive off one aspect they want to believe in. The Renegades, as they are called, thrive off the nature of the Rogues, but in an extremist manner. Tell me…how many of your villagers can use Fusion Mode?"

Neither said anything, only looking away awkwardly.

Eunice sighed. "This war between you and the Rogues has stunted everyone's growth. Balancing virtue with regret is not something done easily." She shrugged. "Well…hopefully Jean has better luck in that department. Right now, the world needs a lot of help if they want to take out the enemy."

"How much time do we have?" Hawkins asked seriously.

Eunice narrowed her eyes grimly. "…Not much. I'm not sure what's taking him so long to fire it...but something's stalling him. There's only a select few of you left in Grandis City...and they, alone, aren't going to stop him." She looked up at them. "I was fortunate to find you two, because now the world needs heroes. If we want to show the world why we shouldn't be feared, we need to enforce our own justice and bring down Faust."

Hawkins stood up. "Then we need to get home, now."

Eunice held her cheek. "And what good will that do you?" He glared at her. "Forgive my wording, but…what do you expect to happen? You aren't the invincible knight you say you are. A battle waged with only you at the frontlines won't save everyone. Do you plan on fighting the Renegades on your-?"

"I'm going to stop you right there, lady," Hawkins interrupted, raising his finger. "I don't care what you have to say about me. I don't care what 'weaknesses' you see in me. I don't care if I was an arrogant jerk who needed to stand above the weak." He narrowed his eyes. "That's how I was raised…and I'm not stopping."

He raised his fist and conjured his Leaf Blade. "...I'll admit, I have issues because of my upbringing...and I have some way to go until I overcome them. I let my own pride get in the way of accepting the strength of others, ignoring the other aspects of strength.

"But...if you think you're going to keep me on this mountain while there's a tyrant getting ready to end the world, I won't refrain from using force." He aimed the Leaf Blade at her. "You're taking us to Grandis City…and I will end this war. _With_ my fellow comrades."

Eunice stared firmly at the Leaf Blade in her face, then pushed it aside to smirk at the swordsman. "Heh…perhaps I was wrong in my judgment. You're not as self-centered as you carry yourself."

Hawkins glanced down at Dakota. "…I had a good teacher." Dakota turned away and covered her red face.

"Heh…then it seems we are in agreement." Eunice stood up. "We only have so little time left, but enough to prepare. When it comes to combat, I exceed my partner's direct skills. If you do want to fight in this war, Hawkins, then I need to hear you say you're ready. This is a battle for everyone's sake. Once we're ready, I'll take you down the mountain."

Dakota stood up and touched Hawkins' shoulder. "You sure you're up for this?"

"Don't think you're getting out of this." Dakota froze up under Eunice's cheeky stare. "This isn't the time to be chickening out, you hear?"

"B-B-B-But I-!"

"She'll do it," Hawkins interjected.

"Who gave you the right to decide-?!"

"Then we're in agreement," Eunice concluded. Dakota slouched over and whined.

Hawkins summoned his Leaf Blades. "We will be the ones to take down Faust."

Eunice smirked, eyes glowing red with excitement. "In that case…shall we get started?"


	74. Prison Blues

Jean peered over a small hill with a pair of binoculars. She zoomed in on their destination. True to his word, Eli remembered the location of the hidden facility. The building was cube-shaped, about five, maybe six, stories tall, with a personal power plant operating in the back. Scanning the sides of the building, she made out garage doors for their vans, with one leaving and another taking its place inside.

"Hmm…" Jean lowered her binoculars. "Yep, this is the place."

Eli, leaning against the small hill, smirked tiredly. "You sure? I think I saw another suspicious looking building just a few miles south." Jean didn't acknowledge his sarcastic comment, far too focused on observing the building.

York narrowed his eyes. "A bit bland looking, don't you think?"

"It's _not_ an evil spy lair," Spaz reminded.

"That would've been awesome…" Tamara grumbled.

"Still, shouldn't be too hard to infiltrate," York added, standing up to stretch his legs.

Tamara glanced at him. "More untold stories of crimes yet to be uncovered?"

"Maybe I'll mention those _after_ we get my old friends out," he pressed.

Eli smirked. "Good to see your old roots are still intact."

"Don't get your hopes up," York said immediately. "I'm hardly a Rogue or a Gappei Villager."

"Thanks for the loyalty there, pal…" Tamara mumbled.

Spaz smiled awkwardly. "Could we…perhaps focus back on the fact we're about to plan a prison breakout?"

"Right, right…" Tamara stood up. "Jean, what we got?"

The ground ant zoomed in on the building again. "How about the things we shouldn't do? A full-scale attack will surely get us killed. Best case, we get thrown into the cells. I'm looking at you, lizard." York huffed in light annoyance. "Which means, this has to be a long-term infiltration mission. We observe the building, the security system, then go about planning for a breakout."

Casey leaned forward. "I don't think I'll be much help for that."

"Don't worry, I'm not putting you or the child in harm's way."

York narrowed his eyes. "This place has tight security. Eli, didn't you say that the defense grid will fire on us if we don't have any identification."

"About right." Eli smirked. "You'll get fried if you're not careful."

Tamara rolled her eyes. "Lovely…so, what do we do? In case you haven't notice, we stand out in a crowd."

Jean nodded over her shoulder. "What do you think those bags are for?" She zoomed in on a few workers stepping outside. They weren't guards, more so caretakers for the prisoners. She nodded silently. "Alright...we can begin. I need one of you to go down there and strip them of all their clothes."

…There was a moment of awkward silence.

"…Pardon?" Spaz asked.

Jean blinked. "…Just get their uniforms!"

York glared. "If it'll get the Rogues free, then fine."

Tamara rotated her shoulder. "Guess I'm tagging along."

They jumped over the hill and raced down to the building, making certain to stay out of sight of any cameras— another little thing Tamara gets to learn about York's criminal life. They kept their bodies close to the walls as they snuck up on the three workers.

One, an Arbok, was sipped from his coffee cup with his tail, admiring the horizon. "…What are you doing later?"

The other, a Simisage, was wiping his hands with an alcohol wipe. "My kid's graduating from high school pretty soon, so I'll be attending the ceremony...granted, there might not be much point to that now..."

The third, an Infernape, chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, no kidding…what do you think I'll end up like. I kind of want to be part-"

Tamara and York jumped out from behind and swiftly took the three out, knocking them unconscious. Once again, they avoided the cameras, now with unconscious bodies hanging off their backs. It was a bit more difficult than before, but they managed their way back before dumping the bodies down. They pulled their uniforms off and showed them to Jean.

She examined the material, then pulled out their IDs. "Hmm…I see…" She scuttled over to her bags. She opened a metal case, which contained some strange looking equipment. She settled the ID on a scanner device and let it run while she went to her trunk.

Opening it revealed numerous costumes, from the professional to the silly. She examined the uniforms closely, then dug around before pulling out matching color outfits: white shirts, white caps, white pants. She examined the uniform again and noted the symbol: A green 'F' in front of a blue and red DNA symbol.

She set the shirts out and pulled out some spray paint and other artsy equipment. Everyone watched in a mixture of awe and confusion. "Um…so, what now?" Casey asked.

"Hmm? Oh right." Jean cut a pattern into some paper. "Alright, here's how things will go. Tamara, York, and Spaz will go in disguised."

"What about us?" Willy asked innocently.

"We'll be monitoring from out here and keeping in touch with the group. If too many of us skulk around the place, we'll be found out." She finished her work and threw the uniforms over to the three. "You three seem to know how to keep a low profile."

Casey stared at the three Fusions with a raised brow, then turned to the ant. "Um…ma'am? Slight problem."

"Do tell."

"We have a green Pikachu, a Heliolisk with armored skin, and a…well, actually, Tamara's probably the easiest to cover up."

Jean looked at the three, tapping her chin, then looked back at the facility. After a moment, she scuttled to her costume trunk and pulled something out. After a few quick modifications, she threw a hazmat-styled suit to the armored lizard. "Here. One of the workers seemed to be wearing one of these suits, probably in case of an escapee."

Eli nodded. "It's true."

York stepped into the suit and zipped it up from the back. "Right…" He patted it a couple times, then felt the mask hanging by the neck. "I think we're all set."

"But what about me and Tamara?" Spaz pointed out. "My fur's green and she has those green lines over her eyes, plus those bandages around her arms."

"Longer sleeves will cover that up. As for the fur…" Jean tossed two small containers at them.

Spaz caught them and examined the labels: bright yellow and creamy-white. "Um…what are these for?" he asked nervously.

"Make-up."

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "…Fun."

Spaz groaned. "Are you serious?!"

* * *

 _One Tedious Make-Up Application Later…_

Tamara checked out her face in a mirror, examining the lack of green lines over her eyes. "Huh…so weird."

"You feel weird?!" Tamara turned and had to cover her mouth. All of Spaz's fur was applied with the yellow make-up, giving the impression he was a regular, albeit bright yellow Pikachu. The white uniform just made it brighter. "I look so UNNATURAL!"

York grabbed his hood. "Oh, quit complaining. You'll only have to wear it for…well, a while, I guess." He pulled the hood over his face. "Everyone ready?"

"Ah, before you three go…" Jean pulled out three IDs with their altered faces on them. "I scanned the IDs and replicated the circuits inside. These should allow you to walk through the facility without setting off the security grid."

They took their individual IDs. Spaz tilted his head. "You were just able to…replicate these in under an hour?"

"Experience. Now, get a move on. We don't have all day." She pulled up another case, then tossed some earpiece communicators to them. "Remember, the idea is to blend in. Don't arouse any suspicion, otherwise I'll have to bust your tails out of prison."

The trio nodded, then headed towards the facility.

From a distance, it didn't look all that bad. Approaching it, however, they could feel just how imposing it was meant to be. This was the place that supposedly housed the worst criminal Fusions in the world that the Fusion Hunters couldn't rehabilitate, plus the Rogues. It had to be a building designed to keep all prisoners in. It was a miracle someone like Eli managed to slip out, though not without the severe injuries he sustained. Either you don't escape or die trying.

Those thoughts swarmed in Spaz's head, who was having second thoughts about going through on the mission. Tamara noticed his nervousness, admitting to herself she was having the same doubts as well. She was supposed to be a hero and now she was going in to rescue criminals via prison breakout. It wasn't like her to do something so…villainous.

She took a deep breath, then took the mouse's hand in hers. Spaz's eyes widened, then quickly glanced at the ninja cat. She looked away with a huge blush across her face. He blinked, then focused back ahead, a blush growing as he gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

York, however, only felt rage as he approached the building. A tightly curled fist and a glare that could melt through the visor of his hood. Approaching the main gates and front entrance of the facility fueled his desire to take out each of the workers who willingly went along with these absurd conditions.

They showed their IDs to the front scanner, allowing access in. They walked through a hallway for about a minute, getting a look at the cameras above their heads. Tamara subconsciously pulled on her cap to hide her eyes.

They reached the end of the hall and entered the main cell room. Two levels on one floor of criminals in prison cells, divided by a thick glass barrier. A quick once over and they saw the devices they were hooked up to, just as Eli said. Metallic vests were worn by each of them, hooked into the walls. They all looked lethargic. They passed the time doing the most minute activities, like throwing a rubber ball against the walls, banging their heads on the glass divider, or simply just sleeping on their provided beds.

The trio saw all the guards on staff were armed with stun sticks and tranquilizer rifles. Cameras gradually panned around the room to keep watch of everything, plus the aforementioned security system: laser sentries.

Spaz grimaced. "Does anyone else feel like we're in a high-tech supervillain's lair?"

"That's my line…" Tamara mumbled, keeping her head low.

"Just how many Fusions are here?" York wondered, silently counting them off.

"It seems this is just one cell room on the first floor," Tamara pointed out. "I can't believe some of these guys are deranged criminals…"

Spaz narrowed his eyes at a few who looked particularly droopy-eyed. "Err… _once_ deranged…" He shivered and backed closer to Tamara. "This place gives me the creeps…"

"They look like they've given up…" York muttered.

Tamara glared around. "I don't see the Rogues anywhere, or Peregrine. Geez, Eli must've gone through hell if he got out through the front entrance."

Spaz got into a running position. "I could speed around and…" Tamara shot him a warning glare. "…Right…probably shouldn't do that here…"

Tamara sighed, then pointed around. "Alright, there might be a directory we could use. Or we could ask one of the workers where they're being-AAAAAGH!" York and Spaz jumped in surprise as the cat clutched her ears and fell to her knees, receiving an annoying pitch of feedback blaring through her ears.

It was Eli, who was messing with the microphone on the other end. _"Testing, one, two, three! Can anyone hear me?"_

"YOU ASSHOLE!" Tamara shrieked, falling to her side.

" _Oh my, I've seemed to have angered the cat."_

"When I get my hands on you-GAAAAAH!" Now Eli was scraping his claws against something, sending more high-pitched noise to her sensitive ears.

York saw they were gathering and audience before raising his hands, "Don't be alarmed! It's just an earache!" He flinched as Tamara started cursing out the Toxicroak-Honchkrow over the communicator. "…She…really hates them."

"Ah man, I know that feeling," a random guard spoke up. "It was painful and everything…" The lie quickly managed to disperse the crowd, much to the trio's relief.

Spaz helped Tamara up, then _quietly_ shouted into his own earpiece, "Eli, you better have a good reason for calling, otherwise I'm going to give you a piece of my mind for hurting-!"

" _Calm down, bucko, there's a dual purpose to me assaulting your girlfriend's ears."_

Spaz, and also Tamara, blushed brightly. "Sh-She's not my-!"

" _Annnnnyway,"_ Eli continued, _"I'm calling because I figured you guys needed directions to Norris and the gang."_

York narrowed his eyes. "Was the earlier stunt necessary?"

" _Consider that the payback for her nearly snapping my spine."_ Tamara growled under her breath.

According to Eli, the Rogues were, in fact, being held on the first floor, just in a more secluded part of the prison. They followed his directions through some hallways and corridors before coming to another room with two levels to it. Lo and behold, it was exactly what they were looking for.

York instantly recognized most of the Fusions in the one room. Some old faces from his time with the gang. Funny how many changed since he last saw them. Some were even evolved. He could barely recognize them.

However, it pained his heart to see they had also succumbed to the same treatment as the other inmates. They were all void of energy, slouched against the walls of their cells with dreary eyes staring at nothing.

Tamara pressed her fingers against her communicator. "Jean, there aren't any guards around. Think you can do something about the-?"

" _-cameras? Already done. I spliced some footage together into a loop. Just stay vigilant while you're in there."_

"Roger," Tamara finished before stepping in with York and Spaz.

He looked around quickly, identifying all their faces, before spotting a face he was most familiar with. "Mikayla!" He ran to the cell, where the Slurpuff-Vanilluxe rested in.

She, too, was wearing that metal contraption around her body, as was the others. She jumped when she heard him slam his hands against the glass divider. She turned, then flinched under the hooded worker's masked gaze. "What…do you want? Is it time for lunch or something?"

York pulled the hood off, showing his tear-filled eyes. "Mikayla, it's me!"

Her eyes widened. "…York?" She stood up and pressed her hands against the divider. "York…is that really you?"

He nodded immediately. "Yes, it's me! I'm so glad you're all safe!"

"York, we're fine. They're not torturing us or anything." She narrowed her eyes. "How did you find us? N-No, wait… _how_ did you get here? We're like…thousands of miles from Kanto…" She groaned and leaned against the walls. "Ugh…I'm tired…"

"Do you know what happened to the village?" York asked.

"The village…? Oh…Oh, right…" Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "That's right…I heard they teleported you guys all across the world…" She rubbed her temples. "Sorry…I'm not thinking correctly these days. So tired…"

"It's okay. What's important, though, is that we're here to help. We're busting you guys out of here and burning this place to the ground."

Mikayla narrowed her eyes. "That seems…a little excessive…"

"You don't know how much self-control it's taking to keep myself from busting these doors down myself."

"You really shouldn't be getting yourself worked up."

"She's right, right, right!" York, Tamara, and Spaz turned their heads up to the cell above Mikayla's, where the resident chatterbox, Braith, hung upside-down the ceiling by her tail. Even drained of energy, she was as nutty as a peanut butter festival. "Although, the food here isn't that bad! Not five-star material, but...I don't know, what do you rank a diner's food? Because that's that!"

In the cell next to hers, Gordon, who lay on his stomach, covered his ears. "Braith…I have a headache…shut up…"

"EH?! WHAT'D YOU SAY, GORDON?!" The railgun zebra growled quietly, pressing his hooves harder against his ears.

Mikayla rolled her eyes, then looked back at York. "You also should know something else. Some of those Renegade guys are hunting down the villagers. I think a bunch of them got captured and sent here with the rest of us."

"I think she's right," Tamara chirped in. "When we were walking in, I saw some familiar faces. Didn't give it much thought, but it seems they're rounding up all the groups that didn't have Codex with them."

"All of this just to capture my buddy," Spaz mumbled.

York glared. "We'll get them all out, don't worry. No Rogue or Gappei Villager gets left behind on my watch."

He looked around at the other imprisoned Rogues. No matter what, he was going to help break them out. He'll say it as many times as he has to in order to make that reality come true. It hasn't stopped him before, so why should it now?

He narrowed his eyes, realizing something, then looked at Mikayla. "…Where's Norris?"

The frosty Fusion frowned, then hugged herself, pressing the back of her head to the wall. She sighed. "…York, you really shouldn't-"

"Mikayla…" he interrupted softly. His gaze was somber, almost worrisome. "Where's. Norris?"

Her eyes drooped sadly. With a deep sigh, she lifted her hand and pointed to the cell across from hers. The armored lizard followed the direction, eyes landing on the form balled up in the lone cell. The unmistakable blue skin, rounded orbs on the skin, and scratched up walls were a dead giveaway.

York walked up to the cell cautiously. He pressed his hand against the glass divider, then frowned at what he saw.

The mad duck was someone to be feared, and for good reason. He exuded an anger and pride that could waver the confidence of most. He was too stubborn to bring down. Now…Now all York saw was a husk of the mad duck's former self, laying on the floor with no eyes to meet his own.

The lizard's fingers slid down the glass, then he sighed. "…Norris."

He saw the duck twitch to his name being called, but no other movement was made. The only response he got was a growl, though…it wasn't one York was used to. It sounded lifeless…no passion or fury under it. Just…coldhearted bitterness. It was the growl of a man who had given up and was too angry to _be_ angry.

York pressed his palms against the glass. "Norris…come on, buddy. Aren't you at least going to look at me? It's me, York."

"…" No words. He saw the mad duck's fingers curl into a fist. There was still some aggression in him.

York sighed, then pressed his forehead against the glass. "Come on, Norris. Don't ignore me like this. I'm your best friend, remember? We used to do so much together as Rogues." That brought out a more aggressive growl from the duck. "…Oh…right…"

Tamara grabbed York's shoulder. "Just forget it. Norris clearly doesn't want to talk."

He shrugged her off. "I know I can reach him. Norris' stubborn, but not hopeless."

Spaz's ears drooped. "Dude…even I can tell you should leave him alone. He's giving me weird vibes just…laying there."

York shook his head, then knocked on the glass to get Norris' attention again. "Norris, listen to me! You can't ignore me forever! Don't you want to see the outside again! Don't you want your friends to be free?!"

Norris remained defiant, grounding his anger by digging his claws into his floor. His teeth were bare and clenched tightly like a beartrap: anything caught in those teeth would be snapped in half.

York's shoulders slumped as Norris continued to ignore him. York took a deep breath, then pressed his head to the glass again. "…Alright…I admit, I was a bit of a scumbag for leaving you guys the way I did." He closed his eyes. "And I know no amount of talk or convincing is going to make you forgive me. I understand…I betrayed you guys. The thing is, I just didn't want the Rogues becoming some…worse than it already was. We were criminals who stuck to our guns and didn't care what anyone had to say. We would take what we want and live a life without regret. That was our future.

"…Things changed. I saw how much angrier you were getting Norris. I try and I try to understand you. I understood your anger the most out of anyone. I could read the problems of anyone else and help them through. You…You were different. Even if I could read you, I could never understand how deep that well of anger went. It always baffled me…and fascinated me. I still tried to understand you.

"But I couldn't go along with what you had planned next. You guys changed since I left…and I didn't do anything to stop it because it was easier to just runaway. Norris…I should've been there. I should've stayed. That anger of yours…it was making you do things beyond what we wanted. You were going to hurt Casey…and many others…all to prove a point. That you guys aren't pushovers and that you will do what needs to be done if pushed over the line. But you went after someone…who also wanted to understand you. Casey understood our problems…she cared. If you were willing to do that, I feared…who else you would've targeted.

"I'm ashamed of myself for running away. I should've stayed and done something to help you. I'm a failure to your friendship…and I hate seeing you like this. You've been through too much…someone like you deserves peace. You've been through too much. That anger has been festering inside you for years and you never had somewhere to channel it. It's always been you and only you…until you became the Rogues' leader."

York placed a hand over his heart. "I wanted to see you smile for once in your life. You've been so unhappy about everything that I worry about you. Please Norris…just let me help you. We can get out of this. You can…start over."

Silence hung over them, with the duck still keep his head down and away from the armored lizard. York frowned, then turned away to look at Mikayla. She shrugged with a sad smile. "It…was a good attempt. Don't remember you for giving rousing speeches."

"Things change." York sighed, then pinched between his eyes. "Why couldn't I have been there to help you. I could've-"

"Shut up." York's eyes widened, then he turned himself around as Norris sat up and rested his hands atop his knees. "Just…shut up…with that self-loathing attitude. It makes me sick…"

York smiled with a flicker of joy. "Heh…sorry, I'm just…" He stopped when Norris raised his finger.

"Don't get any ideas, genius. I wasn't moved by your little speech. In fact, it only served to annoy me more than I am now."

"What…do you mean?" York asked worriedly.

Norris glared. "What do you think? This…is my penance. I've given up caring."

"What?"

"Huh?" Tamara and Spaz joined in, just as confused as the armored Heliolisk.

York pressed his hands against the glass. "Norris…you can't be serious. What do you mean you're-?"

"Shut it!" York flinched. "I don't want to hear any bullshit from your mouth…" He bared his teeth tightly for a moment, then relaxed them. "…I was never meant to be a leader. You all followed me like some kind of idol…like I meant something. Tsk…how did I end up like this? What did I do to deserve this burden?" He clutched his head with one hand. "The things I can't stand…they just keep coming back…

"I wanted to be free of all burdens…somehow sucked into this life as a leader. Forced to watch over everyone and protect them…now look what happened. I let myself get controlled like a puppet…makes me mad…this is my punishment for being a failure…"

York shook his head. "Norris, you're not a-!"

"What did I just say?!" York jumped back as the duck slammed his fist into the ground. He cradled his aching fist and took a deep breath. "…Just leave me alone. I've done enough damage to myself and everyone else. I want to be alone…"

York stood there, silently staring at the duck in disbelief. First shock, then anger welled up in the armored lizard. He banged his fists against the glass, irritating the duck. He breathed heavily through his teeth, giving a second bang against the glass.

"Norris! Is this seriously how you're acting?!" he scolded. "After EVERYTHING you've been through, this is how it ends? Giving up right here in this dinky cell?! I swear, if I wasn't trying to be stealthy, I would bust down this divider and slap some sense into you!"

Norris snarled and finally got to his feet. "I'd like to see you try…"

Spaz reached out to his friend. "Y-York, hang on-!" Tamara grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Huh? Tamara?"

She looked down at him, then shook her head, silently telling him to let it go as it must. She could sense the conflict sparking between these two. It wasn't an argument that could be won with words. She could see where Norris was coming from…and, unfortunately for York, he would have to understand that the hard way.

York banged his fists to the glass and shouted, "You were the type of person to charge into battle and take revenge on anyone who wronged you! Look around you, Norris! These people are using you as batteries! You think sitting here is going to make things better? The Norris I know would take action and strike back!"

Norris' right eye twitched. "Shut…up…"

"These guys manipulated you! They forced you to attack us! And all you can do is lay down and call it quits?! Where's that fighting drive you had?! Where's that spark for battle?!"

" _York…_ I said _shut up_ …" Norris growled.

"Why are you just letting yourself be their prisoner?! What, are you scared of them or something?! The strongest Fusion on the streets _scared_ of some has-been revolutionaries?! The Norris I know-!"

" _SHUT UP!"_ Norris slammed his fists into the glass, the vibrations shocking York off his feet and onto his rear. He gazed up in disbelief at the glass divider, with cracks formed into it. Norris' knuckles darkened from the punch, even bleeding as some glass jabbed into his fingers.

"N-Norris-" York tried to speak.

"NO! You're going to shut the hell up and listen to ME, you shithead!" Norris roared furiously. "I've had ENOUGH with your know-it-all attitude! Pulling the 'I'm scared' card on me?! Quit acting like you know my life! YOU DON'T! You only ever treated me like some super strong Fusion who could beat anyone! I'm SICK of it! I'm sick of everyone treating me as some important figurehead!" He clutched his head tightly and roared at his ceiling.

The Rogues in the other cells grew uncomfortable, shifting around and holding themselves as they got chills. Tamara and Spaz watched in shock and awe, while York could only stare disheartened at the duck.

"All I ever wanted was to be left alone, then I somehow ended up with a bunch of other shits following me around like lost children and treating me like a leader! Next thing I know, I'm running a gang!" He dug his claws into the glass. "I can never be satisfied! All this repressed anger building behind my skull, and all of you find the one trigger to set me off! I was NEVER happy with anything I did! It's been one bad thing after another! I'm sick and DONE with trying to make things better for me! All that frustration in my head has been nothing but endless misery!"

"But Norris…we looked up to you…" York mumbled.

"And I HATED it! I told them all, I'm _NOT_ a leader! You only treated me like one! I was the farthest thing from a leader you can ever get! Why…just WHY do you people keep looking up to me?! I'm a bastard! A scumbag, a freak, a monster! I've been called it all and it only drove me crazier!" He slammed his fists against the glass again, cracking it further.

"Norris, calm down!" Tamara ordered.

"You act like you know me, York! You don't even know how I really feel about all this revenge seeking and battling, do you?!" Norris shouted in his face.

York narrowed his eyes. "I don't…understand…"

"Then let me spell it out for you…" He took a deep breath, then said:

"I. HATE. FIGHTING!"

York's eyes widened in shock. "…What?"

"You heard me? I hate fighting! I always have! Every time I fight someone, the ringing in my head just gets worse and worse! It drives me nuts! The noise…the noise! It just won't SHUT UP!" He slammed his head into the walls and breathed frantically. "I just wanted some peace and quiet in my life! But no matter where I went, some asshole was always there to call me a freak! The noise would just come back and I could only do the one thing to ignore it!

"So, quit acting like I was always meant to be something important to the Rogues! I wanted to be left alone! That's all I ever wanted! No one EVER gave me that satisfaction! I was always the one who had to solve your issues like I was the next messiah to Fusion Rights! I'm no leader! I never wanted to be and no amount of encouragement over these years has changed my stance on it!

"When I finally get released from this place and into this shitty new world they keep blathering about, I'm DONE! You hear me?! DONE! And I never want to see your dumb face ever AGAIN! You make me sick, York Krie! You make me so…ANGRY!"

The armored lizard was utterly dumbfounded by the mad duck's admission. No tears of betrayal came from his eyes, nor were there shuddering breaths from a racing heart. York was just…shocked by his words.

Even so, he tried to reach out. "Norris…"

Norris clutched his head, snapping his teeth at him. "Shut up…j-just shut up!" Norris stumbled onto his rear and huddled into a corner. "A-All…All I wanted…was for the noises to go away…for them to stop…that's all…"

York bit his lip, contemplating if he should keep trying. Despite the hatred Norris exuded in his admission, a part of him knew his hateful words were nothing more than steam to his heated aggression. Even so…how could he have not known this side of Norris? The stress of being the leader and forced to act on violence…even though it made him feel worse than ever? York always assumed he was just extremely angry, but this…this was different.

He wanted to say something, despite how stupid it would be right now, but he was saved from that decision when Sullivan spoke up. He sat in the cell above Norris'. "Don't bother, dude. You know how Norris is when he's like this. Best to leave him be until he cools off."

York hated to leave him like this, but…sadly, Sullivan was right. Letting the duck cool off was the only good thing he could do for him. "…Right." He stepped away from the cell…reluctantly.

Mikayla frowned, casting a saddened stare at the ground. "Norris…went through a lot. I think what happened back at the village was his limit."

York curled his fingers, resisting the urge to break into the cell and comfort Norris, even if it'll get him mauled. "I just…wanted to see him happy…"

Tamara rested her hand on his shoulder. "You can make him happy by respecting his wishes. Things change, York, and Norris doesn't want to be the imposing figurehead you built him up as. Just because he's strong…doesn't mean that's what he ever wanted." She narrowed her eyes. "He just wanted to be happy…"

York closed his eyes, taking a shuddering breath. "…Right…"

She pulled her hand off, then looked around at the Rogues. "Listen up, everyone. Despite Norris' rant, we're not leaving until you and every other inmate in this place is freed. You've all been here longer than any of us. Any way we can take this place down?"

Gordon lifted his head and snorted. "Do you think we've been making mental notes of the place? We can't escape."

Tamara raised her brow. "Eli certainly did."

"He actually escaped?" Tamara turned around and found the cell holding Zoey, who was against the wall with her arms behind her head. "I could've sworn they caught him and threw him in solitary confinement." She sighed and looked away. "Lucky bastard..."

Tamara glared. "Look, it may take some time, but we ARE going to get everyone freed from here, then we're taking this place to the ground."

Zoey picked at her ear. "Everyone? Including the other criminals? You do know most of guys here were the inmates the Fusion Hunters couldn't rehabilitate, right? The ones who may have a loose policy on the whole murder thing?"

Tamara sighed regretfully. "As much as it goes against my moral codes, we are getting everyone out of here, criminals included." She raised her fist. "If we can convince them to take revenge on Faust for being responsible for this place's existence, that's good enough for me."

Zoey sighed tiredly, then smirked at her. "You're all crazy…"

Spaz rubbed his nose, smiling up at her. "I take that as a sign you're on board with us?"

Zoey glanced down, knowing that below her was the cell holding Sunny. She could hear the fairy's excitable flutters at the chance of being free. "If it means I get to see Sunny happy again, you have my support."

Spaz grinned. "Great! So…no hard feelings about last time?"

"I'm going to punch you when I get out, then we'll be even."

Spaz's smile drooped awkwardly. "Heh…good to know…"

"Well, count me in, too!" Braith exclaimed. "I've always wanted to do a prison break!"

Gordon sighed, rubbing his head. "If it means I can stop sharing a room next to Braith, I'm in."

Gradually, but surely, the Rogues were agreeing amongst themselves that they'd rather be free from this place that dares use them as batteries for their big machine. It brought a smile to York's face to see the life flickering back into their eyes. You couldn't keep the Rogues down for too long, he knew that much.

His eyes darted to Norris, who was still huddled away in the corner. That was enough to bring down his mood again.

Tamara cracked her knuckles. "Alright…now that we've gotten that out of the way…" She paused, then turned to Spaz and York. "Hey…is it just me or did things get noticeably colder?"

"What…are you maggots doing here?"

The trio went rigid in fear, feeling a familiar, piercing gaze pressing into their backs. It was the familiar aura of the steel duck they acknowledged as their teacher. He had been asleep since they arrived, only now realizing the new company before him. Of all the things he wanted to see, this wasn't one of them.

The trio slowly spun around and waved with awkward smiles to their faces. "Hi Peregrine…"

Peregrine sat on the floor of his cell, head resting in his wing as he scowled at them. "I had this inkling that, somehow, there were going to be Fusions making a crazy prison escape just because I happened to be here…guess I was partially right on that mark…"

Spaz held his hands up. "AH! Peregrine, before you flip out on us-!"

"You maggots broke into a heavily secured building, with the risk of your LIVES being taken at WORST, with some stupid plan to raze this entire facility and uproot all of its security? You seriously thought this was a good idea?"

They cowered under his burning scowl, feeling smaller than they should. How could be so terrifying even when he was locked away. "A-Are you…mad at us?" Tamara asked meekly.

"Extremely…" The tension in his beak loosened, then the corners of it curved up into a smirk. "Heh…but that's not to say I'm disappointed."

The trio deflated in relief. "Oh…thank goodness," Tamara exhaled with a weak chuckle. "I was worried you were going to beat us over the heads-"

"-which I will promptly do when we get out of here," he interrupted with a wider smirk.

They slumped forward in defeat, with Spaz saying, "Why does everyone want to clonk me in the head today?"

"Alright, alright, this reunion is sickeningly sweet and all…" came Gordon as he stood up and clicked his hooves twice on the floor, "but how did you even get in here? There's no way Eli could get out unscathed, much less you three breaking in undetected."

York held his hip. "We had a stroke of luck on our way here. We ran into a spy that works for the International Police."

"A spy? The International Police?" Peregrine took a deep breath and groaned. "Ugh…you kids just know how to find trouble."

Spaz shrugged awkwardly "Heh…perhaps, but she's pretty cool. And pretty dang smart."

"You should've seen her," Tamara added. "She's a tactical genius, which is how we got through so quietly."

"A tactical genius, eh?" Mikayla chimed in. "Sounds like Eli's type."

York laughed. "Hey, that's what I said."

Tamara's ear was suddenly bombarded with Eli's shouting. _"WILL YOU LAY OFF THAT?! SHE'S LIKE A DECADE OLDER THAN ME!"_

It didn't end there. Jean gave her input. _"I'M ONLY TWENTY-THREE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!"_

"MY EARS!" Tamara shrieked, falling onto her back and clutching her head. "WHY IS MINE SO LOUD!"

The ninja cat's suffering was enough to bring some laughter out of the Rogues, which brought a smile to York's face. It looked like it's been a while since they all had a genuine laugh.

"Heh…alright, fun's over," York cut in, clapping his hands to get their attention. "We'll get you all out soon. Is there anything we should know about this place that might help?"

"All we know for sure is that they're using our energy to power their stupid machine," Mikayla explained. "It's draining us dry."

"It's more tiring than painful," Zoey brought up.

"So sleepy…and sick…" Sunny groaned.

"Poor thing…" Zoey mumbled.

While York conversed with them, Spaz walked up to Tamara and held his hand out to her. "You okay?"

Rubbing her sore ear, she said, "Yelling in a cat's ear is an omen for disaster…" She graciously took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up.

However, with Spaz's smaller stature, she greatly underestimated how strong he was. He managed to pull her up just as she used one hand to ease the life. The result was them bumping against each other. Tamara grabbed his shoulder to keep herself upright.

"Um…wow…you're…a lot stronger than you look…" Tamara mumbled.

Spaz looked away sheepishly. "Heh…I've been working out?"

They stood still for a minute before realizing they were still pretty close to each other, even their faces. They immediately pulled away and faced the opposite direction, faces turning bright red.

"Um…th-thanks, again."

"N-N-No problem…"

York had his eyes on them while Mikayla was speaking. "Honestly, we don't know all that much about this place that could be beneficial. There is that Cacturne who runs the place?"

York glared. "Gates…" He gritted his teeth. "That guy, I swear…never would've suspected him…"

Tamara crossed her arms. "This is one thing…but that guy actually ran an organization of _assassins_? That is one of the most despicable things I've heard! Who does that?!"

"Apparently him, which reminds me," Mikayla brought up. "Be careful walking around here. Three of those assassins are skulking around. If they find out you're not who you say you are, you're dead."

York nodded. "We'll be careful, don't worry."

"I'm just surprised you guys are even more mad at him!" Braith suddenly brought up.

"What do you mean?" Spaz asked.

Braith tilted her head. "Didn't you get the mail we sent way back? I could've sworn you all would be tearing your hair out still about Juniper!"

Their eyes widened cautiously. "What…are you talking about?"

"Duh! That Juniper was one of Gates' assassins!"

The trio's eyes widened to maximum size, jaws hanging in disbelief. All the Rogues gave solemn looks that confirmed the story. It wasn't a joke or sick prank. But…that didn't make any sense. Juniper…Juniper was a…

"Ahem…" They closed their mouths and faced Peregrine, who had his head down. He took a deep breath, looking at them with the first showings of sympathy. "I'm sorry you kids had to learn like this…"

York narrowed his eyes, almost glaring, "What is this about?"

Peregrine scratched his head and sighed. "...The Rogues were... _kind enough_...to send us some information regarding a certain member of the village. With the evidence we received, it stood to reason that...Juniper was most likely...an assassin when she was a child. She...She murdered about eight people in her life...completely devoid of sense or reason."

Their faces fell in horror. Tamara stumbled on her heels and fell on her rear, utterly distraught. "Wha…n-no…that's not possible…that can't be true…"

Peregrine shook his head. "We were eventually going to speak with her, if it weren't for the attack led on the village…" Peregrine glared. "Gappei Village lets in a number of different Fusions who have done wrong in their lives…even Fusions who have killed out of self-defense. What Juniper did wasn't an act of self-defense. Unprovoked targets were taken by her hands."

Tamara bit into her claws. "J-Juniper…"

York growled and pressed his fingers to his earpiece communicator. "Eli…what the _hell_? You knew about this?!"

The dark poisoner took a moment to respond. _"…Yes, I did. I dug up her past and made some connections myself. Juniper is the one named Spins, the assassin I mentioned previously. I don't know anything else on her."_

York clenched his teeth, mixed feelings storming in his mind. "Of all the things I could've expected…I never considered…"

Tamara covered her face. "That…lovable idiot…there's no way someone like her…" Spaz patted her shoulder sympathetically.

Casey spoke up over the communicator. _"Are you guys okay?"_

"Barely…" York growled quietly. "…How's Willy?"

" _Pretty shaken by it. I'm trying to comfort him."_

York snarled through his teeth. "Eli! Why the hell would you send that to us?!"

"… _Heh. If we're being honest, it was supposed to be a final send off before we went on our way. I thought stirring up trouble in your little village was the perfect way to do it."_

"Thanks a lot, asshole…"

" _Always a pleasure."_

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "…Guys…we can talk about this later. I don't want to believe it either…but we have work to do. We can't stand here all day and stand around in disbelief."

York glared at the floor. "…You're right, Spaz." He bared his teeth. "We'll talk about this later, _Eli_." York turned to the cells. "Everyone, listen up. We need you to keep our presence here secret while we're here. We promise, we'll do everything in our power to grant you your freedom. This, we swear." He placed his fist against his heart. "You have my word as a former Rogue."

Sullivan chuckled quietly. "Look who's back, people."

Mikayla nodded. "You have our full support, don't worry."

York turned to Tamara and Spaz, the former still recovering from the scare. "You two, see if you can find the security room. Don't leave any stone unturned inside."

Spaz saluted. "You can count on us."

Tamara rubbed her arm downheartedly, but nodded in agreement. "We'll meet up with you later…" She tugged on her cap. "Come on, Spaz." She turned on her heel and walked off, with Spaz not too far behind.

Once the duo was out of sight, Mikayla was finally allowed to say something that was on her mind. "…So…out of curiosity, are those two an item or what?"

York shook his head. "No. Spaz just has a crush on her. Though…I beginning to think the feelings are being returned."

"Heh…go Spaz," Sullivan cheered lightly. "I bet he'll make the first move. The ladies love a confident smooth talker."

Zoey rolled her eyes. " _Please~._ Ninja Girl's going for it first. She doesn't look like the type to let something like love fester for too long."

"You want to bet five dollars on that?"

"Make it ten and you have a deal."

Gordon groaned and covered his face. "Are we seriously betting on this stupid shit-?"

"Twenty says they crash into an iceberg and drift out to sea! A couple of lovers stranded on a plank of wood!" Braith imagined.

"We're nowhere near the sea…" Gordon grumbled.

York shook his head with a dry grin. "You guys…" He looked back at Norris' cell and frowned. _Norris…I'm sorry, buddy._ He forced himself away from the cell and pulled his mask back on. "I'm going to talk to some of the employees and get a better scope of this place. You all just hang tight."

"Not like we have anything better to do," Zoey grumbled. As York left, she quickly added, "Although, if you can convince them to bring me a TV, that'd be great!"

"Aww! I want to watch TV!" Sunny whined.

Through the lively chatter of the Rogues, Norris kept himself huddled up in the corner of his cell, covering his head. His maddened expression was now at ease, much softer and gentler. Recent tears covered his cheeks in streams. He curled his fingers and sighed, pressing his forehead to the wall.

 _I…I only had one wish in my heart…the one thing I really wanted…_

* * *

Tamara and Spaz followed some signs that pointed to an elevator. Spaz read off a directory on the wall. "Okay, it says we need to head to the fourth floor to reach the security room." He scratched at his face. "Stupid makeup…" He glanced sadly at the ninja cat, noticing her slumped posture. "…Tamara, are you doing alright?"

She exhaled a drawn-out sigh. "Sorry, I…I just can't get over what they said…Juniper being some assassin as a kid…picturing her doing something like that with that stupid grin of hers…" She held her face. "It honestly breaks my heart…"

Spaz's ears drooped. "…That doesn't mean she's bad now. Besides…if anything, it might as well be that doctor's fault. You heard what Jean said. Juniper probably didn't even choose to go like this." He touched her shoulder. "When we see her again…she'll still be the Juniper we all know and love…I believe she's beyond that past now. She said so herself. Her past is no longer her concern."

Tamara stared down, then touched his hand. "…Thanks Spaz. That…That really helps…"

He smiled. "No problem." He grunted and suddenly retracted his hand, scratching at the makeup in his fur. "Ugh, how do people stand wearing this stuff?! It's so weird!"

"You really shouldn't be scratching at it," Tamara reminded him as they approached the elevator.

"Easy for you to say, you aren't wearing this stuff all over your body!"

Tamara sighed, scratched behind her head. "I suppose I can't blame you. You look cuter green." She stopped in front of the elevator panel and pressed the up button…then went completely rigid. _Wait…WHAT?!_

Spaz's ears shot up as his face went completely red. "Uh…run that by me again?"

Tamara pulled on her whiskers and turned away as her face went red, too. _What the hell?! Why did I say that out loud?!_

"Tam…" She tensed up as his hand touched her shoulder. "Did…Did you just call me…cute?"

Tamara gulped. "I…well, I…you see, I, uh…" She stopped herself. She sounded like a babbling idiot. Why was she letting herself get tongue-tied like this? That wasn't like her. She didn't get nervous around guys.

Then again, looking at Spaz…she has been seeing him in a new light recently.

Her arms drooped to her sides. She took a deep breath, then turned around. "…Yes…I called you cute. You're right, you…don't look quite the same all yellow. I think you look better as a green Pikachu. It…well, it suits you…" She laughed awkwardly. "I mean…a normal ol' Pikachu to a Pikachu Celebi…normal's boring, right?"

Spaz blinked in awe. His blush remained, but glowed with a warmer feel. He smiled happily. "…Thanks Tam."

She smiled back, blushing as well. "No problem…" She heard the doors open behind her. "Heh…best we get in."

They stepped in with some lingering sheepishness, but…Tamara felt better saying it than letting it fester in her head. Spaz deserved to hear it. He made her that wonderful comic and brightened her spirits again. She wanted him to know he was appreciated.

"Hold that door, please!" a voice came from around the corner. Tamara pressed her hand against the elevator's door, though felt something off about that voice. It wasn't familiar by any means, but…no, it wasn't the voice. There was something…coming towards them. A tangible presence.

Spaz grimaced. "Tam…did it just get colder or is it just me?"

Tamara clenched her teeth. _He notices, too. Wait…didn't the Rogues say there were…?_

Three figures came into view. Tamara and Spaz's hearts nearly stopped when they stepped inside the elevator. So far today, they've only seen Pokémon roaming about the facility freely, excluding themselves. If there were any Fusions among them that weren't being held captive and weren't with them, that could only mean one thing.

A Mightyena-Midnight Lycanroc.

A Druddigon-Escavalier.

A Seismitoad-Exploud.

They were pushed against the wall due to the sound toad's size, almost squished. Tamara and Spaz were holding their blank expressions, hiding the suffocating fear that suddenly crept up inside of them. These three…gave off an imposing aura that made their fur stand on end.

The punkish wolf, Ripper, picked at her teeth, casting a nonchalant stare at them, unknowingly filling them with more terror. "Hey…you two. Which floor you heading to?"

Spaz bit back his fear and grinned as normally as possible. "F-Fourth floor?"

"We're heading up to the fifth floor," Lance, the dragon knight, said. "Mind hitting the button?"

"N-Not at all…" Tamara answered, reaching over and pressing both buttons.

The doors closed and the elevator began its trek upward. It would only take between ten or twenty seconds to reach the fourth floor, but time seemed to be slowing down for the two unfortunate Fusions. There was no mistaking who they were in the elevator with.

Ripper yawned. "What the hell does the Leader want with us? He tells us to go into hiding and now he comes back with some stupid Fusion power plant? The man has been busy."

"Kind of miss my old job at the bookstore," Lance brought up. "Wasn't much, but I got some sweet discounts on the books."

"Tch, nerd."

"Who you calling a nerd?! I wasn't wasting my time living in a junkyard!"

Ripper raised her digit. "Correction, I lived _and_ worked at a junkyard. Demolishing cars is surprisingly therapeutic."

Reverb sighed quietly, then spoke in a hushed tone, "What do you think he wants with us?"

"Maybe he finally found Spins," Lance brought up.

Ripper glared. "Tch…when I find the asshole who snatched her up, they're dead."

"Perhaps she is in a better place," Reverb brought up.

"You make it sound like she's dead," Ripper grumbled. "My girl ain't dead. She's a fighter, not a…die-er."

"I see inhaling those fumes at the junkyard has done wonders for your vocabulary," Lance teased.

Ripper pointed at him. "You want me to take this elevator down by the cables?" She groaned. "I swear, Spins was the only person I could have a decent conversation with."

"What? I'm not enough?"

"Do you _want_ to have long conversations about fashion magazines?"

"Point taken." Lance suddenly raised his brow. "Wait, did Spins even like that stuff?"

"Oh, heck no, but she was a great listener."

While the two bickered back and forth, they were left blissfully unaware of the two disguised Fusions trying their best not to break down on the floor. The casual way they spoke of their friend's original name pretty much confirmed who these three were.

 _I knew it. They know who Juniper is,_ Tamara thought fearfully.

 _They're the assassins!_ Spaz mentally shouted, feeling sweat form under his fur.

Tamara casted a warning glance at him. _Spaz, keep it together! If that makeup runs and they see your actual fur, they'll know something's up!_

"Hey, you two!" They straightened up in a start and looked up at Ripper. "You mind backing me up here? This stubborn metalhead is driving me nuts."

Lance crossed his arms. "Actually, I don't remember seeing these two around. They look pretty young, too." The disguised duo's eyes shrunk.

Ripper, unintentionally, saved them. "Tch, so what? I've retained my youthful glow just fine!"

"You're still in your twenties, though."

"Yes…and your point is…?"

They shouted back and forth at each other again, leading Reverb to sigh and bend down to the two. "Sorry about them. Seven or so years apart and they're still as hostile to each other as ever."

Tamara grinned awkwardly. "Oh…no worries. We don't mind." Her eyes kept shifting at the counter above their heads. They were barely on the third floor! How slow was this elevator?!

Ripper sighed and held her paws up. "Alright, look…I miss Spins as much as the next guy. She was a sweet kid, if a little cold. I could've seen her having a decent life compared to us. I mean, give us some credit, the Leader didn't kidnap us when we were babies."

Tamara narrowed her eyes. _What…?_

Lance scratched his cheek. "You think we should've ever told Spins about…you know what?"

Ripper raised her claw. "You know the Leader didn't want us to tell her that. That was the whole reason he got her to commit to the training. We needed to fill her hatred of Pokémon. We didn't need any convincing, but she was a kid. Sure, the thought of killing never crossed my mind when we were her age, but…well, _we_ had pretty sucky parents and neighbors who made that choice easier."

Tamara's fear diminished as her eyes lowered into a suspicious glare. _Wait…are they saying…what I think they're saying? That Juniper was…_

Reverb patted them on the backs. "Stranger things have happened in a lifetime. Perhaps fate will allow us to reunite with our little sister once again."

Ripper sighed. "That'd be a dream."

 _DING!_

Tamara and Spaz's heads shot up as the doors opened. They reached the fourth floor.

"Oh, pardon us," Reverb said, pushing Ripper and Lance back to let the two out.

The duo blinked, then calmly stepped out of the elevator. Tamara scratched behind her head. "Well, it was…nice meeting you all. Hehe…"

Spaz waved politely, grinning along with Tamara. "Eh…will we see you again?"

Ripper shrugged. "Maybe…maybe not. Who cares? We're going to be pretty busy, anyway."

Lance waved to them as the doors closed. "Let's try and meet up for lunch sometime! You two are pretty cool, if just a little too skittish-!" The doors closed on him.

They were finally alone. They inhaled deeply, then sputtered out exhausted breaths.

"Holy shit!" Spaz exclaimed, panting like he just got done running a marathon. "That was suffocating!"

Tamara breathed out. "No kidding…I've never been that terrified in my life…"

"Do they even realize how frightening they look?"

"I rather not think about it…" Tamara glanced at the closed elevator doors. "Still…for a group of assassins, they didn't sound as menacing as I pinned them…"

"They really miss Juniper, too…" Spaz added.

"Yeah…almost sweet, actually…"

Spaz narrowed his eyes. "Hey…what did you think they meant back there? Sounds like they were hiding something from Juniper?"

"I'm not fully sure, but…I got _something_ from their tones." She shook her head before straightening up. "But that's for another time. We should keep going." She pressed her fingers to her communicator. "Jean, we're on the floor to the security room. We'll brief you in on what we find."

" _Alright. Hey, are you okay? You sound a bit shaken over there."_

Tamara sighed. "Long story…we'll tell you later…" She gestured for Spaz to follow as they went down the hallway.

* * *

The elevator reached the fifth floor, with the assassins stepping out into a new hallway. They looked down it and found the pair of double doors leading to an office. Pushing their way in, they entered the large oval office where their leader sat in his swivel chair, gazing out the window with a hand to his cheek.

The trio took a knee and bowed their heads. "You called for us, Leader?"

Albert looked over his shoulder, then spun around. "Ah, yes. Thank you three for coming."

Ripper stood up and resumed looking bored as usual. "What's this about? You don't contact us for seven years and now we hear you're planning for some doomsday event? Yeesh, I know the years aren't too kind on the elderly, but…"

"I'm not even past my late thirties, Ripper…" Albert grumbled.

Reverb saluted. "What is your request, sir?"

"I have one last job for you three. Maybe two." He narrowed his eyes. "See, I'm sure you've heard of the recent buzz made by my partner, Data. This facility was specifically designed to fuel his project. Working in secret for as long as I have hasn't been easy, but definitely rewarding. However…the shipments we've made are gradually disappearing. Not all of them, but some trucks were the victims of supposed ambushes. It's becoming too noticeable to handwave."

"Do you know who it is?" Lance asked.

"It's highly likely to be the work of the Fusion Council from Gappei Village, plus the other stragglers that weren't teleported with the rest of their village." Albert narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what they're planning, but we can't have any further delays. I want you to track them down and locate those missing containers. If they keep vitiating Data's machine, we'll never get close to achieving our goals."

"So, you want us to hunt them down, kill them, then take the fuel back?" Ripper summed up.

"About right."

Ripper glanced off to the side. "Yeeeeeah…not sure I'm on board with that…"

Albert narrowed his eyes. "You three have killed before, it's nothing new. Have you grown soft while you were gone?"

Lance held his hands up. "Look, don't get us wrong, but…we had a lot of time to just, well, _chill_ for once. Actually felt nice for a change." Reverb nodded in agreement.

Albert straightened up. "Need I remind you that I'm the one who pulled you away from your abusive families? Like it or not, you three owe me this much. I won't take 'no' for an answer. There's enough of a case on you three to put you in jail for years."

Ripper glared off to the side, pouting. "Annnd, now he's playing that card."

"I only have two jobs left for you, then you're free to do whatever the hell you want. That's my promise to you."

The three looked at each other, then sighed, seeing they had no choice in the matter. "Alright…you have our attention. That all?"

"Not quite. This brings us to our second point of discussion." Albert leaned back in his chair. "I'm not too concerned about the shipments. I'll be planning new routes for those. What has me concerned is something else. We had to get rid of Chief Liam because he was a threat. We have one of their own in captivity because he is a threat, the one known as Peregrine." He glared seriously. "These councilmen are troublesome...which made me realize something. The seventh member we were never able to find.

"He's a wild card. He's supposedly the second strongest of the bunch...and that was a long time ago. How long until he decides to stand up and fight this battle? If he's anywhere as dangerous as Liam...we don't have many other pawns to spare with a high success rate."

Lance raised his brow. "What are you saying?"

"If you three were to face him…I can't guarantee you'll win." He shook his head. "I don't think even Spins would've been able to do anything. He's _that_ good."

"Spooky," Ripper mumbled.

"But why send us, then?" Reverb asked.

Albert sighed. "Frankly…it's because you're the best we've got." He rested his cheek into his hand. "I intend to send some Fusions to put a stop to him. They'll alert you if anything goes awry. I want you to go after him and kill him, no matter what. You'll be stationed in Grandis to stop the council. The second you get the alert, go to Gideon and have him teleport you there. Don't let Gero live. He's top priority, even above the fuel situation."

They saluted. "Roger that."

Ripper cracked her paws. "Been a while since I took a life. Corrupt politicians, Anti-Fusion Activists…never had to go after another Fusion, though."

"This'll be an experience." Lance grabbed the two lances held on his back. "Let's dedicate our future battle against Gero in honor of Spins."

Reverb raised his brow. "You do realize we're the second wave, right?"

"Oh, I have NO hope for those other guys."

The assassins stepped out of Albert's office, leaving him alone to admire the outside. He slumped in his chair and took a deep breath. Looking at his reflection in the window, he can't help but reflect on how he got here. If it were anyone else, they'd be thrown for a loop. Who went from prospecting scientist to the second hand of a mad activist?

Albert sighed and closed his eyes to this. Guess he was alone there.

* * *

Codex was lay out on a worktable in the hut, with Simon operating on the back of his head. He was surprised that the Fusion was quite mechanical, finding all types of different circuits in the back of his head. He carefully picked at some wires with tweezers while testing out the circuits in his head to see how they were fairing.

The others stood off to the side, patiently watching the lemur work. Rebecca cleared her throat. "So, uh…how is he?"

Simon smirked awkwardly. "My, oh my, you weren't kidding. The dude got real busted up. I'm seeing fried circuits and wires here and there...quite the hiccup." He spun a screwdriver in his hand. "However, nothing that can't be fixed. I told you my skills will have you convinced."

Ren smiled. "Yeah. Thanks again for fixing him up. You wouldn't believe what walking with him was like."

Emily rubbed her head. "No kidding. During one of our routines, he did the Worm on the road and was nearly ran over by a semi…"

Simon grinned. "It is no trouble of mine, always happy to help. Though, this is a complicated process, step by step." He searched through his toolbox. "Now then, where's my…?"

"Perhaps a break would do you some good, sweetie." They turned their heads as the lemur's mother slithered from the kitchen. The Serperior carried a tray of hot cocoa on her head. "Perhaps you and your friends would be interested in a cup of cocoa?"

Simon beamed and took a mug. "Thank you, Mama!" He slurped the warm beverage down.

"Cocoa!" Ren cheered, snagging a mug for himself and happily guzzling it down.

Emily rolled her eyes playfully as she and Rebecca took their mugs. "He's such a little kid…" Rebecca giggled behind her hand.

"Pfft! Speak for yourself!" Charlie chimed in, taking his mug and dumping the entire drink down his throat.

Serperior smiled. "Always glad to have some new faces around our little village."

"Your people have a lovely farm," Emily brought up. "Charlie and I actually worked on one a little while ago."

"Oh? Then perhaps you can help out around here," Serperior suggested.

Emily smiled. "It'd be nice, actually."

"Aww, work?" Charlie pouted.

Rebecca glanced curiously at Emily. "Shouldn't we focus on finding a way home?"

Emily held her hand up. "After the crap we went through, I'm fine taking a week off just to relax, even if it does involve farm work." She sipped her cocoa.

Simon spun the screwdriver in his hand as he checked through Codex's back next. "Mama, if it's not any trouble, can you keep them company? I need the silence, and work like this shouldn't be done clumsily."

Serperior waved it off. "Oh, I don't mind, sweetie." She gestured the others to follow her into the living room. "Tell me, do any of you like to play checkers?"

Simon's eyes widened as they left the room, then he exhaled a drawn-out sigh. _Perhaps I should tell them how competitive she gets in checkers..._

* * *

Down the road leading to the front of the village, three figures approached wearing cloaks over their bodies to hide their identities. One had her head close to the ground as she sniffed out a scent they've been tracking, before stopping in front of the gravel path.

"The scent of metal and oil ends here," she said, raising her head.

The shorter of their group wagged what appeared to be the tail of a Bibarel. "Oh, boy howdy! I reckon this might be where our good pal, that fancy techno ghost, is hidin' out! Yessiree!"

"Good…" The larger of their group cracked his neck, then his knuckles. "Time to collect our target."


	75. Winds of the Future

After their long journey through Hoenn, it was nice for Ren and the gang to finally take a load off and rest for once. The hospitality offered by Simon and his mother was very welcoming. It's not like they had any hostile issues on the road, but some nice faces to help them up was a needed boost in morale.

As they were on a berry farm, Emily took to helping out on the farm with Charlie. It took a whole lot of convincing and discipline to keep him from eating the harvest. How he didn't eat up Annabeth's crops back in Sinnoh was beyond the Mawile-Froslass to bother figuring.

Codex remained inside as Simon tirelessly worked on him. The group was concerned at first with him staying up all night just to fix their friend, though he assured them he didn't mind the work. He liked to keep himself preoccupied with a project.

Then, there was Ren and Rebecca. There wasn't much for them to do, so they decided to hang out on the hut's porch. Simon's mother offered them lemonade, which they kindly accepted. They gazed out at the trees, taking the occasional sip of their lemonade.

Ren breathed through his nostrils and sighed, letting himself melt onto the porch steps. He hadn't realized how much his feet ached from all the walking and performing they did. Any longer and they might've taken up that jokey idea of joining the theatre. Not necessarily a bad idea, but not top priority either.

Ren voiced his thoughts to the blue fox next to him. "When was the last time we just, you know, sat back and sipped some lemonade on a porch?"

Rebecca sighed, leaning her head back to face the sky. "WAY too long! Coming up with new routines every day for scrap money is _exhausting_!"

Ren grinned. "It was kind of fun, though!"

"True, but I think I'll stick to painting."

Ren chuckled. "What? Don't fancy yourself a dancer?"

Rebecca waved it off with a light grin. "Oh please, I'm not dancer. I have two left feet for it."

"Aww, don't be like that! I think you're a fantastic dancer!" Ren exclaimed.

Rebecca's eyes twinkled joyously. "You really mean that?"

He nodded. "Absolutely!"

Rebecca hugged her tail and looked off to the side with a bright blush. She giggled coyly behind her hand. "Heh…well, perhaps I should take it up more often. It'd be nice to try new things out…like maybe the _tango~,"_ she hinted flirtatiously.

Ren handwaved it off obliviously. "Nah! A dance partner would just weigh you down! You're great on your own!"

Rebecca slouched forward with an exasperated smile, sighing, "Gee…thanks…"

"No problem!"

Emily and Charlie, who had just returned from picking in the fields, deadpanned at the frog knight. _Freakin' clueless…_

Ren leaned back on the porch and gazed up at the sky again, arms behind his head. "I wonder if the others got caught up in crazy adventures like us! Ooh, maybe Juniper ended up in a soda factory!"

"We would never see that girl again," Emily joked.

"No, we would," Charlie countered playfully. "She would be all over the news as 'The Girl Who Put the Cola Industry Out of Business!'"

Emily snorted, covering her mouth. "Guess they would drop her off to us to get rid of her."

"I'm patiently awaiting the newspapers!" Ren exclaimed. He scratched behind his head. "Though…I do hope everyone's okay. How do you think they're handling the news?"

" _If_ they know what's going on," Emily spoke up, "I take it not terribly well." She sighed tiredly. "I'm barely holding myself together…"

"You seem fine to me," Charlie admitted.

"Yes, but that's because I'm trying _not_ to freak out. I mean…ugh, seriously, that guy is a hair trigger from desolating the planet all in the name of some delusional justice."

Ren narrowed his eyes sadly. "…Hard to believe such a kind, respectable man who fought for a good cause…is willing to step this far. I always wanted to meet him, for as impossible as it was, but…not this side of him."

Rebecca crossed her arms. "I've read some of the online articles about the situation. Region militaries are still trying to find a way to sneak through undetected. Because the Fusion Hunter HQ was taken over, they have some of the best surveillance equipment to keep Kanto isolated. It'll only be a matter of time before the military finds a way through, but…"

"Will they be able to in time." Charlie said it as a statement.

"So far, I don't have much hope," Emily murmured.

Rebecca looked down at her feet. "…I do wonder if Shane and Chris are faring well. I know they can take care of themselves, but what happened back at the village was pretty traumatic..." She narrowed her eyes. "Guys? Are we strong enough?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ren asked.

"Ren, we got our butts kicked back there. We were totally unprepared and they floored us. Now, all five of us are thinking WE can sneak back into Kanto, something the military is having trouble accomplishing, and beat the Renegades and take down that doomsday machine? Doesn't that sound…absurd?!"

Ren blinked, then looked at the sky. "Hmm…I guess so."

"So why aren't you freaking out like the rest of us?"

He shrugged. "Don't know…but, I just want to see my home again." He leaned back on his hands. "I mean…I love being a Fusion, but…I wouldn't want anyone else to go through that, especially like this. Forcing something they aren't onto them…that's not nice. That's not cool. Whether you're a Pokémon or a Fusion, no one should have to say that you need to be like everyone else to belong.

"I also wouldn't want my parents to suffer through the transformation. They've supported me for years, even when I came to the village. I like them just the way they are, and I don't want to see them suffer because someone said it was in the name of peace. No death, no suffering. I want to bring peace through a kind hand."

Rebecca stared in awe, then smiled sweetly at the frog. "You're too pure for your own good, Ren." The frog knight smiled.

Charlie sighed and touched his hip. "Guess that means we need to try harder to get stronger."

Emily rolled her eyes. "We need to do more than 'get stronger.' Simply saying _that_ won't do us squat. There's no way we could reasonably get stronger by the time that device is set to go."

"But as long as Codex has the activation key, we have all the time in the world," Charlie reminded.

Emily clenched her fist. "And that's what has me concerned the most. They're looking for US still. We haven't encountered a single Renegade yet. Either we actually gave them the slip or they're still hunting us down. We'd be putting the people of this village in danger if a fight breaks out."

Rebecca stood up. "So, if getting strong in time is a hopeful miracle, what more can we do?"

"Focusing on getting Fusion Mode activated." Emily curled her fingers. "I've actually been practicing ever since we got here. With all this free time, I think I'm finally getting the hand of activating it." She glared. "I just need more push…" She glanced at the others. "What about you three?"

Charlie shrugged. "Still working on it."

"I might be teetering between mastery and still in training," Rebecca admitted.

Charlie then glared at Ren oddly. "You know, that's pretty strange. Out of all of us, Ren should've unlocked Fusion Mode EONS ago. I mean, you have to balance out your virtues and regrets, right? You're the least regretful person I know!"

"Hmm?" Rebecca scratched her cheek. "...Actually, he has a point. You had a pretty normal childhood, Ren...even if you had to leave home when the village first came around.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Don't forget, you two, Cade told us there has to be a balance of our good and bad parts. Even if Ren is the most virtuous and pure Fusion on the planet, he's not perfect. He has regrets and flaws like the rest of us."

"What's with that, Ren?" Charlie asked.

Ren looked between them, then shrugged reluctantly. "I…guess I never had a reason to be regretful." He laughed quietly. "All I ever wanted was to help everyone and…be noticed, I guess."

"Noticed?" Emily questioned.

"My parents taught me that you have to give your best if you want others to appreciate you." He shrugged. "All my life, I took that policy to heart. I wanted others to know I appreciated them so they could appreciate me. I was pretty young when I first went to the village…I didn't know how to make friends at the time. Most parents didn't want their kids hanging out with me…" He sighed. "I learned patience and…I focused more on gaining other's favor so they could like me. It worked, for what it's worth. Everyone says I'm one of the nicest guys to talk to."

"He does greet newcomers all the time," Charlie brought up aloud.

Rebecca smiled lightly. "Oh Ren, you don't need to try so hard to get others to like you. You're one of the nicest faces anyone can meet. If you were just a Frogadier, you'd be the nicest Pokémon in the world."

Ren smiled bashfully. "Aw…shucks!"

Emily held her hip and smirked. "She's right. You have this nauseating kindness that can sometimes be too much…whether that's good or bad for us is up in the air, but the point does stand. Maybe you shouldn't have to worry about be some symbol like Tamara or Juniper try to be. You being you is plenty."

"I guess…" Ren frowned. "…but I wonder if my kindness is enough. Ivan Faust tried and look where that brought him. I don't want to end up a madman trying to make the world a better place."

"First off, not a single part of you would ever end up like him!" Rebecca argued strongly. She then calmly continued, "Second…this isn't just about you trying to help relations between Pokémon and Fusions get better. We're in this together, right?"

Ren blinked, then smiled at the ground. "I suppose you're right."

"Suppose?"

"Oh, alright, you're definitely right!" Ren clenched his fists. "I'm going to push past this and keep trying to bring out Fusion Mode! I won't let my friends and people down without bringing the fight to those Renegades!"

"Atta boy!" Emily cheered dryly.

Ren chuckled to himself, then leaned back. "…Heh…I really do want to make the future a better place…I still want to make something of myself."

"You and me both," Rebecca joined in. "I would like to become an artist one day. I know it's not the most paying job sometimes, but I can always find something to do with it."

Emily sighed and rested her head in her hand. "I could consider working on Annabeth's farm. The countryside did wonders for me."

Charlie nodded. "I'd be more than willing to join you!"

Emily blushed. She looked away and smiled to herself. "That'd be nice…"

Ren gazed up at the sky, then smiled. "This is reminding me of when Chief Liam brought us in to talk about our futures. You three remember that?"

"Oh yeah," Emily said with a nod.

"Man, that was a long time ago, actually," Rebecca realized in disbelief. "Things were so normal before the attack. Geez…"

Emily glared worriedly. "…Chief Liam wasn't at either attack…where do you suppose he is?"

"Do you think Data did something to him?" Charlie expressed in concern.

Rebecca shook her head. "Come on, guys, you shouldn't worry about Chief Liam. He's...well, invincible, right? I don't see him ever going down. If we were ever in danger...he'd be there to save us in a heartbeat."

Charlie raised his brow. "I vividly recall us _losing_ both attacks and no sign of Liam."

Rebecca groaned. "You know what I mean. Sure, for all we know, something did happen, but…it's Liam! He's a freakin' god amongst Fusions! I'm telling you, there's nothing in this world that can take him down! He'll be back, you'll see! He'll beat Data and live to guide us on our new journey to living our lives!"

Ren grinned. "Someone's getting pumped…"

Rebecca stood up and raised her fists. "That's because I, too, want to see my future shine on! I can't see myself living in this bleak future! Despite my complaints, I actually had fun with our improv group! That's something I was never able to try until now, even with the circumstances! I want to get outside my comfort zone and keep reaching for new heights!"

"You tell 'em, Rebecca!" Ren cheered.

"And I know for a fact nothing will stop Chief Liam! He'll return and he'll save all of us!"

Emily and Charlie stared wide-eyed at the energetic fox before the frost maiden smirked in amusement. "I kind of like this side of you, Rebecca."

Ren nodded in agreement. "Yeah! And I want to help as many people as I can! None of this doom and gloom crap! Who cares if these guys are WAY stronger than us?! We'll just keep coming back until we take down their stupid machine!"

Emily sighed and shrugged in exasperation. "Well, hate to admit it, but doing taxes sounds better than the apocalypse."

"That's the spirit!"

Rebecca grinned. "And as soon as Codex gets fixed up, we'll plan our next move!"

"Right you are, my fellow companions!" The group turned as Simon stepped out into the open, pushing some goggles onto his forehead. He gestured to the door. "Feast your eyes…on your renewed champion!"

They stared at the entrance as a figure floated into view. It was none other than their good pal, Codex, who was in far better health that last seen. He wasn't malfunctioning on the spot like earlier and had his usual blank-faced expression. Still, was he actually operating properly?

Ren stepped forward and waved his hand in front of the computer's face. "Codex? Buddy? How you feeling?"

Code blinked twice, then his eyes flashed with code and patterns before reaching his answer. "…I appear to be operating at one hundred percent efficiency. My malfunctioning has ceased."

Ren cheered and hugged the ghost computer tightly. "Buddy! You're okay! It's a miracle!"

"Please refrain from hugging me…"

Rebecca smiled happily. "It's great to have you back, Codex! We were really worried about you!"

"And ourselves," Emily muttered. "Do you know how many times you've jumped into traffic? It was not fun, let me tell you." She smiled coolly. "Still, happy to see you doing better."

Charlie snickered. "I'm almost going to miss glitchy Codex. Everything where it should be?"

Codex gently pushed Ren off and ran a diagnostic check on his system. "It appears so."

"What about the activation code?" Rebecca asked.

"Still tucked away in my memory banks." He turned to the lemur. "Thank you for your assistance."

Simon grinned and waved it off. "Aw, no need to thank me. That's what friends are for. Which reminds me, hope you enjoy your new apps in store."

"Apps?" Codex checked through his system again. "…Huh. I appear to now have Solitaire in my hard drive…and something called Flappy Pidgey."

Ren snickered. "At least you won't get board on the trip home."

"We are still planning on returning to Kanto?" Codex asked.

Ren nodded. "Absolutely!"

Simon smile. "And…do you…have a plan for that?" he asked slowly.

Emily groaned and scratched at her secondary mouth. "That part, we're still figuring out. With Kanto on lockdown, we would need to sneak into the region. Can't do that without a plane or boat. Even then, getting through the borders might be a tad tricky."

"That so? Hmm…" Stroking his chin, Simon went through his mind for ideas. One did stick out, though there was the potential risk factor of getting to Kanto. Not only that, but it would require him to leave home. He couldn't do that to his mother, she'd be worried sick over him.

On the other hand, he'd be worried sick about his mother suffering through a Fusion transformation, possibly worse. She would understand why he would do it.

"If I may…" he suddenly announced, gathering their attention. "...I may have to ask my mama for permission, for she may not like me leaving so far from home. However, I know a boat captain down at the docks, a family friend who can move through the sea in a quiet roam."

Rebecca's eyes widened. "You're saying you know a guy who can get us into Kanto?"

"Yes ma'am, I am." He shrugged. "It is worth a shot. Better to try than not."

Ren grinned. "That's super awesome, Simon! We would definitely appreciate it!"

Simon smiled. "I'm glad for your praise, but a condition I must raise." He held up his finger. "The thing is…I…have to come along…with you."

"Why's that?" Charlie asked.

"My boating friend is quite the paranoid one, as you can imagine. Doesn't trust people, even tried to shoot one with a cannon." He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "I often wonder if the sea air has something to do with that…"

Rebecca crossed her arms. "In other words, we need you to keep him calm so he doesn't freak out over us."

"Pretty much."

Ren smiled. "Hey, if it gets us to Kanto faster, I say we take it."

Codex nodded. "We will use this time to plan for the destruction of that horrid machine."

Charlie raised his fist. "Then let's get ready, team!"

"Right!"

* * *

With their newfound access into the sealed off Grandis City, Quinn, Vivi, the Dodrio-Zweilous brothers, and Abraham were able to get through with no interference. They ascended up a fire escape and onto a building to get a better view of the city. As it turned out, everything was worse than they could've imagined.

There were no Pokémon in the bare streets, with cars tipped over and windows smashed. In light of their new power, the newly recruited Renegades took advantage of the fear they brought to the Pokémon and raided everything they could. It wouldn't surprise the group if some of these crazed followers were teens trying to act cool and rebellious. Seemed about right for the age.

Quinn was the first to note this as he scanned the streets. "Hardly any Pokémon out. Where do you suppose they all went?"

Abraham peered around through some binoculars, ones he, regretfully, picked off from a tarnished little shop on their way in. "They must have barricaded themselves in the resident district until the 'storm' passes. They're waiting for a nightmare to pass."

Trent, one of the Dodrio heads, growled furiously. "This place makes me sick! They turned it into a ghost town!"

TJ blinked dryly at him. "A ghost town is completely vacant land. There are still some Fusions running amuck down there."

"YOU KNOW WHAT I-!" He was interrupted by a swift bonk from one of his brothers. "OI!"

Travis shushed him. "If we could, perhaps, save the screaming for another time?"

Vivi had her eyes on the skies, peering around for their other ally who had, unwillingly, taken to recon. "Ulysses sure is taking his time. Why isn't he back yet?" She tapped her chin. "Do you think he got spotted?"

Quinn shook his head. "While it wouldn't surprise me, Ulysses wouldn't put himself out in the open if it puts him in danger. If anything, it's the exact opposite. He's being so overly cautious that he's taking longer than he needs to for recon."

"That so?" Vivi looked ahead. "He sure is a fraidy cat."

Quinn sighed. "He volunteered to come, so…"

Vivi giggled. "I think it's kind of cute how shy he is!"

Abraham peered up at the sky and smirked. "Speak of the devil…"

The sound of wings flapping alerted them to the return of the cellular avian as he glided onto the roof. He looked positively shaken from his adventure into the heavily guarded city, immediately hugging himself upon landing. "N-N-Never m-make me d-do that again…"

Abraham stood up. "Back already, my boy?"

"I w-was so s-s-scared…"

Trent waved it off impatiently. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, great story! Spill your guys, birdbrain! What'd you find?"

"EEP!" Ulysses jumped back and covered his face.

Vivi walked up to him and patted his back. "Aww! Don't let the mean ol' bird get you down."

"WHO YOU CALLING-?!" Another swift bonk to the head. "OW!"

"Must I reiterate the whole 'silence' thing I'd like to maintain?" Travis passive-aggressively reminded him. He looked to Ulysses and said, "If you would proceed?"

Ulysses gulped. "R-Right, um…well...um...well...I found out they turned a restaurant into their...p-personal factory for those weird weapon things...they've connected quite a few nearby buildings with it to make it…bigger, I suppose."

Quinn glared. "The Fusion Arsenals."

Todd shrieked at this. "Oh no! Y-Y-You mean those horrible death trap weapons?! Sh-Shit…!"

Tommy smirked. "That sounds awesome!"

"Not awesome!"

Travis groaned. "Why do I even bother?"

Abraham narrowed his eyes. "An entire factory to mass produce those weapons for the sole purpose of keeping up security? My, my, that simply won't do."

Quinn crossed his arms. "So, what do you suggest, old man?"

Abraham raised a digit. "I believe we've gone past the point to be cautious. If we're going to tear down that machine, we need to make sure they don't have any extra firepower on hand. We'll have to plan for a raid."

"What? You mean go in and wreck the place?"

"Not just wreck it. It occurs to me that we can't rely on our small group to get past the Renegades." He turned and faced the group. "However, I'm willing to bet there's a number of Pokémon in the residential district that feel awfully oppressed by Faust's tyrannical ambitions. They simply can't do much against a stronger species, but what's stopping us from supplying them with extra power?"

"You're saying we _steal_ from the factory, and then torch it?"

"Precisely."

"This sounds dangerous."

"Everything we do from here on out will be, in fact, dangerous."

Quinn sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Fair point. Guess I can't say no."

Vivi was particularly excited for this. "Woohoo! This'll be great! I get to break into another heavily guarded facility!"

Abraham raised a brow at her. "Pardon?"

"Nothing!"

He glared at her curiously before dropping it. "Anyway…we'll meet back with the others and discuss our plan of attack. Be ready for the worse, team."

Ulysses gulped. "Yay…?"

Abraham smiled kindly. "You're more than welcomed to stay behind this time, Ulysses."

"Oh, thank goodness…" He turned and flew off back to base.

The group slowly started to take off, with Abraham nearly following behind. He stopped when he noticed Quinn lagging behind, even stopping entirely. He stared over the edge of the roof, hugging himself with a distant look.

The nightmare lizard drew a long breath and sighed. A warm hand clasped his shoulder, belonging to Abraham as he joined the lizard's side. "You and Artemis will join together soon enough, my boy."

"…How'd you know that's what I was thinking?"

"I've seen things in my lifetime." Abraham glanced curiously at the teen. "Two Fusions I never expected to join hand-in-paw. You two are radically different, yet get along together just fine. It's oddly charming to watch such youth exist in our little community. I've wanted to see that same youth shine on through each and every one of you. I did value your happiness."

"…" Quinn wiped a single tearing forming from his eye. "Thanks…"

Abraham smiled, then pulled away from him. "...I saw you cry once for no reason. Curious. Perhaps Artemis shed tears for you, too...and you felt her pain." He turned and made his way after the others before they got too far.

Quinn narrowed his eyes solemnly at his feet, with the everlasting visage of his girlfriend still fresh in his mind. It wouldn't be the right time to tell them how he would be plagued by his own self-induced nightmares of losing Artemis. Those were the nights where he had to take control of them himself. Even if it was fake, he wanted something in his dreams to keep him sane. Nice moments with Dream Artemis to keep him grounded.

It never occurred to him how much she kept his own fears at bay, and vice versa. Who knew a nightmare Fusion could create such comfort with another?

He sighed, then floated after Abraham. "…Right…"

* * *

Tamara, Spaz, and York found privacy within the facility's lounge room, where they could eat and talk in private. Once again, they asked Jean to disable the cameras and sound so that they wouldn't have any disturbances. The ninja cat sipped on some water while Spaz made sandwiches for them.

York rested his elbows on the table, staring downhearted at the surface with a distant stare. They were the eyes of a man lost in a labyrinth of thought. They were having a conversation about something when he lost himself to his own thoughts. He looked sick as he replayed the events from a couple days ago in his mind. The memories brought about a cold sweat that drew him from a good night's sleep, unable to forget the pernicious effect he had on his friend.

"York?" He flinched awake as Tamara snapped her fingers in front of his face. "You still with us?"

He shook his head. "S-Sorry." He scratched at his neck. "What were we…oh, right. How's security coming along?"

Tamara swirled her water. "Still figuring thing's out, but I'm getting there." She sipped her water. "What about you? Rogue's getting prepared?"

"I'm working getting them back up to strength in secret, though it's hard without someone noticing the vests not stealing energy." York sighed and held his cheek. "Norris, on the other hand…not doing so well…"

"He's still not talking to you?" Spaz chirped in.

"I can't even get him to _growl_ at me. It's that bad."

Spaz waved his hand around. "Hey, chin up! You'll get through to him eventually!"

York sighed. "I'm considering just giving up on him…"

Tamara narrowed her eyes. "That doesn't sound like you."

"That was before I realized what Norris really though about me." He clenched his eyes shut. "What he thought about all of the Rogues…"

"Come on, you and I both know he might've said most of that out of anger. There's no way he hates you guys."

"Maybe, but…he sure sounded like he did at _me_ …"

Tamara leaned forward. "Now what's that talk? Weren't you the one determined to get his spirit back up?"

York glared at the floor. "I try and I try, but…I question if I have what it takes to be a good counselor. I thought I could solve people's problems and help them move on from their struggles. The one person…that I wanted to help…I just made his problems worse…" York covered his head and slammed it onto the table.

Spaz turned around. "Um…you alright?"

York bared his teeth angrily. "...I should've seen it. Norris, of all people, gets heated when in a fight. I thought that was because he got excited to battle, but...no...the fighting actually made him worse." He groaned furiously and reeled his head back. "I'm a freakin' idiot! I practically encouraged that behavior...!"

"Come on, man, you didn't know," Spaz tried to reason.

"But I should've! There's no excuse for that!" York breathed out in shuddering breaths, clenching to his head in distress. "I was his friend and I was supposed to bring him to peace! All he wanted was to live a normal life free of strife and I brought it to him! I encouraged him to take on the stress! He never wanted this! He just wanted some peace and quiet! I made his condition WORSE!"

Tamara immediately gripped his shoulder and glared sternly. "York…breathe. Calm down." The armored lizard complied and drew tight, but calmer breaths. The ninja cat sighed with ease, then relaxed her glare. "Now listen to me carefully. While I believe we should respect Norris' wishes, we can't do this without some serious firepower. Spaz and I saw firsthand what he's capable of doing on his own. That's enough to say he's a worthy ally."

York averted her gaze. "I can't do that to him…he'll hate me more than ever if I convince him to fight again…"

"Whether or not you betrayed his trust, he's still your friend _somewhere_ inside. Right now, we need _you_ to reach out to him. It'll be a one-time deal…maybe two…but the Rogues need his strength…"

"He doesn't want to fight, though…" York pressed.

Tamara sighed. "…Sometimes we have to fight for the people we care about. That's what it means to be a hero after all. We're the ones who do things that other can't do for themselves. We face the criminals others can muster the strength to do it themselves. Norris isn't any different." She crossed her arms. "I think I now know why the Rogues and you followed him…whether he likes it or not, he brought something that can't be denied to the observant eye."

York looked up worriedly. "…What do I even say?"

"Anything that doesn't trigger a second panic attack…or gets your head ripped off."

"Or anything that doesn't give _you_ a panic attack," Spaz added in.

York looked down at the table, then took one deep breath. "R-Right…Right…"

Spaz skipped over to the two and set down plates of sandwiches. "And what better way to take our minds off things than with some well-deserved lunch?"

Tamara smiled. "This looks delicious, Spaz. Thanks."

Spaz blushed and waved it off. "Oh…it's nothing, really. I…hope you like it…" He picked his up and went for a bite. However, his ears twitched as he heard someone coming their way. "Huh?" His eyes widened as the fur on the back of his neck stood on end. "Oh no…"

Tamara's whiskers twitched nervously, feeling the same presence. "Shit…"

York immediately pulled his hood on, while asking, "What? Is someone coming-?"

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?"

York's pupils shrank as three ominous figures stood behind him. Their chilling presence stabbed into his body, invading his personal security. The fear was only masked behind his helmet, allowing him to freely look up at them with his terror filled eyes.

He could see the murderous glints in their eyes. These three were the assassins Tamar and Spaz encountered. They were every bit as terrifying as the duo described. He never felt such a powerful presence in his life.

He was close to passing out until Ripper moved away from him and towards the other two. "Hey, it's our elevator buddies!" She wrapped her forelegs around them and pulled them into tight hugs. "Fancy seeing you pipsqueaks around!"

Spaz, while sufficiently less nervous to see them, didn't particularly liked being hugged by someone who probably used her claws to gut someone. "…Feeling's mutual…" he squeaked.

York gripped his chest, breathing slowly to control his scattered nerves. _What the hell…is this presence? Shit…Tamara was right. If they find out what we're doing here, we're SCREWED!_

Lance went over to the fridge, searching for anything to drink. "Nice seeing you two again. That another recruit or something?"

Tamara glanced at York. "Um…yeah, he's…a friend of ours. Works with maintaining the cells and stuff."

York gulped and raised his hand. "…Greetings."

Reverb nodded. "Pleasure to meet you."

Spaz nervously glanced at Lance. "Um… _not_ that we aren't happy to see you three, but…why are you here, exactly?"

"I just needed a quick drink." Lance pulled out some orange juice, then went to the cupboard for a cup. "We're actually going to be heading out soon on a mission."

"That…so?" Tamara asked.

Ripper sighed. "Unfortunately. Totally lame, but we go back to vacationing afterwards. Hopefully my junkyard is still in business when I get back. I like smashing cars."

Tamara laughed nervously, scooting over to York. "Oh…that sounds like fun…" She nudged his side and whispered, "How you holding up?"

"Barely…" he mumbled back.

Spaz clasped his hands together. "You three…don't seem particularly enthused to be here. N-Not that we don't mind, but…!"

Ripper groaned. "Believe me, I don't. I mean, sure, it was kind of cool to be super-secret assassins that brought down the worst Pokémon in the world and shit, but…it got super lame after a while. Got REALLY lame after I found my passion for smashing cars."

Lance poured himself a cup of orange juice, then put the carton back. "The Leader can also be a bit of a tight ass. I know he cares highly for the Fusion cause, but…well, sometimes I wonder if he has a conscience."

Reverb sighed. "The Leader is a good man…"

"Oh yeah, when he took us in at first. Those seven years change after…well, seven years." Lance dumped the orange juice down his mouth in one swing. "I mean, look at this shit! Everyone looks like they belong at the senior center! Or the morgue! Or both!"

Ripper rolled her eyes. "I'd hate to be in their shoes, let me tell you. You'd think Faust would be a little gentler with the energy sapping." She shrugged. "But hey, sacrifices and shit like that. Don't know, don't care. Just want my vacation."

Reverb sighed. "Given our arrangements, I'd hope for better terms to end things off on."

"Believe me, I would've wanted things to end differently, too."

Tamara had her arms crossed over the table, clenching her teeth as she held back from speaking to them. However, she had a question gnawing at the back of her head that she needed answered from them. Something about these guys, while they were most certainly terrifying, showed sympathy and care for a certain individual.

"P-Pardon me, but…" the ninja cat spoke up, gaining their attention. "…I remember something you all mentioned back at the elevator. You...had a sister?"

"You mean Spins?" Lance asked. "Ah yeah, most precious killer you could ever meet. Could've talked more...but eh, I liked her!"

Ripper shrugged. "She had a lot of potential for someone her age. The little squirt needed some company in the dread, so we gave it to her. A real shame she went MIA all those years ago. We could never locate her position or where she ended up."

Reverb sighed. "At this point, the Leader believes she is dead. We don't believe that. We just hope she's doing alright…for as much time as we have left…"

Tamara glared despondently. "…Yeah…"

Reverb looked up at the wall clock. "Oh. Best we head out." They headed for the door. "Take care. Try not to die when the Fusion bomb goes off. Heard it hurts."

Spaz breathed a mental sigh of relief. _Oh thank goodness, I thought they'd never leave-_

"Hold on a second!" Tamara suddenly spoke up, shocking York and Spaz.

 _Tamara?!_ the two thought in disbelief.

Ripper looked over her shoulder tiredly. "Eh? What's your problem?"

Tamara gripped tightly to the edge of the table. For as abstruse as their professions and mannerisms were, one thing was clear: they cared dearly about Juniper. It was hard to understand, but these killers did truly care about the one they called their younger sister. She didn't know what they meant to Juniper, but she saw what she meant to them. That was enough to give her confidence.

"...By...some miracle...you do meet with your sister again...perhaps you should do yourselves a favor. For everyone." She looked up at them seriously. "You said she was never one to be happy, right?"

"Yes?" Lance answered confused.

"...If, somehow, you see her...tell her the truth. The whole truth. It...might be better for everyone if you did."

The assassins glanced at each other in silent conversation before Ripper gave her the suspicious glare. "Why the hell do you care?"

Tamara narrowed her eyes as flashes of Juniper's sunny grin and dopey demeanor appeared before her mind. "…Call it a hunch."

The trio blinked perplexedly, then Reverb smiled and nodded to her. "…We'll do that. Thanks."

"No…problem…" The assassins turned for the door and left. Tamara breathed and fell back in her seat. "Phew…"

Spaz clutched over his heart and sighed. "Geez Tam, you almost gave me a heart attack…"

York pulled his hood off. "Why did you say that stuff?"

Tamara crossed her arms and leaned back. "...Juniper wasn't acting like herself that night. Didn't know what was bothering her, but...I have a hunch it had to do with...all of THAT." She glared. "...She's a pain in the ass and freakin' annoying...and doesn't take anything seriously. I've never met someone who brought so many headaches into my life."

Spaz cringed. "Good grief, how are you two even friends?"

"That's the funny thing about it. I don't think of her as just my friend. How can two people be friends if they have nothing in common? We get on each other's nerves, yet still have the capacity to care about each other. I still consider her my best friend. Now…I have a different outlook." She smiled to herself.

"We're not friends. We're family. And I don't want something like that being kept from her."

Spaz and York stared at her in awe, then smiled. "…Yeah…I guess you are."

Tamara looked up at York. "…Perhaps that's the angle you need if you want to reach out to Norris."

"Huh?"

"You said it yourself, you two got along when you were still a Rogue. Reach out with that…try to show him why you won't stop caring."

York blinked, then looked down unsurely. "I'll…consider it…"

Tamara nodded, then groaned and pinched between her eyes. "Still not looking forward to the prison break…"

Spaz touched her shoulder. "We'll be fine…don't worry."

Tamara breathed out. "…Right…" She stood up and pressed her hands down on the table. "I shouldn't sulk…none of us should…" She held her head up and forced a smile. "Just…smile and hope we get through this okay…that's what Juniper would do…"

York nodded. "Yeah…we'll get through this…together."

Spaz grinned. "And we won't let some extremist or assassins get in our way!" He chuckled awkwardly to himself. "Feel sorry for the suckers who have to deal with them."

* * *

With Codex operational again, the group got to work establishing a plan for when they return home. Simon was inside making a call to his ship captain friend, saying it'll take some time to convince him. Again, very paranoid fellow.

Codex projected a light image of the tower on the ground. "Through my brief dive into Data's network, I was able to uncover some valuable information regarding his machine."

Ren grinned hopefully. "It has a self-destruct button?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "What moron would put a big red button on a machine specifically to blow it up?"

Codex held his arm up. "Not necessarily, as it would be a last resort for any situation. However, in this instance, not a standard red button." He pointed at the top of the tower image. "Destroying the machine would take too long, especially if Data were to spot us. He would likely set the machine off prematurely. There is a central core that monitors the machine's algorithms. Its functionality is essential, otherwise the DNA bomb would not be able to selectively target Pokémon."

Charlie raised his brow. "Selectively target?"

"Why would he need to selectively target Pokémon when the bomb won't affect Fusions?" Rebecca asked.

Codex narrowed his eyes. "That is what I computed originally, too, but there is far more to its capabilities. The DNA mutation, after further research, does not seem to have an immunity effect on us. This machine could further mutate a Fusion, but...much like how there's a small chance of death for Pokémon, there's a significantly higher chance of death in Fusions."

"What?!" the group exclaimed.

"Does Faust know about this?!" Rebecca shouted.

"He must have if he had to implement these factors. I can only assume any reason he would lie about the machine's true capabilities was to keep his status among the Renegades. He would lose a significant chunk of his forces should they learn about this information." He tapped the light image. "The central core was specifically made to compute the machine and cause a selective attack."

"So…do we inform the Renegades about this and hope it gets them to stand down? Maybe even turn on Faust?" Emily asked.

Codex shook his head. "Faust's charisma outweighs hard facts. If he has swayed this many Fusions into accepting his cause, there is a chance they will not be dissuaded, maybe even call us out as liars."

Ren tapped the image. "So…if Faust were to try and fire this thing without the processing unit…"

"Not only would his plans succeed, but it could very well wipe out the natural born Fusions with only a few surviving."

Rebecca bit her lip. "So…going after the processing core isn't our best bet?"

"Yes…and no." Codex zoomed into the interior of the tower. "While this core is responsible for safely outputting the energy, it is also responsible for the firing mechanism. We would not have to cut off its power if that becomes too much of a hassle. Someone would have to get inside and rip the processor apart to keep it from firing. After that, we safely dispose of the fuel."

Charlie grinned. "That sounds simple."

Codex's eyes flashed with the 'no' symbol. "It is not simple. If the machine were turned on and getting ready to fire, anyone entering through would risk the chance of being fried. And, directly touching the core may result in unwanted mutations."

Charlie grimaced. "Oh…"

Emily rubbed her temples. "Ugh…of course. Who'd be stupid enough to climb into there and do THAT?"

"We will address that topic later on." Codex finished projecting the image.

Ren leaned against the porch. "Not much of a plan, but it's the best we've got."

Codex glared. "There is still the issue of me being the primary target. Our only solace is that I have the only means of restarting the machine. There is also the unknown factor of Faust's forces. As the days go by, more Fusions are being recruited into his numbers."

Ren grinned. "Well, as long as you still have that activation code thing, we're good for the time being."

Rebecca nodded. "All we need now is that ride from Simon and we can head on home."

"You'll have to cancel your trip."

A large foot stomped down before them, scaring them upright. Their eyes widened as three cloaked figures stood before them, one larger than the rest. There wasn't much to see but a few features. The shorter one had a Bibarel tail that kept slapping the ground. The other looked to be a quadruped. The largest of the group was seen with rock hard skin that was drenched in steamy water.

The largest held out his hand menacingly. "Now…kindly hand over that Rotom-Porygon-Z…lest we have to take him by force."


	76. Who Will Bring Peace?

The Gappei Fusions stepped back as their attackers advanced on them. Ren kept a protective arm in front of Codex while Rebecca whipped out her stick and lit the tip in a blue flame. Emily and Charlie kept to Codex's sides, making sure the ghost computer was protected from all sides.

The largest of the Renegades stepped forward, then pointed at the cautious Fusions. "Don't make this harder than it needs to be. You can either hand over the computer ghost...or we'll have to tear through you until we get him. Either way, you don't have much option to deny our generous offer."

Ren glared, secretly forming a Cut blade behind his back. "You think we don't know why you're after him? We know what your boss wants to do with that machine! We won't let you take Codex!"

The quadruped Renegade groaned and covered her face. "This is a waste of time, Roy. They aren't going to budge over some faulty negotiation. I suggest we-"

"Well gee golly doodle!" The two froze as their shorted compatriot stepped forward with his arms held up over his sides. "Y'all are makin' this quite the unnecessary standoff! How's about you skedaddle off before you make me have to pull out the angry eyes, ye hear?"

Dead silence came over the Gappei Fusions, staring blankly at the strange weirdo of the Renegades. "…What?"

The apparently named Roy covered his face and groaned into his hands. "Cletus…could you…for everyone's sake…SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"You're making us look totally lame!" the second Renegade shouted in his face.

"…Wazzat?!" Cletus shouted stupidly.

"Ugh! Why…just _WHY_ were we assigned to work with this annoying twat?!"

"Hey! My mother says I'm special!" Cletus argued.

"I can ONLY imagine why!"

As they argued, Codex was scanning them over, displaying the best he could do for confusion. "…Threat Level: Questionable."

The large Renegade grunted and gripped his cloak. "Forget this." He ripped the disguise off, revealing himself to be a Rhyperior-Volcanion. His armored plating was bright red, with a helmet-like armor around his head. On his back were the two cannons, connected together into a ring. His body dripped with hot water. "The name's Roy, and we're here to take that Rotom Fusion! Becky, Cletus! We're on!"

Becky ripped off her disguised, revealed as a Houndoom-Yanmega. She had visor-like compound eyes wrapped around her head. She also had armor-like skin on her back, with black spikes protruding from it. She possessed massive dragonfly wings.

Cletus…was something. A Tyrogue-Bibarel, specifically. He had pinprick, black eyes that constantly twitched. He had huge buckteeth protruding from his mouth and the aforementioned Bibarel tail that slapped the ground. He had tuffs of fur coming off his face like sideburns.

"This is muh scary face!" Cletus exclaimed, looking quite stupid.

Emily…facepalmed.

The others quietly stared at the strange beaver boy. Ren darted his eyes around. "Um…nice to meet you?"

Roy growled and covered his face. "Why the hell did Cruella pair us with this idiot?!" He shook his head and extended his hands out. "Whatever! Scald!" He fired two jets of boiling water from the holes in his palms.

"Split!" Ren ordered, quickly avoiding the water with his friends. He turned on his heel and dashed towards Roy. "Cut!" He formed the Cut blade and leaped at the rhino.

Roy smirked and puffed out his chest, letting himself get slashed by the blade. It drove across his skin without a mark or dent made in him. "What? That dinky little knife was supposed to cut me?!" He reared his fist and swung for the frog knight's head.

Ren crossed his arms and was punched straight into the air. He bounced off his hands and kicked off the ground. "Emily! Set me up!"

Emily extended her hands. "Ice Shard!"

She fired off the ice projectiles around Ren. Using his blade, he batted the shards around Roy, then used his superior speed to battered the deflected shots into Roy from multiple angles. Roy tried to keep track of him, but Ren refused to stay in one place for too long. He was using the Ice Shards like pinballs, scoring 'points' at their targets.

Roy bared his teeth, then raised his arms. "Hammer Arm!" He slammed his fists down and lifted the ground from under him, shooting rock and stone into Ren's unguarded stomach.

"AGH!" Ren gasped, exhaling spit before getting caught by the ankle. Roy swung him down and bashed his face into the ground.

"Hands off him!" Rebecca shouted, racing in with Extreme Speed and delivering a flurry kick into the rhino's head. The kicks, while mostly harmless, delivered a lot of force that shoved him backward.

"Scald!" Roy slammed his palm into Rebecca and fired her away with the hot water. He then threw Ren in the air and aimed both his hands. "Useless twerp! Overheat!"

Ren's eyes widened as a blinding light engulfed his vision, followed by an intense heat. With two of his types canceling each other out, the Overheat hit with all its intended power. Ren screamed as the heat burned into his skin, carrying him through the ground until crashing into a hut's walls, scaring the residents inside.

Ren grasped his aching head, then peaked through the window. "Get to cover, now!" The family quickly gathered themselves and scattered to safety.

Roy aimed his hands. "Scald-!"

"Sucker Punch!" His cheek caved in as a fist rammed itself into his face. His eyes darted to the scowling ice maiden before being thrown off her fist. She hovered over the ground and formed ice in her hands. "Ice Shard!" She fired off rapid shots.

Roy pulled himself up and bashed away the ice with his Hammer Arm, then charged for the maiden, building up a cluster of rocks between his palms. "Rock Wrecker!" He threw it at Emily.

Emily flew over it and darted down on him. "Iron Head!" Turning her head hard as iron, she rammed into the rhino's head. "And Play Rough!" She spun around his body, kicking up dust and delivering a furious beatdown before finishing with a serious uppercut to the chin.

Roy landed on his back, barely fazed by her punches. What did hit him hard was the cooldown effect hanging over him. He could barely twitch his muscles. "Grr…"

Emily extended up her secondary jaw. "Spikes!" It puffed out, then spat red light from its mouth, scattering apart and embedding themselves into the ground. The mouth rested back under her hood as she cracked her knuckles. "You thought you could just come on in here and take Codex? You idiots may have ruined our home, but now you get to see us at our best. Iron Head!" She rocketed for the tough rhino.

However, Becky landed in front of Roy and extended her wings. "Bug Buzz!" They flapped and vibrated, emitting an earsplitting noise that invaded the maiden's ears.

"AAAHHH!" Emily screamed, covering her ears in desperation.

Becky grinned and speedily appeared before Emily. "Feint Attack!" She spiked Emily into the ground, then reared her head back. "Flamethrower!"

Emily rolled out of the way as the flames scorched the earth. She pulled herself up, but found herself on the other end of Roy's palm, channeling heat from within the orifice in his palm. "Overheat!"

Emily was nearly engulfed in the heat, same as Ren, but was pulled to safety by the invisible force of Psychic. She tumbled and rolled to Rebecca's feet as she wielded her stick. Emily coughed, feeling some skin singed from the heat. "Ugh…thanks, Becca."

"Don't mention it! Flame Charge!" She broke into a sprint and rammed her elbow into the rhino.

Once again, Roy was barely affected. He reached for Rebecca. "Scald!"

Rebecca grabbed his other arm and swung herself from his reach, then hooked around his wrist. "So, you're tough? Then let's see how you do against gravity!" She kicked his feet out from under him, then spun on her heel with him in tow by the wrist.

"WAAAAAAH!" Roy screamed as the aura fox spun him relentlessly, and without much effort no less. _The hell's with this chick?!_

Becky darted for Rebecca with an Air Slash charging. Rebecca released Roy, sending him flying, and jumped over the dozen or so Air Slashes firing into the ground. "Aura Sphere!" She fired off the aura attack from her palm.

"Air Slash!" Becky spun her body and slashed into the Aura Sphere, detonating it.

Rebecca flicked her wrist. "Keep an eye on your surroundings!"

Becky quickly scanned around herself and found ten Aura Sphere approaching her, secretly set up in the commotion and being controlled by Psychic. She used Bug Buzz to disrupt and destroy them, but three broke through and exploded into her face.

Rebecca landed, then charged with her Flame Charge. "Now I'll show you!" She threw her fist, almost guaranteeing a direct hit on the dragonfly hound's face. To her amazement, Becky smirked and moved her head a notch, avoiding the fiery punch. She matched Rebecca's speed enough to avoid a direct hit.

 _She's faster?_ Rebecca glared and slashed the ground with her stick, using Psychic to send out a wave of earth. Becky landed on her feet and gracefully dodged the rushing earth with ease, once more demonstrating her fluid speed.

"Feint Attack!" She appeared from Rebecca's side and swung her paw. Rebecca blocked with her stick and took the hit as it threw her backwards.

Charlie, after tending to Emily, ran after Rebecca. "Hand on, Rebecca-AH!" Someone jumped on his back and put him into a headlock. He looked over his shoulder and saw it was Cletus. "You?!"

"Howdy!" Cletus opened his jaw and bit down on Charlie's head.

"AAAAHHHH!" Charlie ran around in circles, with tears shooting from his eyes. He flailed and shook his body, trying to remove the pest. "GET OFF!"

Cletus momentarily ceased gnawing on his skull. "Well golly gee golly, you're as rude as my uncle when he kicked me out of his house!"

"How are you even with these guys?! I thought you were all criminals!" Charlie finally got a grip and threw Cletus over his head.

Cletus landed of his head, then somehow swung onto his feet like a slinky. "I dun know! I just be hanging with my pals at the pub when some geeky fellers come in with their fancy tools and hauled me off! All I was doing was chatting with them!" He scratched his chin. "Though, they looked mighty annoyed during our conversation. One even tried to stab meh…kept screaming 'Hop stalking' or some crap…"

Charlie stared wide-eyed at the Fusion. He was willing to bet what he actually heard was 'Stop talking,' and a very angry one. _Did…Did he get arrested…for being TOO annoying?_

"Ah, who cares?" Charlie gasped and moved his arm before Cletus could bite down on him. "Imma gonna give you a whoopin'!"

Charlie formed Hidden Power and bashed them together, creating a bright flash in the idiot's eyes. He screeched and hollered like a Loudred that gained two or three octaves. He ran around, hands pressed into his eyes, screeching something about being 'just like that time in Johto with the Gloom and the acid.'

"Imma gonna kill you as soon as you turn on the sun, you fat-!"

Charlie slammed his fist into the beaver boy's face, lit with Fire Punch. It took Cletus to the ground, dazed and confused…more than usual. "Ugh…why did I get the weird one?"

Ren finally got himself up and cradled his injuries. _Shit, if this keeps up, we're going to cause a ton of collateral damage._ Flashbacks of his first outing in Grandis City rang through his mind. He clenched his fist, then glared. _I won't make that same mistake twice!_ He rushed towards Roy.

The rhino pulled himself up and spotted Ren charging for him. He detached his cannons and aimed them at the frog knight. "Steam Eruption!" He fired off two jets of boiling hot water with a heavy cloak of steam surrounding them.

Ren stopped on his heels and whipped out his shield. "King's Shield!" The barrier projected from the shield and blocked the attack, pushed back a meter or two from the force alone. The Steam Eruption stopped, prompting Ren to lower his shield, but immediately raised it again, blocking a heavy punch for his face.

Roy arched his other arm up and swung for the frog's head from above. Ren let go of the shield and summoned a Cut blade, blocking the punch, which sank his feet through the ground. Ren pushed the rhino back, then pulled himself from the ground. He summoned a second blade, then lit them golden.

"Swords Dance!" He landed, then spun the blades and performed a spiritual dance, channeling newfound energy that surged through his veins. He crossed the blades to complete the dance, then dispersed them. "Fling!" He kicked the shield up, then threw it into Roy's face, bashing into his drill horn.

"AGH!" Roy clutched his aching horn.

Ren put his shield away after catching it, then drew his sword. "Sacred Sword!" The blade lit in blue energy, coming off like flame.

Roy shook his head and glared as the frog knight came charging. He inhaled deeply and shouted, "Haze!" before spewing a black mist between them.

Ren stopped and covered himself as the mist reached him. "The hell…?" He gasped as blue energy washed over the surface of his body, like a thin second layer, then shattered off like glass.

Rebecca and Becky met in a clash with Feint Attack and Flame Charge. Rebecca noticed the black mist, then grabbed hold of Becky in their clash and threw her through the mist. Blue energy surrounded and shattered off her body, just like Ren.

Rebecca rushed through the Haze and bashed her fist into Becky's face. "Haze resets all stat changes! Your speed increases are gone!" she exclaimed as her own from multiple Flame Charges vanished.

Becky pushed against the fist and smirked. "Bug Buzz!" She emitted the earsplitting sound that forced her and Ren back.

"GAH! WHAT THE?!" Ren cried.

Roy prepared an Overheat when he heard the annoying shrill of Cletus, who speed-waddled into the Haze. "Don't worry, guys! Imma gonna get him! Hyper Fang!" He lunged at Ren and bit down on him…

…Or rather, phased right through him. He tumbled into Roy's legs.

"HE'S PART GHOST, YOU IDIOT!" Becky screamed.

"…Wazzat?" He gasped when Roy slammed his foot down on his head.

"Understand type advantages, you moron!"

"I found your position." A white light pierced through the mist, in the form of blades. Ren slashed down and dug the blades into the rhino's shoulder with all his weight. The blades struck hard, but they made no marks into his skin, just like before. "What the hell…?!"

Roy grabbed the frog by the face and smirked. "Speaking of which, you should use the same lesson, you moron!" He bashed Ren's face into the ground, then swung his fist into his stomach. "I'm still a Rock-Type!"

Ren went flying, but Emily jumped up and caught him, bringing him back down to Charlie and Codex. While the other four had been fighting, Codex was taking his time to analyze their opponents. "Subject Cletus: Fighting…Normal…Water. Subject Becky: Fire…Dark…Flying. Subject Roy: Ground…Rock…Fire."

Emily bared her teeth at him. "You could help out any time you want!"

"I believe your best interests were to keep me out of trouble," Codex relayed.

"You're one of Gappei's best tactical fighters! Do something tactical before I tear you apart! Or before _they_ tear you apart!"

"Hmm…" Codex scanned their opponents carefully.

Ren took off for Roy and slipped under his legs. "Ground, Rock, and Fire, eh?!" He flipped off his hands and channeled a Water Pulse between his hands. "Then how about this?!" He fired it blank point into the back of the rhino's skull, exploding into a thick mist. Roy screamed out in pain.

"NNNOOO! OH, THE INPOKEMANITY!" There was a moment of pause, then a hand struck out and grabbed Ren by the face. "Just kidding~!"

Ren's eyes widened as the mist actually absorbed into Roy's skin. He looked positively refreshed, in fact. He threw his head back and laughed out loud, squeezing on Ren's head. Ren tried to pry his fingers off, pushing against his arm with his feet.

"My ability is Water Absorb! Pretty lucky for me, don't you think?! You aren't the first idiot to try and exploit my triple weakness to water!" He smirked and summoned up heat from within his palm. "Overheat!"

Ren gasped as he was consumed in the beam of heat, pushing him through the ground and setting him aflame. Rebecca dove through and scooped Ren out of the beam before he was shoved through a tree.

"Ren!" Rebecca cried out, holding his burnt form. The damage was only superficial, thankfully.

Ren coughed out smoke. "I'm good…"

Codex narrowed his eyes. "I see our chances dwindling rapidly…"

"Then do something, you bucket of bolts!" Emily screamed.

"Request acknowledged." Codex soared straight for Roy in a flash of electricity.

Roy smirked and raised his hands. "Oh lookie! He's coming right towards us!"

"Perfect! But let's not get our hopes up!" Becky exclaimed. "Flamethrower!" She fired at the approaching ghost computer.

Codex glared and swerved around the flames, then jolted right under Becky's chin. "Zap Cannon."

Becky shrieked and barely moved herself backwards as the electrical orb grazed up her chin. She buzzed her wings and fluttered back, but was struck in the exposed stomach by Codex. He rammed her against the ground, then took off before Cletus could grab him.

Cletus shook his fist at him. "Ya daggum, flying, modern piece of hardware! Don't make me pull the crazy eyes on ya! Water Gun!" He sprayed water at the ghost.

Codex easily avoided it, then raised his arms. "Tri Attack." He fired off three different colored beams for each of them.

Roy and Becky dodged theirs, but Cletus got shot in the face with the blue beam, completely encasing his head in ice. He stumbled backwards, with his face frozen into a confused and shocked face. He knocked on the ice, then started violently clawing at it to get it off.

Becky laughed at his misery. "Yeah! Eat shit, Cletus! Now, Air Slash!" She fired off Air Slashes at Codex, who once again avoided her attacks.

"Discharge." He unleashed a storm of electricity down on them.

Roy got in front of Becky and blocked the Discharge, nullifying it. However, now that Codex was newly repaired, his targeting system was working better. Unbeknownst to Becky, Codex had secret fired off something that guaranteed a hit on her.

Lock-On.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Roy spun around as Becky lit up like a neon sign, with the electricity curving around him to fire into the dragonfly hound.

Roy glared, then charged through the Discharge with Scald at the ready. "You think this'll deter me, ghost?!" He fired the scalding water at him.

Codex zipped around it and appeared behind Roy. "Negative. Ominous Wind." He spun and blasted a concentrated beam of the ghostly wind into Roy's back throwing him onto his stomach. Codex climbed up and aimed directly for the rhino's back. "Tri Attack." He fired the beams into him, with the force to push him through the ground as well.

Roy's superior defenses allowed him to hold up against the attack. He planted his arms down and pushed up against the beams. He detached his cannons and aimed them skyward. "Steam Eruption!"

Codex analyzed the approaching jets of hot water, then twisted his body to avoid them, perfectly dodging them. His sensors detected a presence from above, turning in time to spot Becky.

"Flamethrower!" She showered flames onto him, but Codex bolted just in the nick of time and got above her.

"Zap Cannon." He slammed the electrical orb down, sending Becky careening into the ground head first.

Becky bounced up on impact, then shrieked as her body stiffened from the paralysis. "GAH! AGH!"

Roy stood up and glared at the vigilant ghost computer. _He's not messing around. This guy will protect that stupid code until his last 'breath.'_ He clenched his fists. "Haze!" He expelled the black mist, wrapping around himself and Becky.

Becky coughed in the mist, but felt it lifting her of her paralysis. She pulled herself up and wiped her maw. "I've about had it with these losers. This was supposed to be an easy job. Flamethrower!" She shot flames at Codex, prompting him to dart off.

"Hey bug dog!" Becky was suddenly on the other end of an Iron Head, which threw her in the air and almost into the trees had Roy not grab her by the ankle. Emily pulled her hands back. "Didn't anyone tell you! Gappei Village doesn't make lives of scum like you easy!" She fired off a barrage of Ice Shards.

Roy blocked the projectiles, grunting as they chipped away at him. "Becky, stay behind me!" He raised his arms. "Hammer Arm!" He swung down, breaking up the ground and uplifting a huge slab of stone.

Charlie glared. "What is he…?"

Roy slammed both hands and cannons into the stone. "Now Steam Eruption!" He fired off the stone slab like a cannonball, blasting into Emily and gunning towards the unprepared Gappei Fusions.

Rebecca immediately pulled out her stick and lit it with an aura flame, casting Psychic around the slab. It slowed dramatically, but the speed it came at carried enough force to not only strike her, but send her flying through Simon's hut. She broke through the walls and crashed into the kitchen counter.

Serperior jumped in surprise, having been hiding out in the kitchen when she heard the commotion. "Oh goodness!" She slithered over to her. "Are you alright?!"

Rebecca coughed, weakly supporting herself on her arms. "I'll live…"

"Mama!" Serperior turned and saw her son race in, holding a phone against his ear. "What happened?!"

Back outside, Emily gawked at the gaping hole inside the hut. "Rebecca!" She turned and snarled at the Renegades. "You'll pay for that!" She flew straight for Roy.

Roy smirked and aimed his cannons. "Now Steam Erupt-!" He took a step forward and accidentally set off an explosion in the ground, setting him off-balance. "AH!"

Emily reared her fist back. "I set up Spikes earlier, remember?! One wrong move and you'll get damaged! Now Sucker Punch!" She rammed her fist into his chin and knocked him backwards, them spun and slammed her elbow into his cheek. "I'll be the one to take you clowns out!"

"Flamethrower!" Emily avoided the streak of flames that singed across her face. Becky fluttered speedily after Emily and fired off Air Slashes like bullets. Emily ran away with the dragonfly hound chasing her down, avoiding the close shave attacks by hairs.

Roy crossed his arms. "This could've all been avoided if you just handed over the Rotom Fusion peacefully! You're only making this harder on yourselves by avoiding our grand design!"

Emily sneered over her shoulder. "Don't pull that shit with me, dumbass!" She raised her arms as Becky suddenly came in with a Feint Attack. "Sucker Punch!" She flicker-vanished around Becky and struck her elbow into her face. She extended out her other hand. "Ice Shard!" She fired in Roy's direction.

Roy punched up some more stone and blocked the shards behind a wall. He peered around and fired off Scald at her, which she dodged.

"Body Slam!" Roy looked up and found Charlie divebombing him. He avoided the glutton's impact, then backhanded him out of the way.

"Out of my way, boy!"

Charlie bounced off his belly, then rolled to a dead stop on his back. He pulled himself up and shook his head, then prepared for a second attack when someone grappled him from behind and locked their arms around his neck. "WHA?!" He tried to pry the arms off, realizing they had him in an impressive chokehold.

"Lookie here, fellers!" Charlie's eyes widened, now seeing it was the hillbilly Cletus grappling onto him. "Imma put him in a headlock!"

"You?!" Charlie exclaimed. "Wasn't your head frozen?!"

"I got better," he simply answered.

"GET OFF ME!" He twisted and shook, flailing the beaver boy's body around to remove him from his hold.

Codex turned his attention to his friend and glared. "Release my companion immediately or face the dire consequences." He readied himself with a Tri Attack.

Cletus sneered. "I ain't taking orders from no fancy thing-a-ma-doo!" He raised his fist. "Where I come from, we does things the old fashion way: beat it until it stops moving! Just like what my pa shouted at me!"

"WHERE DO YOU EVEN COME FROM?!" Charlie screamed.

"Superpower!" Charlie's eyes widened as the hillbilly's muscles started expanding with power. His grip over Charlie tightened, making it difficult for the glutton to breathe. He possessed an intimidating aura around him that actually filled Charlie with fear.

Fear over some dumbass who wouldn't shut the hell up! That was the worst part!

"Charlie!" Codex soared down and gunned for Charlie.

Cletus swung his fist down. "Now hand over the fancy gizmo feller, or suffer at the hands of Clet-!"

A rounded object whizzed past Codex and ricocheted off the ground. Cletus cocked his head and took a blunt object to the face, dead center. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose as the ball pressed into him and forced him off of Charlie, practically ripping his grip off by force. The ball pressed him into the base of a tree before bouncing off the wounded hillbilly's face.

"Gah…uwah…" Cletus fell to his knees and faceplanted with the ground.

Becky's eyes widened. "Where the hell did that come from?!"

The ball bounced around, ricocheting off of trees and huts, before returning to a raised hand. This ball was actually a hard berry, and the owner of it was none other than Simon. The lemur tucked the berry under his arm, then escorted Rebecca outside with her arm over his shoulder.

Simon glared at the intruders, flicking some blood off the berry with his thumb. "How rude, to dare enter one's home with ill-intent heart. Entering this place was a mistake from the very start."

"Eh?!" Becky shouted. "Who the hell are you supposed to be?! And did you just freakin' rhyme?! What's with that?!"

Roy relaxed a bit, amused to see it was only one of the Pokémon residents of the village. He admitted that he never saw a Passimian quite like this one, for his shaggier fur and extra armor over his body, but it served nothing more than a reminder to the rhino who was the boss around these parts.

Smirking confidently, he pointed at the lemur and declared, "Oh, lookie here, a Pokémon has come out to play. Run back inside, little Passimian. This isn't a place for the weak." His eyes widened to see that Simon was blatantly ignoring him as he helped Rebecca sit down. "HEY! PAY ATTENTION TO ME WHEN I'M DISSING YOU!"

Simon wiped some smudge off Rebecca's cheek. "Will you be alright?"

Rebecca rubbed her sore leg. "Give me a minute and I should be back up."

Simon nodded, then stood. With the berry safely tucked under his arm, he aimed his attention onto the Renegades, displaying a tranquil glare that pose no hate, but a thrill to battle. One could say his form was relaxed, like he was vacationing out in Alola and getting prepped for a volleyball match.

Simon raised his hand and beckoned the three. "Come, enemies of my dear friends. Let's put this to an end."

Roy furrowed his brow, then scoffed at the lemur. _Who does he think he is?_ "I don't know who you are, but you must be incredibly brave or utterly stupid to dare command such respect in the presence of a Fusion."

Simon wagged his finger. "I do wish for you leave my new friends alone and leave. They've been through a lot and very much need a reprieve." He drummed his fingers against his berry. "Still, if it is a fight that you so request, I'd be happy to oblige and bring about my own conquest."

Becky grimaced. "I think we found someone weirder than Cletus."

"Thank you!" Cletus exclaimed.

Roy glared. "I don't know what this kid's deal is, but the tough guy act is rubbing me the wrong way." He curled his fingers. "Still, if it's a fight you want, you'll have to learn the hard way." He took a running start and went in swinging with Hammer Arm.

Simon backflipped and dodged his first swing. "Fling!" He chucked the berry and scored a hit directly in Roy's face. "Acrobatics!" He bounced off Roy's head and caught the berry midflight, then dive-kicked into the back of Roy's neck, knocking him forward.

Roy growled and swung with his second Hammer Arm, just grazing the lemur's fur. "You're proving your bravery by running away?!"

Simon smirked. "One says I run, but this is my fun!"

"Will you cut that rhyming shit out?!" He thrusted his hand and caught Simon by the tail, then swung him into the ground.

Simon held his berry between his feet and bounced off his hands upon landing. He landed on top of the berry and balanced on one leg, squatting with his other leg crossed over it. "I could if I would."

"Now you're just messing with me!" Roy pooled his power into a single Hammer Arm and rushed down on the lemur. "What's a Pokémon like you going to do to stop us?!"

Simon lowered his head and smirked. "That's a bit presumptuous…"

He raised his arm just as the Hammer Arm came swinging for his head. He grounded his feet to the dirt and blocked the attack, using his other arm to brace against the impact. The force of wind rushed through Simon's shaggy fur, but, aside from being nudged a couple inches, he remained firmly planted in the ground.

Roy's eyes widened. "What…?!"

"…Who said…I was…a Pokémon?" Simon batted Roy's arm away and pulled both fists back. "Close Combat!"

He kicked his berry into the air, then unleashed a devastating combo of punches and kicks into the rhino's exposed stomach, chest, and face. Roy couldn't get a gasp out as each hit into him cracked through his armor and tough skin, leaving visible imprints of the lemur's punches into his body. Simon swung at an arc and delivered a powerful uppercut into his chin, sending him flying backwards.

Cletus noticed a shadow under him and looked up. "Wazzat-OH SHIT!" He tried to run, but was ultimately crushed under Roy's back.

Becky jumped back, grasping her cheeks in shock. "What the hell?!" She glared at the lemur cautiously. _How is this possible? Roy has taken attacks from a Lucario and Throh! How can this child possibly be so strong?!_

Simon caught his berry and tucked it under his arm, then posed righteously. "It should be noted I don't intend to start a fight, but harm my friends and home and I'll attack with all my might."

Ren and the others gawked in disbelief. "I…I don't understand. There was a definite type advantage, but…that Close Combat was unlike anything I've seen a Passimian perform…"

Codex scanned Simon closely, then narrowed his eyes. "That is because he is not a regular Passimian."

"Huh?!" his friends exclaimed.

Codex nodded. "It is true. There is a rare occurrence in Fusions...unlike any other. When Fusions are conceived, they will develop different traits based off the Mewgenetic Code. However, rarely, there will be Fusions that do not develop different traits...rather, they have their own enhanced...becoming the evolutionary peak of their species. And that is...the Enhanced Fusion."

Rebecca narrowed her eyes. "That's what an Enhanced Fusion looks like…"

"I thought there was something weird about him…" Emily murmured.

Simon spun his berry on his fingers and smirked. "Now…shall we continue?"

Becky stepped back, baring her teeth. "You're kidding me…of all the Fusions to fight…we get a one in a thousand odds Passimian?!"

Roy picked himself up and glared at the lemur. "I don't like this either…but our mission is to retrieve the Rotom Fusion. I don't care who or what this kid is. Faust is counting on us to retrieve that activation code."

Cletus pulled himself up, holding his aching head. "Oooow…"

Roy pulled his hands back. "Perhaps I've misjudged you, Passimian! Allow me to make up for my rude remark by giving you a real fight! Scald!" He fired twin jets from both his palms.

"Acrobatics!" Simon demonstrated his remarkable agility by avoiding the streams of hot water with millisecond timing. Roy corrected the trajectory of one and shot directly into Simon. He used his berry just in time to block it. "Grr!" The water's power sent him rocketing into the sky.

"I got him!" Becky took off in the air, then charged flames in her mouth. "Flamethrower!" She spewed the flames after Simon.

Simon corrected himself midflight and curled the ball into his tail. "Electroweb!" He rubbed his hands together and kneaded a ball of electricity, then chucked it at Becky.

The Houndoom-Yanmega gasped and made a sharp turn, narrowly avoided the electrical webbing. However, turning back at the last second, she took a knee to the jaw before Simon hooked his arms around her neck.

"Gah?! Get off!" She flew around wildly, with Simon clinging for his life.

"Will you calm down?!" Simon shouted. "I rather not be chucked into town!" He grabbed hold of her tail. "Vital Throw!" He jumped off her back and swung her around in freefall, then chucked her right into the ground. "Followed by Electroweb!" He threw a ball of electricity on her, which sprouted into an electrical net.

"AAHH!" Becky cried out as the net electrocuted her.

Simon landed on his feet and bounced around his berry like a basketball. "Come on, now, don't make this too easy! I'm having too much fun, you see!"

The Gappei Fusions stared at him in awe. For someone who didn't get into fights all that often, he wasn't half bad. Ren grinned. "That's showing them, Simon! Keep it up!"

Simon rushed for Roy and went for the Close Combat. Roy dodged his flurry of attacks and swung with Hammer Arm. Simon slipped under his attack, where Cletus lunged with his Hyper Fang. Simon spun out and shot his foot into the beaver boy's chin, flipping him onto his head.

Simon looked up and dodged a downward Hammer Arm that broke open the ground. Roy whipped his arm and threw a wave of stone and dirt at the lemur, who used Acrobatics to leap over it.

Roy growled. "I show you respect and you still run away?!"

"Your respect is rather dull, if not unneeded. My victory stretches farther than you've preceded." Simon landed, then flexed his muscles. "Bulk Up!" His muscles expanded with energy, pumping vibrantly and twitching with power. Simon reared his arm back. "And now…Ricochet Blast!" He threw the berry like a rugby ball, with the last point of contact shooting through his index finger.

Roy was barely able to avoid the throw, but the berry quickly ricocheted off the ground, then a tree, and struck a direct hit into the back of his head. "GAH!" Roy stumbled forward as the berry flew over his head and landed back in Simon's arm. _What the hell kind of Fusion Move was that?! Just felt like a stronger Fling!_

Simon reared his arm back. "I'm not done yet! Ricochet Blast, soar like a jet!" He swung his arm and threw the berry again.

Roy immediately jumped out of the way, this time keeping track of the berry as it bounced off multiple surfaces. Roy dodged the next come around, then the third and fourth. It made a fifth attack, which he thought he would be able to dodge, but was overwhelmed by the speed it suddenly gained, ramming into his side with the force of a meteor. It actually managed to force blood to spit out of mouth.

"AAAAGH!" Roy was thrown off his feet and tumbled across the ground, nearly ramming into the bound Becky.

Becky flailed and pulled on her electric webbing, shouting, "Roy! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Th-That…attack…"

"What about it?!"

Roy grunted and forced himself to sit up. He covered his mouth and coughed into his hand, then looked at the blood he coughed up. He bared his teeth and clenched his fist, then looked up at Simon as he caught the returning berry. Something about that attack rubbed Roy the wrong way. He wasn't all that smart—nowhere near as dumb as Cletus, obviously—but there was no way that berry should've hit him as hard as it did when it bounced around so much.

"...That attack...it should've lost power from bouncing around, but it actually GAINED power? It's like some sort of anti-Rollout. Instead of building power for each consecutive hit, it gains power...for each consecutive miss?"

Simon smirked. "I see you've discovered the technique at last." Simon raised the berry and posed righteously. "That is the power of my Ricochet Blast!"

Codex scanned Simon after recording the attack. He was quite impressed. "Incredible. It gains power rather than lose it to the basic principle of physics."

Emily smirked. "Not bad. Maybe Simon can take these jokers on his own."

Simon spun the berry on his fingertips. "I'm not a seasoned battler, just so you know. So, it's very telling that my opponents are all force for show."

Becky finally tore through the Electroweb and growled at the lemur. "You're one to talk, brat!"

Simon reared his arm back. "What does it matter, when I have won this battle? Now-"

"Don't get cocky," Roy interrupted, pushing himself to his feet and opening up his cannons. "That's a sin you'll regret very soon."

Simon laughed. "And what does that mean?!" He went for a third Ricochet Blast. "All talk for all I've seen!"

Roy smirked. "Like I said…don't get cocky!"

"RAWR!" Cletus suddenly jumped out of nowhere and bit down on Simon's leg.

Simon froze up and accidentally missed his shot, throwing the berry right into the trees. "MY LEG!" He glared and kicked Cletus right off of him.

Seeing his chance, Roy slammed his hands and cannons into the ground. Heat erupted from his body, with steam billowing off. "This is a real Fusion Move, brat! Scalding Earth!"

The ground burst under him as he pumped tons of hot water through it. Simon stepped back in confusion, then went on full alert as the ground under him suddenly became red hot. The soles of his feet burned against the hot ground. He tried to run, but couldn't escape the pressure building up under him. The ground burst open, exploding in a geyser of steam and hot water that shot Simon through the air.

"Simon!" the Gappei Fusions cried out.

Simon careened right into the porch of his hut, landing through the awning and straight through the stairs. He grunted from the impact, then cried out and grasped at his burning feet. "HOT, HOT, HOT!"

Roy exhaled steam from his mouth, arms quivering from the stress of using his attack. "Cletus!"

"Yessir!" Cletus fired Water Gun into Roy, where he sucked up the water and rejuvenated his energy.

Roy wiped some blood off his lip and smirked. "You shouldn't have gotten cocky and said you weren't a seasoned fighter." He went into a charge with Hammer Arm powered up. "You haven't been in an actual fight in your life, haven't you?!"

"Iron Head!" Roy stopped and immediately countered Emily's sudden attack. She bared her teeth into a snarl. "That 'brat' won't give up until his last breath is drawn! That is the spirit of Gappei Village you're facing!"

Ren curled his fingers. "You tell him, Emily!" He formed Cut and leaped into action. "This is the heart of our village! Our spirits will never die!"

Roy glowered and fired off Scald from his palms, shooting back Ren and Emily. "Screw your spirit! That shit's just some childish crap you keep pretending exists!"

"Says the guy who wants to help blow up our planet!" Roy turned and crossed his arms against Charlie's Petal Dance, blasting into him as a twister of pink petals. "None of us will give up! Just give up and leave us ALONE!"

Becky appeared behind him. "That ain't happening, boy!" Charlie tried to get her with Fire Punch, but she struck him under the chin and stomach, knocking the wind right out of him. Becky slammed her paw down on his head, grinding his face into the dirt. "This is the sad reality you'll have to accept!"

Emily gasped, then felt her temper flare up dramatically. "GET AWAY FROM HIM!" She fired off a ton of Ice Shards into Becky, who dodged at the last second unscathed. She scanned the area, then decided to say 'screw it' and fire off in every conceivable direction.

"WHOA!" Simon grabbed Charlie and jumped to safety, flinching from the burns on his soles.

"My, my, you're protective of him~!" Emily turned to fire Ice Shards, but was backhanded (or backpawed) with Becky's Feint Attack. Becky laughed as she fluttered in the air. "Get a hold of your temper, Gappei Fusion!" She vanished just as Emily fired at her.

Emily gritted her teeth as Becky laughed and flickered around her, her speed increasing dramatically by the second. She could feel her secondary mouth growling to use her Fusion Move, but she couldn't guarantee a direct hit.

"How is she moving this fast?" she asked herself. "Where were the abilities for a Houndoom and Yanmega again?"

Rebecca pulled out her stick. "It's Yanmega's Speed Boost! I noticed when I threw her through the Haze earlier! She was gaining speed without using any other moves! That's definitely her ability-GAH!" Becky suddenly planted her paw against her throat and slammed her into the ground. Rebecca 'accidentally' threw her stick into the air.

Becky grinned sadistically. "Watch what you say, foxy~. I wouldn't want a smart mouth like you getting any ideas~."

Rebecca growled. "I'll take that as a compliment, given how stupid you are."

"Eh?!"

Rebecca smirked and pointed up. "Tell me if this looks familiar!"

Becky's eyes widened, then shot up at Rebecca's stick. An Aura Sphere was revolving around it, charging with power before locking onto Becky. It fired downward like a meteor. Becky immediately blasted Flamethrower into it, setting it to explode.

Becky sighed in relief. "That old trick wasn't going to fool-!" She felt the aura fox suddenly grab her horns and pull her into an Aura Sphere charging in the palm of her hand.

"Weren't you listening? I said 'tell me if _this_ looks familiar!' HIYA!" Rebecca slammed it into her face and braced herself against the explosion.

Becky went sailing backwards and nearly landed on Cletus, who dodged at the last second. He whistled and said, "She be looking like the fireworks we set off on the barn! Boy howdy, that sure was a glorious forest fire!"

"I advise you surrender." Cletus turned and dodged a Tri Attack from Codex. The computer ghost tracked Cletus' movements, then readied himself to fire Lock-On. "Assessing target…fire!" He fired a red beam at Cletus.

"AH!" Cletus raised his hands as the beam…passed right through him?! "…Nah! I be messing with ya!"

"Double Team," Codex immediately guessed before suddenly getting grappled from behind. "What-?"

"And Dig!" Cletus exclaimed, having just popped out of the ground before hooking himself onto the ghost computer. "Mine!" He leaned back and forced Codex down into the hole with him.

Charlie's eyes widened. "Guys! That idiot Renegade got Codex!"

"Cletus actually did something right?" Roy mumbled in disbelief.

Ren dashed under Roy and slashed him with Cut. It wasn't enough to damage him, but he could at least deliver some forceful blows. "Charlie! Get Codex out of there! We can't let them take him!"

"On it!" Charlie ran to the hole and peered down, shouting, "Codex! Hang on, buddy, we're coming to-!" He stopped when he noticed a yellow light flickering down within the tunnel, followed immediately by Cletus screaming his head off. "Uh…"

Emily deadpanned as she fired at the speedy Becky. "Good grief, the _idiot_ grabbed Codex…what were we expecting?"

Becky hovered in the air and growled. "I knew that worthless hillbilly was no good! If you want something done right…" She buzzed her wings energetically and fired off bullets of Air Slashes down on Emily and Charlie. "You have to destroy them yourself!"

"Shit!" Emily grabbed Charlie and took off through the air as Becky tracked her with the Air Slashes. The ice maiden flinched when one grazed past her cheek. She could feel the light trickle of blood spilling out. "Charlie, I'm going to get you in the air! You'll know what to do next!"

Charlie's eyes widened. "Um, can we go over the plan fir-AAHH!" Emily, without warning, chucked Charlie vertically in the air, just enough to where he could get a decent bird's eye view of the battlefield. "Too high, too high!" he screamed before plummeting back down.

The gluttonous Fusion steeled his nerves, then aimed headfirst for Becky. "Venomist!" Using his falling speed, he fired off the poisonous powder from his flower, cloaking himself within it like a comet. He spun his body, then went into a freefalling Body Slam.

Becky immediately noticed and attempted to flee, but that moment of distraction allowed Simon to strike her in the jaw with his berry. Disoriented, the dragonfly hound was brought down by Charlie's poisonous Body Slam. The impact with the ground caused the purple cloud to expand outwards, which Emily fanned away while backing off.

Simon then turned his sights back on Roy and went into a combo attack with Ren. Using Close Combat and Sacred Sword, they struck Roy from opposite sides and continuously kept on the move. Roy had to keep soaking his body with water, a difficult task since he had to keep guarding against their unending attacks.

Roy swung his Hammer Arm at Simon, but he flipped over it and chucked his berry into his face. With that, Ren got behind Roy and performed an upward slash across his back, knocking the giant forward. This set Simon up to swing his fist over Roy's head and deliver a punch down on his skull.

Roy caught himself up his hands and unlatched his cannons. "Steam Eruption!" He aimed one for each nuisance and fired.

Ren used his shield to block it while Simon ducked under it. This was what Roy wanted, but it gave him ample time to grab Simon's tail. He swung the lemur into Ren's side, then bashed his Hammer Arm into Simon, sending them both across the ground.

Roy lightly sprayed himself down and shook his head. "You little runts…won't get in the way of our goal to achieve peace!"

"Peace?!" Roy raised his arm as Emily fired Ice Shards into him. She looked absolutely animus towards him, her glare offsetting her ice demeanor. "You think this extremist malarkey is worthy of the laudable goal of PEACE?!" She darted for him with Iron Head. "You talk about our spirit as some childish crap, yet you stand there standing by a madman who literally created a doomsday device!"

"That machine will end this bigotry!" Roy fired off Scald.

Emily barreled through the Scald and slammed her head into him. "Please! How long until a world of Fusions start getting bigoted with each other just because they weren't born a certain way?! I can already see someone laughing at a guy with a Magikarp face, assuming they aren't too busy salvaging for food because some _self-proclaimed_ GOD decided to flip the crazy switch! Your idea of peace is a JOKE!" She blasted Ice Shard into his face.

Roy backhanded her, then fired off Overheat. Emily _barely_ managed to fly out of the way, only managing to get her right arm torched in the escape. She clutched it, gritting her teeth in pain, and tumbled onto her back. Roy lunged and went for the slam, but Rebecca raced it and deflected his arms with a strong kick.

"Flame Charge!" Rebecca cloaked herself in fire and shot a rising kick into Roy's chest.

"Scald!" He fired off the hot water just as he flew back. Rebecca grabbed Emily and dashed off with Extreme Speed.

Becky stood up and trembled from the poison coursing through her. Charlie, slightly dazed, picked himself off the ground. He gasped as the hound rammed her paws into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. She toppled him over, then looked around for Cletus and Codex.

"That idiot still hasn't surfaced yet," she growled before wincing from the poison.

Just as she said that, Cletus came flying out from underground and landed on his face. He was charred to a crisp, twitching from the Discharge. "Ma…did ya burn the bacon again…?"

Codex floated out, dusting off his arms. "I must say, that Cletus fellow was rather foolish to pull me into a closed space like that." His sensors suddenly warned him of a presence behind him. He dodged Becky's claws in the nick of time. "Ominous Wind." He fired dark twisters from his arms.

"Feint Attack!" With her increased speed and the move's fast movements, Becky was able to expertly dodge his Ominous Wind. She even managed to get behind him and land a solid strike into his back. "It's a shame we can't rip the code out of you. It'd make our jobs _so_ much easier."

Codex turned himself around and floated up. He focused in and scanned her closely. "I must commend you for your persistence. It is certainly an… _expected_ nature of living beings. However, your role in this endeavor leaves a lot to be answered." He dodged her claws and took himself higher in the air. "Ivan Faust is certainly charismatic enough to pose as a competent leader, but his views are not as commendable."

Roy was in the midst of fighting Rebecca when he overheard that remark. He glared at the ghost computer. "The hell are you on about?"

Codex glared. "Going about peace for Fusions and Pokémon _is_ commendable, but his actions are deplorable. What peace is there to gain from force? While it was crude, Emily's earlier remark exemplifies the errors of this forced peace. And you three and many other are the pawns needed to make that twisted vision of Faust's come alive."

Roy's nerves were straining from the pent-up anger inside him. "I've lived through a twisted vision for too many years. Do you know the SHIT we've had to go through?! I lived in the slums dealing with asshole Pokémon who fancy themselves as superior beings, just because they FEARED us!" He aimed his cannons. "Pokémon have always been the stain against us, treating us like dirt. If it won't be Faust, who else will bring peace?! Who will be the symbol to bring our peace?!" He fired off Steam Eruption.

"Codex!" Ren jumped in the air and shoved Codex out of the way, taking the Steam Eruption and being blasted through a tree. He hit his head against the trunk and slumped onto the branches.

"Ren!" Rebecca cried out. She growled and swung an Aura Sphere into Roy. The rhino blocked it and tried to grab her, but she dodged back. She threw multiple Aura Spheres at the rhino, who continuously deflected them with his Hammer Arms.

Up in the tree, Ren pulled himself up, grasping at his aching head and wincing. "Ow, ow, ow…" He rubbed it tenderly, then looked down wearily at the fight.

Becky buzzed around, dodging and deflecting Discharges and Hidden Powers. She fired off Air Slashes and pushed back Simon, Codex, and Charlie. "We don't care what lengths Faust has to go to bring peace! So long as we get what we want, we're bringing peace to this sinful world!"

Simon jumped off his hut and used Fling, nearly striking Becky. "Your plans to bring peace require much to reconsider and ruminate! Unless you realize that for yourselves, allow us to graciously illuminate!" He went in for the Close Combat, which Becky avoided. "The goal you speak of is nothing short of madness! How dare you say this will bring hatred to a rest?!"

Becky growled. "Screw you, Mr. Rhymes-A-Lot!" She spewed Flamethrower at him.

Emily fired off Ice Shards when she noticed Cletus charging in with Foresight and Hyper Fang. She avoided his large buckteeth, but was barely able to catch the Superpower. With the Foresight negating the Ghost-Typing, Emily's Ice and Steel-Types took the full brunt of the attack.

"GAH!" Emily was flung through the ground and bounced into someone's porch, which probably freaked out the people inside.

Rebecca took revenge for Emily and kicked Cletus in the stomach, right towards Becky, who dodged. "This isn't peace!" She dodged Roy's Scald.

"Then we'll make it peace!" Roy argued. "If not Faust, WHO?! It's been a millennium of this bullshit and we're STILL waiting for SOMETHING!"

As they fought down below, the sounds of battle rapidly faded from Ren's mind as he pondered the rhino's words. It was true that no progress has been made with bringing a trust between the Pokémon and Fusions. There have been centuries of wars documented throughout the ages between regions, even civil wars taking place in those regions. They've all eventually resolved after centuries.

When it came to Pokémon and Fusions, there was always something drawing them back into war. No one side just could give it a rest. If one felt too overshadowed, they'll push against the other, and vice versa. It was a constant flux of fighting to see who would reign supreme. The end results devastated hundreds, thousands even, and continued to trigger a vicious cycle of hatred.

No one wanted peace because both sides were still angry with each other. They just couldn't let up on their pride as Pokémon or Fusions. They couldn't let go of the past. And that is exactly what Faust is suffering from. While the years haven't passed for as long in his perspective as the rest of the world, he couldn't let go of what happened to his daughter. Rightfully so, but he was turning that anger into something…ugly.

Ren viewed this man as the pinnacle of what a Fusion Rights Activist should stand for. Someone who could bring both sides together in harmony and establish an understanding. Hate someone for their character, not for what they are.

And if Faust wasn't the one to bring that, then…who?

"Your lofty goals are tainted by your own desire for destruction." Ren blinked back into reality and looked down, watching Codex avoid Scalds from Roy. "No one side is blameless, but it is those like you who force this peace in the worst way possible. You dare talk of peace when your goal revolves around destruction? It is simply illogical."

Roy stepped back, panting from overexertion. He used so many Scalds in rapid succession that he was running low on energy. He could barely get another to fire out. He still had other moves up his sleeves, and he wasn't going to let these Fusions talk down to him.

"Pokémon…will never change! This has how it's been for a thousand years, and it will continue on as such! They had their chance, now we're bringing it to an end!"

He slammed down both his hands and cannons and unleashed Scalding Earth again, on a much grander scale than before. Simon and the others looked down at their feet as the ground became red hot. Quickly, they leaped off the ground and ducked for cover just as a geyser of steam exploded out from under them. They cried out as the rock and hot steam rammed into them, scattering them about the village and landing them away from each other.

Roy expelled steam from his mouth, panting from the strain, then pulled himself up. He took in the moisture from his attack and allowed it to rejuvenate him. "This…is all in the name of true peace. We won't stop…until we see it become reality." He glared at Codex, who was sprawled out on the ground, then marched up to him.

Codex grunted and tried to get up, but his body was pinned under some rock. He calculated he wouldn't have enough time to pry it off his body, with only a greater chance of squirming his way out. He wasn't one to express doubt, but even he couldn't trust the probability of a successful escape at a time like this.

Roy aimed his hand out, hoping Codex didn't know he couldn't pull off another Scald. "Now…are you ready to come with us?" Codex glared at him and prepared to use an Ominous Wind as a last resort.

"How many times…do we have to tell you?"

Roy gasped from a strong punch delivered into his gut. With the power of her Extreme Speed, Rebecca shoved Roy far back from Codex, then went on the assault. She casted her Aura Spell and created an aura double of herself, then charged at Roy and delivered a vicious onslaught of Close Combat. Roy spat out blood, with some spraying from the cracks in his skin. The blows were digging deeper into his skin unlike earlier. This girl could actually break his bones if he let this continue.

"WE WON'T GIVE UP!" she screamed angrily, putting more and more power into ever punch. "NOT UNTIL OUR LAST BREATH! OUR SPIRIT WILL NEVER DIE!"

Roy's eyes snapped into a glare. Powering through her attack, he rammed his hand into her face and forced her into the ground. "I'm tired of your shit!" He threw her up and slammed his cannons against her. "Steam Eruption!"

Rebecca could only get out a gasp before being blasted by the high-pressured water cannons. They ran her through the dirt, practically power washing a trench with her body, and blasted her into the roots of a tree. The aura fox was frozen with a stunned face, then went limp on the ground.

"REBECCA!" her friends shouted.

"NO!" Ren cried out.

Roy panted heavily as he closed up his cannons. "Finally…I thought she would never go down…"

Emily's temper flared up again as she turned her attention back at them. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU-!" Just as she made a move, Becky sprayed Flamethrower in front of her, splitting her off with a wall of flames. With the injury she sustained from Cletus' Superpower, Emily was forced to step back and stay by her friends' sides.

Roy huffed, then puffed out his chest while Becky and Cletus stood by both his sides. "Face it...I'm the strongest of the strong. And thanks to my Water Absorb, I can keep healing myself with my own attacks, or Cletus if he was a bit more useful."

"Glad to con- _tri_ -boote!" Cletus exclaimed.

"Face it…there's no winning this battle for you. You've lost."

Ren stared down at his friends as they were cornered back by the flames. His eyes continued to land on Rebecca, devasted to see her taken down. She was such a strong fighter. The fact she kept going after so many hits was utterly astonishing. And now here he was, sitting in a tree while his friends were in danger.

They were supposed to make a difference. That's what Gappei Village was all about. How can they do anything…if this the extent of their efforts?

Ren gripped tightly to the branches, baring his teeth.

 _I wanted…to be someone…that everyone can look up to. Juniper was the village's happiness. Tamara was the village's courage. And I'm…I'm supposed to be…_

* * *

 _A two-year-old Froakie-Aegislash waddled around in the comforts of his living room, without a care in the world. He was minding his own business, running around with a ball in his hands. In the kitchen was a male Greninja, who was currently on the phone with someone. In the living room with the Fusion was a female Swanna, who kept an attentive eye on her child._

 _She giggled and held her wings out. "Oh Ren~! Come here, sweetie!"_

 _Ren immediately dropped his ball and went racing to his mother, giggling. At the last second, Swanna fluttered into the air, leading Ren to trip on his feet and fall on his face._

 _The mother giggled. "Got you~!"_

 _Ren turned onto his back and whined. "Nnnnnoooo…!" The swan found this adorable as she picked the little one up._

 _The Greninja barely paid attention to what was going on in the living room, tapping his finger on the counter. After a while, he sighed and hung up, then pinched between his eyes as he walked into the living room. The Swanna bounced Ren up and down when she noticed her husband taking a seat next to her on the couch._

 _She frowned when she saw the disappointed look on his face. "Don't tell me…"_

 _He looked at her solemnly. "…They won't let Ren attend the preschool."_

 _Swanna set Ren in her lap and covered her face. "Ugh…are you serious?"_

 _He nodded. "They're worried the other kids will get freaked out if they see him. And if any parents that don't…you know..." He shook his head. "They're only denying him because they don't want him getting singled out..."_

 _Swanna sighed. "I…suppose I can live with that decision. Still…what are we going to do? We can't just leave Ren home alone while we're at work. And finding a babysitter has been next to impossible."_

 _Greninja rubbed his chin. "I could quit my job and stay at home to watch him. I wouldn't mind."_

 _Swanna touched his shoulder. "I can't ask you to do that. You recently gotten that promotion you wanted. Plus, the company does need you."_

" _I suppose…what about you?"_

" _Pretty much the same thing." Swanna rolled her eyes. "Remember when we went on our honeymoon? The theatre department practically fell apart without me directing them."_

 _Greninja leaned back and covered his face. "What…are we going to do? We don't want Ren to live the rest of his life as an outcast. What if he grows up to be…a delinquent?"_

" _I rather not consider it…" Swanna sighed. "There's just no other option…either one of us stops working…or we need to make some hard choices."_

 _Greninja leaned over and picked up their mail from this morning. "Like what?"_

" _That's the part I'm worrying about…"_

 _The ninja frog flipped through their mail, which was mostly junk. Ren reached for his father's hand and pulled a brochure out. "Ooh…this paper fancy!" He pulled it open, amazed to see it was folded in such a strange way. He only ever seen paper folded up in the shape of a taco. What kind of taco was this? It looked impractical._

 _Greninja chuckled and snagged the brochure from him. "Don't play with that, buddy." He looked over the brochure for a brief glance, then narrowed his eyes and gave the cover a more thorough read. "Hey…honey, look at this."_

 _Swanna leaned over and saw it was a brochure with a view of some village that looked like it was still under construction. "What…is that?"_

" _Something called…Gappei Village. I've…never heard of this place."_

" _Neither have I." She ran a feather over some text. "It's…a sanctuary for…Fusions?"_

" _A…Are you serious?" Greninja mumbled._

 _They looked down at Ren, who was now playing with his little shield. He placed it on his head like it was a hat. "Mommy! Daddy! I look cool, right?"_

 _Greninja blinked, then smiled. "Um…yes…very cool…" He looked over the brochure again, then looked at his wife. "Is…Is this a good idea?"_

 _Swanna narrowed her eyes. "I…I'm not sure. It says it's in Kanto and…that's really far away. We would be sending out baby to a different region. Is…Is that right?"_

 _They stared silently at the brochure. Even Ren could feel their tension. He held his arms up and wrapped them around their arm and wing. They looked down at the child as he smiled up at them._

"… _Who knows?" Greninja mumbled. He picked the giggling toddler up. "Let's…Let's look into it first. Maybe something good will come out of it for him."_

" _Yeah…"_

* * *

Ren raised his fist. _Mom...Dad...I promised I would be someone you could be proud of when I get older. I will be the one to bring peace to the Fusions and Pokémon._ He stood up, then squatted his knees. "And I'll do it…MY WAY!" He sprung in the air.

The Renegades approached on the downed Fusions, ready to take Codex, when Ren suddenly landed on the wall of fire with his shield. The impact blew the flames out. He stood up and placed his shield onto his back, then glared at his opponents.

"What the?!" Roy exclaimed. "I thought I knocked you across town!"

Ren raised his finger and pointed at them. "Renegades…I will not allow you to continue with this fight. Your opponent is me and ONLY me! I will settle this!"

Roy blinked at him, then growled. He was getting fed up with all this nonsense. "Fine…whatever. Say what you will, but it's three against one. A squirt like you is no match for us! We will beat you!"

Ren glared. For once in his life, that glare _actually_ frightened his friends. It was so…uncharacteristically _angry._ "No…you can't." He closed his eyes, then spread his arms out.

They watched him perform wave motions with his arms, swinging them side to side. The movements were fluid and free. No one could grasp what was going through the frog knight's head for this sudden dance routine, but they understood when a red and blue vapor seeped off his hands. It wasn't a dance…it was an activation routine.

"Shit!" Becky exclaimed through her teeth. "Don't tell me…!"

"Ren?" Emily mumbled in disbelief.

"…Wait, wazzat?" Cletus asked aloud.

Roy, now in a panic, lunged forward at Ren. "Don't let him power up!" Becky and Cletus took his lead and followed after him.

Emily gasped, then growled. "Simon, Charlie, Codex! Protect Ren!"

Emily and Simon shot for Roy and pushed him back, putting all their weight into it. Codex shot the ground in front of Becky with Tri Attack, keeping her at bay. Cletus tried to go underground and attack Ren from behind, but Charlie anticipated this and pulled him into a headlock just as he popped out of the ground.

Roy growled and dug his feet in, pushing back against Emily and Simon. "Don't…let him…use that…!"

The aura encompassed Ren's body. He glared at the Renegades, then raised his hands and clapped them together.

All of a sudden, everyone was blown back as a spiral of red and blue exploded out from around Ren, reaching as high as the visible sky. The pressure coming out of the cyclone was intense, rushing through fur and pushing back those who couldn't get themselves grounded. The light was certainly intense, turning the greens and browns of the villages into reds and blues. It was like walking into a painting.

The winds reached Rebecca, which were enough to rouse her from her slumber. She grasped her aching head and pushed herself up. She looked up and gasped at the powerful cyclone swirling in the village. "What…is that?!"

Codex glared through the winds, with his eyes flashing with code. "This is the pinnacle of a Fusion's emotions being controlled. The virtues of a being matched by their own regrets, transformed into a power beyond anything comprehensible. This was Ren's obstacle and he overcame the hurdles before him."

"So…that's really…!" Emily exclaimed through the winds.

Codex nodded. "Yes. Now…let us observe this grand spectacle and see just what Ren is capable of with…Fusion Mode."

The Renegades cowered back as the cyclone continuously expanded and took up space. They could see the silhouette of Ren within the cyclone, transforming into something. His body was going through a metamorphosis, though not too drastically from what they could make out. Something was forming around him, like an armor or coating. And he gave off a stronger aura than before.

 _This_ was the aura of Ren? It was far too powerful and domineering to be his!

The cyclone dispersed from around Ren, blowing into friend and foe. The dust was kicked up, swirling around the frog knight. A clang of metal stepped from the fading dust. Friend and foe gazed upon the arrival of his new form.

He was donned in golden knight armor that glowed from the light of the sun. Fluttering behind him was a purple cape, styled in the same way as Aegislash's arms. His helmet possessed an Aegislash eye on top, while his actual eyes pierced through the darkness of his visor in a solid purple glow. His sword and shield, wielded on his back, glowed with the same gold plating.

"Whoa…" Charlie awed.

"By the gods…" Simon mumbled.

"I can sense overwhelming power coming off him…" Emily said quietly.

Rebecca…was stunned silent. In fact, her face was heating up so red that she looked like a stoplight. _OMA…I've fantasized of something like this once…he's so freakin' HOT!_

Ren's cape fluttered as the dust settled. He lifted his arm, silent and graceful, and gave a flick of the wrist, gesturing the others to stand aside. They obeyed and moved over to where Rebecca was, leaving the frog knight to do his thing.

"What do you suppose is going to happen?" Charlie asked.

"I'm not sure…but I think those guys are in big trouble…" Emily answered.

The Renegades were twitching with fear, sensing the same power as the others. "Th-That's…Fusion Mode?! That brat…can actually use it?!" Becky jittered fearfully.

Cletus gulped. "Ah…Roy? You do have a plan, right?"

Roy couldn't get control of his own nerves either. He never imagined _this one_ to give off such a menacing presence. In moments like these, however, he'll have to flip a switch in his head and steel his nerves to show he wouldn't be brought down by intimidation. He raised his fists, even taking one step forward.

"Y-You think some power up is going to change anything?! Your water attacks are useless! Your moves are useless against my defense! And I can easily counter that Sacred Sword! Face it! You have nothing on us!"

Ren approached them without uttering a word. It was hard to read his emotions with that helmet covering his face. All they could make out was his hardened glare. The frog knight raised his hand and, with a snap of his fingers, summoned a golden Cut blade into it. It was larger than his normal set, with a fiery golden texture on the surface.

Roy was infuriated by this. "You dare mock me? Those puny little knives didn't lay a scratch on me! What more can they do now?! A simple gash? Maybe even break the skin?! Do your worst-!"

He went dead silent as the frog knight instantly closed the distance between them. Roy didn't even see Ren move. One second, he was over there, the next, he was right under his chin. He couldn't move his body in time to dodge the upward, golden slash that crossed his chest. The force was unlike before. Not only was a single one strong enough to push him back, but…

"AAAAHHHH!" Roy's chest burst with cracks and blood. A single slash burned into his skin, smoking from the direct hit. Roy landed on his back and clutched the aching spot. "WHAT THE HELL?!"

"Eh?!" Simon and Charlie exclaimed.

"What the?!" Rebecca shouted.

"It actually cut him…" Emily uttered in disbelief.

Codex narrowed his eyes. "That was still a Normal-Type attack. I sensed no change from its typing. The power has definitely increased…but…"

Roy pushed himself up, panting at the golden sear in his chest. "What…the…? That felt like…the exact opposite of what they did to me…" His eyes widened as Ren went for the Sacred Sword. "Shit!"

"I got it!" Cletus lunged at the knight. "Water Gun!" He sprayed water in Ren's face, but that did nothing to him. "Uh oh…"

Ren slashed down and struck with Sacred Sword. Cletus gasped and was thrown through the ground. Ren sheathed the blade and bounced in the air. Cletus writhed in pain, clutching his chest…when he realized he was perfectly fine.

"Eh?" He patted himself down. The Sacred Sword did hurt, but it felt like a paper cut more than anything. "Huh…" He stood up and flexed his muscles. "Cletus is the strongest there is-!"

Ren landed behind him and blasted a Water Pulse into Cletus' back. All of a sudden, the beaver boy was wailing in pain. The blast threw him into Roy, who barely managed to catch him.

"OH ARCEUS! IT HURTS!" Cletus screamed.

"You were hurt by WATER?!" Becky screamed. "Even I know you aren't THAT weak!"

Simon narrowed his eyes curiously. "The super effective move did nothing to harm the foe, but a strike from a Water Pulse did the blow?"

"But why?" Charlie asked.

Ren flicked his cape and raised his arm to his side. "This...is my Fusion Ability: Honor Code." His voice was smooth and, shockingly, masculine under the helmet. "Any non-effective or normal damage attacks hit with the force of a super-effective move, plus double the power. My super-effective moves, however, do half their normal damage."

Codex lit his eyes up and started recording Ren. "Incredible. A Fusion Ability that draws power from purposefully not using your strongest option. What a peculiar ability."

Roy put Cletus down, grinding his teeth together. "You can't be serious…"

Becky scoffed furiously. "So what?!" She buzzed her wings and took off at Ren, using her superior speed to try and throw him off. "I'll still crush you into paste! Feint Attack!" She vanished for a split second.

Ren turned and stopped her claws with Cut. Becky gasped and tried to flee, but Ren gripped down on her ankle. She was forced to look at his purple, ghostly eyes. Up this close, they looked like will-o-the-wisps.

"I looked up to Faust's ideals...he was someone I wanted to emulate..." He glared. "To see him like this...what happened to the man...who wanted to bring peace the right way?" He twisted the blade and slashed Becky in the stomach.

"AAGH!" Becky flew back and skipped off the ground.

Cletus took himself underground with Dig and popped out from behind Ren. "Foresight plus Superpower!" He flexed and expanded his muscles, then reached to grab the knight's cape. "Didn't anyone tell ya? Capes are a weak-!"

The cape suddenly sprung to life and bounded around the beaver boy's arm, then wrapped around his body to keep him in place.

"…point?" He gulped as Ren showed off a golden glowing Water Pulse, now glaring at the hillbilly.

"All I wanted...was a world where I could live in peace with my parents. With my friends. This is the world Faust wants?" He slammed the Water Pulse into Cletus' gut. Cletus cried out as the attack exploded, throwing him out of the cape and into Roy and Becky. "The future I want...doesn't come from a threat that endangers the world."

The group stepped back, with Emily stating, "I've never seen Ren _like_ this. It's honestly kind of scary."

Codex nodded. "His emotions must be leaking out. This is his first-time using Fusion Mode. I imagine he is having trouble containing his feelings."

Roy roared and blasted himself in the air with Steam Eruption, then aimed the cannons down at Ren. "Don't talk shit about 'peace,' moron!" He fired into the ground, where Ren dodged with ease, practically gliding over the torn up ground. "You Gappei losers sat back and let the rest of us suffer! We're making peace our way!" He spun his body and dove down with a punch ready to nail Ren through the ground.

Ren turned and kicked his arm out of the way, directing it past the frog knight so he could grab Roy by the horn. Roy swung his other arm, but Ren stopped it with shocking ease. "Then I will bring peace."

"Eh?!"

Ren gripped tightly to the arm. "When the time comes...I shall be the one to lead the new age of Fusions. I will follow the will of Chief Liam, the man I respect above all else. He is the one who brought us together. He is the one who taught us respect and tolerance...and forgiveness. His ideals will break the walls…" He reared his foot and slammed it against Roy's stomach.

"And create a new era!"

As Roy flew back, Becky and Cletus raced back into action. Becky used Air Slash and Bug Buzz against Ren, where Ren started running. Cletus fired off Water Guns from a distance, mostly in an effort to trip Ren up. The frog knight spun and flung a Water Pulse at Cletus, which scared him into dodging.

Ren then stopped and spun around, striking down the Air Slashes while enduring the disorienting Bug Buzz. With all of that, Becky couldn't believe he was still able to fight.

 _What's with this guy? This power is unreal! Is this really the same pushover from earlier! Who the hell is he?!_

Ren, after taking down the Air Slashes, spun on his heel and flung his shield with Fling. The shield radiated with a golden light. Becky was able to dodge thanks to her speed and used Feint Attack to get in close and strike as fast as she could. However, she was unaware that the shield curved in its flight and ricocheted off Simon's hut, nailing Becky in the head.

"AGH!"

She was thrown out of flight, allowing Ren to strike her with a lariat in the throat. Becky flipped against his arm and grinded against the ground on her back. She rolled onto her side and tried to get off a Flamethrower, but she couldn't manage more than a puff of smoke.

 _C-Can't…speak, either…_

Ren swung his foot into her head and kicked her into a tree. He turned and dodged a Superpower punch from Cletus. The relentless idiot swung his fist uncoordinatedly, but they were at full power thanks to a brief dip in Roy's Haze.

"Imma gonna get ya! Superpower!" Cletus managed a fake out with his left fist and swung his right in Ren's blind spot, striking him square in the head. "Bullseye!"

He wanted to celebrate, but he suddenly felt his power leaving him. To his shock, King's Shield was in effect and spread out over Ren's armor. He attempted to flee, but was caught in Ren's backhand, which threw him back over to his friends. It left a nasty bruise across his face.

Roy held his chest as he panted. "What...the hell...is this power? It's unlike anything...I've ever beheld!"

Ren narrowed his eyes, then started to approach them again. He grabbed his sword and slowly pulled it from its sheathe. As the blade was revealed, a golden light swirled around it, with the metal absorbing that light. The more it was revealed, the more power could be felt by the Renegades.

This attack…was meant to end them.

They gasped and pushed themselves against a tree. Roy held his hands up. "Alright, alright, chill! We get it, we can't beat you! J-Just back off! We haven't informed Faust that we found you yet, anyway! We'll just report that we couldn't find anything!" He brought his hands together. "Come on, man! We're cool, right?!" Neither Roy nor Becky noticed Cletus reaching for something behind his back. "You said you were taught forgiveness, right?! Let's just call it a draw, alright?!"

"…A draw?" Ren's tone was frightening and cold, scaring the three Renegades. "You hurt my friends…" The pressure increased around him, crushing the ground beneath him. "You threatened to take Codex away..."

They clenched their teeth. "W-Well, yeah, but-!"

"You willing follow Faust's will to destroy this world...for peace..." He extended the blade to his side, lighting it up with a blazing, golden aura that shined like the sun. "Sacrifices must be made for the good the people? No...that's not what peace is." He kicked off the ground and flew right at them.

His friends watched intensely while Codex recorded Ren's words with a thoughtful expression.

"Real peace...is when self-sacrifices are made! When one does everything in their power to help those in need! I won't resort to such extremes to bring this world back together!" He got under them, pivoted on his heel and swung his sword. "I will be the one to lead the Fusions and Pokémon to an era of rebirth!"

The Renegades held each other and screamed as an intense light came off the approaching blade.

"I'll teach you peace and justice…with my Divine SLASH!"

The blade slashed upward, creating a powerful shockwave afterwards. A golden pressured released from the blade and fired outward into the Renegades AND the trees. The entire village, just like when Ren activated his Fusion Mode, was blinded in an encompassing golden light. The others had to turn their eyes away from it.

"H-HOLY CRAP!" Charlie screamed.

"This power is UNREAL!" Emily screamed against the rushing winds.

"Hang on to something!" Simon ordered. "The winds are soon fading!"

Rebecca, however, couldn't help but feel calm against the blinding light. Above everything else, Ren was the pinnacle of what their village was about. He was a symbol of peace, just like Chief Liam. He is going to be the one to help bring peace. That conviction, since the day he was born, has never left him. Not once has he ever doubted that peace was impossible. He never lost sight of his ideals.

 _That's what…I admire about you the most, Ren…_

The roaring winds eventually calmed, as well as the light. With the blast, the trees in the orchard were slanted to the side to make way for the high winds. From the sky, it looked like a giant walked through these woods and pushed the trees aside to make room.

And in the wreckage of that huge blast lay the Renegades. That final attack was too much for them, the last straw. They lay in the smoking ground, sprawled with breathless gasps. They were very much alive, but they couldn't find the strength to lift their arms.

Ren placed the sword back in its scabbard, then clutched his hips. "No one…hurts my friends." He took a deep breath, then allowed himself to fall backwards, feeling a sudden fatigue come over him. Red and blue wisps dissipated off of him, reverting him back to his true form.

Rebecca, having recovered her strength a bit, used Extreme Speed and caught him in time. "I got you…"

Ren smiled weakly at her. "How'd…I do?"

She smiled lovingly. "Amazing…you were simply amazing…"

"Heh…that's good…I think I dislocated my shoulder when I used my Fusion Move…"

"Oh Ren…"

The others made their way over, with Emily exhaling a relieved sigh. "Awesome, scary…there's a number of adjectives to describe what we just saw…"

"Mostly scary!" Charlie exclaimed.

Simon whistled at the slanted trees in the orchard. If this is what Gappei Village was made of, he'd hate to see what the rest of them could do with Fusion Modes. He hadn't trained to use his, anyway. "Yeesh, you did a number of my village's orchard. I'd be mad if I didn't know what occurred."

Ren smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Simon…"

Simon huffed, then smiled. "Well…better them…than us, I suppose."

Codex floated over to the Renegades and scanned them, though he couldn't help but think back to what Ren said. That was the first time he has ever heard such passion from the frog knight. It was rather intriguing, and odd.

 _Ren's words…I have never recorded anything like it before._ He narrowed his eyes. _That same passion…it reminds me of…_

Emily crossed her arms and took a look at the Renegades, then grimaced. "This is bad, though. They know where we are, and it's only a matter of time before they reach back to Faust. The second they wake up-"

"Then time is not something we have to waste!" Everyone looked at Simon, who raised his fist. "We gather what we need and make to the docks with haste!"

After Rebecca got Ren's arm around her shoulder, she gasped. "N-Now?! Already?! What about your-?!"

"My friend?" Simon shook his head. "I was in the midst of calling him when the fight broke out. Couldn't quite convince him to sail us, something to do with doubt." Simon turned towards his hut. "He'll have to deal with it when we arrive! The battle is far from over, so look alive!" He raced inside.

Emily huffed, then flew inside as well. "I'll get our things!"

Simon swung around his hut and gathered up anything he needed for the trip. He stuffed comic books, snacks, and such into a small bag before leaping from his room. Just as he was making it to the door, a Vine Whip wrapped around his wrist and stopped him.

"Simon?" He turned and saw his mother slither in. "Are you okay?"

Simon furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Mama! I must go and help my friends! This madness must be brought to its ends!"

Serperior narrowed her eyes. "Simon-"

"I have to, I need to help them! For the lives of-!" He stopped when his mother pressed her tail against his lips.

Her neutral expression shifted to a warm and understanding face. "…I was just going to say you should bring some money with you, just in case." She reached around the counter and plopped some money into his hand. "Spend it wisely."

Simon narrowed his eyes on the money, then looked at her. "Mama?"

She settled her tail on his shoulder. "I want you to go and explore the world, sweetie. Not how I envisioned it, but...you need to help your friends. I trust you. You did fine on your own out there. The world needs to see that there are Fusions who don't want this future, either."

"…" Simon smiled and hugged her. "…Thanks Mama."

She patted his back, smiling warmly. "Promise me you'll stay safe. I know you want to protect me. Make us proud…do what you must…and go be a hero."

He pulled back and nodded. "I promise I'll come home, Mama. Just you wait! Next time you see me, I'll be on the news, and we'll end this senseless hate!" He turned and dashed outside, shouting back, "And make sure you call the police! Those creeps will need the time to think of peace!"

"I will! Don't worry!" Serperior waved at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Please be safe…"

Simon, and soon Emily after getting their stuff, burst outside and rejoined the others. Codex was in the middle of getting his GPS readjusted. "I have recalibrated my settings. Where to?"

"Soaring Port Town! Best…we hurry!" Simon exclaimed.

Rebecca looked at Ren, who still looked winded from overexerting himself. "Can you walk?"

Ren put a little pressure on his legs, then nearly collapsed like jelly. "Barely…"

Rebecca smiled. "Well…" She reached over and squeezed his hand, which surprised the frog knight. "I'll help you walk." He smiled, squeezing her hand back.

Codex's eyes lit up. "Location found."

"Then move those jelly legs and go!" Emily ordered. "We've got a world to save!" She started off in a brisk sprint.

Charlie laughed and followed after with the others. "Funny! That's something I'd hear from Tamara!"

"Do NOT even tell her I said that! Last thing I need is her turning me into her sidekick!"

The Gappei Fusions and Simon raced out of the village, leaving behind the downed Renegades. It wouldn't be long before Simon's mother made the call to the police, who will be down long before they regain their strength. However, it would seem that the group's troubles were far from over.

Cletus was barely conscious, staring up at the sky. He glanced over at the object in his hand.

A cellphone. With a text message recently sent to Cruella, that read 'Dadgum computer makin' a break for 'Surfing Park Crown.' Eh…better than nothing, right?

He sighed and dropped the phone, then gave a thumbs up at the sky. "Imma useful…" His arm went limp, having used up what little consciousness he could sustain.


	77. Raid on Fusion Arsenals

With the late night cover over Grandis City, as well as the abandonment of basic civilization, moving through the darkness was a cinch. The resisting Fusions moved silent over the rooftops, ready to carry their master operation into action. They crept onto one of the higher rooftops, where they got a vantage point over their target.

The restaurant that was converted into a Fusion Arsenals factory.

Quinn, who was practically invisible under the cloak of darkness, scoped around the factory to get a good look at what potential obstacles might get in their way. So far, it didn't seem all that bad. There were guards standing watch everywhere, even some on the buildings connected with the restaurant.

He flew back to the others, who were led by Lewis. "There are some guards around the building. Three or four each on the buildings connected to those tunnels."

Lewis nodded, cautiously gripping to his seamitar. "Just as I thought. No way they'd have something like this unless they knew someone was going to pull a heist."

"So, what's the plan?" Anette asked.

"Above all else, we need to keep our advantage of invisibility. Silence is our ally here. We snag the weapons, then get the hell out of here. First, we need to take out the guards without raising alarm."

Vivi raised her fist. "Sounds like a plan!" she exclaimed…loudly.

Eddie bonked her on the head. "Kid…keep your voice down…"

Lewis pulled out a handheld radio from his side. They had to steal them from a store, though didn't matter since the city was overturned enough already. A missing set of radios won't do much worse. He held it up and whispered, "Gracelyn, do you read me? Over."

The other end buzzed before a call came through. "Loud and clear. Did you make it there safely? Over."

"Yeah, we can see the building. We're about to hit it in a second. How's your end coming along? Over."

"We're in the neighborhood right now. We're trying to round up as many Pokémon as we can…with varying success." She sighed. "Lewis, do we really need to say 'Over' after every call?"

"I grew up with a retired colonel as a father figure, remember? This is how he taught me to use a radio. Over."

Gracelyn sighed. "Whatever. Look, the Pokémon aren't going to listen to us easily. You better get those weapons soon. That's the only leeway we can offer most of them into helping us."

"We'll get the weapons. Just wait out a little longer and get as many Pokémon as you can. We'll meet back at the hideout later. Over." He put the radio away, then looked at his team.

He had with him Quinn, Anette, Vance the Gogoat-Trevenant, Eddie, and Vivi. A small team, yes, but it was all they needed. He signaled to Quinn and Anette. "Incapacitate the guards. Quietly."

Quinn nodded. "Yes sir." He scooped up Anette and flew off into the air.

Lewis stood up and pulled out some earplugs. "Get your earplugs in." They nodded and pulled out the orange, rubbery plugs.

Quinn and Anette got directly above the restaurant. The dream koala's dream mist body wrapped around Quinn, peering over his shoulder. "This looks…dangerous."

"It is. You all set?" Quinn asked.

Anette nodded. "Sure, just…drop me carefully, please?"

"I'll try." He took a deep breath, then dived for the ground. Actually, it wasn't the ground he was specifically aiming for.

The shadows casted on one side of the restaurant were like a pool of water to a Totodile for Quinn. While keeping oustretched in his arms, he dove into the shadow 'waters' and glided down the side of the wall. He released Anette and let her tumble down the wall, then she bounced off the ground and rolled into plain view of the two guards at the front of the restaurant.

The Renegades were rightfully spooked to see a girl suddenly pop out of nowhere. One raised his fists cautiously. "What the hell? Where'd she come from?" He looked around, trying to find out where the koala fell from.

His partner had a different reaction. "Dude, she's cute! Think I can get her to go on a date with me?"

He looked at him like he was an idiot. "Dude! She's asleep!"

"Aren't all Komala asleep?"

"You can't date someone who's always asleep!"

"Why not? I've seen plenty of guys and girls dating a Komala before." He blinked and rubbed his chin. "You know, I always wondered how those relationships worked. I mean, I've heard of the Komala that can sleepwalk, but how do you get consent to date one? Do they just _know,_ in a weird sleepy, memory retaining way, or…?"

"Oh boys~!" They turned back to the sleeping body, now facing the pink mist form of the Fusion. She waved her fingers at them coyly, then started to sing a soothing, hypnotic melody.

Their eyes widened for a moment, then they became heavy. Exhaustion encompassed their bodies, as well as a lulling desire to tuck themselves away into a warm bed. The Sing's range extended out all the way around the restaurant, where every guard on duty was lulled into the song's beautiful grip. They got on their sides and curled up on the roof or ground and let the sweet sounds take them away to dreamland.

Above, out of Sing's range, the guards on the higher vantage points looked down in shock. "The hell? Why is everyone-?"

Dark Voids flew from the shadows and sniped them dead on. The darkness encompassed them and knocked them out cold. Quinn sniped down all the guards on the connected buildings until everyone was fast asleep. He gazed down just in time to see the last guard succumbing to Sing.

Anette finished her song, then took a bow. "Sweet dreams. You've been a lovely audience."

The others jumped down and made their way to the restaurant. Lewis picked off a key from one of the guards and unlocked the front door. "Good work, you two. How long should they be out?"

Anette's body rolled up to the door while the pink mist crossed her arms. "I'd give it a half hour at most. I put my best into making sure they don't wake up for a while."

"Not a whole lot of time, but it'll have to do." He unlocked the door, then gestured everyone to get inside.

As expected, there were guards inside as well. However, there weren't all that many and they were instantly knocked unconscious by Quinn's Dark Voids. Vance helped Eddie drag the bodies into a closet while Lewis search around the dismantled restaurant with a flashlight.

The entire dining area was converted into a storage space for their weapon crates. Large, metal boxes that probably contained a number of dangerous weapons for the Renegades to use. If Lewis had to guess, these were for the likelihood of a region military getting past the sealed city and nuking the whole city. While Lewis doubted it would have to come down to that, he didn't want to live long enough to witness the possibility.

Shining his light into the kitchen, he found it was converted into a workshop for the weapons. "They've been mass producing these things," Lewis mumbled out loud. "They must not want the military getting an inch within their machine."

"Or us," Quinn muttered as he opened a crate.

Lewis shined the light over at the two ends of the restaurant. The walls were taken down and connected to the other buildings with a tarp-like tunnel, as they saw from outside. "And I bet these lead into more storage spots. Possibly more workshops."

Eddie looked around cautiously. "There aren't any guards here, right?"

Lewis closed his eyes and sensed throughout the building for auras. "All active auras that I can sense are sound asleep. We should be safe." He shined a light down one of the tunnels. "We should explore some of this place before we make off with the crates."

Vivi banged on one of them. "How are we going to get all of these out of here?"

"Unfortunately, we can't. I'd steal a truck or something, but it might draw attention. We're going to have to carry these by hand." He looked down at Vance. "I assume you are more than capable of carrying the most?"

Vance nodded. "Yes, sir. I could hold a Snorlax on my back if I wanted to."

"Good. That'll give us more to take. A second break-in would be nearly impossible." He pointed his flashlight back down the tunnel. "Eddie, Vivi, I need you two to check where this tunnel ends. Assuming we can't take everything, we may have to consider blowing the adjacent building up, same with the rest."

Eddie narrowed his eyes. "That sounds like a lot of property damage."

"Better than forced mutation, though. Now get a move on."

Eddie waved it off nonchalantly. "Right, right…come on, kid." He led Vivi down the tunnel, shining his own flashlight through it.

Lewis turned back to the others. "Alright, we have a limited time here. I suggest we get the best weapons we can find and take those. Start examining the weapons."

"How would we know which is the best?" Anette asked.

"We can't, so just take your best guess. The designs of these things are fairly simplistic, yet effective, so it shouldn't be that hard to determine." He held the flashlight behind his ear, then popped a crate open. "Blasters, gadgets, anything you can fine."

Quinn nodded at the two other Fusions. "You heard the man, start searching." They got to work examining the different crates and weapons.

* * *

Eddie took the lead through the tunnel while Vivi skipped around on her merry way. The Hitmonlee Fusion mostly ignored her as he focused on the task at hand. "I think I see moonlight up ahead. We must be getting close."

"Sweet! Maybe it's the executive lounge!"

"At this point, I wouldn't put it past them."

They got to the end of the tunnel and, sure enough, it was another workshop. Though, this one doubled as a storage room, too. It was hard to say what the original purpose of this building was, but it definitely had some floors taken out to make way for the high shelves contained their crates. There was a forklift off to the side and a scissor ladder for the higher shelves.

"Ooh…spooky~!" Vivi chimed.

"And quiet," Eddie mumbled suspiciously. He knew Lewis said the guards were asleep, but he has seen things that would lead him to believe the opposite. "Keep a sharp eye, kid. Don't hesitate to attack."

"Righty-o, captain!" Vivi saluted, then skipped on ahead.

Eddie groaned and pinched between his eyes. "And keep your voice down…"

He first made his way to the workshop bench to examine the tools and scattered blueprints they were using. For the most part, they only appeared to be prototype blueprints, and scrapped ones at that. He found one that was supposed to combine the 'splashy-ness' of a Magikarp with the ocean summoning powers of a Kyogre. Possibly a stupid water bomb that created tidal waves, but it must've gotten scraped because summoning that much water was a stretch.

He moved it aside and looked through another one, but was pulled out of it when tools fell on the ground. He glared at the culprit, who was none other than Vivi. She stood next to a toppled over toolbox, which she awkwardly stepped away from.

Eddie shook his head and looked back at the blueprints. "Kid, shouldn't you try and be a little more cautious?"

Vivi chuckled, then waved it off. "Oh, we're _fine_! Everyone's asleep, remember? No need to be a paranoid prude!" She hopped onto a crate. "Besides, the Renegades aren't THAT tough!"

Eddie kept his eyes on the workbench. "I have three decades of experience over you, so it'd be wise to heed my word over your silly imagination."

"Hey, I can handle my own in a battle just fine!"

" _I_ had to save your rear before you got taken by the Fusion Hunters…who you called on _yourself_ , might I add. And _you_ wouldn't have gotten out of that military base if it weren't for Bartleby."

"-Who would've still been frozen in ice if it weren't for _me_!" she reminded proudly. "I know what I'm doing, Ed Boy!"

Eddie rolled his eyes. "Kid…it's not just the mission I'm referring to. You have an attitude problem."

"Attitude problem? Do I act mean around people?"

"Not that kind of attitude problem. I mean your hubris."

"Isn't that, like, a dipping paste?"

"That's _hummus_. Hubris is, in layman's terms, unchecked pride, typically used in epics when one challenges a god's power. In your case, you're throwing caution to the wind because you've had a lucky streak getting this far."

Vivi smiled. "I don't have a _humorous_ problem, Ed. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

" _Hubris,_ " he corrected. "And yes, you do. You've grown up most of your life being a rebel. You think this type of behavior is funny and cute, but it'll do horrible things to you in the future if you don't keep it in check."

"Worked out for me so far."

"Kid, I know this shit from experience. Just trust me and keep your pride in check."

Vivi rolled her eyes, then hopped along the crates. "Just because things were bad in your day doesn't mean I'll face the same problem."

"My day? I haven't left _my day_ for thirty years. Shit barley changes out here. Meanwhile, I'm stuck babysitting some twit who is too moronic for her own good."

"You're a harsh man, Ed."

"That's how I grew up: you're either blunt about something or it'll bite you in the ass later." _On the other hand, so many things I could've said to you, but I kept it to myself because you've been through enough. Though, you make it difficult to keep the words to myself._ "We're trying to help people and you're treating this like some stupid fetch quest for a stupid…MM…WO…GPRs or whatever."

Vivi plopped herself down on the peak of a crate tower. "Okay, first, it's MMORPG. Second, those are awesome. Third, I _am_ taking this seriously! This is me being serious!" She stood up and waved her hands in her face. "Serious business!"

Eddie groaned. "You're such a little kid…"

"Well, maybe I am. What's wrong with that? I thought you told me once I should appreciate my childhood."

"This is not one of those times. I know you've gone your whole life acting cool and defying adults or _whatever_ , but this isn't some videogame where consequences can just be handwaved with the reload button. We could be going to war any day now."

Vivi sat down. "Oh, you're exaggerating. We just need to take out the machine and we win. Simple as that."

"You're not thinking of what will happen _after_ , much less what will happen getting to that point."

"We fight, duh."

"And what if we lose?"

"We won't."

Eddie clutched his head and growled. "Kid…that's NOT how it works. You can't just declare something and expect it to come true. You need to WORK for it!"

"I don't know what you're getting huffy about. I broke into a military base and left completely unscathed!"

"Not how I remember it," Eddie grumbled. "You really don't understand consequences, do you? Do you even care what your ancestor had to put up with when he first discovered Data's plans? Do you think he wanted his descendant to treat this like a game?"

"Hey, I never had to deal with consequences because they never happen to me. Why should I worry about them now?"

"Need I remind you of your _terrible_ sense of direction?"

"It's not that bad."

"You got LOST on a straight path! In a hallway! With no other branching hallways!"

Vivi spread her arms out. "And I'm still kicking, so nothing wrong here!" She got up and jumped to another stack of crates.

Eddie turned back to the workbench and rubbed his temples. _This kid…is running my patience thin. She has never been disciplined in her entire life. I get she has good intentions, but she's still stuck in that childlike mindset. Good grief, she makes me so…so…!_

"Hey, Ed!" Vivi exclaimed, pointing at a large crate sitting on the shelves. "This one looks like it could have some awesome weapons inside!" She took a step back, then leaped onto the shelving unit.

Eddie's eyes widened. "Kid! Get off of that!"

"Oh, it's fine!" Vivi grabbed hold of the crate and shimmied it out. "I'll just parachute down with it, like one of those nifty air packages they throw out of planes-" As the weight of crate leaned more on her, her foot was slipping out from under her. Soon, it lost its grip on the bottom shelf, completely throwing off her balance.

"Uh…oh…"

Eddie turned away and defended his face as the crate came crashing down onto the floor. It brought down the other crates nearby, starting a huge domino effect. Eddie quickly got to cover as the crates came crashing down all around him. Weapons fell out and splayed out on the floor.

"Vivi!" Eddie shouted in both concern and frustration.

Fortunately, the ladybug archer was unharmed. She popped out from the crates with a blaster nestled in her arms. She looked cautiously at the scattered weapons, then her eyes landed on Eddie's. His glare was practically bursting with flames at her.

"Uh…I didn't do it!" She tossed the blaster to the side, but the impact caused an accidental firing…into the fire alarms.

Fire alarms suddenly blared around them, and down the tunnel to the restaurant. They must've wired the alarms together when they remodeled the place.

Eddie curled his fingers. "VIVI!"

"Um…hehe…oops?"

* * *

The team was getting weapon crates organized when the alarms suddenly blared over their heads. "Gah! What the hell?!" Quinn exclaimed.

"Who set off the fire alarms?!" Anette shouted.

Lewis gritted his teeth. "Shit…this is bad!" He picked a crate under his arm. "Just grab everything you can and bolt for the door!"

Crates were stacked on top of Vance before they raced to the doors. However, they slammed closed in their faces, cutting off their escape. Lewis pulled out his seamitar to slice the doors open, but stopped when he felt the ground shake under him. The group jumped out of the way as rocks shot out of the ground.

 _Stone Edge?_ Lewis questioned.

"And here I thought this was going to be lame…" The team whipped their heads and spotted three figures stepping out from behind the kitchen. One of them ripped a collar off her neck. "We figured one of you would have some sensory type abilities…so we made sure we had something to stay invisible…"

Lewis kept hold of his seamitar, glaring cautiously at the newcomers. He could see the other three shivering at the three figures, but they couldn't explain why. Lewis, however, could see it clearly once their auras were revealed to him. _What is this pressure? It's tainted in death…_

The guards stomped their feet down. Leading them was the Mightyena-Lycanroc, Ripper, with her two 'brothers' by her side. She tilted her head, looking quite bored. She pulled some headphones off her ears. "I'll be honest…I was hoping you wouldn't show up. I was listening to my tunes…" She smirked. "Heh…guess paranoia has its purpose…"

"So, you're the defiant ones who stand in the way of our justice?" Lance asked, brandishing his lance at them.

Reverb narrowed his eyes, speaking quietly, "We expected a larger party. Where's the rest of you?"

Quinn kept his arm up protectively in front of Anette and Vance. "Shit…who the hell are these guys?" he growled shakily behind his teeth.

"Assassins…" Quinn looked up at Lewis with shocked eyes. Lewis glared at the trio. "I can see it in their auras. They have a bloodlust…one that makes my soul quiver at the lives they must've taken…"

Quinn blinked, then looked back at them fearfully, trying his best to hide it. "Does that mean…they're like what Juniper was…?"

Ripper's ears twitched at the name. She glared. "Juniper?"

Lewis glared, then held his hand up, whispering to Quinn, "We don't know who these three are…but we can't let them know about Juniper…"

Quinn glared. "R-Right…"

Ripper narrowed her eyes emotionlessly, then walked towards the nightmare lizard. "I know what I heard, boy. I don't know who this Juniper is, but it sounds like you _don't_ want me to know…"

Quinn casted Shadow Claws over his arms and stood defensively. "Stay back, you psycho…"

"Psycho is such a strong word…" Ripper lowered herself and flexed her claws. "Fine, don't talk. I've got time to kill…and _you're_ the clock." She kicked off her back legs and soared at the Charmeleon-Darkrai, taking his off guard.

 _She's fast!_ Quinn raised his arms to defend himself, but Ripper was faster than he expected.

She bashed her paw through his arms and into his chest, knocking him off his feet and dragging him against the floor. "Ice Fang." She raised her head, then swung down and bit down on his shoulder. Hard.

"AAAAHHHH!" Quinn screamed as ice splintered out from his shoulder, mixed with frozen specs of his blood.

"Horn Leech!" Vance hurled himself at Ripper with his horns blazing dark green.

Ripper glared and jumped to the side, revealing the lance flying out from behind her. "Fell Stinger!" Vance and Lance met blows with their attacks, sending out sparks around them.

Anette gathered her mist self in a more corporeal state to drag Quinn out of the fight. "Are you okay?"

Quinn gripped his shoulder, seeing the ice spread out over his arm in a spider web design. "N-Not really…sh-shit, that really freakin' hurts…" _Just like when Juniper blasted me with Force Palm…shit, these guys are the real deal…_

Lewis drew his seamitars and ran to aid Vance, but got caught up in a strong swing from Reverb's Drain Punch. He blocked the attack with his blades as it threw him back into the wall. He immediately dodged the second punch for his head and rolled out of the way. "Aura Sphere!" He threw the attack into Reverb's face.

It knocked Reverb back, but he didn't seem all that bothered, even for a super effective hit. He wiped the scuffs off his cheek, then struck his fists together. "Let's go, buster," he challenged in a quiet tone.

Lewis stood up, then drew both seamitars again. "You will regret challenge a member of the Fusion Council. Night Slash." His right blade lit in a purple glow. "Razor Shell." The left blade wrapped with water. He crossed the blades and glared through them.

Reverb glared, then made the next move. He went for Drain Punch yet again, which Lewis countered with a swing of Night Slash. He swung int Reverb's side with Razor Shell, but the sound toad was surprising agile for his size, flipping over Lewis' head.

"Echoed VOICE!" He shouted pulsating sounds waves into the samurai. Lewis flipped his hand and avoided it in the nick of time. The sounds, however, bounced around the tight quarters of the restaurant and reflected back at Lewis from behind.

"AGH!" Lewis covered one ear with his hand while blocking a surprise Drain Punch from Reverb.

Reverb glared. "How perceptive. Normally someone would cover both their ears to such an assault."

"Not my first fight, kid." Lewis spun and struck Reverb across the face with his foot.

Reverb stumbled forward, then turned around. "Hyper…VOOOOOOOICE!"

Lewis blocked himself as the sounds blasted into him and the walls, taking him out into the parking lot. The samurai bared his teeth and dug his feet into the ground, forcing himself against the soundwaves. He glared as Reverb stepped through the dust, cracking his neck.

"…Mud Bomb." He dropped on all fours and rapidly fired Mud Bombs at the councilman.

Lewis swung his seamitars and battered them away, but one exploded against him and splashed mud into his eyes. "Agh…!"

Reverb rushed in with the Drain Punch, going for Lewis' head. However, Lewis swung his seamitar and slashed into the fist at the last second, taking Reverb off guard.

"Counter."

The energy of his attack reflected back into Reverb, exploding blank point in his face. Reverb tumbled back, rolling onto his feet. He grunted and rubbed some smut off his lip before rising. "You're good, mister. Real good."

Lewis flicked the mud off his eyes, then raised his blade. "Good…you're learning. Respect your superiors, boy."

Back over with the others, Quinn and Anette were preoccupied with fending off Ripper, with the former still dealing with a wounded shoulder. Ripper was calling off any actual attacks, more comfort just swinging her claws at them. In all fairness, it was an effective tactic, as those claws could cut into the floor like paper.

"Feint Attack." Ripper suddenly vanished and struck Quinn from behind.

"AGH!" He turned and fired Flamethrower, but she vanished and appeared right over it before slamming her paw down on his head.

"Ice Fang…" She opened her maw and showed off her frost covered fangs.

"Sing!" Ripper stopped when the dream koala started to sing a wordless melody through the restaurant.

The wolf cocked her head, then smirked as she placed on her headphones. "Never mind. I guess I will be listening to my music." She switched on some heavy metal music before proceeding to charge and strike the koala's comatose body.

Anette gasped, feeling the pain reflected into her body. She and her body were thrown into a pile of crates, landing in one filled with various guns. _Shit…I'm not trained enough to handle someone like this…_

Ripper walked up to here as her music blared into her ears. Lots of death metal screams and heavy guitar playing. "What a beautiful song, kid." She showed her claws. "But I prefer my music. Want to show me your metal scream?" She lunged onto the koala and swung her claws.

"Vine Whip!" A vine wrapped around her ankle and pulled her away from Anette, where she turned onto the receiving end of a Horn Leech. Vance lurched his head and launched Ripper into the ceiling lights.

Anette flinched as the impact caused the lights to explode. "Vance!"

Vance glared at her. "Run! Now!" He barely turned in time to defend against Lance's Iron Head. However, the dragon knight had way more power over him and took the tree goat off his hooves.

"Fell Stinger!" He thrusted the lance into Vance's underside and sent him flying into the far wall. Lance spun his lance, then sheathed them onto his back. "And now, a mighty Dragon Claw of Justice!" He extended his wings and semi-flew across the restaurant, brandishing his glowing claws at the fallen goat.

"Flamethrower!"

Lance felt heat coming from his left and was struck by a stream of fire. He held up his arms, but growled due to the type weakness he had. Quinn was up against a wall and spraying as much flame as he could into the knight.

Lance glared. "A dragon dares challenge the knight?" He charged through the flames and slashed with Dragon Claw.

Quinn faded into the shadows. "You're a dragon, too!"

"A noble dragon! One who will bring justice to all Fusions!" Lance declared proudly.

"Hey, noble dragon…" Lance spun around and struck with Fell Stinger as Vance lunged into him with Horn Leech. "Screw off!" He slammed his hooves down and stood his ground.

Lance grimaced. "Your bravery is to be admired! Perhaps you will join our cause!"

"I've already got a cause, and it's stopping jerks like you." Vance smirked. "Forest's Curse."

The grass matter on his body glowed, then grew out into Lance. The noble dragon jumped back, but it was too late as eerie green plants grew onto Lance's arms and body. Vance galloped away while the dragon was distracted.

"What curse dare you lay upon me?!" Lance shouted.

"Flamethrower!" From the shadows, Lance was stricken again with Flamethrower, this time much stronger than previously. The power of Forest's Curse had given him a dual weakness to Fire.

"AAAAAAGH!" Lance screamed, brought down to his knees.

Quinn phased out of the shadows, floating above Lance. He formed Shadow Claw around his arm and went for the strike, but was struck from behind with Sucker Punch. Quinn flew across the air and landed into scattered crates. He pushed one aside and glared as Ripper landed on the floor.

The wolf grunted. Her fur was smoky and blackened from the blown-out lights, but that wasn't the main source of her irritation. Dangling from her maw was her headphones, fried and busted up. "These…costed me…one-hundred fifty dollars…" She dropped them, then stamped them under her paw. "You'd be daft if you think I'm not the slightest bit pissed…perhaps you can finally tell me what you were mumbling under your breath. Might be suitable payment.

Quinn stood up and gazed to his left, seeing Anette hiding behind a crate near him. He'll have to keep watch of her since she wasn't accustomed to fighting. He glared back at the wolf, then wrapped Shadow Claws around himself again. "Like hell I am…"

Ripper smirked. "Heh…let the bodies hit the floor…"

Back in the parking lot, Lewis and Reverb traded blows with Night Slash and Drain Punch nonstop. Lewis ducked under one punch and went for the underarm, but Reverb pivoted on his heel and went for Lewis' side. However, he stopped mid-punch before he triggered Lewis' Counter. It was hard to tell, but they were almost equally matched.

 _Almost_.

Reverb leaped back and stood hunched over. "If I keep drawing out this fight, you'll eventually get a clean hit on me…" He grinned with a weary slyness. "How unfortunate…"

Lewis kept his guard up. Even if he had a slight edge, he wasn't giving up his defense for a second. He constantly kept eyes on the toad's aura. He had something up his sleeve. With every battle with a Fusion or Pokémon, it was best to quickly assume the opponent's ability. So far, it wasn't Poison Touch or Water Absorb. No hint to it being Soundproof. However, there was one other possibility…

"Rain Dance." And there it was.

Reverb raised his arms and gazed up at the sky as clouds rolled in and rain drizzled down on him. He sighed in relief, then smirked at Lewis. "Now…a true test of your worth." He took one step forward, then crossed the distance between them in a second.

Lewis reacted fast and struck with Night Slash. _Swift Swim! Just as I thought!_

Reverb blocked the Night Slash with Drain Punch. "Heh…you could even anticipate that? You are good." He glared. "But I wonder what those two stragglers are doing back there?"

Lewis glared. _Vivi and Eddie?_

"Oh…we know there's more of you…now you might be wondering, 'What could they be in danger of when all three assassins are here?' He's no assassin…but we didn't come here without some extra help…hehe…"

Lewis bared his teeth. _Eddie…Vivi…_

* * *

Eddie went through a pile of weapons and gathered as many as he could hold under his arms. The Hitmonlee Fusion glared back at her. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Okay, in retrospect, I may not have thought that all out!" Vivi stated as she tucked some stuff under her cloak.

Eddie turned away and scowled. "Kid, I swear…!"

"Will you calm down? We just need to get this stuff out of here and we're home free!"

Eddie stopped, turned around, and stamped his foot down in front of her. "For all we know, they're already being attacked because you set off the fire alarms!" He growled and covered his face. "This is the same shit I was talking about! You're too rebellious for your own good!"

Vivi rolled her eyes. "You're overreacting."

"Overreact…?!" Eddie's eyes glowed bright orange. His fur crackled with sparks. He dropped the weapons and pointed at her. "Listen to me, you insufferable little brat! I…!" He stopped when he felt a cool breeze run through his fur. He looked around cautiously. "…Kid, is it just me or did it get colder?"

Vivi exhaled and saw her own breath, as did Eddie. They blinked, turning their heads cautiously, then glanced over their heads. Their eyes shrunk when they spotted the Fusion hanging from the rafters. An Abomasnow-Kyurem. He had an ice mask over his face, similar in appearance to a Kyurem, and disproportionate wings on his back. His main body was a dark gray.

He exhaled a thick mist from his mouth. "Hello…"

"Shit!" the duo exclaimed, dropping the weapons and racing to the tunnel.

"Ice Age!" He fired a thick blizzard from his mouth and struck the far wall leading to the tunnel. Eddie and Vivi stopped as the wall was instantly incased in a thick sheet of ice. They felt the Fusion drop down behind them, emanating a bitter cold from his icy body. "Alright, everyone… _chill_."

Eddie faced the Renegade, staring with his eyes glowing orange. "Just _great_ …"

* * *

Quinn flew around the restaurant while being chased down by Ripper. He fired off Dark Pulses, but the wolf was adept at using her environment to dodge attacks, not to mention she was incredibly fast. He used Flamethrower on the ground to create some space between them, but the wolf leaped through and spiked him out of the air.

Quinn tumbled across the ground before getting pinned onto his stomach. Ripper lowered her head close to his ear and whispered, "So…still don't want to talk about this Juniper you seem to be hiding?" Quinn gritted his teeth defiantly. "…Well, whoever she is, let's hope she doesn't shed too many tears for you passing." She lifted her head. "Ice Fang!" She went for his neck.

"Ally Switch!"

Ripper bit down on something, but it wasn't flesh. Her eyes widened to see it was Anette, who used her log to block the Ice Fang. The dream mist koala glared at her. "My turn!"

Ripper tried to let go, but couldn't get her jaw off the log. _Shit! There's too much ice over the log! I locked myself in!_

"Gyro Ball!" Her body gripped tightly to the log and spun on its side. The spinning force ripped Ripper free, with major discomfort in her jaw, then nailed her in the underside and sent her flying backwards.

Ripper gritted her teeth. "Sucker Punch!" She flicker-vanished and reappeared to strike Anette.

The dream koala cried out and crashed through the wall. Ripper shook her head, then lunged for the fallen koala with bared teeth. Quinn slapped his hands on the ground and extended his Shadow Claw, striking from under Ripper. The wolf glared at him, then used her hind legs to bounce off the wall she flew at.

"Drill Run!" She rotated her body, with her mane hardening, and drilled into Quinn. The nightmare lizard used Shadow Claw to soak up the damage, though he felt skin being torn off from the attack. Ripper ceased and struck Quinn against the cheek, knocking him on his back.

Ripper growled in mild frustration, then cracked her neck. "Takes a lot to get me pissed off…I'd say you're doing wonders to get me angry." She slammed her front paws down. "Stone Edge!" She sent out a wave of rising spires at him. Quinn howled in pain, taking one to the injury on his stomach and into his jaw. The rocks pinned him into the ceiling. "How about you start talking? Better yet, where's the rest of your little resistance? What are _they_ up to?"

Vance and Lance traded blow with their Horn Leech and Fell Stinger. Vance was thankful for Horn Leech's life sapping abilities, otherwise these repeated clashes would've left him winded by now. The tree goat went for yet another charge, but Lance switched up his attacks and went for Dragon Claw at the goat's underside. Vance gasped as the blow threw him off his hooves.

Lance leaped and spiked the tree goat into the floor. "And now…Iron Head!" He dove headfirst at the fallen goat.

Vance shook his head, then fired off Vince Whip. He latched onto something and reeled himself away just in time. He rolled to his hooves, then kicked off his hindlegs. "Aerial Ace!"

Lance crossed his arms as the goat soared past him, cutting against his side. Lance grunted, then spun and swung his Dragon Claw. Vance spun and blocked with his Horn Leech. The goat, however, realized this was just to grab him by the horns and pulled him into a blank point Iron Head. Lance punted the poor goat into the floor, then slammed his leg into his stomach, knocking him into the far wall.

Lance cracked his wrist. "This is all in the name of justice. Why do you persist on beating us? Do you not want peace?!"

Vance coughed, pushing himself up against the wall. "Peace? Heh…oh, that's rich…" He coughed again, rubbing his sore throat, then glared at the assassin. "All this talk of peace…coming from some delusional killers? Sounds a bit hypocritical, don't you think?"

Lance narrowed his eyes, then pulled out his lances. "It is a grim shame to kill another Fusion…but I've sunk to other lows before." He roared and rushed right in with his Fell Stinger.

Vance stomped his hooves down and casted protect over himself, stopping the Fell Stinger in its place. The tree goat bared his teeth, using this limited time of protection to think of a way out of this mess. Given that Lewis was the strongest out of all of them, they didn't seem to stand a chance.

Who else could possibly be a match for these three?

* * *

Eddie and Vivi leaped around the storage room, avoiding Ice Shards being fired off by the Abomasnow-Kyurem. Eddie leaped to a stack of boxes and kicked the top one into the back of the Fusion's head.

"AGH!" He snarled and focused his fire on the flame kicker. "Damn you!"

Eddie scoffed under his breath and ducked under some ground level crates. "No, no, no…this is the part where you make some witty remark for me to follow up. You have done this before, right?"

Vivi fired arrows from the rafters. "So, you can be playful in a tense moment, but I can't?!"

"Kid, time and place!" Eddie jumped up and avoided the Fusion's Ice Punch. Eddie pressed his feet to the wall and bounced off. "Flame Charge!" He lit himself in flames and slammed his foot into the giant Fusion's stomach.

"AAAAAGH!" Abomasnow wailed, sliding back and gripping his singed stomach. He snarled at the flame kicking Fusion as he balanced atop a crate. "You're messing with me!"

"Am I?" Eddie mumbled.

Before Eddie could go for the attack again, Vivi came gliding down and fired off Air Slash arrows into Abomasnow. "Have some of this, Renegade!"

Abomasnow roared and fired Ice Shard at her. Eddie glared and kicked a crate into the Ice Shards and Vivi, blocking the attack and taking Vivi to the ground.

"OW!" Vivi whined. "Hey! I could've dodged that!"

"Just stay out of my way and let me-!" A shadow casted over Eddie, prompting him to jump back from the Abomasnow's Ice Punch. The cold energy spread out in a wave and reached the flame kicker's foot. Eddie lit his leg to melt through, but the giant Fusion came charging and broke him from the ice with a solid punch to the stomach. "AGH!"

"Eddie!" Vivi called out.

Eddie slammed into a shelving unit and landed on his rear. Crates slid out from above him, provoking him to jump out of the way. He couldn't catch his breath as the ice giant fired off Ice Shards at him. Eddie bolted around the storage room, keeping a fair distance ahead of the attack.

 _I'm getting too worked up…I'm getting distracted._ He growled at himself, seeing the fire crackling off his fur. _I hate keeping my temper in check. I've always been straight forward with my feelings. That damn kid…I've gone easy on her because I pitied her, but now…ugh, I can't explode right now, not while I'm in this mess!_

He glared at the frozen exit, then at Vivi. The others were most certainly dealing with their own share of trouble. They would need some backup, but he couldn't leave Vivi to handle this guy. She shouldn't be left alone to fight someone out of her league.

"Kid, run!"

Vivi blinked. "Run! Where?!"

Eddie backflipped over the ice giant and kicked him in the back of the neck. Eddie then lunged into the ice and slammed his foot into it, releasing a tremendous amount of heat through his foot. The ice turned to water, then to steam in a blink of an eye, leaving forth a hole to crawl through.

"That way, now!" Eddie ordered.

Vivi glared. "Hey, are you just ditching me?! I can help-!"

"You want to help?! Make sure everyone else is still alive!" he shouted angrily. "Get out there and help the others escape! I'm staying and taking care of this joker!"

"But-!"

"I said NOW!"

Vivi was taken back by the tone of voice. She could see the fire in Eddie's eyes, and not the good kind. "…Okay." She turned to the hole and jumped through. "Just be careful, okay?!"

"I will…" Eddie breathed in, then sighed in relief. "Finally…" He curled his fingers into a ball.

Abomasnow lifted himself and leaned against a crate. He panted, then smirked. "What's…the matter? Finally decided you didn't need a little girl to help you out?"

Eddie glared over his shoulder. "…No…I just needed her to leave…" He faced fully, lighting the flame on his back. "…Because I can't guarantee on holding back anymore…"

* * *

 _Eddie was a simple Fusion. Grew up on the streets, wandering from place to place, trying to get by on food in anyway he could. A crappy life, he sometimes told himself, but he was free. He didn't need anyone running his life. No one was going to get in his way. Who cared about the law? Who cared about the people that got in his way? He was invincible. He built himself up to be the strongest Fusion on the streets. There wasn't a Pokémon in the world who could tell him off._

 _He was the best of the best…but that didn't make him a killer._

" _Freaks! Abominations! The lot of them!"_

" _Where'd that other one go?! He ran down somewhere this way!"_

 _The young Hitmonlee-Typhlosion was crouched behind a dumpster, covering his head as angry mobs were rushing out on the streets. The flame kicker was trying his best to suppress his heavy breathing, ignoring the blood stained on his feet and fur._

 _His heart was pounding, his eyes were shaking, and his hands were convulsing. It all happened so fast. He barely had control of himself. He couldn't remember most of what happened, but…when he came to, calmed from his blind rage, he was standing atop a bloodied Nidoking, with blood splattered all over the Fusion._

 _It was that Nidoking's blood._

 _Eddie grabbed his head, panting fearfully._ This is bad…this is really, really bad!

 _He heard some feet making their way towards his position. He kept his head low and booked it to a different hiding spot. Above all costs, he had to stay out of sight until the heat died down._

Got to hide, got to hide…shit, where do I go from here?!

" _Where'd that freak go?!"_

" _Did you see what he did to that Nidoking?!"_

" _He beat the poor guy to near death!"_

 _Eddie kept running until he was around a corner, taking a second to catch his breath. He looked for an escape and scored lucky at the sight of a fire escape. He ran and leaped onto the ladder, then pulled himself onto the catwalk. He quietly ascended the steps, just avoiding the vigilant gazes of the search party._

 _Eddie got to the roof and walked himself towards the edge, hands pressed over his eyes._ I told them...we shouldn't have attacked the police station...why didn't they listen to me?! _He stopped at the roof's edge and crouched down._ Of all the myopic, foolish plans they came up with…what were those idiots thinking?! _His eyes clenched tighter, tears poking out._ What was I thinking?! Why the hell did I listen? I'm so STUPID! What is wrong with me?! I knew what might have happened, I knew the risks, but I went along with it! I'm a freakin' idiot! GAH!

 _As Eddie scolded himself, police sirens wailed in the distance and approached the site of the angry mob. Eddie looked up from behind his hands and saw one of the officers walk up to a witness. They were talking about something, but Eddie couldn't catch most of it. He leaned himself down a bit to listen in better._

"… _And where did you say this Fusion went? What did he look like?"_

" _Some Hitmonlee with blue fur and fire shooting out of his back! He went nuts on the station! He and his gang of hooligan Fusions attacked the station and raised Hell! We saw the whole thing! He went down somewhere this way after the Fusion Hunters intervened!"_

" _That so? Alright…we keep a look out. Thank you for your help."_

 _Eddie narrowed his teary eyes, then pulled away from the edge. He had to go into hiding. Even in disguise, there were going to be some folks acting weary around Hitmonlee. The frazzled Fusion shook his head and started running off, hoping to find somewhere to lay low._

 _And lay low, he did._

 _Days turned into weeks. The news spread wide across the city. While Eddie never committed murder, he came close to stepping over that line…all because he thought he was free. Free of consequences. Free of suppression._

 _Free of justice._

 _The Hitmonlee Fusion was perched on a bench, looking over the wanted poster of him. No physical images of his face were captured, so they had a rough sketch of him done. Since there was also nothing else on him, the act he committed cemented a name that may forever haunt him._

 _The Wrathful Flame._

 _Eddie closed his eyes, then crumpled the paper into his hand, tossing it into the waste bin by him. It bounced off the rim and onto the sidewalk. He didn't bother picking it up. He stood up and adjusted his coat, then started his journey down the road._

 _There was only one thing left for him to do._

 _He had to run. Keep running. Never look back._

 _Who knows? Maybe it'll get better for him. Maybe he'll find other Fusions like him. Maybe he could find peace._

… _He never did._

* * *

Lewis dodged Reverb's Echoed Voice, then swung under his legs and slashed into his back with Night Slash. Reverb spun with Drain Punch and struck Lewis in the arm. The Lucario Fusion dug his seamitar into the asphalt and caught himself. However, with Reverb's Swift Swim active, he got into Lewis' space and struck him in the chest.

"Hyper VOICE!" Lewis pivoted on his heel and just barely evaded the cone of sound.

"Now, Copycat!" Lewis' eyes glowed white, replaying the attack through his mind, and casted a white aura over himself. He grabbed the toad and shouted back Hyper Voice into him, throwing him away from the restaurant.

Reverb took the hit and rolled along the parking lot, then rolled onto his feet. He grunted inaudibly, wiping some spit off his lip. "…Amplify." The bumps on his body started to vibrate, emitting a strange humming sound that Lewis could hear, even at their distance.

 _Alright…it's not an attacking move. But…with a name like 'Amplify,' what is he…? Oh shit!_ It was a guess, but Lewis wasn't taking chances. "Everyone!" he shouted into the restaurant. "Get under something and brace yourselves!"

"BOOOOOOOMBURST!" Reverb screamed, firing off a wide sound blast that took up the entirety of the restaurant in a shockwave.

Vance lunged onto Quinn and Anette and shielded them under his body. "Protect!" The green barrier projected around him and shielded against the raining concrete.

Ripper and Lance raced out of the restaurant, blocking out the Boomburst the best they could, and leaped into the parking lot. The restaurant shook and cracked open, crumbling and collapsing over itself. Crates of weapons were crushed under the immense weight of the building. Dust kicked up around the fallen structure, blown back by the Boomburst as it continued on.

Lewis kept his ears firmly covered, but felt blood trickling out from them. _This noise…it's intense!_

Reverb kept going until his last breath. The sound dampened, then completely faded, the remnants of the noise echoing about ahead.

Ripper shook her head and stood up. "Yeesh…a little overkill, don't you think?"

Lance pulled himself up. "Did that kill them?"

Reverb glared, then cracked his knuckles. "They're stubborn…I'm going to say no."

Lewis gritted his teeth and raced to the wreckage. _They better be alright!_ He stopped and flipped back as Reverb appeared in front of him and swung with Drain Punch. Lewis skidded back on the slick parking lot, courtesy of the rain pouring down on him.

Ripper and Lance joined by their comrade's side, with the wolf saying, "I suppose…we could take you on ourselves."

Lewis reached for his seamitars. _I could attack with my Fusion Move, but I need to catch them off guard first._

Lance aimed his lance. "We shall eliminate you, then go for the fallen Fusions—assuming the debris hadn't already crushed them. Have at you!"

The dragon knight went for the charge, but stopped as arrows shot down in front of the assassins and exploded into a thick Haze. They held their breaths as the Haze encompassed them. "Wh-What the hell?" Ripper coughed.

"Mr. Lewis!" Lewis looked up and spotted Vivi gliding over their heads. "They're all yours! Give 'em hell!"

Lewis glared and stood up. "Thanks a bunch, kid." He pulled out one seamitar and spun it in his hand, holding it in a reverse grip. "This should even things up. Esoteric Water Blade!"

He broke into a sprint whilst the mystical water wrapped around the shell blade and expanded into the size of an oversized buster sword. Lewis dashed through the smoke, eyes on the auras of the assassins, and took a mighty swing into them. The assassins gasped as the blade crashed into them, dealing serious damage against them. It was like the attack was dealing critical damage while simultaneously dealing Water and Fighting-Type damage, as it was digging into Reverb pretty hard.

"HAH!" Lewis threw them off the blade and launched them through the parking lot, blowing apart asphalt and any cars in their path.

"Agh!" they gasped, slamming against the final car. They were soaked from the Fusion Move, with a trail of glowing water across them in the shape of the slash.

Lewis sighed, then sheathed the blade away before running over to the collapsed building. "Vivi, give me a hand!" He pinpointed their auras and, with Vivi's assistance, lifted concrete off of their location.

A hand reached out, which Lewis pulled on. Quinn was pulled out, coughing up dust. "Ugh…ouch…" He reached down and helped Anette out, while Vance climbed out and shook some rubble off his back.

"Are you guys okay?" Vivi asked.

"Eh…I'll tell ya once the adrenaline wears off," Vance mumbled.

Anette slapped her cheek. "These guys are freakin' tough! How are we going to get away with _any_ weapons?!"

Lewis looked around swiftly, then spotted a semi-truck abandoned on the street. He glared at it, then looked down at Quinn. "Quinn, you and the others keep these three busy. Think you can do that?"

"Uh…" Quinn looked with a hesitant, deadpan glare at the assassins as they pulled themselves together. "Sure…no problem…"

Ripper shook her head, then growled. "Slowly getting pissed off…lovely…" She ripped into the car and tore out a chunk of metal, just to calm herself down. "I've about had enough of this crap…ready, boys?"

Lance stood up, pounding his chest. "Egh…yeah, sure…" Reverb nodded silently.

Quinn rubbed his shoulder, then pressed his hands against the ground. "Shadow Claw!" His shadow became animated and fired out through the ground, heading towards the assassins.

Lance deployed his lance and struck into the Shadow Claw, dispersing it at the tip. However, it was a distracted for Vance to kick Anette into the air and right above them. The dream koala gripped tightly to her log and came spinning down with Gyro Ball, wrapped in her dream mist. She collided with Reverb and knocked him backwards.

Reverb grunted and planted his feet down, retaining remarkable balance despite his back almost being parallel with the ground. He swung and backhanded the koala across the face, throwing her into another parked car. He straightened up, but was met with the end of an Ice Punch arrow, encasing his face in ice.

Vivi ran circles around the assassins, firing off all types of arrows into them. Lance used his armored body to defend Reverb and Ripper. "Try and keep up with me, losers! I'm swift like the night!"

Quinn clenched his teeth. "Vivi, be careful! These guys aren't like the other Renegades!"

"Eh?! What'd you mean?!"

Ripper carefully observed the archer's firing speed and general pattern of fire, with quick flickers of her eyes. She bared her teeth, then sped through the arrows with Feint Attack. Vivi gasped as the wolf instantly got up in her face. She looked over the wolf's shoulder and saw her arrows snap in half simultaneously.

Vivi held her hands up. "I call timeout-GAH!" She spat blood after getting socked in the stomach. She clenched her aching stomach, baring her teeth in a pained grimace. "Agh…that one actually hurts…"

"Stone Edge." Her eyes widened as rocks shot from the ground and into her.

Vivi fled immediately and got out of the main front, but one hidden spire shot into her ankle. Her eyes widened, then she wailed out in pain, tumbling onto her back. "AAAHHH!"

"Vivi!" Quinn flew right for the archer, charging Dark Pulse and firing at Ripper.

Lance took the hit and even repelled it with a swing of his arm. Quinn couldn't stop his flight in time and was grabbed by the body and body slammed into the ground, breaking up the asphalt.

"Now you will feel my ever-crushing justice!" Lance growled.

Quinn didn't struggle in his grip. He scowled, instead. "Gee…how swell…" His shadow became animate and wrapped around Quinn before disappearing from Lance's hold.

"Huh?" Lance look around for the nightmare lizard, but was shot in the back with Dark Void. The dragon's eyelids became heavy before dropping to his knees and falling onto his side.

Reverb bared his teeth. "A Fusion of Darkrai…"

Shadows rose from the ground, compiled into a monstrous form that towered over Ripper and Reverb. The shadows wave like mist off the physical form, with two red eyes shining through the head of the mass. Forms within the body took the shape of teeth and an absurd amount of eyes.

Ripper grimaced. "I've seen this in a show once…"

"Dark Void." Volleys of dark spheres fired from the monstrous shadow.

Ripper kicked Reverb out of the area of effect, as there were far too many for someone of his size to dodge. Ripper used Feint Attack to weave her way through the Dark Voids, approaching the mass of darkness in claw range. She leaped over the head and slashed into the shadows, but her paws passed through like it was a viscous ocean.

She bared her teeth. "So lame…a Fusion of Darkrai? What a nightmare…"

Quinn glared down on her, now forming demonic wings of shadows. "I suppose the most logical solution was to keep you from hitting me. This is the power of a nightmare wielder such as me…" He reeled his head and spewed Flamethrower at her.

Ripper dodged with Feint Attack and lunged through the shadows again, still unable to hit anything. "Hmm…" Ripper looked around, then caught sight of a lamppost. "…So, you're completely encased in shadows, eh?" She landed and raced to the light.

Quinn glared. "And where are you going?" Shadow Claws shot from his shadow body and chased down the wolf.

Ripper kicked back with her hindlegs and summoned Stone Edge, shredding the Shadow Claws to tattered pieces. She pulled a device from her mane and lunged onto the lamppost. "Oh, I just needed a light. One second." She jammed the device into the lamppost's power box, then leaped onto the top and bended the light at Quinn.

Quinn's eyes widened as the lamppost's light intensified tenfold, casting a blinding spotlight onto the shadow body. "AAAGH!" Quinn covered his eyes while the shadows blew off his body like sand in the wind. He opened his eyes a bit, spotting the Drain Punch that slammed into his face and threw him into the collapsed restaurant.

Over with Lewis, he was in the midst of hotwiring the truck. He flinched every time he heard one of the Fusions getting beaten by the assassins. Their cries at least informed him they weren't dead, a dark way of looking at it. He flinched and retracted his hand from some sparks. _Kids, hang in a little longer…_

Ripper looked over at the samurai jackal and glared suspiciously. "The hell are you doing…?" She turned and charged up a Shadow Ball, but was lurched back by Vine Whips around her neck.

"You're not going anywhere!" Vance shouted.

"Tch. Your funeral." Ripper turned the Shadow Ball on him and blasted him into the face.

"AGH!" Vance stumbled back and rubbed his eyes, then gasped as Ripper dove onto him and bit into his neck with Ice Fang. He bared his teeth as ice formed over his neck and the right side of his face.

Ripper pulled back, then glared at the fallen Fusions. "Now then…" She walked up to Quinn. "Why don't you tell me what you know?"

"Stay back!" He fired Dark Pulse, but she cocked her head to the left and let it fly by.

She glared dryly, then struck him in the stomach. Quinn froze up, exhaling a silent scream, then grabbed his stomach. He couldn't breathe. "Who…is Juniper? Why would you think I know her?" She got close and showed off her icy fangs. "I have to ask…you aren't referring to…a Spinda-Mienfoo, are you?"

Quinn bared his teeth, drawing in a breath. "Back…off…" His hand crackled with flames to try and summon a Will-O-Wisp.

Ripper glared, reaching for his neck. "Where…is she?"

"Quinn!" Vivi cried out. She tried to get up, but cringed when putting pressure on her ankle.

"Get away from him!" Anette screamed.

Lewis growled. "Shit!" He pulled away from the truck and readied an Aura Sphere.

"Hey…wolf girl."

"Huh?" Ripper looked up, then was struck in the face with a powerful kick. "AGH?!" Blood sprayed from her jaw. She was shot into Reverb, then into Lance. They impacted with the ground, the jolt startling Lance from his sleep.

"AGH! THE HELL?!" Lance shouted.

Quinn panted, clutching around his neck, then sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"

Ripper sat up and held her aching jaw, baring her teeth and snarling. "My jaw…my EFFING JAW! WHO DID THAT?!"

A foot stamped down, drawing their attention. Fists curled and glare heated, Eddie stared down on the assassins with a fury. Heat and steam came off his skin. Sparks crackled off his fur. His back blazed with fire.

Reverb glared. "Who…?"

"Eddie!" Vivi cried out. "What happened to the other guy?!"

"My best guess? Six feet under molten metal…"

"Yeesh…"

Ripper got to her feet and wiped the blood off her maw. Her eyes glowed bright, turning blood red. "And who…might you be?"

Eddie glared back. "Someone you shouldn't be pissing off…" He flicked his wrist at the Gappei Fusions. "Get the rest of the weapons. I got this."

"You sure?" Quinn asked as he stood up. "They're assassins."

"Tch. Have you been in a bar during a Saturday night watching football?" He cracked his knuckles. "Same difference."

Lance rose and rubbed his sore head. "Did he compare us to raging drunks?"

Ripper smirked voraciously. "Heh…after what he did to my face…" She wiped the blood onto her paw, then licked it. "That's an apt comparison…"

"Sis…your scary side is showing…" Reverb mumbled.

"I know…haven't felt this pissed in a long time…RAWR!" Ripper darted for the flame kicker with Feint Attack.

Eddie spun on his heel and dodged Ripper's claws. He noted how close they came to cutting into his eyes. He threw his leg into her underside, then flung her off with a Rolling Kick. Lance and Reverb avoided Ripper's flying form, then charged at the martial artist.

Eddie jumped out of Lance's reach. Lance persisted with thrusts of his two weapons, while Eddie continued skipping backwards with the weapons barely grazing up to his skin. He ducked and slid under Lance's legs. The dragon turned, but Eddie rose and struck him square in the face with Mega Kick.

Lance growled as the foot pressed into his skull. He grabbed the flame kicker's leg and pulled his fist back. "Revenge!" A blue aura surrounded him as he swung his fist into the Hitmonlee Fusion.

Eddie grunted, but held out against the impact. He lurched his foot back and struck Lance across the face. "Rolling Kick!" He rotated and slammed his foot hard into Lance and shoved him into the asphalt.

Reverb dropped to all fours and inhaled. "Hyper…VOOOOOOOOOOOOICE!"

Eddie covered his ears as the sound waves threw him backwards. He felt his insides twisting and turning from the vibrations. He could barely twitch his muscles, too. To escape, he used as much strength he could gather in his right leg and sprung himself out of the Hyper Voice's range.

Eddie glared at the rubble from the restaurant and landed on it. "Mega Kick!" He slammed his foot into the debris and launched it through the Hyper Voice.

Reverb canceled Hyper Voice and punched through the concrete effortlessly. Dust stained his knuckles. "Heh…this guy has some moves. He's not half bad."

Ripper groaned and shook her head. "What a drag…are you telling me I actually have to get serious for this one? Shit…with all that fighting we did, we might be running low on steam."

Eddie glared. _They don't look all that enthused to keep fighting. It's a wild guess, but since they're supposed to be assassins, I'm guessing they weren't trained to handle drawn-out fights. They can definitely hold their own, but against someone that's their equal is a different story._

Lance held up his lances. "How's about we end this guy in one shot?"

Reverb raised his fists. "That's the plan, I guess."

Eddie raised his arms and assumed a defensive stance. He inched towards them, never breaking his gaze. As he assumed a number of different ways to go about attacking, he felt something breeze up his back. His eyes widened. _Cold air…_

With split second timing, Eddie cartwheeled to his right, as Ice Shards flew right past him and shattered against the ground. Eddie landed on one knee and glared as the Abomasnow-Kyurem limped out from the tattered tunnels. He had burns over his body, but not nearly as bad as Eddie described them as.

Not to mention, this guy had his angry gaze on the Fusion.

"YOU!" Abomasnow roared, expelling cold air around him. "You're mine…"

Eddie stood up, glaring in annoyance. _Are you shitting me? I burnt this guy to a crisp just minutes ago. He must've had Ingrain or something to heal off the damage._

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "…Heh…alright then…have your fun. We could use the break."

"Thank you…" Abomasnow punched his fists together. "Fire and ice…which one will last the longest?"

Eddie glared. "You're under the impression a strong winter storm can snuff out any flame? Well…I hate to break it to you…but my flames…" His back and legs lit on fire. "…are more than capable of burning through any storm!" He leaped in the air and spun. "Flame Charge!" He cloaked himself in flames and divebombed for the ice giant.

Abomasnow growled and swung his fist into the approaching kick. "Ice Punch!" Their attacks collided, with it came a blanket of mist that expanded out around them.

Eddie grunt, feeling his foot being pushed back against the Ice Punch. He balled his fists and pushed harder into the punch, with the flames raging harder than before. Abomasnow felt his arm bending back, close to taking it out of socket. He glared, then summoned a cold wind around himself.

"Glaciate!" Eddie's eyes widened, then he covered himself as a freezing wind expelled from around the ice giant and threw the flame kicker back.

Eddie growled while frost formed over his body, stiffening his joints. He landed on his feet and tried to extend his legs, only to find they were locked up from the ice. Any stretching caused the ice to dig and tear into his skin. _Shit…_

Abomasnow brought his hands together. "I'm not letting you escape! Sheer Cold!" He slammed his hands down and set forth a wave of cold right at the flame kicker.

Eddie kicked to his left and jumped over the cold energy. Abomasnow, however, persisted with a nonstop wave chasing after the Fusion. Eddie broke into a sprint once he landed, leading ahead of the absolute zero energy chasing him down. The air behind him started to freeze due to the move's insane temperatures. He could feel ice in the back of his fur from how close it was.

"Flame Charge!" He lit himself on fire, though not to attack. He stopped and backflipped over the cold energy. As he did, the frost and ice covering his body melted away, allowing free movement of his limbs. He landed on the frozen ground and sprinted at the ice giant.

"Sheer Cold!" He fired it into a beam this time.

Eddie bent back and slid on his knees, letting the beam fly over him. He turned and spun his body as he slid to the ice giant. "Rolling Kick!" He slid onto his hands and spun, kicking the Renegade in the side.

"AGH!" He stumbled back and gripped his side.

"We're not done yet!" Eddie leaped and used Rolling Kick again, performing a rising helicopter kick into the ice giant's face. He ended it with an upward strike into the jaw, then went about his second assault. "Close Combat!" His legs flew like machinegun fire, pounding into the Renegade's face and chest relentlessly.

 _Th-This guy is insanely strong!_ He felt one kick slam so hard into his jaw that a tooth popped out. Blood trickled down his lip. He growled and raised his arms. "Glaciate!"

Eddie anticipated the attack and jumped off the ice giant's face, escaping Glaciate's range. "Mega Kick!" He landed and lunged with his red glowing foot.

"Ice Punch!" The ice giant countered the powerful kick, keeping his arm straight in the interception.

"You're too eager to fight." Eddie spun, revealing that he had extended out his other leg. He slammed it against Abomasnow with a second Mega Kick, throwing him off to the side. Eddie landed on one foot and leaped into the air. "High Jump Kick!" He thrusted both feet and rocketed them into the ice giant.

"AAAGH!" Abomasnow was flung backwards and slammed hard into a car. He slumped over, but kept his head up straight. "You…b-bastard…"

Eddie squat down, arms crossed over his knees. "Go on and whine all you want. You were unfortunate enough to be my kicking bag for the evening, so take your lumps like a man."

Abomasnow pushed himself up. "I'll show you! Dragon Pulse!" He formed the green sphere between his hands and fired.

Eddie flipped backwards and kicked it straight in the air. However, in that moment, he was completely caught off guard by claws slashing into his sides. They dug in deep, spraying out blood. "Agh!" He tumbled across the ground, landed on his knees, and clutched the bleeding side.

Ripper held up her bloodied claws and shook them clean. "Heh…wide open."

Abomasnow shook his fist at her. "You damn assassin! I said I had him!"

She glared over her shoulder. "I know…but I was getting bored."

Eddie looked up and gasped, getting hammered by Lance's Iron Head and flung into the air. Reverb leaped into the air and fired down a Hyper Voice on top of Eddie, blasting him into the asphalt. Ripper and Lance charged together with Drill Run and Fell Stinger, delivering a powerful blow into the flame kicker's chest. Blood squirted from the Fusion's nonexistent mouth before he was skipped across the parking lot and thrown through a car windshield.

Ripper wiped her jaw and growled. "That's for the cheap shot earlier." She glared at the Gappei Fusions, who were gathering back from the assassins. "Ah, ah, ah…where do you think you're off to?"

Quinn grunted, using the last bit of his strength to form Shadow Claw. "Everyone…stay together…don't let them intimidate you…"

"Waaay too late for that…" Anette cowered.

Vivi pulled herself up and drew her bowstring. "Don't worry…I've got this!"

Back over with Eddie, the Fusion held his aching head and sat up in the car. He pulled a piece of glass out of his side, cringing from the stinging pain. He flicked it away, then gazed out the window. His eyes widened as the assassins were approaching on the Fusions, all of whom on the last of the legs.

However, what set him off was Vivi standing on her broken ankle and trying to straight out her shot. He could see her struggling, yet persisting. From this distance, however, he could see she didn't have the precision she was praised for. There was no way she could aim straight with that broken ankle distracting her.

 _Kid…stop…don't play a hero! You're going to get killed! You…You…!_ Eddie gripped into the seats. The flames on his back rose and fell with repeated breaths. His eyes were glowing bright orange. The seat he sat on burned from the immense heat he was emitting.

It was something he obtained a long time ago. He had to mature fast. He had to get through the toughest times. He had to grow up. All his regrets, the times he cherished…everything came rolling back to him. He hasn't used it since. He never had a reason to. Why would he use this power anywhere else? It was his power.

But now…the anger swelling up in him…the heat building inside…it wasn't something he could ignore any longer. He needed to let his rage out. He won't lose control, but he won't hold back. Now, more than ever, he needed that rage once again.

 _All my years…I've never wanted to lose myself to anger again. I had to keep a cool temper if I wanted to get anywhere in life. But…here and now…that ship has sailed…_

"Alright…" Red and blue energy steamed off of the Fusion's body. He clenched his fists. "Screw…THIS!" He threw his head back and roared.

The assassins got within striking range of the Gappei Villagers when they heard Eddie's shockingly horrific roar. All eyes fell upon the car he was thrown in, befuddled to see it was on fire. Actually, from all the build up of heat becoming too much for the car to contain, even with the gaping hole in the window, flames exploded out from the car and sent it flying out as flaming wreckage.

"Incoming!" Lance shouted, dodging the car's flaming tire. The villagers shrieked and fell back as the tire flew over them.

Within the wreckage of car, fire exploded upwards, condensed into a tightly packed fire tornado. The assassins, and Abomasnow, recuperated themselves and gazed up at the fire tornado in a mix of awe and disbelief.

Ripper held her foreleg up against the immense heat hitting her. "What the hell?! Is this his Fusion Move?!"

"This looks too dramatic to be a simple Fusion Move!" Lance shouted. Reverb huffed in agreement.

Gazing in the fire tornado, they saw the form of the flame kicker rising amidst the center. They could see his fists clenched, with his posture in an aggressive stance. However, it also seemed like his body was changing shape. The intensity of this tornado suddenly became more obvious. It wasn't just the heat they were feeling.

It was the pressure, and everyone knew what it was when those flames turned from orange, red, and yellow to red and blue.

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "That's…definitely not his Fusion Move…"

Quinn's jaw dropped. "Is he…?"

"He's actually…" Lewis mumbled, looking out from the truck once he got it started up.

Within the red and blue tornado, Eddie's body convulsed. His growls turned monstrous and feral. The flame on his back erupted like a volcano. They could see the drastic changes taking place in him.

"You're going to pay…" Eddie's distorted growl grumble. "All of you…will pay for your sins…!" He threw his head back and roared, expelling out more flames that actually came close to hitting everyone.

The assassins pulled back, but Abomasnow braved the flames with the protective field of his Glaciate, snuffing out the fire around him. He bared his teeth. "You think your fire came scare?! Fool!" He channeled cold energy between his hands. "The cold shall snuff out your puny flames under a ton of snow and ice! Sheer Cold!" The air froze around his arms, then he fired the beam directly in the middle of the tornado.

However, just as the Sheer Cold broke through the fire, it split open. The attack struck bare ground with no body to freeze over. In that instance, the assassins and Abomasnow felt a heat emanating from behind them, a heat that wasn't there before. The nighttime was suddenly illuminated in a bright orange, brightening even the darkest streets ahead. They could see the monstrous shadow in the ground.

Reverb glared and looked over his shoulder. "He's…" They all turned around and gazed upon the blazing figure behind them.

Possibly the most drastic transformation they've ever witnessed, Eddie looked more like a Typhlosion than a Hitmonlee. The armored shell had broken off. Same long legs, but with prominent claws on his feet. His fingers were sharper. Armor now adorned over his body in plates, with his back bare and blazing. What stood out was that Eddie's head now looked like a Typhlosion's. Armor wrapped around his face, covering all but his new maw. His red eyes pierced through the plate over his face.

He snarled at the enemy, erupting flames from his back in small intervals. The asphalt bubbled from the heat under his feet. He bared his teeth at them. "I'll show you…who's the alpha around here…"

Lance stumbled back, teeth bared. "Are you shitting me?! Is that…IS THAT…?!"

Ripper glared. "Fusion Mode…this old guy actually knows how to use Fusion Mode…shit…"

Reverb grimaced, showing signs of doubt. "And he feels stronger than before…this heat wasn't like anything we felt earlier…he's not fooling around anymore."

Abomasnow, however, wasn't amused. He was downright irate up to this point. "BAH!" He stomped down, freezing the ground under him. "Who cares if he transformed or not?! This man has disgraced my honor with his kicks! I shall freeze him solid and shattered him into pieces! I will no longer be the fool! I shall be the one to stand on top!"

Eddie glared at the ice giant. "Then stop barking and starting biting, you whiney bitch…"

Abomasnow growled and brought his hands together. "I'VE HAD IT! ICE…AGE!" He exhaled the thick blizzard at the fiery beast, instantly freezing everything before him solid.

Eddie, however, didn't move. He crossed his arms and took the Ice Age without fear. Even at its full power, no ice or frost could get in reach of the flaming Fusion. A clear and defined circle of bare ground surrounded the Fusion amidst the ice and frozen cars.

Eddie smirked. "That all?"

Abomasnow's eyes twitched as he couldn't too fire. _Who does this asshole think he is?! My Ice Age can freeze anything! His flames shouldn't be this strong! What the hell IS he?!_

Eddie stood on one foot and spun in place. "Scorch Release!" The heat instantly emerged around his leg, glowing with the intensity of the sun. He leaped off that foot and soared high above the ice giant. "High Jump Kick!" He thrusted the kick and dove towards Abomasnow.

Abomasnow predicted this after the last High Jump Kick and dodged to the side, letting Eddie strike into the ground. "Ha! As if I'd let you get me with that a second time! Enjoy the recoil, you bas-!" His eyes widened as flames spewed out from the dust and exploded outward. "WHAT THE-?!" He raised his guard as the flames engulfed him.

The assassins jumped back and got out of range. Lance grunted as the flames licked his armor. "The hell?! Where'd all this fire come from so suddenly?!"

Eddie emerged from the center of the flames, rubbing his sore leg. "Agh…" He looked up and growled. "Jackass…you could've just let me hit you."

Abomasnow blew the flames away with his Glaciate, but still sustained some burns. "You bastard! What did you do?!"

Eddie stood up and glared at the ice giant. "Don't bother dodging. No matter how many times you dodge my attacks, they'll reach you." He raised his fiery leg. "Volcanic Trigger...that's my Fusion Ability. If any of my physical moves happen to miss, flames will expel from my body in an area of effect range...and deal Fire-Type damage half the strength of my failed attack."

Abomasnow bared his teeth in distress. "Say WHAT?!"

Ripper glared. "You mean even so much as _avoiding_ his attacks will get us hurt? Shit…that's really _lame_ …"

Abomasnow trembled backwards, his knees buckling under his weight. Eddie narrowed his fiery gaze. "You suffer weaknesses to almost all my attacks…in addition, any attempt to avoid them will leave you burned to a crisp. You've lost this fight…so quit trying to act tough…"

Reverb stepped back. "Guys…might I suggest a retreat?"

Lance grumbled, "It's totally unmanly, but I don't see much option continuing this fight."

"Never would I have imagined there'd be someone other than the council to worry about," Ripper growled.

Abomasnow overheard their plans to retreat, which infuriated him the longer he stared at Eddie. How dare this Fusion denounce him with his Fusion Mode? No one talks down to the Renegades! They were the ones to bring peace to the world! He wasn't going to let some old timer tell him off!

"I won't let these whelps push me into a corner!" Abomasnow screamed. "I won't stop fighting until my last breath!" He pointed at Eddie and shouted, "Come, we'll keep going until we drop dead!"

"Very well…I believe it's my turn." Abomasnow's eyes widened as the distance was instantly closed between them, with a Scorch Release empowered Mega Kick striking him between the eyes.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" the ice giant screamed. "IT…BURRRRRRRRNS!"

Lewis glared, then whistled for the villagers. "Kids! Get the weapons and load them in the truck!"

Quinn glared and nodded. "Right! Guys, get everything you can onto Vance and RUN!"

They dug through the rubble quickly and piled on as many crates as Vance could support on his back. The Gogoat-Trevenant grunted, then charged for the truck at full speed, with the others carrying their own crates behind him.

Ripper glared. "Like hell you're-!" She went to chase them, but jumped back from Eddie's Mega Kick.

"You dodged my attack," Eddie announced, before his foot released flames into Ripper and blasted her backwards.

"Agh!" Her fur smoked from the close encounter with the flames. She dug her claws into the ground and stopped herself. "Bastard…"

"RAWR!" Eddie glared over his shoulder and dodged Abomasnow's Ice Punch. "Ah?!"

"Rolling Kick!" He landed and made a quick turn on his heel, slamming his fiery leg into Abomasnow and throwing him right at the assassins.

They dodged out of the way, but were now faced with the powered-up Fusion charging right for them. Eddie flipped forward off his hands and lunged into them with a Close Combat. Lance pushed his allies out of the way and struck the Close Combat with a rapid flurry of his Fell Stinger. They met blow for blow, rippling the air with each impact. The final collision pushed them both away.

Eddie flipped and kicked off the ground, swing his elongated leg into them with Mega Kick. Reverb used Drain Punch and struck the approaching kick, growling from the heat of Scorch Release. Eddie retracted his leg and ran in with Flame Charge.

Ripper lunged and met his attack with Drill Run, barely holding up against his power and the heat. She growled as the tip of her mane caught fire. She jumped back before she could get the full brunt of the kick.

"The fact that he unlocked Fusion Mode…are the rest of you Gappai Villagers like this?" she grumbled.

Eddie raised his leg. "Try your luck if you think you can take us all on." He glared. "Now, I won't say this again…hit the road."

"Ice Age!" Eddie jumped to the side and avoided the freezing winds that instantly froze the ground. "I told you! I won't submit! You won't get away!" He fired off Ice Shard at the Fusion.

Eddie grunted and weaved through the shards, while covering his mouth. _Ugh…I haven't use this in ages. I'm running low on steam. Just a little longer until we can escape._

Eddie stopped and ran around the freezing winds. He slid on the ice, melting it under him, and struck his foot into Abomasnow's chest. The ice giant cried out in agony and was knocked onto his back. Eddie pressed his foot firmly down on his chest, setting the ice giant ablaze.

"AAAAAAAAH! STOP, STOP IT! IT HURRRRRRTS! IT BURRRRRRRRNS!" Abomasnow screamed.

Eddie's menacing glare could burn holes through solid steel. "I was called the Wrathful Flame at one point in my life…I was described as a living Hell whenever someone faced my kicks. These flames…these burns…will serve as that reminder…"

The assassins bared their teeth and readied to fire off their attacks at the flame kicker. Eddie glared at them and raised his foot. However, he was beginning to lose steam. Even if they weren't suited for prolonged combat, if he dropped Fusion Mode right now, it was game over for him. He had to hold out for as long as he could until they were ready to-

"Eddie!" The Hitmonlee-Typhlosion looked up and saw Lewis waving him over in the front seat of the truck. The back was wide open. "We're leaving! Now!"

That was his opening. The second Lewis called for him, the assassins made the mistake of taking their attention off him. Eddie crouched down and bolted straight through the assassins, knocking them aside. To make sure they wouldn't follow, Eddie used Rolling Kick and swung it across the ground, setting off a wall of flames to divide them. They covered themselves and stepped back from the approaching wall.

Eddie raced to the open truck, where Quinn and Anette were getting ready to close it behind him. Eddie leaped in just as his Fusion Mode deactivated. He tumbled into the crates and collapsed onto his side, gathering the strength to yell, "DRIVE!"

Lewis stomped on the gas pedal and took off through the road, just as Reverb blew away the flames with his Hyper Voice. Ripper glared as the truck swerved and turned a corner, leaving sight.

"Well…that's lame…" she grumbled.

Lance looked over at the Abomasnow-Kyurem, who twitched and convulsed from the sear wounds over his body. "That guy has seen better days…"

Reverb crossed his arms and glared at the fading smoke trail. "They went through a lot of trouble to get those weapons…wasn't there a small party left behind? Seems a bit much for like around ten or so resisters."

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "…I think I know what they're up to."

"Should we inform Data?"

"Yeah…"

Lance kicked Abomasnow lightly to make sure he was still alive. "Ripper, couldn't you just trace their scent? I can smell the exhaust fumes from over here."

Ripper shook her head. "No. One, when that asshole kicked me earlier, I think he broke my nose." She grunted and patted on her snout. "I can barely smell the blood on my paws. And two…the Leader warned us about going after that Gero fellow when we get around to that. Do you _really_ want to track them down to where the remaining councilmen will be stationed out?"

"…A fair point."

"Besides, they probably thought about that and will ditch the truck once they get close to where they need to go. I say leave it. Not our problem. We were just assigned to guard the place." She glared at the ruined restaurant. "…We'll just say this was collateral damage." She stared off where the truck sped off.

"Something on your mind, Ripper?"

"…They mentioned someone named Juniper…that Charmeleon-Darkrai, specifically. I could've sworn he said something about her 'being like us.'" She glared. "…Guys…I don't think Spins is dead…and I think I know where she has been spending her free time…"

Lance glared. "You mean…"

"…They sent Renegades to trace all the Gappei Villagers that were teleported, right?" They nodded. "Well…they better have been taking notes on who they found…because it looks like we're interrogating that shithead, Gideon, until he tells us everything they've reported on. Who knows?" She flashed her claws.

"She might be with our next target…"


	78. Repressed Ambition

"Are you all okay?!"

Lewis grunted as he dropped the last box down in the cave. After ditching the truck (and making sure not a trace of their scent was left behind), they hiked all the way back to the hideout. Vance carried most the crates while Lewis helped the injured Vivi and Quinn along. Everyone else had returned to the cave after their excursion on the other side of the city. Ulysses and Bartleby helped with some of the crates.

Cade helped Lewis up after he collapsed on his knee. "Yeesh, did you make a quick stop in Hell while you were out?"

Lewis was helped down and rested against the wall. "It's a long story…" He shook his head and wiped his brow. "Forget it. What about you? Did you mission go as well as ours?"

Abraham sighed and crossed his arms. "Yes, well…not as well as we hoped, but we managed to convinced a decent number of Pokémon to help us. Some retired veterans, some parents, some teens...but not a whole lot to work with."

"You're serious?" Lewis asked, sounding frustrated. The Smeargle-Ninetails nodded. Lewis groaned and leaned his head back to the wall. "Ugh…it'll have to do…" He flinched from an ache in his side and clutched it. "Ergh…I'll be feeling that one in the morning."

Quinn sat down with Vance and Anette, clutching his blistering shoulder. "Ugh…I still don't get what happened."

"What do you mean?" Cade asked.

"We were perfectly fine until the alarms sounded. Why did they go off?"

Eddie crossed his eyes and glared at a certain someone. "Why don't you ask this accident-prone twit?"

Their eyes followed his and landed on Vivi, who was taking some gauze and wood to make a makeshift splint. She stopped when she felt their eyes on her. "…What?"

" _You_ set off the alarm?!" Lewis shouted.

Vivi blinked, then went back to fixing up her splint. "It was an accident."

Lewis took a deep breath, then groaned, pinching between his eyes. "Well...that certainly brought unnecessary excitement into our lives."

Vivi fastened down the splint, then stood up with a big grin. "But hey, worked out for everyone! We got the weapons and we took out their factory! That's a win in my book!" Eddie glared, balling his fist tightly.

Quinn sighed. "That's…one way of spinning it as a victory…" He cringed and clutched on his shoulder. "Ow…"

Gracelyn sighed, then pulled out some first aid kits. "Alright, I managed to get some first aid kits while we were out. Some of our benefiters were generous enough to donate them. Let's take a look at those injuries..."

Bartleby sat squatted in the cave, looking over everyone with a watchful eye. He moved his eyes over to Eddie, sensing the discomfort in his posture. The heat surrounding Eddie was hardly inconspicuous. "Ed…die?"

Ulysses got up and approached Vivi, who was checking to make sure her splint was on right. "Um…V-Vivi…?"

Vivi turned her head. "Eh?" She smiled. "Oh, hey Uly! How's it hanging?"

"F-Fine…thank you for asking…" He tapped his hands together. "I was just…m-making sure you were o-okay…"

Vivi grinned. "Aww, that's so sweet of you! Don't worry, though, I'm fine! Those so-called assassins were chumps!"

"O-Oh? R-Really?"

"Yeah, they were nothing I couldn't handle!" Eddie glared at her, though she didn't notice. "Trust me, I've been through worse!"

Eddie rolled his eyes and scowled. "'Ooh, I've been through worse…' What a load of shit…"

"You say something, Eddie?" Vivi asked.

"No…"

Gracelyn went through the injured Fusions and applied bandages to their injuries. Everyone was relatively alright, save for Quinn, who had the worst of the exchange. She crouched down and held his arm steady. "Hold still, this might sting a bit." She pulled out disinfectant and sprayed his wounded shoulder.

Quinn hissed and dug his claws into the wall. "Gah…"

Gracelyn sighed, then wrapped gauze around his shoulder. "Even with the donated first aid kits, they won't last us forever, especially if we keep up like this."

"That's why we need as many Pokémon as we can get…" Lewis grunted, pushing himself against the wall and onto his feet. "We're not planning on going _other_ missions. We have a war to prepare for." He glared. "Still, if those assassins are anything like what we have to face soon, we might have trouble."

Quinn glared. "…Sir…they know who Juniper is…"

"…Yes, but not who she is _now_."

Gracelyn frowned. "So…those horrible papers we got were indeed true?"

"Afraid so. A missing assassin and one confirmed one in our village."

Gracelyn closed her eyes. "I can't imagine such a sweet, innocent girl once being a cold-hearted killer…"

Quinn grasped his chest, having a flashback to the injury he sustained from Juniper when he interrogated her. "She has the same potential as them…to kill…and she almost snapped at me…"

Anette groaned and covered her face. "This is…this is just…ugh…too much for me…"

Abraham frowned. "Yes…you, Vance, and the brothers are recent newcomers to the village. I am…sorry that this is your first experience with us…"

Anette wiped her eyes, while her physical body shed a few tears. "It's fine, but…this craziness is way too much for me...I only came to the village to get away from home. My parents meant well, but I hated being cramped in my own house...I needed to get out and _do_ something. This…wasn't what I had in mind…"

Vance huffed. "I'm with you there. Mad scientists, assassins, war...can someone wake me up from this nightmare?"

Todd bared his teeth fearfully. "If we're going to war, then…I say we just ditch this place! I'm not risking my neck out there-!" Trent pecked him hard in the head. "OW! Trent?!"

"There's no damn WAY I'm letting those idiot Renegades push me around!" the aggressive bird hollered. "We're marching into that city and bashing that shithead Data's head into the pavement!"

Travis narrowed his eyes. "Minus the violent scenario…I'm with Trent on this one."

"As long as we have a plan…" TJ reminded them

"Even so…" Todd whimpered.

Gracelyn sighed, dusting her hands off. "Unfortunately, we need to persist just a bit longer. If we can get through the Renegades and put an end to Data and his machine, maybe order will naturally return..."

"What about after?" Tommy asked, not showing his usual enthusiasm for once. "I mean…you saw what he said to the _whole_ world, right?"

Abraham glared. "Even after this battle, those who were only weary of Fusions will now have their prejudice buried under the waves of crimes and hate committed over the last several weeks. Data is working off desperation, getting the aid of Fusions who have had it with the way centuries of mistreatment their kind of dealt with. It's becoming apparent that the work we put in is crumbling."

Vance scowled. "All for what? Because of his daughter getting killed?"

"Don't most parents lose rationality when someone hurts their kid?" Quinn pondered. "I know if I had a kid and someone went after them, even killed them, I'd do everything in my power to make them pay. And this is more than just his daughter's death. It was a statement to the fate of Fusions."

Lewis closed his eyes. "The Pokémon of yesterday carry with them that black stain in their history. My adoptive father told me stories of his old army buddies…and how they have a family history tied with the Fusion Trials. They regret coming from a family with that kind of background, even the ones who can't bring themselves to trust a Fusion. They protect and serve…not murder for the sake of self-satisfaction."

Abraham shook his head. "It's a damned world we live in, sometimes, but it's the way things are. No history is created without its stains. They are meant to be learned from. Our ancestors learned from the mistakes of their ancestors, too. We are learning from theirs as we grow. Above all else, we can't let this sliver of peace fall from our grasp. We need to stay strong and do what we must to survive."

"I don't know what you all are worried about." Everyone face Vivi, who was sitting and swinging her legs over one of the crates. She wore her usual carefree grin. "If we have an army and these weapons, we'll be fine! We just need to blow up his stupid machine, right?"

Cade frowned. "Vivi, we appreciate the optimism, but it's not as simple as-"

"Heck, just send me in! I can weave through those guys and topple the thing down." She raised her chin and laughed. It sounded particularly haughty, which made Eddie's blood boil. "I have fought off guys bigger than me before! I can handle any of them!"

Brea glared. "Kid, lay off on the bravado. No one wants to hear it."

"Why? Sure, they destroyed the village, but it could always be repaired. Besides, what are they going to do without their fancy machine? We just get in close and take it down! Maybe beat some guys up along the way!"

Unbeknownst to Vivi, blind to her own arrogance, Eddie marched right up to her, fist clenched and foot simmering with heat. His eyes were hidden under a veil of darkness.

"Seriously, Vivi, stop," Cade pressed.

"Why should I worry? I've been through worse! I've taken the punches! I've taken the insults! No one's broken me yet! Why? Because I'm invincible-!"

 _BAM!_

Everyone's eyes widened in horror as Eddie took a swing into Vivi and kicked her directly in the abdomen. He threw her into the far wall, where the wind was knocked right out of her. Vivi's jaw hung open before crumpling to the floor, gasping for air. Her arms and legs shook from the pain.

Her eyes widened as Eddie's foot stomped down into view. "Hurts…doesn't it?"

"Eddie!" Quinn growled. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Teaching this arrogant brat a lesson about the real world!" Eddie shouted, with flames shooting from his back.

Vivi shook and looked up at Eddie with fear in her eyes. "E-Eddie, why…?!"

"I've had it up to HERE with your attitude! We were on a mission! A MISSION! To help these people being subjugated by Faust's delusional plans! You wanted to stop him! Now you get some victories under your belt and suddenly you think you're some hotshot on the street! Kid, in case you haven't noticed, the mission was a disaster!"

"B-B-But we got the-"

"-the weapons! Yeah, I know! Guess what, we could've stolen more, but YOU were the one who set off the alarms that alerted everyone!"

"It was an accident-!"

"Who the hell cares if it was an accident?! That's all you do! Cause accidents! Look at what almost happened tonight! We're injured and you and Quinn came a hair length from death! And what do you do? Shrug it off like you were killed in a FREAKIN' video game! I swear, it's like all you care about is looking cool or something! You don't give a damn about the actions you take and the consequences you leave behind! You have no common sense!"

"B-But-"

"You think you're invincible?! You're so blind to reality that you can't see past your own ego! If I hadn't used Fusion Mode when I did, all of you would've been hunted and slaughtered! If I hadn't rescued you from those Fusion Hunters, who you ratted yourself out TO, your ass would've been hauled off to jail! Had I stayed behind and let you do whatever in that military base, you might've been captured or KILLED! Don't you get it?! You've been either coasting by on dumb luck or MY interference!"

Vivi cowered back, hugging herself with tears forming in her eyes. "E-E-Eddie-"

"SHUT UP!" She winced and pulled her cowl over her head. "All that crap about being invincible is GARBAGE! CRAP! SHIT! You're not invincible! You're just some stupid little kid who has NO idea what she's doing! You're some rebellious twat who wanted to show the world that no one can pull her down, but all that amounts to is some troublemaking IDIOT who gets herself into more trouble than it's worth!

"I have never met anyone as inept, foolish, and utterly incompetent as you! You go along your merry way leaving everything in ruin with that damn smile on your face, utterly blind to everything else! What do guys like me get for it?! HELL! If it weren't for you coming into my life, I could've been happy working at my damn bar! Instead, I get dragged back into my PAST and now I'm taking part in some DAMN war that I wanted nothing to do with! I just wanted to live my life peacefully! I wanted to be done with this Fusion/Pokémon warring BULLSHIT! I'd be better off if I have never MET you!"

Vivi felt her heart split in two. "W…What?"

"You heard me! So, either you grow the hell up or do what you do best and GET LOOOOST!"

The horrified onlookers stared at the flame kicker's back in disbelief. The cave was silent, save for Eddie's heavy breathing. He stared down at the archer shakily, letting the adrenaline runs its courses from his system. After that, silence overtook the cave, maybe for ten seconds…

…until a soft, broken voice spoke out.

"E...E-Ed-d-d-die..." Eddie's eyes widened, seeing the tears flowing down Vivi's face. She sobbed into her hands, pulling herself up onto her feet. "I'm…so…s-s-sorry…"

Eddie now had a moment to breathe and think…and realized with immediate regret _what_ he just shouted at her. _Sh-Shit! I…did I actually just say…?!_

Eddie faltered back for a second, then stopped and reached his hand out to Vivi. She flinched and cowered back from him. "…Kid…" He tried to grab her hand, but she dodged his grasp and shoved past him, ignoring the pain shooting up her injured leg. "Vivi!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Vivi cried, running out of the cave and into the forest.

"Vivi, wait!" Eddie turned, but caught himself on his ankle and tripped onto his face. "Agh…" He pushed himself up and stared into the dark forest ahead. "VIVI! Come back! I didn't mean it! Please! Come back! VIVI!"

But no one answered.

Eddie dropped to his knees, staring wide-eyed at the forest. "I…I…I…" He balled his fists, then slammed them into the ground. "GrrrrrrRRRRAWWWR!" Flames shot from his back, striking into the cave ceiling. Everyone backed away from the heated Fusion. "YOU…EFFING…DUMBASS!" He punched the ground repeatedly, eyes orange with rage. "WHY DID I SAY THAT?! GRR! This is why…I HATE BEING AROUND OTHERS! I SCREW EVERYTHING UP!" He slammed his knuckles repeatedly against the ground.

A hand thrusted out and grabbed his arm. Eddie panted as his knuckles dripped with blood. The heat around him cooled, and his eyes reverted to normal. He gazed up and met eyes with a disappointed Cade.

"Eddie…why?"

Eddie blinked, then pulled his arm away. He pushed himself up against the near wall and brought his legs up to his chest. He huffed, then rubbed his eyes. "…Sorry…I…"

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "Eddie…we're not angry with you. I had every intention of lecturing Vivi over her behavior, but…you owe us an explanation for your outburst…"

An audience gathered around Eddie, waiting to hear him speak. All except Ulysses, who settled his attention outside, staring worriedly at where Vivi disappeared off to.

Lewis crouched down and gave the old Fusion a hard look. "Why did you say all that to Vivi?"

Eddie narrowed his eyes, then looked down. "Why…?" He pressed his face into his knees. "That…is the million-dollar question. Why…Why…Why? Heh…I wish I knew the half of it...what I did...it's inexcusable...I never wanted to strike the kid, but..."

They narrowed their eyes at his tense posture. He was gripping to his legs rather tightly. "Those words...I hate using them...I hate it when people say them with such...certainty...it makes me sick…those words…acting like there's no consequence…"

"What…words?" Quinn asked.

"'I'm invincible.'" Eddie sighed, then relaxed his muscles a bit. "...Those words are just a reminder what unchecked, undeserved pride will get you...I know that better than anyone else...some idiot kid who thought he could bring the world to its knees...only to realize the sad truth about how real death and loss is..."

"And…that was you…at some point?" Gracelyn asked.

"Aye. I've done terrible shit as a teen. I wrecked people's cars, caused mass destruction, and basically did whatever I felt like doing. I was some stupid kid who thought he could rebel against the world and no one could stop him. No matter how 'invincible' you may be, time has a funny way of catching up to you. It's like flipping an hourglass over and over so that the sand never truly reaches the bottom. At least, until you get so full of yourself…that you forget to reset the glass. And when the last grain of sand hits the bottom…bam! Your time is up."

Eddie looked out the cave, eyes narrowed sadly. "...And looking at Vivi reminded me too much of how STUPID I was. I got other Fusions captured just because I went in guns blazing like an idiot protagonist from an action show. Only...things actually DID get worse for me..." He paused to rub his eyes. "You know what you said about us learning from our ancestors? I took that as a hard punch growing up. Seeing Vivi the way she was, I didn't want her to go through all of that. So...I tried to be the softer punch..."

Trent rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Tch. More like a torpedo if you ask-" His brothers viciously pecked him to shut up. "AGH! OKAY, SHUTTING UP!"

Eddie glared at the ground. "…I tried to be passive with her, but…"

Gracelyn frowned. "…It got you nowhere, but you kept telling yourself it was the only way."

"…Heh…sounds like you know what I mean firsthand…"

Gracelyn looked at the council, each displaying solemn faces. "Not us…but…"

Eddie breathed in, then sighed. "…Life sucks. It just never goes your way." He scooped up some pebbles and juggled them in his hand. "I stuck my neck out to keep that kid safe, but…I never understood why I went so far. I told myself…I had to stay away from other Fusions. I was done living some free life where I could…do whatever. I just wanted a home, food, a bed…anything to keep me off the streets. That kid did everything she could just to get results…in the worse way possible.

"The kid has a good heart…I can't deny that. It's her actions that concern me. She could've died tonight with her recklessness…I felt so angry with her…and yet, I still want to reach out to her…I feel like…"

"Her _father_ …" Abraham filled in.

"…Her father, eh?" Eddie narrowed his eyes, then huffed a dry laugh. "Heh…some sort of guardian, I guess. I went to hell and back just to keep her safe…I feel like an idiot for putting myself through all that…but…I still want to keep her safe…" He shook his head. "Some guardian I turned out to be…" Eddie pushed himself up.

"You really should apologize to her," Gracelyn advised.

"Assuming she doesn't hate my guts…" he mumbled.

"She doesn't hate you…she just needs time to…think…"

Cade held his hand out to him. "Give it some time…I'm sure she'll give you a second chance…"

Eddie stared at his hand, narrowed his eyes at it, then turned for the exit. "Yeah, well…" He wiped his eyes and walked away. "Not all of us were born in a good family, pal…" He trudged out into the forest.

Quinn started to follow, but Lewis touched his shoulder and shook his head. "No…let him be…"

"They need time to cool off," Gracelyn said. "They need their space from everyone…"

Quinn looked out the cave again, then sighed. "Right…" He turned and walked towards the weapon crates.

Lewis leaned back against the wall and covered his face. "Ugh…what a night…"

Cade sighed. "Preparations for battle are being made…but we do need every able body we can get. Will they be up to fight in time?"

"They better be…we can't afford to slack off…"

Gracelyn sighed. "Still, with our numbers, I don't see how much we can accomplish…"

Quinn searched through the crates, checking out the weapons, when he found a slip of paper attached to a clipboard on the side. He ripped it off and looked it over. His best guess, it was a work order regarding supplies. He narrowed his eyes and scanned his eyes over the text. The further down he went, the wider his eyes became.

"Oh shit…"

Anette looked up. "Eh? What's wrong?"

"...Hey...guys." Everyone, including the council, looked over. "Remember those weird canisters we found when we took out the trucks?"

Brea glared. "What about them?"

"This slip…it's a work order from Unova." He glared. "Apparently they need more Fusion energy to make their Fusion Arsenals, so they're asking for a raise on their supply. It's…the same energy they're using for the tower, I think. And…there's mention of 'getting more Fusions for batteries' and something like that. They're...draining energy from Fusions...to make their DNA bomb."

"They're WHAT?!" Gracelyn screamed.

"Draining their energy?!" Lewis growled.

"That's outrageous!" Cade shouted.

Abraham glared. "That must be why they had assassins waiting for us. Their precious fuel was being knocked over against our knowledge."

Vance glared. "What kind of asshole who preaches world peace use Fusions as some battery? Talk about hypocritical."

"Th-That sounds horrible!" Ulysses shrieked. "Oh no! What if they're rounding up the others and using them as batteries?!"

"We don't know that for sure, but…" Quinn sneered. "There's nothing about this that doesn't make me sick…taking out that facility would be our next step."

"Are you serious?" Anette asked. "You want us to fight off Data's army, _then_ hoof it to _Unova_ to take out some hell factory?!"

"If we leave it standing, who knows what will happen later?"

Lewis glared. "…Then we can't afford to waste time. Regardless if Eddie or Vivi are prep for battle, we need to go in with our wits." He pulled out his seamitar and raised it over his head. "We're planning the counterattack within the next few days. Abraham will lead the Pokémon to us...then we're going to battle."

Bartleby looked outside the cave. He couldn't express much emotion, but he felt worried for them. "But…Eddie…and Vivi…?"

"Like I said…we need everyone we can get, but we can't waste time making sure they're ready. Hopefully they have cooled off by the time of our invasion. Right now…focus on the battle."

"…Okay…" Bartleby looked down at Ulysses, who also stared outside the cave with a contemplative gaze. "…Worried about them?"

"…Y-Yeah…Yeah, I am…"

* * *

Dakota slipped on the new backpack given to her by Eunice. After getting the straps secured around her shoulders, she turned and looked down at the kids, all lined up in front of her. They were wearing miniature packs like hers. "Alright kids, does everyone have their rations packed?"

They nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, ma'am!"

Dakota smiled. "Good."

Hawkins swung his over his shoulder and glanced at Eunice. "How long will it take us to get to the bottom?"

"Hmm…a couple days, assuming breaks are far and few in between."

Hawkins sighed. "Better than nothing. We will get to Grandis City soon, right?"

Eunice smirked. "Believe me, I have no intention of taking my time getting there. As much as I enjoy the idea of new Fusions to experiment with, I can't quite condone the unethical practice of forced evolution." She gestured to the others. "Alright, line-up! Single file! No stragglers! Watch out for cliffs!"

The group gathered behind Eunice and followed her down the mountain, with the children keeping close to their superiors. Although, Harper climbed on top of Dakota and plopped down on her head while Wantanabe climbed on Hawkins' shoulder. The swordsman looked at the smiling dragon Eeveelution, then scratched behind his ear, making the little one purr.

Harper raised her paw and waved at Eunice. "Ms. Eunice?"

She smirked over her shoulder. "Yes, my little amorphous friend?"

"Are you really a secret agent? Do you go on spy missions and drink at bars in suits?"

Dakota glanced up at her. "Sweetie, have you been watching those 'James Hound' movies?"

"Hee! Tamara let us watch them back home! Something about 'know the mindset of a spy in action, for it is…um…'" She blinked twice. "I forget the rest. Something, something, HEROISM!"

Eunice chuckled behind her claws. "Well child, I don't fancy a martini at the bar, but you could say I am a secret agent."

"Sssooo coooool…" Wantanabe awed.

"Do you have a pen laser?!" Caleb exclaimed.

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "Kid, that's just a Hollywood prop-"

"Unfortunately, I left mine at home, sorry." Hawkins and Dakota looked at her wide eyed while the kids awed excitedly.

"Do you have a jetpack?!"

"Yep."

"A submarine?!"

"Not allowed to use that after my underwater research trip."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "What…don't you have?"

"Surprisingly, a car." Eunice pouted. "They took mine away…and my driver's license. Don't ask." She smirked at the kids and pressed her claw to her lips. "Buuut…we shouldn't go telling just anyone that you know a spy, 'kay?"

"Oh, oh, of course!" the kids exclaimed. Wantanabe even went the extra mile and 'zipped' his mouth close.

Eunice looked ahead again and chuckled. "Heh...perks of the job, I get to continue my research and see all different types of Fusions for my very eyes. Some rarer than others."

Dakota tilted her head curiously, making Harper slide onto her shoulders to stay on. "You know, I don't think I've ever seen a Silvally in person."

"Well, much like the Porygon line, they were some odd cases back in the old days. A living virus sprung to life that seemed alien to everything else. Nowadays, you've got some who either run technical support or decide it's funny to screw around with your computer. Silvally are the same, though they used to have their power suppressed since they were the chimeras of Arceus. We called that little gem Type: Null."

Hawkins crossed his arms. "If I'm remembering correctly, Silvally was the product of early science many centuries back. Something to combat Fusions, yes?"

"Ah, you're well read, rich boy." Eunice closed her eyes. "Truth be told, the way Pokémon come about in our world is fascinating. I dare say Silvally was the first artificial Fusion, but I suppose there's enough of a case to suggest it is its own species. After all, I am one myself."

Dakota narrowed her eyes. "How does that even work? I mean, if Silvally haven't been around for as long as they have, why is it in your genetic make-up?"

Eunice chuckled. "Ooh, now we're getting to the interesting topics. Here's an interesting tidbit about my family tree. You should know this, teacher lady, that Fusions are the offspring of a parent's natural trait and a parent's Fusion trait. The natural trait being their natural born self, of course. In my family's case, it seems our Fusion half becomes a dominant trait. This might sound hard to believe, but my family line extends back through a multitude of other Fusions of Silvally."

Hawkins raised his brow. "Seriously?"

"Oh yes. No matter what, it's a trend. One of my ancestors...I believe my grandfather's great grandfather...had six kids. His wife was a completely different Fusion, yet the children always ended up part Silvally. Those kinds of odds aren't found anywhere else. While I'm not one to give the definite on probability in this matter, I think it's safe to say, should I ever have my own offspring, they will take after my Fusion traits over their father's…assuming I happen to mate with a Fusion."

Dakota crossed her arms. "So, in short, your family tree is a rare case of a dominant Fusion trait?"

"Pretty much. I'm not sure where the line started, but there's probably more to explore with the Mewgenetic Code. It's what got me inspired to observe different Fusions. I wanted to learn everything I could about their existence and how they were born. It's all fascinating."

"Wow…" Dakota awed before looking ahead in deep thought. "Research like that…it sounds like it would take several lifetimes."

"Then let us hope I do bear a child who has a brilliant mind like their mother." Eunice laughed it off. "I believe I've given enough about myself. I have yet to learn much of you two…at least historically. I think I have the swordsman down in personality."

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "Haha…"

Dakota chuckled to herself. "Don't rag on him. I understand Hawkins comes off as a little full of himself, but he's a really great guy." She rubbed the back of her head. "We both work as coworkers for the village's school. Though, while I handle the teaching, Hawkins trains the kids in early combat. He, uh…kind of got dragged into it by one of our superiors."

Hawkins huffed. "If I didn't respect Peregrine, I would've been a bit more defiant in taking the job."

Eunice smirked. "I can already tell you have some faulty people skills. You must've lived your entire life looking down on others."

Hawkins closed his eyes and shook his head, not even in the mood to be ticked with her. "Must you regurgitate the same malarkey you dished out these past few days?"

"I've met many like you who thought too highly of themselves. Can you guess what happened when they got a little too confident in themselves? Their opponents were apparently stronger than they realized."

Hawkins shook his head. "Then perhaps there's more to your _research_ that you've yet to acknowledge."

"Are you saying you're not arrogant?"

Hawkins faced ahead. "I'm proud…proud of my heritage and my upbringing. Nothing will change that. If I see an opponent as weak, I will not hesitate to acknowledge it to their faces." He glared. "However…I shall express this, not with words of distain, but with wisdom."

Eunice raised her brow. "Is that so?"

He clenched his fist. "I don't care who I have to get through to get to the top. That's how I was raised. Like it or not, some parts of me aren't changing just because it doesn't fit your standards. I'm beating these guys...with or without help. That's a fact. Even if they're pains in the neck, the people I've grown to know from the village are…my new family."

Dakota's eyes widened. "Hawkins…"

"When we get back, I'm not fighting on just the behalf of my pride, but for the village. These…Renegades deserve everything coming to them." Hawkins glared back at Eunice. "You can keep acting like I'm some spoiled rich kid, but nothing's going to stop me from tearing into those uncouth wannabes and ripping their machine to pieces."

Eunice blinked twice at him, then smirked. "Heh…stubborn…the good kind of stubborn. I like that."

"Maybe too stubborn…" Dakota added.

"Tsk. Given the rest of our village...aren't they also stubborn?" Dakota blinked in confusion, unsure of what he meant. For once in a while, Hawkins smirked excitedly. "They're probably busting their tails getting back to Kanto for some payback." He cracked his wrist, then curled his fingers tightly. "Can't say I've felt this excited to kick someone's rear in a while. A little uncouth for my tastes, but…I'm pretty ticked with these jerks. They're going to pay for teleporting me halfway across the planet."

"Yeah, Hawkins!" Wantanabe cheered. The kids cheered along with him.

Eunice snickered behind her claws. "My, my…is everyone in your village this fired up? I look forward to experimenting on all of them."

"Heh…have your fun with the Renegades..." He smirked again. "I'm sure you'll get a kick out of it." He punched into his palm and cracked the knuckles. "I went to Gappei to keep my folks safe. This time's no different, just with some added interest."

As the kids cheered on Hawkins' fiery disposition, Dakota was staring at his back in awe, enraptured by his determination. Was this really the same guy she was squaring off with in heated arguments? The same guy she fought with in a one-vs-two battle? It was subtle in areas, but…Dakota was seeing a new side of Hawkins that she…actually found…attractive.

Her face heated up, but she didn't mind as she smiled at him caringly. _Heh...when did you get so...amazing all of a sudden? I...actually kind of like it..._

The group continued on their way down the mountain, their ease held by the fortune of being the only ones on the mountain. However, in all their efforts, they weren't as secure as they had hoped. In light of the news regarding the location of Codex, some Renegades decided to stick around a little longer.

One Renegade had to ask, "Cruella said they've already located the target. Why are we going after these guys? It'd be better to group back up in Grandis."

The other clenched their teeth. "You kidding? You heard what that bitch said! She's some sort of secret agent! We have Kanto locked down pretty tight...but we can't take any chances letting them through."

"But they have us outnumbered."

"It's a group of kids and three adults…and I'm pretty sure that cute Sandshrew Fusion is nothing to worry about. Have to say, from way up here, she's pretty _hot_."

"Ugh…don't be a pervert. So, what? We should capture them?"

"To be on the safe side. Who knows? Maybe the boss will give us a bonus out of it. Maybe even our own place to rule!"

"As…long as it's nowhere near Unova…I don't want to be anywhere near _King Cruella_."

"…Good point."

* * *

With the day rolling by, York was able to sneak off from the containment facility and meet up with Jean, Eli, Casey, and Willy. He found them messing around with some of Jean's equipment, possibly preparing for the breakout.

Jean worked on her personal computer when a stack of papers dropped down beside her. She gave them a quick glance, then returned to her work. "So?"

York sighed, then held his hip. "We've jotted down everything we could find to help with the breakout. Dr. Gates runs tight security through the building, but I was able to work something out. Is this enough?"

Jean stopped and skimmed through the papers one by one. It took her only two minutes to memorize everything before giving the okay. "Should be. With this, we will be ready to strike in a couple days."

York's jaw dropped. "A couple days?!"

"That a problem?"

"We can't wait that long! We need to get everyone out now! There's no telling how much longer they can last in that damn place! And what about Data's machine?!"

Jean glared at him. "Patience. We know your ally, Codex, is in possession of the key to using the machine. I'm trying to get in contact with him, though it's taking a while out here. The facility hasn't been alerted of his capture yet. That means we have time."

"Maybe, but not for long! Spaz overheard a guard mention they found Codex's general location. Who knows how long it'll be before he's caught?!"

"Then have some faith in your friend. Remember, the purpose of this breakout hinges on cooperation. We are letting loose DANGEROUS criminals back out into the real world as our army. Acting irrationally will spawn all sorts of trouble for us and your friends." York bit his lip, but complied…with some reluctance. "Speaking of which...how's that coming along? I know the Rogues gave their support, but what about the rest of the inmates?"

York took a deep breath, then sat down. "We managed to sway some into helping us, but we're having trouble with the rest. They either want a reward or…they're just too deranged to be trusted."

Jean glared. "Let me handle the rest of them, then. I can be…persuasive when I need to."

Casey gulped. "I…don't even want to know where you're going with that…"

"Regardless, you need to keep trying. We need as many as we can before we get back to Kanto. Of course, I won't be joining you in the breakout."

"How come?" Willy asked.

Jean patted his head. "Because you, the popstar, and I are going to be stealing one of their jets."

"Sssooo cooool…" Willy awed. "My friends are going to be SO jealous when they hear I met a super spy!"

Jean shook her head. "Let's keep that between us, alright?"

"Oh…okay!"

York crossed his arms and glared back at the facility. "Well, the sooner we get this done, the sooner we can set it ablaze. Nothing would make me happier than watching this horrible place crumble."

Jean went back to her computer, trying to get a signal. "Well, if there's a boiler room or something in the basement, I'm sure you can think of something."

Eli rubbed his hands together. "Never had to blow a building before. This is going to be _nice_."

York sighed, then looked down glumly. "Yeah…"

Eli frowned. He hadn't got much out of York on Norris' situation. That must've meant things weren't going too well. "Let me guess…still no luck with Norris?"

"Zilch…"

Eli shrugged. "Eh, he'll come around. He doesn't really want to leave the Rogues. He was just blowing hot air like always." He narrowed his eyes. "Still...I can't believe how much of a pacifist Norris really is. He seriously said he hates fighting?"

"He did…" York clenched his eyes shut and clutched his head. "ARGH! How did I not see it?! I'm so freakin' stupid! I probably made him feel worse about him!"

Eli held his hands up. "Hey, cool it, compadre. I didn't know, either. I doubt he wanted anyone to know."

Casey came behind York and clasped his shoulder. "York...don't beat yourself up over it. You realized your mistake. So...how are you going to fix it?"

York glared. "I don't know...I can't make Norris fight or...but if I don't do something, he'll..." He covered his face and sighed deeply. "What do I have to do?"

"You can start by talking." York looked up as Jean messed around with her radio equipment. "Be clear and concise, but don't push your objective onto him. You have to get him to open up to you."

York blinked. "Just…talk to him?"

"Well…it's a start." She looked up at him seriously. "When this is all over...I highly recommend having him meet with me. He sounds like he could use some serious therapy." She narrowed her eyes. "He was oppressed as a child, wasn't he? Isolated? And it drove him mad with unquenchable rage?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"I know some dismiss therapy out of the intent that one is fine, but...this Norris really does need to speak to a professional about his issues." Jean tilted her head. "Even if you have the makings of a counselor, you aren't qualified to handle these kinds of mental issues. Norris needs help…and you'll need to be the one to get him to accept it."

York stared sadly at her for a moment, then turned his head back at the facility. For once, he'll have to sit down and get to know Norris for his true colors. Not as a leader, not even as a friend…but as family. Norris needed someone to pick him back up, or else…

"…R-Right…I'll…do all I can…"

"That's all I ask." She glared at her radio equipment. "We can't mess anything up. We've got a lot on our plates, people, so be ready for the worse. We need a miracle to get out of this one."


	79. Rise From Hopelessness

With the approaching dawn of freedom upon the imprisoned Fusions, quiet buzz of the planned prison break hovered around the inmates, safe from the ears of prying guards. Some were ringing with excitement while others carried a fit of skepticism over the promised freedom. Still, it was inevitable. There was too much planning into the set-up.

All that had to do was wait.

"…Tomorrow night, eh?"

Tamara and Spaz were hanging out on the catwalk, with the ninja cat radioing in with Jean to discuss the prison break. With all the time they've put into it, they knew it would only be a matter of when. However, so soon was not what the two had in mind.

"Yes, tomorrow night."

"You sure? I mean, I don't have doubt in us, but…are we prepared?"

"No one is prepared for anything. College students setting up their own life, parents with their first child, idiots getting parking tickets for illegally parking in front of a fire hydrant, etc." She cleared her throat and got back on track, "Point is, I want to get us ready as soon as possible. Once we get everyone out, we're escaping in the stolen jet."

Spaz hung over the railing. "I…so far understand the prison break and stuff…but how are we going to get into Kanto? Isn't it under strict lockdown or something?"

Tamara nodded. "Not too mention, Data probably has a bunch of winged Fusions ready to take down any aircrafts that enter the air space."

"Oh, don't worry about that. If the worst comes, I shall do what I do best in a plummeting airplane: crash it!"

Spaz's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"Shh!" Tamara shushed.

"I mean…what?! You're just _expecting_ us to survive a plane crash?!"

"Would you believe me if I told you I've been in five plane crashes?" Jean paused to think it over. "…Although, one of them was on purpose…"

"That does not make me feel better…" Spaz mumbled.

"What on earth do you do in your line of work to get into that kind of danger?" Tamara asked. "Follow up question, do you have a position for superheroes?"

"Tamara!" Spaz exclaimed.

She shrugged. "I mean, some of the greatest heroic feats involved the hero stopping an airplane."

" _With_ super strength!" he pressed on. "Tamara, I have nothing but praise for your speed and combat prowess, but you are NOT a mountain shattering superhero!"

"Can, uh, we get back on topic?" Jean asked, sounding exasperated by the conversation.

Tamara grinned sheepishly. "Right, sorry…" She narrowed her eyes. "You said you were trying to get in contact with Codex. How's that coming along?"

They heard Jean groan, followed by some twist and turns on her radio device. "Still trying to reach him, but getting a signal this far out is a pain. I am, however, closing in on him. Just got to make sure the target is safe and secured."

"And if they do catch him?"

"Then I'm DEFINITELY crashing the plane into Kanto!"

Spaz crossed his fingers. "Don't get caught, don't get caught, don't get caught…"

"Oh relax, you get used to it after the third crash!"

"Seriously, what do the International Police do to warrant plane crashes?" Tamara asked.

"Um…I have a question…related to the _current_ situation," Spaz interjected. "Is it a good idea to bring Codex with us to Kanto if he's going to be a primary target?"

"Let me put it to you like this. He's already being hunted and has almost nowhere to go. As long as he stays out of harm's way, it won't matter. I just need you two to get ready to get the prisoners loose. That's what _you_ should be focused on."

Tamara sighed. "Okay, but there's still a little issue. The machines they're strapped to have them completely sapped. There's no way we can secretly replenish ALL their energy by tomorrow night, even if we have a group of healers to work with."

"Um, actually…I took care of that," Spaz brought up.

Tamara's eyes widened. "You say what now?"

Spaz flashed a cheeky grin. "Heh. When I was making my rounds, Zoey tipped me off about one of the prisoners here having a terrain altering move that restores stamina and energy. Downside, it'll affect indiscriminately, so the guards would be affected, but...even so, I talked the guy into helping us. He was actually one of the skeptical prisoners."

"So…he can activate his Fusion Move…and it'll get everyone gradually back up to speed?" Tamara summed up.

Spaz nodded. "Heck, there might be a guy who can reverse healing effects on select targets."

Tamara blinked. "That's…That's freakin' genius." She smiled and pulled Spaz into a hug. "Spaz, you're the greatest!"

His smiled widened while his face turned red. "You…really think so?"

She looked him in the eyes. "I do…this is why I can always count on you for support…" They locked gazes for a moment, both sparkling with admiration.

"Ahem…still on the line, you two." They gasped and separated, hiding their red faces…even if Jean couldn't see them. "Spaz, I have to say, I agree with the cat. That could help us exponentially. We need all the prisoners and Rogues at their peak for this."

Spaz nodded and held his fist up. "And we'll have someone head into the boiler room and set this place to blow."

"Then we better be quick, because we only have a limited time to get out," Tamara reminded. "Just remember, we can't go in this assuming these guards aren't packing ways to counter us." She pressed her fingers to the communicator. "Jean, just make sure we have our escape vehicle up and running."

"You won't have to worry about that. I'll let you know what I've got something on your friend. Over and out." Jean ended the call.

Tamara sighed and leaned back on the railing. She placed a hand over her pounding heart. "…Yeesh…" She wiped her forehead and felt some dampness in her fur. "I'm actually sweating…and _not_ the good kind…"

Spaz grinned. "Hey, you're the amazing…whatever your hero name is. If anyone can get through this, it's you."

She smirked. "Heh…great way to boost my ego." She stared off thoughtfully for a moment. "…Spaz?"

"Yeah?"

"I…actually want to thank you."

Spaz blinked. "…For…?"

She hung her head back. "I had my doubts about being a hero, but...hearing you call me your hero...I felt genuine gratitude from you. I feel like I actually helped you..." She blushed. "In a way…" She grinned at him. "...You're kind of my hero."

To prevent himself from looking like an uncool fanboy, Spaz promptly gripped onto the railing after his legs became jelly. His mouth hung open from the admission. "R…Really?"

She straightened up and showed a more caring smile. "I do…I really do…I don't know why it took me so long to see it, but…I really appreciate you being there for me…whether as a rival of speed or…someone I can call more than my friend."

Spaz's ears flopped down, blushing with a barely contained, happy smile spreading outward. "I…you're welcome…Tam."

Tamara looked down at her feet, with her arms folded behind her back. She kicked lightly at the catwalk. "That's…why I kind of have to ask you something. You see…I may…sort of…have…a certain feeling…towards you, but I…don't really know how to describe it."

Spaz's face turned scarlet, like he was a non-furred Pokémon with a horrific sunburn. "W-What?"

"Well…recently…I've been feeling-"

"Hey, you two!" They flinched, then looked down at the main floor. Making his patrol by the cells was a Conkeldurr, who they've gotten to know as the head warden that runs the place, only under the main boss, Dr. Gates. "If you have time for gawking at each other, you have time to do your rounds! Back on patrol!" He marched on ahead.

Spaz glared. "Jackass…"

"You said it. He's like Peregrine…but nowhere near as nice."

"That's saying a mouthful." Spaz sighed, then reluctantly turned away from Tamara—even though he REALLY wanted to hear the rest of what she had to say. "I should…keep going on patrol. I'll…see you later."

Tamara smiled. "Yeah…see you later." Spaz smiled back, then raced off. Tamara dropped the smile, then gripped her arm tightly. "So close…"

* * *

Asher paced around in his underground hideout while the others hung around in the makeshift living room. Irma was lying on the couch, bored out of her mind while stuck with a bunch of Fusions she didn't give a shit about. She could go home, but…eh, it was too far of a walk.

Chris and Crawford were on the floor, playing cards. Chris narrowed his eyes, then spread his hand out. "Two pair, sevens and nines."

Crawford smirked. "Aye…a right shame for ye." He set his hand down. "Two pair, jacks and tens."

Chris glared. "You're cheating…"

"Do I _look_ like Artemis?"

"I heard you!" Artemis shouted from the other side of the living room. "Although, you aren't wrong!"

Crawford snickered and scooted his winnings to his side, which were just some random wood chips they made into poker chips. "Want to go again? Maybe ye'll win the next one." Chris just sighed and started shuffling the deck.

Sheila was in the kitchen, cooking up some dinner for the gang. She kept one ear out to Asher while he was on the phone. She tried not to get too invested into the conversation, lest she get caught in the crosshairs of Artemis' relentless teasing.

Still, it was a conversation worth listening on. Asher was in the midst of getting their transportation figured out.

"Uh huh…and you're sure you can get it to us soon? Uh huh…tomorrow night, eh? Alright, we can work with that. Not like any of us have somewhere to be here. Just make sure the turf is secured while I'm gone." Asher glared. "And, should the worse come, make sure no one flies into a panicked frenzy. I don't care who or what they are, but anyone who invades my turf is asking for trouble…alright, good. See you then." He hung up and placed the phone on the counter.

Sheila looked up from her cooking. "Well?"

Asher turned and smirked. "All taken cared of. Our ride to Kanto is official, with guaranteed first class."

Artemis laughed and pumped her feeler in the air. "You're the man, Asher! How'd you manage something like that?"

"The uncle of a guy I helped out owed me a favor. Plus, with the recent crisis coming, they're willing to spare one plane set for Kanto, provided I don't do anything reckless with it."

Crawford slammed his pincers together. "Does that mean we get to bust some skulls soon?"

"Oh, _very_ soon, my friend."

"Haha!"

Artemis huffed and stood up. "Finally. I've been waiting to get a move on since we landed in this crummy city."

Irma feigned sleep on the couch, but kept one eye open at her daughter. It was hard to believe this was her daughter after so many years. She wasn't anywhere as timid as before. She was the spitting image of Asher in terms of personality. While that annoyed her now that she had to deal with two of them, there was something else ticking away at her when looking at the Sylveon-Scrafty.

Chris took the poker cards and shuffled them. "Still, is it really a good idea to leave those ex-Renegades in charge of this place while you're gone? I get they have some respect for you now, but…they were kicking our asses not too long ago."

Asher held his hips and smirked. "If they try anything, my gang can easily subdue them. They may be strong, but my guys fight smart. They'll get their arms snapped before a single move is called out."

Artemis closed her eyes and grinned. "I _really_ need to meet this gang of yours soon."

"Maybe when there isn't a bleak future ahead of us. Anyway, since we have time, how about we get some more training in?"

Artemis pouted. "Again?"

"You can choose to laze away, but that won't stop the world from ending."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay…asshole…" She headed for the ladder entrance, with Crawford and Chris following behind her.

Irma lifted her head and watched the Fusions leave one by one. She glared at Asher's back as he took his turn on the ladder. "…Why on earth are you idiots putting yourselves through all of this?"

Asher closed his eyes and smirked. "I see the land of the dead has yet to claim you, Irma." He looked over his shoulder. "An old bat like you probably doesn't care that she may die someday."

Irma closed her eyes and huffed. "Saving the world...our last hope in the hands of a bunch of teenagers? I can already feel my safety dwindling away..."

Sheila narrowed her eyes as she placed the food down and undid her apron. "You don't have much faith in us."

"Girly, if the reaper's comments haven't reached you yet, I have little faith in my sorry ass waking up each morning. I'm surprised I still have a functioning liver."

Sheila hooked the apron to the wall. "A negative outlook on everything won't make life better for you."

"Who said I wanted a better life? I'm perfectly content with my crappy lifestyle."

"Even so, no one should have to give up on hope."

Irma scoffed. "Hope's a dead dream."

Asher tutted at the Vaporeon with a cheeky grin. "Ah, but what good are dead dreams without a reason to be alive?"

"Did that even have a coherent point?"

Asher narrowed his eyes at her. "Irma...I went out of my way to get you help because you are Artemis' mother. Regardless of how you treated her...I still had reason to believe you weren't a horrible person."

"What do you want, a medal?" Irma rolled onto her side so that she was facing away from them. "I'm not happy to see that sorry excuse of a runaway. The sooner she leaves, the _happier_ I'll be. Nothing but a pain in the ass…"

Asher shook his head, then started ascending the ladder. "In your own crass way...a part of you is glad to see that Artemis didn't turn out as spiteful as you or the rest of your family did." Irma glared into the cushions. "You hold resentment to Fusions because of the influence they had over your family. They turned you into the lightning rod for their anger because you were the weakest. Not only did it warp your view on Fusions, it…also corrupted the meaning of family in your eyes. You were so conflicted, you never wanted to end up like them, yet you became the mother of a Fusion.

"It's kind of funny, when you think about it. You could've done much worse, yet…never once during those years did you strike your daughter or abandon her. She ran away from _you_. I think that stung more than anything else." He looked back and chuckled. "Heh...after all, you nearly died looking for her in the snow. Show's how much you 'don't care.'" He grabbed the last bar on the ladder and pulled himself to the top.

Irma had nothing to say. She quietly buried her face into her forelegs, eyes dipped into a dead-eyed expression.

Sheila walked up to the Vaporeon's side. In her hands was a bowl of soup, freshly made. She set it down at the foot of the couch, with the steam in view of the Pokémon's peripherals.

"…Just for the record…I don't hate you. I should, after everything you've put Artemis through, but I can't hate you. I was expecting you to be some…unforgiving monster who would snap a child's neck over the pettiest offense. But…when I look at you now, I just see a sad old woman…who only wanted someone to appreciate her. I'm not sure how I would've turned out if I was in your situation…I may have lost hope, too…"

Sheila stood up and walked toward the ladder. "But…despite that, I still think you have a chance to make amends with Artemis. If that machine goes off, I don't think you'll survive the blast. You might die from the pain." Sheila narrowed her eyes sadly. "Even if hope is gone from you…it's never too late to make hope. After all…isn't that why your family started fighting in the first place? Because they lost hope in a good future?"

The Vaporeon didn't acknowledge the rabbit, not even after she hopped out of the hideout. Irma sighed, subconsciously digging her claws into the couch. "Hope…heh…" Tears slid down her face and onto her paw, trickling in consistent drips. "No one…ever gave me a reason to hope…"

* * *

A long few days of running seemed excessive, but necessary for Ren's group as they hoofed it towards Soaring Port Town. With the looming threat of another Renegade attack closing in on them, their only hope was to get out into the ocean and sail as far away from land as possible. After that, it was a matter of getting to Kanto, staying out of sight, and bringing down that accursed machine that has since become the root of their recent issues.

However, through all their nonstop running, most were running low on gas. The first nearing collapse was Ren, who slowed into long strides before stopping and leaning on his knees. He took long, refreshing breaths to make up for the oxygen bursting from his lungs. His armor and weapons never felt heavier until now.

"How much…farther…until the docks?" he asked in heavy breaths.

Simon pulled out his map and checked out their distance. "Could be another day or two, my friend! Best keep up or we will see our end!"

"I'm going to see _my_ end in about twenty seconds!" Ren collapsed on his knees and exhaled with exasperation. "Oh dear Arceus, I'm beat!"

Codex scanned the surrounding area quickly. "I do not detect any other signs of life within our vicinity. As of now, our current status registers as…safe."

Emily fell on her rear and exhaled. "Should we really…take that chance?"

"Maybe, but…" Rebecca wiped her brow. "I'm with Ren on this one…"

"And I'm…so…hungry…" Charlie wheezed, collapsing onto his side. "Can we…stop and eat…for a second?"

"P-Please!" Ren agreed immediately. "Either way, if they catch us, we're screwed if we don't get our energy back up!"

Emily glared briefly, then looked around to double check that they were alone. "…Well, Codex is back to a hundred efficiency…and if he says it's safe…" She sighed and leaned back on her hands. "Alright, we'll rest for an hour."

"THANK YOU!" She gasped after being tackled over into a hug by Charlie. "You're a lifesaver!"

Emily blushed and shoved the glutton off. "Charlie, get off!"

Rebecca sighed in relief, then pulled out the food bag. "Thank goodness, I'm starved…"

Codex hovered down and crossed his arms. "It would be most logical to stop for the time being. In order to assure my safety, I would benefit off my comrades having substantial nutrition before commencing with combat."

Simon nodded as he bit into an oran berry. "Agreed. My friend will be waiting for us at the docks. Either we be hasty or find ourselves on the rocks."

Emily groaned, waving her berry around. "Yeah, yeah, I hear ya…"

Ren munched into his, pondering something. "So…how long would it take us to get to Kanto by boat?"

Simon paused mid-bite and thought of a possible timeframe to reach their destination. "Hmm…I don't quite know." He tapped his chin. "Well…from Sinnoh to there, not a terribly long journey. We should arrive, even if we're in a hurry."

"Sinnoh and Kanto are not that far from each other," Codex added.

Emily sighed. "Good. I rather not be at sea for weeks." She glared at her berry. "…Still, we've come this far, but how can we guarantee any kind of push after getting our butts whooped?"

"Well, not a total defeat," Codex pointed out. "While we were unprepared for the first attack, I say we have improved enough to make a difference. Plus, we have the added factor of our first Fusion Mode user of the village…excluding the council, of course."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah! Ren could probably take on their whole army by himself! I'd pay to see that!"

Ren raised his hands, smiling nervously. "Let's not get carried away! Sure, I know I can take on a dozen of those jokers, but I only just learned to activate Fusion Mode."

"Nah! You can take them all on!"

Rebecca giggled. "I must admit, I'd love to see that, too."

Ren laughed and covered his face. "Ah, come on, guys! You're making my ego inflate!"

"A task I didn't think was possible…" Emily muttered.

Simon chuckled. "Regardless, he's our best bet to beating our enemy so far. He'll need that confidence boost to kick their butts to the stars."

Codex routinely scanned their surroundings while they ate, making sure they were indeed in the cover of safety. During what was his fifth scan, his eyes lit up with an envelope symbol, breaking his concentration. "Incoming message!"

His announcement startled the party into gawking at him. They've been out on their own for a few weeks without any form of contact from anyone. Why were they now just getting a message? And from who? Friend? Foe? Spam mail?!

Rebecca was the first to ask. "Are you serious? Someone's trying and reach out to us?!"

Codex nodded, then his eyes formed wi-fi symbols. "It is an incoming call, actually. Someone is trying to call us."

"Who, who?!" Charlie exclaimed.

"I am unsure. I do not recognize the IP address being sent my way." His eyes lit up. Through some internal whirs and clicks, audio began playing for the whole group to listen on. Some static came through, trying to form into a coherent voice before something got through.

"Hello? Hellllllo? This thing working?" The voice still had some static, but they were sure of one thing.

"I don't recognize that voice," Rebecca whispered.

"Neither do I," Emily agreed suspiciously.

"What if it's the Renegades?" Ren panicked quietly.

Before their imaginations could go further with the suspicious call, a second voice came through. "I don't hear anything. Are you sure you reached Codex?"

"Well, he answered my call. I doubt he butt dialed me. Can he even do that?"

"Um…I wouldn't know…"

Rebecca's eyes widened. "Wait…I recognize that second voice. It's full of static, but…I know I've heard it before!" She grabbed Codex and shouted into the receiver. "Casey?! Casey, is that you?!"

There was silence, then the voice replied, "Rebecca? Is that you?"

Rebecca grinned. "Casey! It really is you!"

"Oh my gosh, Rebecca! You're okay!"

The others dropped their guards and smiled knowing it was someone they (partially) knew. "That's a relief…" Emily muttered.

"I never thought we'd reach you guys! Who else is with you…apart from Codex, obviously!"

"Ren, Emily, and Charlie are with me! And we picked up a friend along the way!"

"I am that friend," Simon chirped in.

Casey sighed in relief. "You have no idea what it's been like out here. Spaz, Tamara, York, Willy, and I landed in the middle of a desert in Unova. We've been walking for weeks before we found our way to some campers and…well, it's been a rather stressful week."

Emily pulled Codex to her and said, "We're glad you guys are doing okay, but how did you even reach us? And why did it take you so long?"

"We…also picked up a friend along the way."

"That would be me," Jean chirped in.

"I'll explain later, but first, I have to know: are you all okay?"

Emily nodded. "Yeah, we're fine. A little worse for wear, but we're pulling through."

"Okay, but what about the Renegades? Are they still chasing you?"

Ren shook his head. "Not at the moment, but that's why were on the move right now."

Charlie glared. "Wait…how did you know the Renegades were chasing us?"

"You're not the only ones who have been on a crazy excursion lately. We know Codex is being hunted for some code he implemented into Data's machine. He's the key to using it, right?"

Emily narrowed her eyes. "Yeah…that's right." She raised her brow. "…Casey, I haven't heard a peep out of Tamara, Spaz, or York yet. Where are they?"

"Um…yeah, so…here's how we _know_ what's going on. When we landed here, this and that happened, and…we're at a Fusion containment facility ran by Dr. Gates that using Fusions to power Data's machine with…I suppose mutation juice?" The group stared wide-eyed at the computer ghost. "Annnd…we're planning a prison break?"

Casey waited for five awkward seconds for a response, then immediately covered her ears.

"You're doing WHAT?!"

"Are you all out of your minds?!" Emily screamed. "Do you realize the kind of danger that poses if you so much as get caught?! If this place is supposed to contain Fusions, I know for damn well that they're going to kick your asses if you screw up!"

Casey winced, feeling that was going to be her response. "Yyyyyes, but…here's the thing, we-"

"Hehehe!" The Fusions froze as a new voice came through. "Steel your nerves, Gappei Villagers. We have everything under control."

That voice was familiar to Rebecca, without a doubt. "You?! Norris' second-in-command?!"

"In the flesh."

Emily growled. "Just what in the-?!"

"Yes, yes, I get the picture. 'What are you doing here,' 'what are you up to,' etc., etc. Look, to make a long story short, Gates took us away, not the police, and now my guys and a handful of prisoners are being used as batteries. I managed to escape, of course, and happened onto these guys by my own fortune."

Charlie's jaw hung up in disbelief. "Casey…are you seriously working with this guy?! He's a crafty little-!"

"Look, I get why you all might be on edge about this, but listen. None of the Rogues attacked the village of their own free will. Data brainwashed them into attacking us to weaken the village's defenses. They were unfairly used and sentenced to this place for 'the greater good.' Spaz, Tamara, and York infiltrated the facility and are planning the final stages for the prison break."

Charlie was flabbergasted. "So, the Rogues are on our side now?"

"You're busting out ALL the prisoners?" Emily added firmly.

"Tamara's planning a prison break?!" Ren screamed. He dropped to his knees and shouted to the sky, "WHAT HAS THIS WORLD COME TO?!"

On Casey's side of the radio, she stared at it with baffled eyes. "Uh…take it easy, Ren…"

Eli snickered. "If you want any assurance that I'm legitimate, these guys picked up an agent of the International Police with them. Can't quite do anything if she's keeping an eye on me."

Simon raised his brow. "The International Police? That's something you don't hear every day. Though, if this is true, then I would like to hear what she has to say."

Casey nodded in agreement. "Of course. Jean?" She moved over for the ground ant, who cleared her throat.

"…Let me start off by introducing myself: Jean Wilder. I am a profiler, interrogator, skilled in infiltration, tactician-"

"Alright, alright, you can just give us your business card or something," Emily interrupted impatiently.

"I'll be sure to give you one upon our meeting."

"Wait, you actually have business cards?"

"Anyway," she continued, ignoring the question, "it took a lot of effort to reach your friend here, so I'll be brief. The one named Codex is top level priority as he appears to hold the means of starting Data's machine. As such, keeping him safe will guarantee our own survival, bar any disastrous calamities. I plan to highjack a jet to take all the prisoners to Kanto, but I will also want to make sure the target is safe and secured. I will be stopping by to retrieve him, along with the rest of you. I suggest getting a safe clearing for pick up."

Emily crossed her arms. "Ma'am, we're already on our way to getting to a boat. Plus...we're kind of in a hurry because they know our general location now. We can't afford to wait in one spot for a jet."

"A boat, huh?" Jean considered it for a moment, then said, "Well, I suppose you would be safer out at sea. I will ask to keep a constant update on your location for me. I will be sure to retrieve you all from the waters."

Casey raised her brow at her. "How are you going to pick them all up from the water if there's nowhere to land?"

"I have my ways."

"…Eli, do you know how many parachutes this place has in stock?"

"I'll be sure to take them all…"

Jean huffed and crossed her front legs. "Look, if you do plan on getting out in the water, be ready for pick up. No mode of transportation is safe, but I'd feel better in the air than out at sea. Though, I suppose out there, it'd be harder to track you."

Emily glanced at the others, who nodded in agreement, then sighed. "Alright…we'll keep you posted before we head out into the water."

"Good. I best be off. It'll be a busy night tomorrow. And, whatever you do, do NOT let Codex out of your sight! He is the only reason we aren't in danger right now!"

Rebecca nodded. "You have our word!"

Charlie waved at the Codex radio. "Tell the others we said hi!"

"We will!" Casey promised.

"Bye-bye!" Willy chirped in just as communications ended.

Codex blinked twice, then shook his head. "Well…this journey suddenly got…"

"Strange?" Charlie suggested.

"Yes, that is the word."

Rebecca sighed, then hugged herself. "Of all the things to get themselves into. A freakin' prison break…"

Ren stood up. "Is no one else a little weirded out Tamara is helping with a prison riot for ACTUAL criminals?" He gasped and grasped his cheeks. "Oh no! She's been out on the road for so long, her morals have gone downhill! She's turning into…an ANTI-hero! AAAHHH!" Ren ran around in a mad panic, brought back down by a good slap to the face from Simon, knocking him on his back. "…Thanks, I needed that…"

Simon shook his head. "I have lived a rather mundane life since I was a child. After meeting you and hearing of your village…you all are quite wild."

"So we've been told," Charlie admitted sheepishly.

"I just hope they'll be okay…" Rebecca said softly.

"When have prison breaks EVER gone well?" Emily pointed out.

Simon glared. "They will do their part, so will we. Patience is the key, as you will see. It is best that we finish our lunch and continue on the road. Like we said, the enemy will come, and we will be slowed."

Emily sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you." She picked her berry back up. "Enjoy your lunch break while you can, guys. Something tells me the coming few days will be some of the worst times of our life." She bit and tore a chunk off the fruit.

* * *

"Tomorrow night?" Mikayla asked after York gave the Rogues the plan.

York nodded. "Yeah. That's when we're pulling the bust. Spaz informed me he got one of the prisoners to help restore all the Fusions back to their physical peak. That's the shot we have of breaking out of here."

Sunny fluttered in her cell and cheered, "Freedom!"

York crossed his arms. "If there's anyone not willing to fight, I suggest speaking out now, because we're doing this without objection."

Zoey smirked. "Please, there's not a single Rogue among us who doesn't want to bust out of here. We all got your back."

York smirked. "Good."

Sullivan chuckled. "Kind of odd to see you taking charge again. You were always a bit of a co-leader with Norris."

He rubbed the back of his head. "Heh…maybe a little."

Mikayla smirked. "Well, hopefully you two don't end up doing something stupid once we bust out of here."

York smiled slightly and looked down. "Even if I'm done being a criminal…I do miss those days with you guys." He then glared. "But now, things are serious. I expect the same from all of you. No one's backing out?"

Braith smooshed her face against the glass. "Like hell! I'm going to scratch their eyes out! Yep, yep, yep!"

Gordon huffed. "Well…you can count on me, too…"

York cracked his knuckles. "Don't take all the fun. I'd personally want to drive my foot up Gates for making this damn place."

Mikayla chuckled. "Will do."

York smiled for a moment at her, then frowned as his eyes traveled over his shoulder. Through his peripherals, he spotted Norris huddled up in the corner, facing away from everyone. He had been in that same spot every time York came by. It was like he never moved from there. It soured the armored lizard's mood to see him like that.

Mikayla saw this and frowned. "He…hasn't moved much from that position."

"He still hasn't said anything?"

"He's been quiet ever since he yelled at you."

"Oh…"

A sigh caught York's ears. He turned and looked to the cell with Peregrine inside. The steel duck sat against the wall, wings crossed. "To think…I thought the Rogues were nothing more than a bunch of no good punks causing trouble wherever they turned. I never once thought I'd show one sympathy." He glanced at the armored lizard. "So…to see someone with as much rage and passion as that one…reduced to this meager mess…I think I finally understand the Rogues and their beliefs."

York frowned at him. "What…do you suggest?"

Peregrine scoffed. "Why are you asking me? You're the one leading this escape. If you ask me…it's about time you kids started steering the reins. Ask yourself: what's the best course for Norris right now?"

York's shoulders slumped pitifully. Part of his judgment told him to just leave him as he is and continue on with the plan. He screwed up enough ignoring Norris' feelings. Anything more and Norris might just break himself out to tear York's throat out, which would be bad for both of them.

However, the other part of his judgment told him why he shouldn't. It was like Jean said: he needed help. Regardless of how many times Norris will push him away, York would be a worse friend for not trying to reach out. York wasn't going to abandon Norris like this, never again.

York glared, then steeled his shaky nerves as he walked up to the mad duck's cell, coming as a surprise to the others. "York?" Mikayla called out.

York stopped before the glass, then tapped on it twice. Norris didn't flinch or stiffen at the arrival, but his eyes did move to his peripherals to identify who was bother him, not that he didn't know, though. He glared at the disguised Fusion, then resumed staring at the wall, trying to act subtle.

York glared, then tapped on the glass again. "I know you can hear me, Norris."

"…I told you to get lost…"

The armored lizard sighed. "Yeah…you did. And I did…once before. Back when I was selfish in leaving you guys. Not anymore, though. I'm not going anywhere…not until I save you."

"Save me?" Norris repeated in a raspy tone. "Who are you trying to save? A useless loser like me? You're wasting your time."

York's shoulders slumped. "Norris…"

"Does it look like I care? I just want to be left alone in this...apocalypse."

The lizard frowned. "You can't possibly want that…"

"Who made you the authority to decide what I _wanted_?" Norris bared his teeth, trying his best to control his rising temper. _That damn ringing is coming back._ "No one ever asks what I want…and no one ever cared to see what I _needed…_ " He clutched his arm. "Life for me…has been nothing but a vicious cycle of misery."

York narrowed his eyes pitifully at the Rogue leader, then pressed his hand against the glass. He took a deep breath, then lowered his head. "…I can't forgive myself for what I did to you. I ignored your feelings…I ignored what you needed, because I thought you were someone we could count on. That…must've been hard on you."

Norris scoffed. "A dull pain compared to my hell of a life."

"Norris…do you…hate that you were born into this world?"

"…" For once, Norris turned his head around to greet the lizard's eyes with his glare. "…There were days I was stuck in that damn r-room…" He paused, clutching his shaking fist to keep it under control. "…days where I wanted _something_ to end my suffering. I would've gladly welcomed death for all that mental torture I suffered through." He glared. "Seems Xerneas kept finding every reason to keep me out of Yveltal's clutches, because death never seems to want to greet me."

"Were you…suicidal?"

"…Maybe not that far. I was just reckless, like some idiot who tries to climb the tallest point in a city without safety equipment. Thing is, I didn't want to die…but life gave me no reason why I should cling to life." He glared. "Then you all came along and it gave me one…even if I hated it…"

"You couldn't have hated everything…"

"I lived in either a rundown shack or an abandon sewer line. I suppose there were perks…but not when you were the leader. Everyone always had some damn question to ask and felt like I knew the answers to all their problems. I wanted to hand that position over to Eli so bad, but everyone kept finding a reason to keep me in charge. I never understood why. I am not a leader…nor am I a fighter…"

"Norris…"

"I was living in my own hell. Nothing ever mannered. I just wanted to live peacefully. I wanted this damn ringing in my head to cease. Nothing I tried…nowhere I went…would make it go away. Everyone, everything always found a way to tick me off." Norris clutched his head gently. "I never found solace…"

"…Until you met me, right?"

"…" Norris glared at the wall. "…I let you into my personal bubble. I never let anyone get close to me, not even Augustus when I found him." He closed his eyes. "You were different. I felt like you were someone who understood me. We shared great times as Rogues. I thought, for once, maybe there was something in this world that wasn't out to hurt me.

"…But I realized you never understood me. You placed me up high, praised me for my battle skills, and 'encouraged' me to take charge in a mission. You were always the first to argue for why I should remain leader." Norris growled. "That was the first time I was angry at you. As in…legitimately angry. You claimed to know me well, but you couldn't figure out the one thing that ticked me off."

York frowned, then looked down at the floor. _A shame I'll carry with me forever. I have to wonder…how many more times have I been wrong in my assumptions? Have I actually been helping villagers with their problems…or have I been making them worse?_

York clenched his eyes shut, feeling doubt creep up behind him, then it washed away once he remembered why he was doing this. Even if, for a single moment, he believed everything he tried to do to help everyone was nothing but false wishes, that won't stop him from helping those who needed it. He understood as well as anyone else the struggles Fusions were given when brought into the world. That burden followed him like a shadow. It'll always be there and never stop following him.

But like a shadow, you learn to accept that it will always be there, and you live with it. These burdens will not be what consume Fusions. They won't hinder their ability to grow and develop, not while there's people like York willing to help those in need.

York curled his fingers, then pressed his fist to the glass. "…Norris…I swear to you, on my life if I must, that I will drag you out of this hell of yours. I refuse to abandon you again. I can't leave you like this."

The explosive duck grunted and turned away. "Just leave me alone...I don't care about your little prisoner break..."

Defiant, York instead sat down in front of the glass, keeping his fist pressed to it. "...Norris, I messed up putting you on a high pedestal like that. The Rogues looked up to you because, well, you were willing to do the things others couldn't. I understand you don't want to fight...and I don't want to force you...none of us do...but these are more than just your henchmen. They're your friends. They follow you because they know you are the power they needed to help them succeed. I'm not demanding, nor am I asking...but we could really use your help."

Norris glared softly. "I have nothing to gain from this…"

"No, you don't. I don't see why you would." York looked away. "It's like asking a child to suddenly become an adult and deal with the responsibilities of adulthood. That's too much pressure to place on someone. You would be setting them up to fail. We've been pushing you to be a symbol for our freedom against the Pokémon and the oppression we faced. Fusions can't go out in public looking like themselves without _someone_ pointing it out like a jackass. You didn't care. You just did what you did. And I respect that. And that's why I feel horrible.

"I doubt you'll ever trust me again. I don't even believe I deserve your trust. Even so…I can't back out again. You brought me into the Rogues when I needed somewhere to go. For once in my life, I felt like I had an actual family, and somewhere to call home." York frowned and looked away. "I don't remember my parents…I was so young when they abandoned me. I don't know why…yet, I don't care. I rather not know who they were, because I found a new family…in the Rogues and Gappei Village.

"That's why betraying you guys stung so badly for me. I betrayed my family. That trust and respect I gave you guys…I threw it out the window for a girl, because you were becoming something I couldn't agree with." York closed his eyes. "But now that I see what you really are, Norris…all I can think about is saving you, even if it kills me."

Silence lingered for a moment. The Golduck-Electrode stared continuously at the wall, absorbing the lizard's words. Despite himself, Norris didn't feel any rage. His heart, for once ever since he got here, was calm. No ringing in his head, no desire to tear someone's arm off…he felt…calm.

"…Why do you care so much about me?" Norris asked quietly.

York lifted his head and smiled weakly. "Because…you're like a brother to me. I will never stop trying to help you." He frowned seriously. "…Listen…Norris. I know someone who can get you help. Actual help. You need to talk to someone about your problems. While it might be too late to find a family for you...the Rogues ARE your family. Even if you feel like they've gave you undeserved praise, they do have love for you." His fist clenched tighter, pressing harder against the glass. "I just want to make up for being such a terrible friend...no amount of apologizing will make up for that..." He bowed his head and awaited the duck's response.

He waited patiently in silence, then lifted his head as a fist tapped against the glass where his was placed. He looked up and met with Norris' soft glare. "The breakout, then Data's sorry ass. After that, I'm swearing off violence forever…" He looked away. "All I ever wanted was to be at peace with myself, to find something to be happy about. You have to promise me, no matter what, you will give me that."

York blinked, then smiled tearfully. "Heh…r-right…I can make that promise…"

Norris nodded, then bowed his head. "Thank you…my friend…"

York felt choked up, wiping his eyes as he laughed. "Haha…too bad this glass is in the way. I really want to hug you right now."

Norris grunted. "Not on your life."

He raised his hands and backed away from the glass. "Heh, fair enough." He looked around, then pulled his hood back on. "I got to go. Remember, tomorrow night. Be ready to spring into action."

"I've had practice over the years," Norris mumbled. "See ya…"

"Later!" York turned on his heel and raced out of the cell block.

Peregrine watched the lizard leave, then closed his eyes and smiled contently. _Heh…maybe you aren't as hopeless as you thought, kid._

Sullivan narrowed his eyes at Norris. "You're actually going to help?"

Mikayla bit her lip worriedly. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Norris closed his eyes for a moment, then glared at his fist. "I'll be honest. It's going to give me one hell of a ringing headache, but…" He growled, then slammed his fist into the glass. Tiny cracks formed on the other side. "…I suppose these assholes…deserve to be torn asunder."


	80. Vivi's Lament

It was a long night of searching for the weary Eddie, peering through every bush, tree, and rock he came across. He had dark rings under his eyes, with his eyelids hanging heavily and threatening to snap shut unexpectedly. He fought off the growing urge to sleep and continued in his desperate search for his lost friend.

However, the lack of sleep, plus the brief episode of crying he went through hours ago, was wearing on his nerves and patience. He growled, pressing his hand against a tree and burning his handprint into the bark. "For goodness sake…KID?!" he shouted. He knew he should be quiet in case Renegades happened to be lurking around, but he was just so fed up with today that he would kick anyone who tried to attack him straight to the moon.

"Vivi?! Where are you?!" he shouted angrily, only to flinch at his own tone. He groaned and pressed his back to the tree. "Listen to yourself…you're so worn out…she probably thinks I'm coming to reprimand her for running away…" He sank to his rear and covered his face. "I'm losing my damn mind out here…"

Lost in his own self-wallowing, he barely missed the sound of flapping wings descending on his location. He peeked up from behind his hands and spotted an equally tired Ulysses landing in front of him. The poor Fusion could barely stand on his own legs. His main body was slouched over, with even his cellular layer looking weary.

Not even the lack of sleep prevented Eddie from understanding Ulysses' own interest in locating the lost archer. He saw it written all over the poor fellow's face. He could see the huge crush the cellular avian had for the ladybug archer, even going as far as forgoing sleep for her sake. Eddie would've just forced him to go back to bed, but he figured having Ulysses around would be beneficial.

For one…he still didn't have a plan for when they eventually _find_ Vivi. What was he to say without getting shot mercilessly with arrows?

Eddie's eyes narrowed before he stood up. "Please tell me you found her."

Ulysses whimpered, then shook his head. "High and low…haven't found her yet. She could be anywhere."

"Ugh…and none of the others have a strong sense of smell to sniff her out…" He covered his face, then groaned. "…Well, there's no use standing around. We'll just have to keep searching."

Ulysses lifted his wings. "I'm getting tired…"

"You can leave whenever you want."

"…"

"…" Eddie sighed. "…If that's the case…please, please keep looking for her. I don't care if I have to be turned into a pin cushion…I just need to apologize…assuming she can forgive me."

Ulysses frowned sadly at the flame kicker, then nodded. "Okay…" He flapped his wings and took to the air once again.

Eddie sighed and pressed his back to a tree again, rubbing between his eyes. "...Some guardian I turned out to be...sure, Eddie, be tough on the kid, but not TOO tough..." he scold himself before glaring up at the dark sky, noticing the faint orange light that was just barely peeking over the horizon, if he had to guess.

"I've never been good with this sentimental stuff. What do I even say to her after THAT?" He lifted a finger to his eye and felt the slightest sign of leakage. It amazed him he still had tears to shed. He covered his face and shuddered in his own shame. "I'm a friggin' idiot...I didn't want to get too close to the kid, but...I let my guard down for too long…"

"Eddie!" The flame kicker jolted upright as the cellular avian dropped back down in front of him. "I found her! I found Vivi!"

A breath the Fusion didn't realize he was holding was finally exhaled. He set his hand over his heart, glad to hear she was at least alright from the sound of it. Still…that's speaking in general. Emotionally, however…

"How bad is it?" he asked worriedly.

Ulysses frowned, eyes darting to his left. "Um…well…I found her sitting on a rock…"

"Okay."

"Frowning…"

"Okay…"

"I think she was crying…"

"O…Okay…"

"Annnnd…the entire area around her is covered in arrow quills…I think one pierced through two trees…"

"…That bad." Eddie sighed and rubbed his face. "Gr-eat. The second she sees me, I'll lose an eye."

Ulysses normally wanted to stay out of confrontation, especially since it seemed like Vivi was in a rather volatile mood, but…someone had to speak to her, to calm her down before Eddie could have his say. The council would've been a better pick to talk to her, but…

…He was worried for her.

"…I-I-I can…t-talk to her first…if th-that's alright with you, sir." He tapped his wings together timidly. "I-I mean…I-I could c-c-calm her down before she…" Ulysses stopped talking after Eddie placed a hand on the Fusion's shoulder.

Eddie gave the cellular avian a soft, gentle look. "You're a good friend to her, young man. I dare say you're the closest with her in your whole village. I think she would love to have your company." He narrowed his eyes. "Just…be gentle with her."

Ulysses gulped. "Y-Yes, of course…sir."

They headed out to where Vivi isolated herself, a simple three-minute walk from where they talked. She crossed quite a bit of distance between there and the hideout. This far out, she was less likely to get spotted by Renegades.

Ulysses pushed some bushes out of the way, ducking his body to peer at the rock in the spaced forest. Eddie crouch-walked behind Ulysses, then glanced over his head when he saw something sticking out of a tree. He flinched, recognizing it as an arrow. Just like Ulysses figured, it was the one that pierced through two trees. It even took out a huge piece of bark in the tree it embedded itself into.

 _Yikes…_

Ulysses saw the same thing, among the other arrows she had randomly fired in her anger. He whimpered and considered backing out at that moment to save himself, but an encouraging, but rough shove from Eddie kept the bird from fleeing.

The cellular avian gulped, then stepped out from the bushes quietly. Vivi didn't seem to notice, probably mistaking it for the wind. She was preoccupied with looking at the arrow in her hands, twirling it around a few times, etching into the rock she sat on, or pretending to line up another shot.

Eddie got a brief look at the side of her face. His heart sank when he saw the tear stains over her cheek. She must've been crying all through the night. The dark rings gave away that she couldn't sleep, either, not that Eddie could blame her.

 _I'm the worst,_ he thought.

Vivi went to etching something into her rock, eyes dull and emotionless. She had been etching various words into the rock. Eddie couldn't see what she was doing, but it was probably best he didn't. She etched stuff like 'The worst,' 'Idiot,' and 'A living joke.' She had a lot to think about all night…and not in a good way.

Ulysses took his final step behind the archer, then straightened his back, teeth chattering behind closed lips. "Um…Vivi?"

The archer jolted from her daydreaming, nearly throwing the arrow over her head. She caught it and gripped it tightly like a security blanket. However, she soon cooled down once she recognized the voice.

"Oh…hey Uly. Heh…" She rubbed behind her head with a depressed smile. "Sorry you…have to see me like this. I must look like a loser…then again…I guess I never had to _try_ …"

Both Ulysses and Eddie flinched. That unbreakable confidence of hers…shattered. Shattered into a million pieces. There was no confidence in her tone. She sounded…broken.

Ulysses bared his teeth, tears already welling up in his eyes. "Um…a-are you…okay?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know...got my spirit and emotions stepped on and incinerated into pieces, so...n-never better..." Her arrow snapped inside her fist.

Ulysses cringed, briefly stepping back on instinct. He rubbed behind his head, trying to figure out what to say. "Um…l-listen, Vivi. All that stuff Eddie said to you back there…I-I know you must be hurting. Even I was shaken up by what he said. He didn't say all of that to make you feel bad…"

"That so?" she retorted emotionlessly. "I must've forgot to read between the lines after he called me an incompetent, stupid, foolish little kid…" She frowned. "…which is all true…"

Ulysses whimpered. "N-No…No, it isn't. He didn't mean it like that…he just didn't want you doing something you would regret. You…You did sort of mess around and not act like you took things seriously. He only said all that stuff because…he didn't want you turning out like he did."

Vivi huffed, holding her chin. "That's a new therapy tactic I've never heard of. I always thought you had to do that stuff gently. Guess the aggressive approach is trending these days…"

Ulysses felt the tears flowing out his eyes. "I-I didn't mean it like that! E-Eddie said he did some pretty horrible stuff when he was a kid and…he regretted it all his life. He…wanted to pass that knowledge onto you so…you would never have to make the same mistakes he did…"

Vivi closed her eyes. "Well, he...did a bang-up job of getting his point across...I especially loved the part where he kicked me in the stomach. I feel that drove the point home...hard." She covered her stomach, which was revealed to have a purplish bruise over it.

Eddie continued to listen from within the bushes, covering his face and wincing at how utterly lifeless the archer sounded. It wasn't like her to sound this serious…or self-deprecating. He really did incinerate her spirit.

Ulysses was internally panicking that the talk wasn't going so well. He scratched nervously behind his head, trying to find anything to remedy the situation. "I'm…sure he didn't _mean_ to…" Not the best response…

Vivi rolled her eyes. "People don't mean a lot of things…I've seen every manner of it in my old neighborhood. They say you're not that bad, but then they kick you back out into the street because you're some kind of freak. You're just treated as everyone's dirtbag because anything lower than that is just insulting…to whatever's lower than dirt."

Ulysses' eyes welled up with tears. "Vivi…"

"Just look at me. I've made it clear that my life is a joke to you people..."

His eyes widened. "That isn't true at all! You're not a joke!"

Vivi sighed. "Oh, it is...look at me, Vivi the Idiot Jester, here again to screw everything up like last time. No, no, no, wait, I got a better one." She stood on her rock and raised her arms. "It is I, Vivi Quixote, here to save you all from the villainous Data and his monstrous machine- what do you mean I'm shouting at a windmill?"

Eddie groaned. _Kid…_

The utter lack of enthusiasm in her voice was killing Ulysses. She sat back down and held her cheek. "Guess everyone was right after all. No matter what I do, I'm just some useless moron who can't do anything right. I'd be better off if I was never born-"

"DON'T SAY THAT!" She nearly jumped out of her skin when the normally soft-spoken Fusion screamed at her. Tears drizzled down his face, choked up with anxiety for her. "N-No…d-don't say that…no one wants that…" _I…don't want that…_

Vivi blinked, then frowned glumly. "Why do you care? It's not like you get a bunch of disappointed glares for everything you do."

Ulysses looked down at his feet, rubbing his arm shyly. "I…I may not, but…that doesn't mean…I can't care about you…" His face flushed red. "I've grown fond of you ever since you arrived…I'd hate to lose you…"

"Uly…" Vivi looked down, then turned away from him. "Sure you do...just like all the others..." She picked up her arrow and gently fired it into the tree in front of her. "Just some worthless Fusion that won't aspire to be anything. A nobody in the eyes of others...a useless idiot, moron, dumbass with the directional skills of a drunk Nosepass and with the intelligence of a single potato-"

"Alright, that's enough!" Eddie burst from the bushes and pointed angrily at the archer, fed up with her attitude. "If I hear you say you never wanted to be born again, so help me…!"

Vivi blinked at the flame kicker in surprise, then huffed and looked away again with a sour face. "Oh…hey Eddie…come to finish the job? Can you at least not kick me in the stomach this time? It stills stings from the last one…"

Eddie glared. "I'm not hear to beat you up." His eyes softened regretfully. "I came to apologize…"

"Sure you did…" she responded sarcastically. "To apologize that you didn't finish tearing my heart apart…"

Eddie growled under his breath, but it was more out of irritation in himself than her. "Kid…right now, I don't care if you want to riddled me with arrows or ignore me for the rest of your life. Just hear me out, okay?" Vivi didn't say anything, but she didn't openly reject his request either. Ulysses backed away to give the two some space.

Eddie sighed, then took a step forward. "Alright…look…I'm sorry for kicking you like that…and I'm sorry for tearing you down the way I did. Even if you are…a little much to deal with, you're still a kid…and you do have feelings…feelings I neglected for the longest time, in fact." He closed his eyes and sighed to himself. "This village…was built to help lost Fusions find a place in the world, to rebuild themselves from their mistakes.

"I resisted the urge to come here myself. I didn't feel I deserved it. I saw myself as some force of nature that couldn't be reasoned with. I regretted everything I did in my life. I hurt people, I participated in gang wars, I destroyed public property…all in some vain attempt to make myself feel better. I was just some asshole Fusion who thought he was invincible."

He glared and curled his fingers. "I hate it when people say they're invincible. It's one of the most arrogant things anyone can say. A sign that you are so untouchable that the rest of us look like mortal trash in your eyes. That's how I felt about Pokémon when I took to the streets. I forgone any actual life for myself and just focused on taking to the streets for my own amusement. I thought I was living a free life.

"…Then I got my old gang thrown in jail. A manhunt was done on all of them…and I ran. I ran like a coward." He covered his eyes. "One by one, they were picked off and I ran. Anyone who got too close to me ended up getting caught in the crossfires. I just kept running, hoping the destruction I left behind would never catch up to me.

"Just when I thought I could live in peace, this shit comes into my life and now I'm stuck helping in some Arceus forsaken war…" He sighed. "When you found me, I was still going through some things. I just wanted to be alone for the rest of my life. Just some middle-aged bartender who wanted to live a peaceful existence."

Vivi didn't say anything, hugging her legs close to her chest as she silently wept.

"All my anger towards you was entirely out of concern. I saw too much of my old self creeping up from under you…and I got scared. I thought if I could guide you down the right path, you'd act more mature." He sighed. "But…I was too worried about being blunt with you…that my point never got across…" He shook his head. "The reason I did that to you…was because I cared _too_ much…and I have no idea how to express it."

"…"

"I just never got to understand why you seemingly had no common-sense half the time. It was like you didn't care what might happen."

"…"

"Kid?"

Vivi stared at the ground with a hard look, then breathed in through her nostrils and sighed. She picked a small rock up and tossed it around in her hand. "...Do you want to know why I acted like the way I did?"

"I'm…afraid to ask," he admitted.

"It's like I've said many, many times before: it was the only way people would look at me as...something." She chucked the rock, ricocheting it off two trees. "I hated being a nobody...I was just the thing in the neighborhood that no one acknowledged. So...I did things.

"I acted like a bully because I thought it would give me respect. I acted like a fool so that people would pay attention to me. I did things because...I just wanted someone to give me attention." She frowned. "I always crammed myself in the family attic to get away from everything...and I hated it. I just wanted someone to say 'Wow, you're so cool, Vivi' and mean it."

She sighed and rubbed her arm. "I figured...if I acted like a big shot hero who knew what she was doing...and stopped any threat of Data coming back...I would be hailed as a hero. Then everyone would look at me and think I'm awesome..." She glared to herself. "Tsk. Some stupid, moronic dream, I guess..."

Eddie narrowed his eyes softly at the archer. "That's how it is, huh?" She nodded glumly. Eddie sighed and held his hips. "I suppose I can't fault you for everything you've done. You really were just a kid acting on impulse. No sense of awareness, just…instinct, I guess." He closed his eyes. "That didn't give me an excuse to hurt you the way I did…"

"Gee, you think?" she asked bitterly.

"However…I can say for certain that what you did wasn't some moronic scheme. Your efforts to find your ancestor's buried secrets? Going as far as calling the Fusion Hunters on yourself to find Bartleby? What you did was reckless…but, in a way, kind of clever." He looked away. "You had one thing on your mind and that was putting an end to a looming threat against the world.

"And if not for your efforts, maybe Gappei Village wouldn't have been as prepared for what happened. We still weren't, but…your constant digging helped crack the codes we were searching for. You've done a lot more than you think." He glared. "Yes, you brought no end in mishaps…but what sort of journey doesn't have a few sprinkled out?"

Vivi sighed gloomily and held her cheeks. "The kind that don't have you realize how much of a child you really are..."

Eddie sighed as well, then rubbed behind his head. "Look, kid...I said some things...I was angry...I admit, you have brought me no end to a list of frustration the way you acted...I never had anyone to teach me these things. I was forced to learn them on the run...look how it turned out. Sad, middle-aged man running a bar just trying to keep a low profile." He glared. "That didn't mean it had to be your future..." He turned away sadly. "...I didn't mean what I said when I wished I never met you. You didn't ruin my life...I ruined it a long time ago."

Vivi tried to keep scowling, but couldn't keep the face up for any longer. "W-Well…now I just feel sad."

"Can you at least look at me?" he pleaded softly.

She shook her head. "I don't know…" She wiped her eyes of tears. "I sort of wished I never met you, too, Eddie...at least you wouldn't have been dragged back into your past...isn't that what you also said?"

His eyes narrowed solemnly. "...Yeah, I said that. But...at the end of the day...my life was just going to get worse once this whole fiasco started. And...if I hadn't..." He shrugged unsurely. "Who knows what would've happened had I not been there to save you? Maybe the council would've figured something out...maybe you're the only reason we got this far..."

Vivi frowned for a moment, then spun around to say something. However, Eddie already had his back turned to her and was walking away, arms folded behind his back. She was worried for a second, but noticed from Ulysses' body language that he wasn't. He didn't look like things were turning hostile, so…that was a good sign, right?

"In a way...you've impressed me, kid. Maybe if I met you earlier...I could've done something about your shitty life..." He raised his hand and gave a short wave back to her. "Anyway...take care of yourself. Try and...stay safe...hopefully I'll see you later…"

Vivi watched him disappeared into the forest. She closed her eyes, then turned back around on her rock. She stared at the ground for a moment, then smiled a bit. "…Thanks…"

A new silence came between the remaining Fusions, one of a newfound peace. Ulysses could see Vivi lightening up, as she now sat without a slouch. It warmed his heart to see her in a better mood. He repressed an urge to giggle with joy.

Though, those feelings quickly faded when he realized they were alone together. He whimpered and lightly kicked at the ground, unsure of what to say. "Um…" Starting conversations wasn't his strong suit.

Thankfully, Vivi started one up for them. "Ugh…how long have I been out here, anyway? Don't exactly have a watch on me."

"Oh, uh…" Ulysses quickly looked up at the sky. "Um…a little pass dawn. It…might be morning by now." He frowned. "Eddie…couldn't sleep." _Neither could I._

"Huh…I've been up for that long, huh? Hardly noticed." She rubbed under her eye, then yawned. "…What are you doing out so early, though?"

Ulysses' face flushed bright red. "Um…w-well, I…I sort of…um, uh…"

Thankfully, Vivi came to her own conclusion. "Guess you and the others were worried about me as well." She closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "Heh…honestly, makes me happy that some people do care about me. At least with my family, a search party would've ended with a 'good riddance.'"

Ulysses frowned. "At least…Eddie cares about you…" He tapped his wings together. "Everything he did…he thinks of you…like his own daughter…"

"…He does, huh?" He nodded. "…Well…that puts a lot of what happened into context." She pulled her legs up and hugged them against her chest.

Ulysses reached out to her timidly. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"…A little better than earlier, thanks. I guess I really needed a hard reality check." She tried her best to grin. "Heh…guess this is the end of Vivi Quixote. No more silly mistakes from here on out. Nothing stupid coming from me…you know, probably…" she added in a mutter.

Ulysses smiled to himself. "A-As long as you're okay…I'm happy…"

"Thanks Ulysses."

Ulysses turned and started heading back, though not without muttering something unintentionally. "I-I-I-I really like you…"

"What was that?" she asked obliviously.

"AAAHHH!" Scared that he said it aloud, he took off into the sky, flapping his wings like an Archen in flight.

Vivi blinked at his speed escape in bewilderment. "…Well, that was weird…even for me…"

Deciding for a change in sitting, she hopped off her rock and headed under a tree where she could relax in the grass. She leaned back against the trunk and sighed to herself, allowing her eyes to close. Though, despite the call for sleep, the rising light of the sun kept poking at her eyes.

She groaned and pulled on her cowl. "Too tired to move…"

Realizing that it was the next day, that could only mean one thing.

"Huh…guess we'll be starting our counterattack really soon…" She frowned to herself. "Everyone's going to be giving their all, Pokémon and Fusion alike. A small group against an army." She narrowed her eyes. "Really looking at it…I hadn't realized just how much of a disadvantage we were at. Guess I though, since we're the good guys…we would win. Guess victory comes to those who strive the hardest."

She shivered a bit and covered herself under her cloak. They were shivers from a draft, though. It was her own anxiety acting up. "Yeesh…I'm actually getting scared thinking about it. Data means business. He wants everyone to see his way as the just way." She bit her lip. "I hate feeling like this…"

"…You're scared, too?"

"Huh?" Vivi lifted her head to the voice, realizing it came from behind her. She turned her neck a little, still sleepy-eyed from the long night. She couldn't get a good enough view of the individual, aside from the black cloak/blanket he had wrapped around him. The voice sounded awfully young. She would've put more effort in identifying him, but, frankly, she was too tired to try.

"Oh…hey. Did you come to cry in the woods, too?"

"…You were crying?" he asked with a soft, whimpering tone.

"Err…never mind." Vivi faced ahead again, using her cowl to block the sun from her eyes. "…So, you lost?"

"…S-Sort of."

Vivi nodded. "Ah, I know how you feel. I once got lost on the bus. I was just sitting down, I turn my head for one second, suddenly I was at the wrong bus stop. Even to this day, I still haven't figured out how I did that."

"I…what?" the puzzled child asked.

"Don't think about it too hard. Believe me, I've seen people try and explain it. They got headaches for weeks." She folded her arms into her lap. "Name's Vivi. What's your name?"

"…Augustus."

"Augustus, Augustus…" Vivi mouthed the named a few times, feeling like she heard it before it passing. Maybe if she wasn't so tired, she could remember easier. "Sounds familiar…eh, whatever!" She just gave up and continued on. "So, what brings you out here? If you needed a good cry, there's a nice rock over there. Great for sitting on and sobbing your eyes out."

Augustus tugged on his blanket and whimpered. "…I lost my friends."

Vivi immediately frowned. She narrowed her eyes sympathetically. "Let me guess: Data?"

"Mhmm…"

Vivi sighed. "I'm really sorry to hear that. You must've had it rough for these last few weeks. Can't imagine how you're feeling right now."

"I feel alone…and sad…"

"Yeah…can't say I feel the same, though I do worry about my friends, even if I don't know them all too well." She tapped her chin. "I hope they weren't teleported into a volcano. That would've been inconvenient…and also deadly."

Augustus' eyes narrowed, pulling harder on his blanket. "…I'm scared…I'm really, really scared…"

"All of us are scared." Vivi sighed and gazed up at the morning sky. "Guess that's one of the reasons I acted like such a fool...got me by without thinking of the bad stuff..."

"Does…it work?"

"Yeah, but I wouldn't recommend it, not unless you can take a kick from your angry, apparent father figure who only did what he did because he cared too much."

Augustus blinked twice through his tears, then gripped his blanket tightly. He had a brief memory of a certain, explosive duck shouting at him…and he really, really missed it. Somehow, his anger told the small child that he cared for him.

Vivi yawned, trying to fight off sleep for a little longer. "So, if your friends aren't here, do you…have any family?"

Augustus shook his head. "No…it's just me. I…don't remember having parents, but…I was raised by someone."

Vivi smiled sleepily. "Aww, that's nice…what were they like?"

"…Horrible…"

"…I retract my 'aww.' What happened? What'd they do?"

Augustus fought off the tears stinging in his eyes. "…He made me play games."

Vivi darted her eyes around, legitimately puzzled. "That…fiend? How dare he make you play fun games?"

" _Not_ -fun games…"

"That makes more sense…"

"He'd tell me to…do this and…do that. He kept repeating something and…I'd blank out…then wake up and…" Augustus bit his lip. "I wake up and…I remember hurting people…I didn't know what I was doing…or why I was covered in blood…" Vivi's eyes widened. "I was so scared…"

"Blood? What…kid, what was this guy doing to you?"

"I don't know…he just wanted me to hurt people…so I escaped. I was alone again…scared and alone…until I met my friends. They cared about me…they took me in and cared for me…" Augustus rubbed his eyes. "They never got mad at me for anything I did. I was timid and quiet…but they never got mad at me…"

Vivi frowned. "You ran away, didn't you?"

"Mhmm…"

"…" Vivi brought her legs to her chest. "…I had to run away, too. I wonder if it was the right call."

"I heard what you guys were talking about." Augustus sniffled. "Was it wrong for me…to runaway from him? And from my friends?"

Vivi thought it over for a moment, then shook her head. "No…No, you weren't in the wrong. I think your friends are glad you ran away. If they were captured…they'd probably want you clear from anything bad…same with that jerk who mistreated you." Vivi rubbed her eyes. "You were being used by him…you ran away for the right reason."

Augustus quivered under his breath. "I-I-I wanted to run away from…that scary man, Data…when he attacked my friends…I was scared…I didn't want to hurt anyone again, but…he forced us, too…"

Vivi narrowed her eyes. "He…manipulated all of you?"

"Uh huh…it scared me…" He sniffled, running his arm across wet nose. "…He's a bad man…"

"Hmm…" Vivi clicked her tongue and sighed. "…That man's wicked intentions know no end in sight, do they? Even to frighten an innocent child…"

Augustus wiped his eyes into his blanket, feeling a little better that he had someone to talk to. He blew into the blanket and wiped his nose before asking, "What…should I do?"

Vivi didn't want to get the kid's hopes up with a rousing speech or anything, but the opposite was just as bad. Straight harsh reality while the kid was probably in an emotional wreck would've shattered his poor soul. She spoke from experience. The best she could offer was kind words…maybe with a dash of hope.

With a small shrug, she said, "Honestly kid...I don't know. Maybe if you're lucky, you'll find your friends again. Though...a lot will be happening soon. Probably best that you stay clear of the city."

"W-Why?"

She frowned determinedly. "We're going to bring Data's forces to the ground, that's what. Something I should be doing myself...instead of moping around under a tree..." She sighed and rubbed her face. "...Life's tough, but...sometimes we have to...grow up, even if we don't want to."

"…I see…" The tears stopped flowing out of Augustus' eyes. He reached into his blanket and pulled out a small object wrapped in cloth. He rubbed his hand across it, then gently pulled the wrapping off. _Grow up…I have to grow up…_

Vivi didn't pay attention to him on account of her sleepiness. She yawned into her hand and looked up at the sky. "I should really get some sleep. War or not, I'm useless if I don't get my shut-eye." She yawned loudly, then smacked her lips together. Eyes drooped shut, she said, "Hey kid…if you need a place to stay, there's a cave up ahead of here that you can use. Some nice folks live there. I know them. They'll help bring the bad man down."

"Really?"

Vivi nodded. "We need all the help we can get. If you're still scared, you can just stay there and hope things turn out for the best."

Augustus was wrapped tightly in his blanket for a moment, considering her offer with interest. However, as a remaining member of the Rogues, he owed it to honor their legacy by…kicking those bad Renegades off their turf. That's something Mikayla or Norris would tell him, at least.

"…I'm fine. Thank you very much, miss…"

Vivi beamed with a squeal. "Aww, so polite~." She stood up and stretched out her arms. "Well, I won't hold you up. I need to find a nice log to sleep on or something. Need help getting back where you need to go?"

Augustus stood up as well, keeping his blanket draped over his body. "I-I'll be fine. Good-bye…and…thanks for…what you said." With some rest in his mind, the child carried off into the woods.

Vivi turned and watched the child leave with a weary smile. "Sweet kid. Shame about his friends." She was ready to turn and leave herself when she spotted something laying in the spot he sat in. "Huh?" She crouched down and picked it up.

It looked like an evolutionary stone, possibly a Shiny Stone based off the dull yellow color. However, looking at it, something was off. It was dull and lifeless, almost resembling a glass figure. She has seen Shiny Stones before and they weren't usually this dull in their yellow coloring.

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at it, then raised her head. "Hey kid, you dropped your-!" But Augustus was already gone, out of sight. "…stone." Vivi took another look at the now useless stone, then threw it over her shoulder. "Meh." She figured if it was important, he'd come back for it.

She pulled her cowl over her eyes and headed off, though not towards the cave. She still needed time to cool off…and to finally get some sleep.

* * *

Ivan leaned back in his chair, staring out the window and at his glorious machine as the Renegades below were filling it up with the stolen Fusion energy. "Well?" Within his office was Cruella and Gideon, who have recently gathered news regarding their hunt for Codex.

Cruella smirked behind her hand. "Took a while to figure out Gideon's gibberish, but we've pinned where these guys are heading to. They're heading to a port town in Sinnoh, probably to catch a boat back to Kanto."

Ivan nodded. "Good…"

Gideon, however, wasn't entirely convinced. "Alright, we know where he is, but how do we plan on capturing him? The last batch we sent may have been utter morons, but they were hardly useless."

Cruella snickered evilly. "I could go~!"

"…Yeeeeeah-no."

Cruella pouted. "Bah! What do you know?! All you do is teleport shit!"

Ivan's eyes glowed with annoyance. "This is a discreet operation, Cruella. Those idiots failed me by not capturing that Fusion. That was their one and only goal." He clenched to his chair tightly. "In fact…I haven't been getting any reports back from our other dispatch teams. These Gappei Villagers are more trouble than they look."

Gideon nodded. "Worst of all is the group we're now hunting. According to Cletus…after he regained consciousness, one of them achieved Fusion Mode. They didn't stand a chance."

Ivan's eyes glowed brighter, both in confusion and anger. "A mere child can harness the power of Fusion Mode, but not a ragtag group of convicts?"

Cruella held her hip. "Do you think we haven't tried at some point for that power boost?"

"Fusions can only use Fusion Mode once they've accepted their good and bad traits," Gideon pointed out. "Not something you can just SAY unless you willingly mean it."

Ivan grumbled quietly, but released the tension in his body. "…It doesn't matter. I have other means of taking care of Fusion Mode." The harness he wore hummed with power, swirling with the energy he had stolen from other Pokémon and the occasional Fusion. He raised his hand and lit it in a rainbow flame. "I expect the same from the rest of you."

Cruella laughed. "Kekekeke! Don't you worry boss! I don't even need that dumb ol' Fusion Mode to whoop those idiots!"

Gideon rolled his eyes. "Riiiiight…"

"Want a bet, Flaky? Go on, hit me with your strongest attack." She smirked villainously as she raised a hand glowing in a red aura. "Just make sure not to…hurt yourself."

"Enough!" They flinched when he slammed his fist down. "I have enough trouble keeping all of you under control as it is." He glared out the window. "The hour of launch is closing in. We're almost at max power for our machine, but we need that Fusion's activation code to access the firing sequence."

Gideon shot one last glare at Cruella, then folded his arms. "Well, how are we supposed to get through them? These guys are stronger than they look."

"Hmm…" After a moment of thought, Ivan asked, "Who was the Fusion to incapacitate Codex the last time? I recall him being some trouble before he was teleported with his friends."

Cruella tapped her chin. "Let's see…I believe it was the Togedemaru-Magneton chick who sent him packing. Aria, I believe was her name…"

"Aria, yes." Ivan nodded in agreement. "One of my more competent pawns." He clasped his hands together. "She will do nicely."

Gideon nodded. "Alright. I'll have her teleported to Sinnoh with a small group and she can go to capture the Fusion. Who shall we send with her?"

"As long as we get results, I don't care. Raze the port town, if you have to." Ivan glared sinisterly. "Just make sure Codex is captured _alive_. I don't want my efforts gone to waste."

Cruella raised her brow. "Something the matter, sir? You seem…upset."

"…I am fine. It is nothing." He glared for a moment, then said, "…Actually…I can't help but wonder something. With all this interference from the Gappei Villagers…I have to wonder…" He glanced at them. "…Wasn't one of their groups teleported into Unova's desert?"

Gideon nodded. "Yes…sir?"

Ivan tapped his chair worriedly. "I see…" _Dr. Gates, you better have a handle on things over there, or so help me, I'll…_

He sighed, then waved his hand dismissively. "Return to your posts. I wish to be alone."

"Aye." They bowed to him, then exited the office.

Ivan floated out from his chair and up to the window. He pressed his hand against it, then looked up at the morning sky. His dreams will be coming true in due time. He needed a little more patience, then all this struggle will be worth the pain he endured.

Tears welled up in his eyes when the image of an Elgyem Fusion manifested itself in the sky, gazing down on the Beheeyem with a soft gaze. Ivan lowered his head, then covered his eyes, quietly sobbing into his arm.

"...Mary...my sweet, precious baby..." The tears flowed freely down his face. "I can't bring you back...but at least...I will end this nightmare at the source..."


	81. Break Down the Door

Night was upon the guarded Fusion prison. Prisoners were returned to their cells for curfew and night guards were out on patrol, routinely checking on things to make sure all was in order. To them, it was just another night on duty.

For others, it was their last night of captivity.

Tamara hung around on the catwalk of the main floor, peering down like she was keeping watching of things. She had a clipboard as she checked off that the prisoners were back in their cells, though this was all busy work to make herself inconspicuous.

She checked between the guards, making sure she still had her cover, then looked back down the main floor. She smiled when she saw Spaz wandering by aimlessly. He glanced up at her, then smiled back when she gave him a subtle hand signal before returning to her check-off. He signaled her back, then scampered off to another part of the facility.

Tamara pulled out her two-way radio and called in York. "Yo. How are things on your end?"

York smirked as he sat against the glass of Mikayla's cell. The frosty Fusion, whose back was lined up with his on the other side, smirked as well. "Prisoners are 'secure' on our end. Same as usual."

Tamara smirked as some guards walked by her. "Good, good. I just sent the Pikachu to run a quick check on the security room. Reports of some faulty equipment. Wouldn't want that, right?"

One of the guards stopped and sighed. "Tell me about it. If the emergency release button went off, we'd be pretty screwed."

The other one shrugged. "Eh, relax. That thing has multiple safety measures. Simply pressing the button wouldn't do anything. These guys won't be seeing the light until the new world comes."

Tamara snickered. "That's a relief." She watched the guards walk away. "…They're gone, York."

"I am _so_ going to punch in their faces when this goes down."

Tamara glared. "Save the Conkeldurr bastard for me. I have so choice words, and also punches, to share with him."

York smirked. "What? Were you and Spaz having a moment-?"

Blushing brightly, Tamara exclaimed, "Welp, I've got prisoners to check on!" She put her radio away and marched off, pulling her cap over her red face.

York chuckled to himself and pressed his head against the glass. "Spaz, good buddy, I think your feelings are finally being reciprocated." York stood up and took the center of the cell room. "Alright gang, listen up. It's almost showtime. Bring your A-game and bust some skulls! Make the Rogues proud!"

"YEAH!" the Rogues exclaimed.

"Quiet!" York hushed.

"Yeah…" they cheered again, but much quieter.

York sighed, then smiled at Peregrine, who was resting against the wall, wings behind his head. "All set, sir?"

Peregrine smirked. "Ever since I beat the shit out of those Renegades back in the village…I've been itching to get into a scrap. Forgive me if I go a little loose and wild, kid."

"By all means, don't hold back on our account." York looked over to the cell across from him, where Norris was being held. "You all set, Norris?"

The Golduck-Electrode narrowed his eyes, sitting in the very back of his cell, and cracked his knuckles. "Hmph."

* * *

Albert, leaning back in his chair and with the phone up to his ear, asked, "You three keeping an eye on things?" He was in contact with his three assassins and their current assignment.

"Just about, sir," Ripper said. "We've isolated their general location. The dispatch team sent to eliminate Gero will make their move in a few minutes. We'll keep you posted when it happens."

"Anything else?"

"Heh, funnily enough, the Fusions sent here are also with him. Should we eliminate them, too?"

"They are not the priority. I only want Gero out of the picture." He crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling. "I doubt the dispatch team will be able to do sufficient harm to him. I hope weakening him a bit will give you three a fighting-"

Albert stopped when the intercom came on. This wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but who would be using the intercom system at this time? Could've been a technical emergency that required his help.

But then the voice spoke.

"Good day, prisoners, guards, and works of this fine, Fusion facility! This is your dashing host for the evening, coming to you live with all that exciting news!"

Albert narrowed his eyes suspiciously. _That's…not the guy who runs the security room._ "Ripper, I need to go. Keep me posted about the raid once you're through." He hung up without waiting for a reply and stood up. "What in the-?"

Spaz leaned back in the swivel chair, feet propped up over the table as he held the microphone close to his face. Behind him, the two running the security room were locked in time thanks to his Chrono Shock. In his free hand, he twirled a pair of keys used for the console in front of him.

"Unfortunately, our regular announcers couldn't quite make it, so I'll be filling in to give out today's announcements. Dinner has been cancelled, but you will be getting new vacation days. Weather is decent, even for a desert. Hmm…ah yes, how can I forget? The facility will also be going through some major renovations today. Sorry to drop the news so suddenly."

He took a rag and wiped the makeup off his face, revealing his precious green fur. "I know you've all been working hard to keep the peace and all that, but the times are changing."

Tamara smiled up as Spaz yammered on when she got a call from York. She picked up her radio. "Talk to me?"

"What's he doing?" York asked, trying to contain his laughter.

"Heh…I gave him permission to hit the big, red button, so I thought he deserved to have a little fun with it."

Meanwhile, Albert was furiously marching down the hallway before reaching the security room. He pulled on the door, but it wouldn't open. He growled and banged his fist against the door. "Who are you?! LET ME IN!"

Spaz grinned. "Ah, what a great follow up. Some of you are probably wondering, 'Who is this amazing guy speaking to us right now?' Well, the name's Spaz. I was once a resident to Gappei Village before my home was destroyed and all my friends were scattered across the planet. Pretty sad, if you ask me. And what for? So there would be peace?" The prisoners were listening intently to the mouse's voice, giving their full attention.

"Okay, so we had some important equipment buried under our village, but still. You made a lot of us VERY angry with that little stunt. You think it's fun breaking our stuff?" Spaz grinned. "Well, if that's how you get your kicks, let's see how you like it when the tables are turned."

"I SAID LET ME IN HERE!" Albert furiously punched on the door.

Spaz pulled out two keys and inserted them into the control console, twisting both twice. "Now why don't you all sit back, relax...oh, who am I kidding? We're going full death metal with this one!" He slammed his hand down on the big red button.

A chill went up the spines of every guard on duty, as the automatic locks on the cells went off and the doors went up. They raised their weapons as the weakened prisoners started to stand, with their collars and electronic vests automatically releasing from them.

Spaz stomped his foot down on the console and held the microphone with an excited grin. "Can I get a Mr. Maxim to come to the stage? That's your cue, my good fellow!"

The guards gasped as a Sawsbuck-Audino leaped from his cell and landed in the middle of the prison. He lifted his head and shouted, "Healing Field!" With a powerful cry, a pink aura expanded out from his body and extended throughout the entire first floor of the prison. Its effects were immediately felt by the guards, prisoners, and spies.

One guard took immediate notice when he felt minor abrasions on his hand instantly heal up. He backed away in disbelief. "What in the-?" Without warning, a prisoner struck him from behind and knocked him out cold.

"ALRIGHT!" the prisoner screamed. "TIME FOR SOME PAYBACK!"

Spaz chuckled from the security room as he watched the monitors. "And that's all for today's announcements…NOW RIOT, YOU LUNATICS!"

The guards pulled their weapons and opened fire on the prisoners as they broke from their cells, a new life breathed into them as they powered through the advanced weaponry. With the effects of Healing Field up, damage was but a minor inconvenience for the short time it will remain up.

In the surprise ambush, multiple flyers dove down and took the guards into the air before dropping them back into the chaos. Shadow Balls, Flamethrowers, Hydro Pumps, and all manner of attacks were flung through the prison while the guards held their position tightly.

Two guards were backing away, firing stun bullets into the Fusions to keep them at bay. "Shit! What's the situation in the other cell block?!"

"Oh…same as here, I assure you." They flinched and spun around. York ripped off his disguise, then cracked his knuckles while the Rogues and Peregrine stood behind him. He smirked deviously. "Just like my friend said…it's time to riot!"

The guards raised their guns, but they were immediately slashed to pieces, as well as their uniforms. They fell to the ground, stunned from the invisible attack, while Peregrine walked past them with his leek hanging on his shoulder. He scowled as he watched the Fusions and guards battle it out against each other.

"Such a disrespectful battle we have here. I suppose it evens things up, but these weapons are a disgrace to a true battle." He smirked. "Perhaps I should teach these fools a lesson in pain."

York smirked. "You got things covered, sir?"

"Lad…don't ask stupid questions with obvious answers." Wings spread and a fire burning in his eyes, Peregrine zoomed into the dense crowd and sent guards flying into the air with strong slaps with his weapon, followed by their manic screams.

York snickered through the explosions, then looked back at his old friends. "No holding back, guys! I want to see some skulls crushed and doors broken down! We're breaking free and taking this war to Data! They're all going to regret messing with us!"

Mikayla punched her palm. "Payback time!"

The Rogues sounded a resounding battle cry and charged into the fray, firing off their attacks into the guards setting up for their assault. Gordon took the lead by barreling through their energy bullets with Wild Charge and split their defensive wall in half.

Zoey and Sunny gave each other a quick high-five, then rushed at five guards at once. They fired on them, but Sunny was particularly hard to shoot due to her small size. Zoey, somehow, was even harder with her acrobatics and evasive agility.

"What's the matter? Too much for you boys?" She flipped over one guard, then raised her arm and stopped one attacking her with Dragon Claw. She smirked as the Dragon Claw's energy instantly faded. "What's _this_ now? Poor move." She pulled one of their rifles from behind her back, with her Switcheroo key in the same hand. It looked like a sound cannon. "Say night-night!"

Meanwhile, a nearby guard was looking at his hands in confusion, for his sound cannon was mysteriously replaced with an old sandwich. "THE HELL?!"

Zoey winked, pulled the trigger, and sent three of the guards packing. The other two barely managed to avoid getting hit and went to grab Zoey, but they were thrown back by the Pollen Puffs exploding in their faces. One powered through, but was immediately taken down by a blank-point Moonblast.

Sunny giggled as she danced around in the air. "No one messes with my bestie!" Zoey grinned and gave her the thumbs-up.

Sullivan used his fiery tongue to pulled himself up onto the catwalk. He set his massive pincer down on the railing and focused on his numerous targets. "Dragon Pulse." With pressure releasing from the back of the pincer, he fired off powerful Dragon Pulses that surged through the prison and nailed his targets with perfect headshots. He did this in rapid succession, taking one guard out after the other and switching up attacks for type coverage.

Several guards advanced, half of whom carrying melee weapons, hoping for a direct fight. Mikayla smirked, then inhaled. "Winter Storm!" She expelled the thick, icy mist around them, which began gradually slowing their movements.

"GAH! I can't move! Fire on the ice!" The gunmen aimed for the ice forming at the legs, but their weapons were snatched by a swift monkey. "Our weapons!"

Braith cackled as she sprung herself high in the air, carrying an absurd amount of weapons with her. "Look, look, look at me! Ooh, what does this one do?!" Throwing absolutely no caution to the wind, Braith went nuts spinning and fired down on the guards (and any prisoners and Rogues unfortunate enough to be around her).

A Lucario guard growled. "Quit playing around and take them down!" He pulled out a disabling collar and chucked it at Braith.

His aim was spot on, because it locked around her neck, applying a stun affect that took her back down. "OW! Ugh, come on! I had enough with these tacky necklaces!"

He pulled out more collars and prepared to throw them into the Rogues, but York surprised him with a swift kick in the jaw. He snatched a collar from his hand and locked it around his neck before headbutting him in the face, probably breaking his nose.

"AGH!" the guard cried as he stumbled to the floor.

York landed and fired off Parabolic Charge, zapping and draining multiple guards. "Don't let up! These guys have more tricks up their sleeves!"

Zoey took some metal out of the discarded guns and made a key that undid Braith's collar. "Yeah? So do we." She spun the collar on her finger, then flung it into one guard's neck, disabling his abilities. "Sunny!"

"Heehee!" She swooped down and slammed a Moonblast into the poor guy's face.

York jumped back and stood by Mikayla. "Remember Thunder Winter?"

"That old combination?" She smirked. "You read my mind!"

One guard stepped back as he saw the blue electricity and frost coming off the two. "Did they say combination?!"

York and Mikayla, hands locked together, jumped into the air and spun. "Dragonic Thunder/Winter Storm!" Through their spinning, they fired a beam of Dragonic Thunder, mixed within a cyclone of Winter Storm. When the guards were encased within the devastating beam, they not only found it extremely difficult to escape with the freezing and stunning properties of both, but felt that the cold and hot temperatures were actually INCREASING their pain through fluctuation.

"GAAAAH!" The blinding spectacle alerted all guards in horror before the unfortunate ones fell unconscious.

York and Mikayla landed and high-fived each other. "Now that's what I'm talking about-!" He flinched as a guard that tried to jump him exploded from an Aura Sphere.

"Don't celebrate just yet!" Sullivan warned as he continued to snipe the guards. "We won't win until we take this place down AND escape! And with this Fusion Move healing _everyone_ , those guards won't stay out of commission forever!"

York glared. "Small price to pay! We're not leaving until this place is taken to the..." His eyes widened as a Rhyperior aimed a rocket launcher with an Alolan Golem aesthetic at them. "...ground?"

"Say _night-night_ , Fusions," the Rhyperior quipped, mocking Zoey's use of the phrase, before firing an Electrode-designed cannonball at them that flew at high speeds.

"RUN!" York screamed, but it was too fast. They were thrown back by the explosion, scattering around the floor and falling between fights breaking out with the other prisoners.

The Rhyperior gestured the guards behind him to advanced, running with disabling collars and stun sticks at the ready. A Scizor guard exclaimed, "Get as many of them down as you can! They're dangerous so long as they have their abilities!"

"What? And ruin MY grand entrance?" The Scizor lurched forward as someone landed and jumped off the back of his head, then took a Night Slash that cut his face, throwing him onto his back. The surprise attacker landed with a gracefully swooped, fluttering his majestic, feathery cloak. He smirked and tipped his crest. "That's just criminal!"

Recovering from the explosion, York pulled himself up and smiled at the familiar face that finally decided to intervene. "Eli! You made it!"

"Like hell I would miss this performance! This is my debut to stardom!" he exclaimed dramatically. "Why, I could pitch this to the theatre! 'Dashing Rogue Swoops in During a Prison Break!'"

Mikayla pulled herself up and smirked his way. "Great to have you back, Eli! We honestly thought you didn't make it out, but we were so glad to be wrong!"

He wagged his finger. "Unbecoming to think so low of me!"

York raised his fist and grinned. "Well, would you look at that? We've got all the top brass Rogues front and center!" He, Mikayla, and Eli stood back to back as the guards approached them. "Things are getting good!"

"A real shame you left," Mikayla admitted, "so it's nice having you back for one epic stand off! I'm waiting to see how you've improved!"

"You and me both, sister! Time to raise hell!"

Eli smirked. "Yes, we've got me, Sullivan, you, Mikayla, and, of course, our buddy Nor-!" He paused and looked around in confusion. Amidst the fighting, Eli hadn't noticed one Rogue was strangely absent. "Uh…didn't you say Norris was participating?"

York's eyes widened, only now realizing, too, that the mad duck was nowhere to be found. "Norris?!" There were many Fusions out, but not one with Norris in the middle. He bit his lip and wondered if the duck had second thoughts and stayed back in his cell, but he clearly saw Norris getting fired up before they left. Where else could he be?

Unless…

 _Norris made it clear he wanted to be through with fighting after this._ York glared. _Even if he hates it, Norris isn't one to do things simply. I think he's taking part in the second half of the escape sooner than we thought…_

* * *

"HI-YA!" Tamara chopped a guard in the back of the neck, then struck another's throat with her elbow. She sensed two rushing her from behind, so she spun, grabbed them by the arms, and flung them over her shoulders. She kept hold of the Lopunny guard to chop his arm.

"AGH!" the guard cried out before being tossed with the rest of his buddies.

Tamara extended her claws, lighting them up in a blue light. She sprung high in the air and spun. "Stinger Wave!" Blue needles came flying out from her claws, puncturing into the suits of the guards before exploded in a blue haze. "Water Shuriken!" She flung two shuriken into two guards, setting them to explode in the face.

She landed and raised her arms defensively. _They won't stay down forever. I'm glad this Fusion Move is healing us, but it sucks that it doesn't discriminate targets._ She dodged a swinging arm and struck her attacker with Aerial Ace.

While Tamara was distracted, one guard on the catwalk settled a sniper rifle on the railing and took care to line up his shot with the ninja cat. _Once she stops moving, one shot from this will leave her out cold for an hour._ He loaded the bullet in, then wrapped his finger around the trigger.

He smirked once he got her in his crosshairs. _Bingo-_

"Hey!" He gasped as Spaz dropped down from nowhere and reared him back by the shirt, causing him to misfire.

Tamara flinched as the bullet flew past her, then looked up to see Spaz taking on her would-be assailant. "Spaz!"

Spaz avoided the guard's grabs and kicked him in the face. "Stay away from my girl!" He grabbed him by the face and gave him the shock of his life. The guard froze up from the unbearable pain before falling over backwards, unconscious.

"Spaz! Down here!" He looked back down at her and smiled before joining her in the fight. She ran up to him and grinned. "Say, I like what you did back there! You really know how to give an inspiring speech!"

He grinned sheepishly. "Aww, shucks! Like you said, no harm in a little tomfoolery!"

"Didn't use that exact word, but yeah!" Tamara cracked her knuckles. "Mind helping me clean up?"

He dropped on all fours and sent sparks from his cheeks while his tiny wings buzzed with excitement. "Like you had to ask!"

Before Tamara returned to fighting, one thought stuck with her out of sheer curiosity. "Hey Spaz, what did you yell at the guy a moment ago?"

"Huh?" Immediately remembering saying Tamara was 'his girl,' his face flushed with embarrassment. Dodging the question, he exclaimed, "Hey look, more guys to beat up! Haha!" He ran away to do just that (and avoid awkward conversation).

Tamara watched him run off with a blank look to her face, then it softened into a charmed smile. "Oh Spaz…" That smile didn't leave her face, not even when she delivered an offhand backhand to the Granbull trying to grab her from behind.

* * *

Albert was beyond livid with what had transpired in the last five minutes as he marched through the halls. All of his perfect planning to help Faust achieve the perfect world and it was going up in smoke because some teenagers apparently snuck under their noses and infiltrated all their operations without even a hint of apparent suspicion.

"Of all the luck in the world and Gappei Villagers that were supposed to be scattered through the entire planet landed at MY doorstep," he grumbled to himself. "They're a crafty bunch, I'll say that much, but no more of this. I'll make sure they pay for ruining my plans."

He stopped halfway down the hall when his two-way radio hummed in alert. He pulled it out and clicked the button. "This _better_ be good! I'm not in the best mood right now-!" He paused at the panicked breathing coming from the guard on the other end, then flinched at the explosion going off in the background. Actually, he could've sworn he heard it with his own ears. "What's happening?!"

The guard's voice cracked with fear, probably struggling to stay conscious, if Albert had to guess. "S-Sir..." He definitely sounded injured. "Someone's...entering the basement...the...boiler room...and-OH GOSH, HE CAME BACK-!" Albert winced as another explosion cut off his sentence, leaving the Cacturne with only silence.

Albert closed his eyes in frustration, then inhaled deeply. "…Alright…" He dropped the radio, then smashed it under his foot. He dug into his coat pocket and pulled out an injector pen as he walked, followed by a red vial. "You want something done right…" He loaded the vial in, then placed the pen against his neck. "…You have to do it yourself."

 _CLICK!_

* * *

Tamara and Spaz stood back to back as they fought off all the guards. The Fusion Move surrounding them was definitely benefitting the guards to keep going, but it kept the Fusions going as well. Tamara kept them back with well-placed Aerial Aces while Spaz used the destroyed rubble to throw them back with Psychic.

Tamara formed a Water Shuriken to throw, but stopped when she saw the Healing Field flicker twice. "Spaz, did you see that?"

He looked up, then nodded. "Yeah. I think the move's finally wearing off. We won't have a constant stream of energy to revitalize us anymore."

Tamara smirked. "True, but neither will they. I can live with that." She threw the Water Shuriken into the barrel of a guard's gun, causing the barrel to burst open like a lit powder keg. "Still think you can take these guys?"

Spaz smirked. "You kidding? I'm just worried you might slow me down!"

"Oh, you've awakened a demon inside me, my friend!" Tamara cracked her knuckles. "Let's see which one of us takes out the most!"

"Sounds good to me!" They got into fighting stances, ready to take out the guards around them. But then…

"I should've figured something was off about you two." Their eyes widened as a shadow casted over them. Giving themselves no time to assess it, they jumped out of the way as a fist came down on where they once stood. Tamara and Spaz were thrown back by the resulting shockwave, while the others guards scattered and went to take on the other escaped prisoners.

The two Fusions pulled themselves together and glared down their new opponent. Much to Tamara's pleasure and irritation, it was the Conkeldurr they met the other day. Now that they were on the same level, they saw how much he towered over them, rippling with strength and power.

However, the two noticed two things different about him. First, the mechanical gloves, obviously a result of the Fusion Arsenals now in their possession. They had the properties of a Hitmonchan and a Breloom, based off the boxing glove design and the twin claws attached to the back of the gloves. They revved with power whenever he flexed his fingers.

The second change was the reddened skin and the steam permeating off his body. That may explain why he looked stronger than they thought. He was clearly amped up on power, and those gloves only made him stronger.

Conkeldurr struck his fists together. "I'm going to grind you two through the ground."

Spaz stood on his feet and glared. "Awfully brave of you to take on two strong Fusions by yourself. A shame you came all this way to be greeted with defeat."

Tamara smirked. "That's telling him, Spaz." She raised her arms and assumed her attack stance, glaring fiercely at the hulking guard. "I've seen this look before, bucko. You amped yourself up on whatever miracle potion Data crafted in his workshop of horrors. I've seen it before. Strong stuff. Guess you really are worried about fighting us."

He glared down on them. "To underestimate the likes of you…would be beneath me. Instead, I promise to give you a swift and just defeat." He pulled his fist back. "Allow me to make up for my error of judgment, for letting such a ruse fly under me. HA!" With one swift swing of his fist, a burst of air came flying from his punch, warping the very space around it as it went sailing for the two speedsters.

Tamara and Spaz froze as the air threaded the space between them, crushing the wall behind them. To their shock and horror, a huge hole was cut out in the blast. And by huge hole, they mean taking out _six cells_ on one side of the prison, including the ones on the top floor.

Tamara gawked. "Holy-"

"-shit…" Spaz groaned.

This left them distracted long enough for Conkeldurr to grab them from behind, swing them in the air, and smash them hard into the solid floor. They tried to run away, but he caught their heads and buried their faces back into the floor. He glared down on them sternly. "Let it be said, even if only two cells remain standing after today, I will personally make sure you are escorted into them until Faust's future arrives!" He pulled them from the floor and threw them into the wall opposite of the huge hole.

"GAH!" they both gasped as their backs struck into the walls, slipping onto the ground in a daze. They groaned, but quickly recovered as the Conkeldurr charged down at them like an irate Infernape.

"RAWR!" He lunged into them and threw his fist down on them, shrouding them under a geyser of rubble and dust.

* * *

A trail of destruction was left in Norris' path. Crumbling ceilings and walls painted in cinders. Fires crackled from the fresh explosions delivered against the guards, who were all crawling to safety with their last leg of consciousness. He didn't look back at them, merely focusing in the one guard he was interrogating.

The poor Zangoose tried to rip himself free from Norris' monstrous grip. He had his hand clamped down on the cat ferret's head, clenching his fingers down tightly on his skull. Norris' glare was disturbingly calm for such a horrific act he may commit any second now. "Give me the boiler room keys."

The Zangoose tried to stay defiant, shooting a glare at the Fusion. "I don't take orders from y-AAAHHH!" Norris clutched down harder on his head. He could've sworn he heard something crack.

"I accidentally crushed a coconut by grabbing a little too hard. Want to see what I can do to a skull?" He squeezed a little tighter until he got the poor guy to crack—metaphorically speaking.

"OKAY, OKAY!" He fished the keys from his pocket and tossed them into Norris' awaiting hand.

The mad duck promptly released him, then walked past him with a dark glare. "Get lost." The Zangoose obeyed fearfully and scampered off in a mad dash for freedom. Norris lightly rolled his eyes. "Whiny bastard."

He arrived in front of the boiler room and unlocked the door. Once he stepped inside, he took a second to observe the boiler tanks and pipes that occupied the room. They creaked and whistled with constant activity, running at a smooth pace with no complications.

Yet.

Norris sighed and rubbed his neck as he stepped to the first tank. "...Just mess around with the equipment and set this place to blow. Simple enough." He gripped the wheel valve, taking a second to prep himself. "I'm no engineer, but I've seen plenty of movies saying this is a bad idea." He started turning the wheel to increase the pressure. "That should do the trick. I'm no expert on math or shit, but I should be able to get this going with plenty of time to build up before the whole place does to Hell."

He went for the other valve, but stopped at the ominous slow clapping behind him. He backed from the wheel and glared sharply, trying to restrain his growing irritation. A long shadow of a scarecrow surfaced in front of him from the light of the hallway.

"Bra…vo. Bravo, little Fusion," Albert applauded condescendingly as he stood in the boiler room's entrance. "I put a lot of work into researching Fusions. I'm often envious never to be born one. So...fascinating."

He stepped inside, glaring while his arms rested in his pockets. "Fusions have it rough enough as it is. You know as well as I do, no matter how hard anyone tries, there's always going to be that one guy in the world who will do everything in their power to make Fusions miserable. So why go along with this silly scheme?"

Norris didn't have to think too hard about it. Really, why should he give a shit what Pokémon think anymore? He's been so emotionally drained ever since he got here, all that stress he had to deal with wasn't an issue for the time being.

With a simple glare over the shoulder, he simply answered, "…Isn't it obvious? You've gone and pissed me off."

Albert glared at the simple retort. "How…utterly foolish a response." He crossed his arms. "Anything I could find on you is hard enough as it is, Norris, but I know a little more about you than you think. Reports of a raging Golduck-Electrode destroying an orphanage many years ago, probably under a corrupt rule. The mental trauma you must've endured. And your actions seemed to only get worse some years back." He clapped for him. "Still, I should give you some credit. Underneath that scorn and ridicule you endured, a good heart triumphs over, sparing what could've been potential murder victims in your warpath."

Norris scowled at the Cacturne, even spitting on the ground in disgust. "Don't pretend like you know me."

Albert frowned. "On the contrary, I wish I found you all those years ago. I could've taken you under my wing…perhaps make use of that talent you wasted for so many years. I could've made you someone confident, bold, and good!"

"And what? Turn me into one of your little puppets?" Albert glared. "I know what you did to those three assassins that were roaming around here, _and_ I know about your little pet project that ran off. What was the name you gave her? Spins?" He sneered. "Personally…a pretty stupid name to give to that ditzy dimwit."

Albert's eyes widened. "What…?" _Spins?! He KNEW her?!_

"I don't have exact evidence, but I'm almost certain there was a fifth one…" Norris glared at the Cacturne's sudden scowl. "…I don't even care. All that matters right now is getting home."

Albert stomped his foot down. "Don't act so blind, boy! I'm on your side here. Why waste your time helping those Pokémon who have battered and betrayed your trust, turning you into the monster you see yourself as?"

Norris glared. "…To make it simply: I'm not insane like you."

Albert huffed in irritation. "…Is that how it is?" He curled his fists. "So be it. I still won't allow you to take this facility without a-AGH!" Without warning, Norris rammed his fist into the doctor's stomach, then sent him packing with Explosion. Albert crashed into the wall and landed on his front.

He pulled himself up, but Norris grabbed him by the head and rammed his face into the floor, smearing it into the cracked concrete. He grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, while repeatedly slamming his face into the floor. The mad duck growled. "The reason why I came here alone was because I wanted YOU all to myself! I'm going to enjoy tearing you down until you have no feeling left in your weak, pathetic body-!"

 _BAM!_

Norris went flying back and slammed into the boiler pipes. He hung by the pipes, then flung his hand into his beak, which stung badly. He winced when he touched it, then glared at the doctor as he pulled himself up.

To Norris' surprise, the doctor didn't look any worse for wear, aside from a bloody nose. That's when Norris noticed the reddened skin and the steam permeating from his skin. Suddenly, it was like the doctor was rippling with newfound strength. Even the explosive punch he delivered was ineffective, aside from the burnt hole in his shirt.

Norris, of course, instantly recognized the change. _This is just like with that Poliwrath in the underground market. Only…it seems her perfected the trick._

Albert lifted his head, flashing his red eyes at the duck. "You had your chance, boy…"

* * *

"RAH!" Gordon cried as he charged through a squadron of guards firing on him. Wrapped in Flame Charge, he sent them flying on the air with no loss in his speed. "COME ON! GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT!" the energetic zebra demanded. "GIVE ME YOUR BEST!" He did a tight spin and bucked one guy in the face, then headbutted another. "Discharge!" He reared his head back and let out a might shout, sending out a barrage of electricity at all around him.

York and Mikayla were close by each other, fending off any guards in their way. York grappled one with his legs and flipped them onto their back, then sucked punch another one in the stomach. A Primeape tried to land a Focus Punch on him, but York countered with his Dragon Tail and smashed the pig monkey into the floor.

"I'm up to twenty!" he shouted over at Mikayla. "How about you?"

Mikayla froze three guards with her Ice Beam, then pushed back another group with her Flamethrower before smirking. "You kidding? I'm up at twenty- _three_! Try and keep up, York! You're getting rusty!"

York smirked. "Oh shut up."

More guards swarmed the place and fired on the prisoners with the heavy artillery. Fusions were thrown back and wounded by the rocket launchers fired on them. Eli used his cloak to fan the dust. "You can have your silly competition later! I'm more worried about not blowing up tonight!"

A Muk aimed his rocket launcher at the dark poisoner, lining up his shot. "I have you now." Just then, however, a rampaging Aggron-Druddigon came into the picture. "Wha-?" Claws dugs into his amorphous body and shredded through his uniform and his gun.

"RAWR!" the prisoner screamed, backhanding any guards that tried to apprehend him. "GET LOST, LOSERS!" He grabbed the Muk and chucked him across the prison. It was hard to take him down due to the armor plating and his superior defenses.

However, that wasn't the only issue. Divebombing the group was a Pidgeot-Staryu and a Pelipper-Skuntank. They grabbed their prey and lifted them up into the air before dropping them onto the other guards. There was also a Cryogonal-Gastly flying around like an out-of-control frisbee, bashing into the guard's heads with no self-control.

Sullivan couldn't help but comment on the violent nature of the prisoners. "Geez, they REALLY want to leave this dump."

York stepped back from the fighting for a moment and glared. "As long as they hold up their end of the bargain, I'm all for it." He pressed his fingers into his communicator. "Jean, you read me? We're still trying to get through the guards! How are things on your end?"

Over with the ground ant, she was currently standing in the passenger aisle of the plane they were stealing. She clicked her mandibles unsurely. "Well…"

Just as she said that, Casey was panicking as she held two of the facility's pilots at gunpoint with a stolen Fusion Arsenal. She was clearly shaking with tension. Willy, surprisingly, was the calmer of the two.

"I can't believe I'm doing this!" Casey shouted.

Willy tried to intimidate the pilots with his glare, but it still made hm look adorable. "GIVE US THE KEYS…please!"

Jean sighed and scratched behind her head. "…Yeah, things are pretty swell over here."

"I'VE NEVER USED A GUN IN MY LIFE!" Casey screamed, which York heard over the communicator.

"Err…Casey, it's alright. Just take some deep breaths-"

"NOT IN THE MOOD, YORK!"

Jean groaned and continued with, "Look, we should have the plane prepped and ready in the next five to ten minutes. Try not to blow the place up until we've secured it from the underground hangar." With that, she switched off.

York sighed and pinched between his eyes. "Casey…"

"Worry about your girlfriend later, York!" Sullivan scolded as he sniped down two other guards. "These guys are hard enough to take down with their fancy tools!"

York glared, then ordered, "Everyone, make sure their weapons are destroyed! They're causing us the most trouble!"

"Smash, smash, smash!" Braith shouted, dropkicking a guard in the stomach, then ripping his gun to shreds. The others followed in her pursuit and started breaking the weapons until they were unusable.

York glared down the main room and started running. In the confusion, he hasn't seen much of Tamara or Spaz, and the main doors were still locked up. _Tamara and Spaz should've gotten those open by now! Guess I'll have to-!_

Suddenly, he stopped and jumped back, narrowly avoiding the battle axe that cleaved into the floor. York staggered from the crevice reaching under his foot. York straightened up and glared at the Nidoking towering over him. He adorned battle armor that resembled an Aggron, complete with a Bastiodon-inspired shield.

Nidoking banged his axe against the shield like a gong. "I will not allow you to cross any further."

York's glare instantly soured. "Buddy…you picked the wrong day to be making threats with me. So, either step aside…or I'll _make_ you."

Nidoking glared, then raised his axe. "Then to hell we shall both go!" He swung down.

Fortunately, he wasn't particularly fast, so York was able to avoid the powerful axe. It got itself embedded into the floor, giving York time to flip forward and kick the guard right in his helmet.

That was a mistake. York recoiled off like a basketball hitting a brick wall. He didn't expect the kick to do any harm, but he also didn't expect the Nidoking to be completely immobile. Nidoking took advantage of York's vulnerable state to grab him by the tail and swing him into the floor repeatedly. He ended it off by delivering a hard kick into the stomach.

"AAAGH!" York cried as he was thrown across the floor, rolling about three or four times before catching himself on his hands and feet. He grunted and wiped some spit off his lip. "Shit…getting around this guy is going to be a pain…"

Nidoking raised his foot. "Earth Power!" He slammed it down and sent forth a earthly glow that traveled towards York.

The armored lizard turned and jumped out of the way before the ground erupted from underneath. York crossed his arms to deflect the propelled rubble, then raced for the Nidoking with Dragon Tail. Nidoking raised his axe and struck into the tail, completely canceling York's attack and sending him flying backwards.

 _Shit! This guy's tough!_

York landed on his feet with a bit of staggering, then growled at the guard. Up above, Eli landed on the catwalk and observed York's fight before asking, "Having trouble down there?"

"A little!" York dodged another Earth Power. "This guy's armor is freakin' tough! I don't think any of my physical attacks will break through! And my Electric-Type moves won't do anything, obviously!"

Eli landed beside him and glared. "Well shit…got any suggestions?"

"I was hoping you had something…"

Eli smirked. "In that case, we're moving up to plan C: hit hard and hope you're lucky! Night Slash!" He glided across the floor, extending his claws out into purple blades.

Nidoking, however, was undeterred and swung his axe down on the approaching Fusion. Eli swerved out of the way and slashed into his side. He grunted once he felt just how thick the armor was. His Night Slash glided across it without leaving so much as a scratch. He jumped back before the guard could grab him.

"Megahorn!" He lunged into Eli and struck him in the stomach with his powerful horn.

"Agh!" It didn't hurt that much, but the force delivered against him sent him packing into the walls pretty hard. Eli stomped his foot down to keep himself upright, then rolled out of the way before the Nidoking could crush his head.

The dark poisoner sneered. _Tsk. Of course they would have one guy in this whole place built like a tank!_

With that brief distraction, however, York got in close with a surprise strike, slamming Dragon Tail into the back of the guard's head. The Nidoking whipped his arm around and swung his axe, but York barely avoided it in time. He flipped off his hands and started running circles around the armored guard.

Nidoking sneered. "And what do you think you're doing?" He raised his axe, channeling the power of Earth Power through it, and struck into the floor, creating an earthquake that erupted the surface around him.

York leaped and grabbed hold of the catwalk just before the chain reaction caught him. He focused an assiduous glare on the guard's armor, trying to discern notable weak points or flaws in the armor. _If I can just rip off one part of that stupid armor, the rest will be history…_

* * *

Things weren't looking better for Tamara and Spaz. The ninja cat collided into the wall after being thrown around for the eighth time, but she kept herself upright as she leaned back against the wall, panting heavily. She wiped some blood dripping from her lip, then popped her shoulder back into socket, much to her irritation.

"Spaz…how are you holding up?" she grunted.

The time mouse lay sprawled out beside her, groaning from a vast deal of discomfort. "This is not my day…" He pulled himself up and leaned against the wall as well. "Not to sound selfish, but I better get something out of this just for all this abuse we're dealing with…"

"You and me both," she grumbled. She glared as the Conkeldurr's emotionless gaze fell on them before deciding to lumber over in their direction. "Doesn't mean I'm quitting…" She straightened herself up, then raised her fists.

Spaz rubbed his eyes, feeling a sudden blurriness overtake his vision. The recent impact he took must've screwed with his head. _I really, REALLY hope this isn't a concussion._ He glared at the blurry mess that was the Conkeldurr. "Seriously, this guy's on steroids from hell?"

"Pretty much. It's the same stuff those guys used when Artemis, Juniper, and I were on patrol. Though, it looks like they perfected the batch since I last saw it."

"So…does that mean you have a plan?"

"Aside from hitting him really, really hard, I got nothing."

Spaz held his face and groaned, stumbling a bit from lightheadedness. "I could use Chrono Shock and freeze him for a moment, but I can't see straight like this. I need him to stand still."

Tamara glared. "I have faith in you. Hit him from afar…" She punched her palm. "I'll rip his freakin' throat out!" She kicked off the wall and flew into the Conkeldurr, meeting his superpowered punch with her Aerial Ace.

Spaz kept one hand on the wall while trying to steady his aim with the other. _Might be this possible concussion talking…but she's so beautiful when she's violent._

The brief exchange of fists lasted only a moment before Tamara had to separate. Conkeldurr threw out a set of pressure punches that Tamara weaved through with close second timing. She kept her body parallel to the ground as she rushed him from below. He went for the obvious counterattack, but Tamara flicker-vanished at the last second and struck him in the back of the head with Aerial Ace.

She kicked off him to put some distance, but he pumped power through his legs and instantly appeared above her. With nowhere to run, Tamara was at the mercy of the pressure wave slamming into her stomach and pushing her into the floor. She hacked out blood in a violent cough.

She rolled over and tried to stand up, but Conkeldurr landed above her, grabbed her by the head, and smashed her face back into the floor. He raised his fist and curled his fingers tightly. "Focus Punch-!" The attack glowed with the focused energy, but canceled when a green, electric shock zapped him in the back of the head. He released Tamara and glared back at a now panicking Spaz.

 _The ONE time it decides not to take effect!_ he screamed inwardly.

Conkeldurr fired a shockwave punch at Spaz, who barely leaped for his life as it obliterated the wall behind him. Tamara took this opportunity to feel around on the ground, grab a shard of tile, and fling it into the guard's right eye.

"AAAGH!" Conkeldurr stumbled back and clutched his inured eye. "YOU BITCH!"

"Aerial Ace!" Tamara instantly struck him in the chin, then flicker-vanished behind him. "Water Shuriken!" She rapidly flung the explosive shurikens into his back.

However, it didn't do much to stun him. Pivoting off his heel, Conkeldurr struck her with a lariat and threw her into the catwalk railings above, bending the bars back when she landed.

Spaz gasped. "Tammy!" He set his sights on the guard and growled furiously.

"You brats are getting on my nerves," the guard grumbled, keeping his bleeding eye shut.

"And you're just PISSING me off!" Spaz closed the distance with Quick Attack. "No one hurts my Tammy!"

Conkeldurr threw his fist and sent forth a shockwave punch. "Go ahead and try, squirt!"

Spaz dug his foot down and sidestepped the pressure. "Grass Knot!" He snapped his fingers, causing grass to sprout from under the guard's feet and wrap tightly around him, taking him to the ground.

"Grr…" Conkeldurr slammed his fingers into the floor, but not to get up. Clenching down tightly, he ripped out a huge piece of tile, then flung it into Spaz like a frisbee.

Spaz flicked his fingers up. "Psychic!" He influenced the tile to fly just over his head. However, that was nothing more than a distraction for Conkeldurr to strike him from his temporary blind spot. "CRAP!" He narrowly avoided being crushed under his massive fist. "Thunderbolt!" He spun around and fired into the guard's face.

Conkeldurr pushed it back with one hand, then pulled back his other fist. "HA!" He punched into the Thunderbolt, dispelling the electricity instantly and striking the mouse's face with a shockwave. Spaz slammed into the wall of a cell and fell flat on his face.

Tamara pulled herself up and held her aching head. "Ugh…rush hour…" She dusted herself off, but then gasped at what she saw below. Conkeldurr dragged a very woozy Spaz out and held him by the head. The ninja cat's fur stood on end, then her teeth pressed down into a tight snarl. A fire burned inside her eyes, one filled with a blistering hatred.

 _If you even so MUCH as leave a crack in his skull!_ Tamara grabbed a part of the railing and slammed her foot down on it, snapping it off. She spun her improvised staff and jumped high into the air.

Conkeldurr squeezed down on the time mouse's head, only as a warning. "I'd hate to do this to you, Fusion…"

Spaz, even in his delirious state, found the will to smirk. "Screw…you…"

Fed up with his immature attitude, Conkeldurr pulled his fist back, ready to send the mouse flying from the prison. Suddenly, his shoulder burst open in scorching pain as a sharp rod dug down into it. He dropped Spaz and roared in agony, gripping to the pole and ripping it out, only that made it worse. "AAAGH!"

"NOW YOU'VE GONE AND PISSED _ME_ OFF!" An Aerial Ace struck him between the eyes and knocked him backwards. One came from behind and struck the neck. Conkeldurr growled and spun around to backhand the ninja cat.

"Psychic!" Spaz swung both his hands. One to move Tamara out of the way and the other to send the guard packing on the other side of the prison, throwing him into one the open cells. "AAAARGH!" He swung his hand down and forced the glass barrier to slam down and lock.

Tamara, after being gently set down by Spaz, held her knees and panted. "Ugh…I'm not feeling so well…"

Spaz ran over to her and helped her stand. "You alright, Tammy?"

"I'll live…but that glass won't hold him back forever." She narrowed her eyes as she tried to halt her heavy breathing. "This guy…is really strong. I'm not sure…if we can beat him…"

Spaz glared defiantly. "Yes, we can! When has something like this ever stopped you?! You're fast, strong, and just overall amazing! This joker is nothing to you! You can beat him!"

Tamara stared at him for a moment, then glared back at Conkeldurr as he stood up. She lowered her head, brows knitted into a serious look, then her eyes widened with an idea coming to mind.

"No… _I_ can't beat him…" Spaz blushed as her hand gently wrapped around his. "But _we_ can."

"Y-You're serious?"

Tamara smiled at him. "You are my crimefighting partner, right?"

Spaz grinned. "You mean I'm not a sidekick?"

"Heck no. After everything you've done for me, you're definitely a hero."

Spaz had to hold back being overcome with intense glee, and the fact he was holding her hand. Right now, he had to act like a hero and win. He gave her hand a firm squeeze and nodded sharply. "Alright! What's the plan?"

Tamara smirked. "I have one idea…"

* * *

"RAWR!" Norris went in at full force, swinging his claws like a maniac while Albert kept his distance. The Cacturne blocked his strike and kneed him in the stomach, throwing the duck into the ceiling. "AGH!" He peeled off, but was then grabbed by the hands and slammed into the floor.

"Needle Arm!" Needles protruded out from his arms, glowing in a deep red. He kicked off the ceiling and rocketed down on Norris.

Norris' eyes snapped open, then he used a Signal Beam to propel himself away. Albert followed him with his eyes and sent out red, glowing Pin Missiles after him. Norris roared and slammed his fists down, using an Explosion to throw himself in the air.

"You think you can win running away like that?" Albert grumbled. He struck the floor and kicked a slab of concrete into the mad duck.

Norris blocked it with his arms, snarling. "Shut the hell up!" He blasted himself off the walls and struck with his Explosion punch.

Albert blocked it, tanking the damage with his upgraded endurance. He grabbed Norris by the arms and slammed his head into his forehead, then swung him on his back. "You could've been respected! Instead, this is how you decide to treat our generosity!"

Norris propelled himself over his head and kicked him in the neck. "Signal Beam!" He fired into his back and threw him into the wall. "Soak!" He shot a bubble of water into him.

Albert spun and fired Pin Missile, eviscerating the water bubble. He rushed through the mist and punched Norris in the face, throwing him into the pipes. "I gave everything to understand Fusions! Beautiful creatures who don't deserve this suffering, yet you're fighting a battle to protect the monsters who abandoned you!"

Norris hung limply from the pipes, but worked up an annoyed scowl. "Monsters? I only see one… _two_ if that bastard, Faust, were here."

Albert huffed, then fired a barrage of Pin Missile at him. Norris roared furiously and struck his fists into the floor, blasting up a concrete slab to take the Pin Missile damage. He hopped over the concrete and released Discharge across the entire boiler room.

"Needle Arm!" He sprouted needles all over his body and spun, deflecting the bolts of the lightning away from him.

"Signal Beam!" Norris threw himself above his head and fired a blank point blast down on him.

"AGH!" He did his best to disperse it with Needle Arm, but he underestimated the mad duck's absurd strength. _What kind of power does this duck hold?! He's unbelievable!_

"Monsters like you…are the ones who truly disgust me!" Norris clutched tightly on his skull and shoved his face into a hot boiler tank. Albert hollered in pain, feeling his skin whistle from the searing heat. "Monsters who act selfish and put others down! I don't care who the hell you are! As far as I'm concerned, I hate everyone equally!" He bared his teeth. "Though…I suppose you're the special exception, as well as your boss!" He reared his claws back and slashed him across the face.

Albert stumbled back, wincing at the burnt skin and bleeding claw marks across his face. Despite that, he didn't show any hatred in his eyes at Norris, even if he was getting fed up with him. "You're fighting for the wrong side, boy. Faust could make you someone that everyone can respect." He glared furiously. "The fact of the matter…is that the world will never stop being plagued by hate and rage!"

Norris would normally get worked up at this point, but he felt surprisingly tamer than usual, even if he desired to rip this guy's throat out. "Tch. That's my line, bastard." He flexed his fingers, cracking them. "What's your point?"

"My point? My point…is that the entire world has been ignorant to it for centuries! Nothing's changed and nothing will unless we do something! If you can't learn your lesson after a thousand years of the same petty squabbles, then why do they deserve a say in the manner?!" He fired off Pin Missile at the duck.

Norris lowered himself parallel to the floor and raced under the Pin Missile. "Really? Then what do you suppose will happen in the next century after that?" He punched him with Explosion. "Another madman takes your place? Or does the bigotry turn into something else? A division of types? Or will the Legendary hybrids find themselves in the middle of their own Fusion Trials, committed by other Fusions?"

Norris grabbed Albert's head and rammed his knee into him. "The sad truth is…everyone gets angry over some shit and the one idiot with enough charisma to sway an audience is going to make history's next big controversy! Here's one for the history books, Doc!" He dropkicked him, then blasted him back with Signal Beam.

"So don't go preaching like the next step to heaven is some Arceus-forsaken bomb to turn the rest of them into us!" Norris lunged and charged another Explosion. "BECAUSE I HATE REPEATING MYSELF!"

Albert spun and struck Norris across the jaw. Norris' eyes briefly glazed over before being bombarded with Pin Missile. The entire boiler room lit up in red light and shook against the explosions. Albert stepped back and panted heavily as his shoulders rose up and down.

He glared at the motionless body of the Rogue, obscured behind the dust. He straightened himself up, then disengaged his power boost. He shuddered as the pain caught up to him, no longer suppressed by the boost. He stood on one knee, then wiped some blood off his face. "We will make sure this world understands its errors. This time, we're doing things by force." He sighed, then stood up to set the tanks back to their normal pressure.

Suddenly, a fearful chill ran up Albert's spine, as a darkness instantly manifested behind him. He slowly looked over his shoulder, then his eyes widened in horror at the blood red aura surrounding the mad duck, who was now squatting low and clutching into the ground.

Albert staggered back. "That's…"

Norris raised his head and sneered. His grip broke into the concrete like it was a withered can. "Baaaaastard…" he groaned darkly. He pulled himself up, then slammed his crackling fists together.

Albert glared cautiously. "I've heard rumors of something like this…an Imperfect Fusion Mode. Somehow…you can trigger the essence of the change without a full-on transformation. Fascinating…" He smirked uneasily. "Still…it is an _imperfect_ transformation. How long can you hold that before you burn up?"

Norris flashed a deranged grin, with eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks. "Just long enough…so that I can _kill_ you…"

Albert raised his fists. "Neither you or your friends are leaving this facility." He charged at the mad duck.

"Tch. Neither…will _you_! RAWR!" Norris lunged right for him. Their fists collided, with the impact shaking the entirety of the boiler room and beyond.

* * *

York and Eli were in a losing battle currently as they couldn't break through their opponent's absurd defenses. The armor bounced off any attack they threw at him and any attempt to rip a piece off landed them on the opposing end of his axe. With only a stubborn drive keeping them up, they persisted in their assault with fiery determination.

"Dragon Tail!" York came spinning down and struck against the Nidoking's arm. Of course, this did nothing and only landed him in getting another painful greeting by the bipedal rhino.

"HA!" Nidoking struck into York hard and threw him into the ceiling.

"AGH!" York impacted hard and was stuck within his shaped crater.

Nidoking turned his sights back on Eli and sent out an Earth Power at him. Eli ran right for it, then took off into the air just as it erupted. Eli laughed and flew around the rhino, firing off globs of Venoshock at him. "You're a little slow, buster!"

Nidoking spun around and spewed _Fire Blast_ of all things. Eli immediately dove to avoid it, but his downward flight took him too close to the ground, allowing the guard to swing his axe into him. Eli barely had time to activate Night Slash and block it. It threw him back, but he was able to dig his claw into the floor and stop himself.

Eli stood up, shook his head, then smirked. "Swagger!" A dark aura surrounded him while his eyes turned red.

This had a hypnotic effect on Nidoking, now suddenly filled with newfound strength, while also a sudden case of delirium. "BASTARD!" He rushed for the dark poisoner in an uncoordinated manner.

Eli pivoted on his foot and dodged his axe swing before securing his arm. "Foul Play!" He flipped him off the ground and slammed him down on his back. Eli leaped and dove down with his Night Slashes crossed. "Night Sla-!" The impact Nidoking took, however, was enough to snap him awake and punch Eli across the face before his attack landed. "AGH!"

York peeled himself off the ceiling and safely scaled down with the painful grunt or two following. "You alright, Eli?"

"Head's spinning, but still attached."

Nidoking banged his axe against his shield and pointed at them. "Fusions! Do not resist any further! We bring nothing but safe future for all of you! Cooperate immediately and you will be rewarded for your sacrifice to our goal!"

Eli pulled himself up and smirked. "See, when some says I'll be rewarded for my _sacrifice_ , it sounds like I'm about to be thrown into a volcano and sent to the Hall of Origin. Hardly rewarding since I want to keep my life."

Nidoking glared. "Your fruitless attempts at preservation are in vain. I repeat, cooperate immediately or face the consequences!"

York glared sternly at the guard, then smirked. "Clearly…you've never met the Rogues." He looked at Eli. "Got any ideas?"

He smirked back. "Duh. Mikayla, Zoey!" The two stopped beating up their opponents and glared at him. "Give us a nice distraction!" He snapped his fingers.

Mikayla smirked. "Alright! Winter Storm!" She jumped and sprayed the cold mist around the Nidoking.

Nidoking fanned at the mist with his shield. "Trying to obscure my vision? A smart tactic, but I'm afraid that's not going to quite be enough! Earth Power!" He stomped his foot down, randomly firing where they were. He wasn't sure if he hit anyone, but he didn't hear any cries of pain. "Where are you?"

"YOINK!" He gasped as his axe slipped out from his hand.

"What in the-?!" He cranked his neck, but felt it stiffening as ice crept over his armor and bare skin. "What is this?!"

Zoey flew out of the Winter Storm, sealing the axe inside her pocket dimension. "A little taste of the Rogues, my friend!"

Nidoking charged out of the mist as fast as he could, barely escaping before the ice full trapped him. "Little crooks…who do you think you're dealing with?" He exhaled Fire Blast after Zoey.

"Aura Sphere!" Sullivan fired into the Fire Blast and destroyed it before it reached the key wielder.

"What's the matter?!" Nidoking whipped his head as York came rushing in with Dragon Tail. "Underestimating us again?!" He jumped and slammed his tail across his helmeted face.

The rhino stomped his foot down and resisted. "I don't need my axe to end you! Fire Blast!"

"Parabolic Charge!" York quickly countered the flames, with the explosion throwing him back. He skidded on his heels with only some minor singes. He smirked evilly. "That all?"

"Why won't you just cooperate with us?" Nidoking growled. "We are only trying to bring peace!"

York snickered deviously. "Peace, eh? Since when did superweapons and holding entire regions hostage advocate peace?"

Nidoking sneered, then charged with his shield. "I'm putting an end to this!"

"Let's test that, shall we?" York leaped over and kicked him in the back of the neck. "Team, get him exposed! We need an opening!"

"Roger!" Eli and Gordon took the charge, with the dark poisoner riding atop the zebra's back.

"Night Slash!" He dove off Gordon and slashed into Nidoking's chest.

The rhino grabbed Eli by the face and rammed him into the floor. He then reached his other hand out and stopped Gordon in his tracks. "That's far enough!"

"Gordon, do the thing!" Eli ordered.

Nidoking's eyes widened as a yellow light seeped from the hand clutched over Gordon's muzzle. "Electro Obliterator!" With nowhere for the beam to escape, it didn't even matter if Nidoking was a Ground-Type. The explosion was more than enough to send him packing. Gordon fell over on his back, groaning at the sear wounds in his face.

The rhino tumbled across the ground, but managed himself back on his feet. He prepared another Fire Blast when spores suddenly rained down on him. "Huh?" They clung to his armor and applied slowing effect over him. He felt his movements weakening from the spores. "W-What the-?!"

"Heehee!" Sunny zipped down and past by with a Moonblast across the face. "Tag, you're it!"

"Hey!" He tried to grab her, but missed. "Get back here!"

"Hey doofus!" Nidoking looked up instinctively and was dropkicked in the eyes by Zoey. She smirked and aimed her Surf and Switcheroo key. "Later!" She twisted the keys and sent a surge of water down on him.

He flailed through the rushing water before finally grabbing her ankle. "Blublublub…KNOCK IT OFF!" He threw her into the wall.

"AGH!" Zoey thought she heard a sickening crack when her back struck the corner of the cell entrance. She collapsed and lay motionless.

"ZOEY!" Sunny shrieked.

"None of you will be piercing this armor!" Nidoking proclaimed. "And none of you will be leaving here!"

"Oh? Is that so?" He turned and barely blocked Eli's Night Slash with his shield. "Still, I'd imagine removing the armor will be troublesome." He twisted his body and aimed for his head.

"HA!" He thrusted his palm and threw Eli away. "I told you, your attacks are useless!" He went in for another charge.

Eli flipped off his hands and landed, then smirked deviously. He pointed and said, "You…are no longer a Ground-Type."

"Huh?" He stopped, then looked at himself. He gasped upon realizing two things. His chest plate was completely missing and his colors were turned blue. "W-What is this?! W-Where did my-?!" His eyes widened, then he whipped his head over at Zoey.

Zoey pulled herself up weakly, then smirked. "Heh." She held up her Switcheroo key. "I switched your chest plate with an even amount of that water I sprayed on you. Just enough to where it slipped off your body without you noticing."

Nidoking looked down and saw his chest plate right at his feet. He never even noticed it. "W…What…?" He stumbled back, but felt his legs stiffen as they were instantly covered in ice. Mikayla had frozen his armored legs from the waist down. "When…When did this even…?" He heard a childish snicker from above him.

Hanging upside-down from the ceiling was everyone's favorite insane child, Braith. "Skill Swap…plus Color Change."

His eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks as an ominous crackle sounded behind him. "So…if I recall correctly, you said we weren't leaving here." He nervously cranked his neck and bared his teeth into a fearful grimace as York's frills crackled with a blue electricity. "Now, now…who decided that? It certainly wasn't _us_ who decided."

Nidoking's teeth chattered in terror. "P-P-P-Please…mercy…"

York grinned wildly. "Sorry. All out of mercy. DRAGONIC THUNDER!" He leaped high above him and called down a massive bolt of his draconic lightning, smashing into the guard and the floor and erupting the area in electricity.

"GAAAAAAHH!" Nidoking screamed. With his bare chest exposed, the electricity found its way through the armor. He convulsed in pain, no longer bound by the ice shackles.

Zoey lifted herself and summoned the stolen axe from her Secret Storage. "Meh. Not a fan of the axe." She pivoted on her heel and spun it around. "You can have it back!" She flung it dead center in his face.

With a loud _CLANG,_ the guard was knocked off his feet and crashed onto his side. York ceased his Fusion Move and landed in front of him. The rhino seeped with a dense smoke, probably made worse from the all the water he was soaked in. York quickly checked his eyes before standing up.

"Heh…finally out cold."

Eli grinned. "Ha. He wasn't so tough."

"Speak for yourself…" Zoey grunted as she limped over, holding her back. "I'm lucky not to have spinal damage…"

Mikayla glared. "We still have more guards to take out. And Tamara and Spaz still haven't gotten the doors open yet."

"They will, don't worry." York narrowed his eyes for a moment, then started sprinting off. "I need to check on Norris. You guys handle the rest of them!"

"What about Norris?" Sullivan asked as he jumped down.

"If this place blows, I want to make sure he's out before then!"

"York, Norris is a tough guy! He can handle himself!"

York glared. "I know, but it shouldn't be taking this long! I'll be right back! Don't worry about me!" He exited through the second cell block entrance.

Mikayla sighed. "Why do we bother saying anything?"

Eli glared. "Forget it." He pointed at the remainder of the guards and prisoners. "Some of our guys are being taken out. We need to get lost, now."

Gordon looked up and saw Peregrine whacking a poor Skarmory senselessly. "Oi! Sir! You mind wiping out the rest of those guys down here?!"

Peregrine glared down at them. "Eh? What do I look like, the janitor?" He smacked the Skarmory and sent him crashing into a small group.

Eli crossed his arms and smirked. "You've been taking it easy."

Peregrine smirked back. "I figured you kids have everything handled. I'm saving my energy for Faust. But…if you really need me to wrap things up…" He raised his leek and grinned sinisterly. "I still have some bloodlust to satiate."

* * *

"RAH!" Conkeldurr hunted Tamara and Spaz down as they leaped around the prison. He threw pressure wave punches one after the other, while they kept their distance and flew around to initiate their plan…which Spaz _still_ had no idea of.

"Alright Tammy, this plan better be good! He's basically a brick wall that can punch back!"

Tamara grinned. "Just a little ingenuity and dumb luck. I'll need you to keep him distracted while I set everything up. Wait for my signal, 'kay?"

They landed on the catwalk, where Spaz nodded in agreement. "Anything for you." He lowered his haunches, then zipped right into Conkeldurr with Quick Attack. "Hey, Muscle Balloon!" He did a fly-by punch to the face before speeding off. He pulled down on his eyelid and stuck his tongue out. "You couldn't hit the broadside of a _mountain_!"

"Hold still!" he shouted, feeling irate, and fired a shockwave punch at him.

Feeling newly invigorated, Spaz dodged his attack by a hair, while looking quite cocky. "Nope!" He dodged again, now wagging his tail tauntingly. "So close!" He dodged again, leaning back casually. "Ooh, missed by that much!" He dodged onto the opposing catwalk and sat on the railing, kicking his feet. "Are you even trying?" He sped around behind him after dodging his other attack. "This is third place level accuracy! Though, you did get your cornea scratched out, so I suppose you have a _believable_ excuse!"

"Will you SHUT UP!" He whipped his fist around and punched so hard that it obliterated the floor in a straight path, but no time mouse splattered into the wall.

"Can't-say-I-can? I-just-love-talking-so-much!" Spaz spoke quickly, standing right behind him again. "Speaking-of-speaking-so-much, I-can-see-why-you-don't-talk-much! You-sound-like-you're-about-to-murder-someone!"

"I AM IN A SECOND!" He raised his fists and slammed them down, breaking apart the entire floor in once massive shockwave. Spaz was thrown back, but managed to steer clear of his fists.

Tamara stood above the fight and made a hand sign. _I am the Hero of Swiftness. The Hero of Storms. And I will vanquish you, villain._ "Rain Dance!" She raised her arms and commanded storm clouds to appear under the ceiling, casting a shadow down on the facility.

Fights were put on hold to gawk at the summoned clouds. Conkeldurr glared up at them in confusion. _What is this?_

Tamara extended her arms out at her sides and sighed as the rain drizzled down on her. "And now…everything is set up…"

Spaz held his hand out and cupped some rain in his palm. "Rain?"

Conkeldurr glared at the ninja cat. "Do you really think this pathetic drizzle will do anything to stop me?"

Tamara smirked, then brought her hands together. "Something like that." She compiled the water between her hands and rotated it into a massive Water Shuriken. "Spaz! Shoot a Thunderbolt into the clouds!" She flung the Water Shuriken into the clouds, where it disappeared from sight.

Spaz blinked through the rain for a moment, then grinned in realization. "I _get_ it!" He jumped up, crackled his cheeks, and shot a Thunderbolt into the clouds, lighting them up in bright flashes. The clouds carried the electricity, flashing with lightning and booming with thunder.

Conkeldurr reared his fists back. "I don't know what scheme you're cooking in those little brains, but they'll prove just as worthless as this pitiful escape!" He fired another round of shockwave punches.

Tamara and Spaz avoided his attacks and met back up with each other in midair. They smiled and grasped each other's hand before setting their sights on the guard. They touched down and sped down the floor.

"Agility, plus Aerial Ace!"

"Quick Attack!"

They instantly appeared before him and rammed their clasped hands into his stomach. Conkeldurr felt blood spew up into his mouth, but he held it down. He swung his hands to grab them, but they vanished with the wind.

"Is that all?!"

They appeared in the air. "Hardly!" Spaz grabbed Tamara's wrist tightly, spun her around, and flung her all the way to the end of the cell room.

Right on cue, something burst out from the clouds and headed straight for Tamara. It was her Water Shuriken, electrified with Spaz's Thunderbolt. It came in fast, but Tamara was able to grab hold of it. She flinched as the electricity coursed through her body, but she endured it.

She freefell back onto the slick floor and reared the shuriken back. "Now, Aerial Ace!" She spun on her heel until she was a blue tornado wrapped in electricity. "Spaz! Let it rip!" She came to a sudden stop and flung the shuriken, carrying a tremendous amount of pressure behind it.

With no fear in his eyes, Spaz used Quick Attack and met the electrified shuriken halfway, before reaching out and letting himself get snagged onto the spinning construct. "Volt Tackle!" Erupting with electricity, the shuriken became cloaked in his Volt Tackle, wrapping itself into the spin and keeping it contained.

Tamara snapped her fingers. "Let's go, Spaz! Azure Storm Shuriken!"

"HI-YA!" Giving it all he got, Spaz gripped down on the shuriken and flung it ahead of him, then dragged his claws into the floor to stop. The shuriken cut through the air and spun like a vibrant, yellow and blue pinwheel.

Conkeldurr was shook by the approaching shuriken, but kept a sound exterior. "Focus…PUNCH!" He had time to charge his punch and threw it into the shuriken, seemingly stopping it in its tracks. It did push him back a bit, but he stood his ground. "HA! It'll take more than some petty combination to outdo-!"

 _CRACK!_

His eyes widened as his gloves started cracking against the strain of the shuriken grinding into them. He growled and tried to push back harder, but nothing could stop the rotation of the shuriken. He could feel his knuckles heating up against the friction. He gripped tightly to his arm and tried desperately to keep it steady.

His fate was inevitable. The gloves couldn't take the stress and shattered to pieces, leaving his knuckles bare. It wasn't the end of the Azure Storm Shuriken. It continued its path and rammed into his stomach. He gasped as it gradually picked up speed until he was taken off the ground and flown straight for the prison doors.

"YOU GAPPEI BASTAAAAAAARDS!" He slammed into the prison doors, continuously being shoved deeper and deeper into the thick metal.

Tamara and Spaz stood side by side, raised their hands, and pointed dramatically at him. "This is the end…FOR YOU!"

The doors wailed and moaned under immense stress, slowly bending backwards. The hinges did their best to hold up, but they were firing off the doorsill like wine corks. It wasn't long before the finally snapped off its hinges and went flying out into the desert, with Conkeldurr along for the ride. The Azure Storm Shuriken's power finally went to rest and sent the poor guard crashing into the sand.

"A…Agh…ugh…" he mumbled unconsciously, fried to a crisp.

Prisoners, Rogues, and Peregrine all stared in shock at the devastating combination the two pulled off. "Holy shit…did anyone else see that?!"

"Those two wrecked his shit!" a prisoner shouted.

"I am _so_ glad we're not enemies anymore!" the Nosepass-Gardevoir Rogue exclaimed fearfully.

"En serio…" the Hawlucha-Hakamo-o mumbled with his legs shaking.

Peregrine gawked at the two Fusions from overhead, then closed his eyes and smirked with a worried bead of sweat dripping down his face. "Good grief…when did you two…turn into such monsters? Even I'd hate to go up against something like that…"

That combine attack took a lot of energy out of Tamara, who dropped onto her knees while panting. " _Huff…Huff…_ I'm beat…"

Spaz panted alongside her. "Tell me about it…" He narrowed his eyes, then looked at her. "Tam?"

"Mhmm?"

"That name…Azure Storm Shuriken? And…that technique?" She looked at him with narrowed eyes. "You…You took that from the story I gave you, didn't you?"

She blinked, then smiled innocently. "Well, you clearly thought I could make something like that happen, right? I couldn't let you down." Spaz's jaw hung open in awe, before shaping into a gleeful, blushing smile.

* * *

"HAH!" Norris and Albert stubbornly traded endless punches with each other, both giving it their all as they were nearing their limits. Norris was naturally stronger, but Albert was tough thanks to the Enhancer Serum. Albert wasn't cut out for battle, but Norris was rapidly draining his stamina with his incomplete Fusion Mode.

It was looking almost like a stalemate.

"HA!" Albert socked Norris in the gut.

"RAGH!" Norris countered by bashing his head with Explosion. This got Albert to stagger. Rage coursing through his body, Norris lunged and threw a double Explosion into him, blowing him back into the pipes.

Albert shook his head, then flexed his muscles, expanding his muscles and ejecting more steam. Norris rushed with his claws, but Albert knocked them out of the way and spin-kicked Norris between the eyes. Norris resisted and threw his fist right for his stomach, detonating with a massive explosion, but Albert didn't budge.

"It's over…" Albert socked Norris across the face and into the pipes. "I've increased my defenses. And you're too worn out to continue fighting. You won't be able to keep this up for much longer."

Norris pulled himself up and snarled, dripping with blood. "Sh-Shut…up…"

Albert glared. "You're burning up! Just end this nonsense!"

Norris clenched down on the pipe he was holding, twisting and mangling it. "I…will be the one…to bring this building down…"

Albert narrowed his eyes seriously, then prepared to fire a Pin Missile when, suddenly, a bolt of electricity zapped Albert in the eyes. "AGH!" He stepped back and vigorously rubbed his stinging eyes.

"Honestly, Norris…that stubborn pride of yours can get so out of hand…" Norris glared as York stepped inside, holding his hip. He glared at Albert. "I'll finish this…"

"Another one…" Albert grumbled.

Norris leaned back on the pipes and panted. "Stay…out of this…York…"

York ran past him. "Sorry, but the mission comes first and I'm not letting you act like an idiot! Dragon Tail!" He leaped and spun right at Albert.

Albert lifted his arm and blocked the Dragon Tail, much to York's surprise. He pushed the armored lizard off, then aimed his Pin Missile.

York landed and shouted, "Come on! One tank was enough for a night! Dragonic Thunder!" He extended his frills and fired his Fusion Move into Albert.

However, Albert's upgraded Pin Missiles were able to pierce through the Dragonic Thunder, shred it to pieces, and stay strong enough to explode into York. With his previous injuries, York was thrown out the door and on his face.

"Agh…shit, he's tough…" He pushed himself up.

Albert punched his fists together. "I won't let you take this building down. No matter what, I shall remain standing.

York extended his frills. "Want a bet?"

Norris stared in silent disbelief at the armored lizard, then lowered his face into a scowl. "…Why did you come for me? You should be escaping."

"I told you, I not abandoning you. We can do this."

Norris bared his teeth. "I…can handle it…"

York glared at him. "Dammit, Norris! You were getting your ass kicked! Now, stop being some damn stubborn and-!"

Norris punched the ground, silencing York. "WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?!" He got on his own feet, standing slouched over with his face remaining hidden. "I'm not...putting up with this bullshit...just to let this smug bastard...have his way..." He growled silently. "After all the torment I had to watch from the others...the torment inflicted onto me...I'm sick...and tired...of all this shit. I'm ending this myself!"

York narrowed his eyes softly, then sighed. "No wonder I developed the attitude I had…of course it came from the person I idolized." He closed his eyes. "I know you want to do this yourself…but think about the others that are still waiting for you. Even if you don't want to be their leader, they still care about you." He frowned. "I'd hate to see how Mikayla would feel…if something were to happen to you…before she had the chance to say…"

Norris lifted his head, eyes narrowed in confusion. "W…What?"

York shook his head. "Forget it. Even if you want to prove something, you can't do it on your own. I had to learn that the hard way before we got here. No matter how strong you are, there's always someone better than you." He glared at Albert. "I needed my friends."

Albert huffed, then shoved his hands inside his coat. "Cute speech, kid, but acting like a voice of reason won't change a damn thing. You're both injured…and I've still got plenty of steam left in me." He tilted his head in a bored manner. "Why don't we wrap this up?"

York raised his fists. "I had to make that attitude for myself…when I left the Rogues. I knew I had to change. But right now…none of that matters, except stopping you and your boss. No matter what I have to do…we're going to save our world!"

Norris stared at the armored lizard in awe. His arms hung weakly against his sides. "York…"

"That's why...I'll do everything in my power to keep my family safe. No matter what." His frills crackled with energy. "Now...we're ending this."

The mad duck stared quietly at him, then clenched his fists tightly. "York…get out of here."

York growled. "How many times do I have to repeat myself? I told you, I'm not-!" Once he turned his head, his eyes widened in disbelief. "N-Norris?"

"I can't…let you get caught in the blast zone…" The red aura surrounding him had now calmed, mixing with a newfound blue aura. "I'm not holding back on this one…I'm going to end this…with one attack."

York's eyes shook as the red and blue light reflected off them. "That glow…"

Albert stumbled back, now growing fearful. _No way…no way! That's…That's…!_

York stared dumbfounded at the mad duck, then smirked. "…Heh…" He lowered his head, chuckling to himself. "…Alright…you win. But you better promise me…that you come out of this alive, bastard."

Norris walked to the center of the boiler room with his arms hanging. "I'm not dying today."

"In that case…go kick his ass." York ran for the exited, lifting his hand along the way. Norris glared at the gesture for a moment as it inched closer to him. He stared at it long and hard, then lifted his own hand. He smirked to himself at the satisfying clap echoing after impact. He lowered his had just as York ran out of sight.

"Now then…" He set his furious eyes on the Cacturne.

Albert bolted for the door in a mad panic. "I need to get out of-!" Norris grabbed him by the head and shoved his face into the ground. The glow coming off Norris intensified.

"Well…I guess I have to thank you, doc. Don't think I could've gotten to this point without your meddling." Norris glared. "…I've lived in pain and suffering my whole life…scarred by its presence…I couldn't move on. Who knew…all it took to help me out…was a corny speech from that idiot known as my best friend?"

"I won't allow this!" Albert swung his arm, but Norris jumped back in time.

"You're not going anywhere…" Norris clenched his fists as the aura started swirling around him. "I suppose...if I'm going to swear off violence...I might as well make my mark on history! With one, glorious...EXPLOSION!" He reared his head back and roared, exploded into a red and blue whirlwind of aura.

Albert was thrown back into the boiler tank, then held his arms up against the dominating pressure. The boiler room rumbled and creaked, like it was close to exploding simply from his sheer will. The ground itself was being ripped asunder by the immense pressure, reaching to the doctor's feet.

"You've GOT to be kidding me!" Albert screamed.

Through the cyclone, Norris' body started to become sleeker, with the orbs around his fist vanishing. Norris raised his claws, and slashed into the current of aura, parting it open for his grand reveal.

His new form consisted of an armor body that showed no skin. The body and head were white while the limbs were red. Three Electrode-styled orbs ran up each individual limb. He almost looked like a mecha warrior. His head was covered in a full helmet that shaped around his beak, too. Blue tinted lenses made up the visor for his eyes, shaped into a sharp glare.

Norris stomped his foot down and roared with a mechanical screech. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I can't hold back like this anymore!"

Albert's eye twitched. _He was…HOLDING BACK BEFORE?!_

* * *

"Everyone!" York ran into the main floor, where the last of the guards were taken out. All eyes fell on him as he shouted, "We need to get out of here, now! Norris is going to take this place down himself!"

"Himself?!" Sullivan exclaimed.

"I thought he was rigging the place to blow from the boiler room! How is he going to tear this whole place down himself?!" Mikayla shouted.

"Trust me, you'll find out in a second!"

Tamara's eyes widened as she and Spaz limped over. "Are you kidding?! There's no way we can evacuate everyone in time! We can't just leave the guards to die, either!"

"Then you better start running, because Norris didn't quite give a time limit!" York bolted for the exit, with the Rogues and prisoners following suit in a serious panic.

Tamara gritted her teeth, feeling her whiskers standing on end. "I can feel something coming. Not everyone will be able to get out…"

Spaz bit his lip nervously, then clicked his fingers at an idea. "I…" He did, however, gulp at a small, potential drawback he just thought of. "I…have one idea, but…it's really risky."

Well, it was either take a risk or get buried to death under rubble. Tamara glared at him. "Tell me what to do."

* * *

"Pin Missile!" Albert fired at Norris, who dodged without any issue.

"Discharge!" Norris collected a mass of electricity between his hands, then released it. To both their shock, the electricity expanded out in a manner similar to an explosion. It engulfed the entire boiler room and slammed into Albert, who wreathed in agony.

"AAAAAHHHH!" He was thrown into the heated pipes. The searing pain they brought was nothing to what he endured.

Norris stared at his smoking hands, then clenched them. "I see…Explosive Overload. All my area of effect moves seem to increase in power tremendously. Sadly, without Damp _or_ my practice with using it without getting myself knocked out, I can't use Explosion. Lucky you…"

Albert pulled himself up, but he could barely stand. "L-Lucky?! You-GAH!" Norris got around him and locked him into a chokehold.

"But, that doesn't matter. I'm not dragging out this fight with you any longer." He clenched down tighter. "I want you front and center for this one."

Albert flailed, starting to panic and hyperventilate. "Are you INSANE?! We'll both die down here!"

"Will we? Are you a gambling man, Dr. Gates?" His eyes widened as the mad duck started to glow. "Will you live or will you die? In the end, I'm not going out alone." Behind his visor, Norris closed his eyes.

 _I will change…I will live better…for myself…and for everyone else who…took the time to care about me._

His eyes opened into a glare, then he let it out. "PSIONIC…BOMB!"

"NNNNNOOOO-!" The intense blue light completely erased the boiler room around them.

* * *

Everyone was running for their lives for the exit, which felt like miles away in their panic-filled minds. Some thought they would make it, but it was too late. The building rumble, then a chain reaction of explosions went through the entire building before the main one let loose from the basement. Those who dared look back could see the blue dome of explosive energy expanding out and giving chase for them.

"HOLY SHIT!" Sullivan shouted.

"We're dead!" Zoey shouted, somehow maintaining a deadpan tone.

"We're not going to make it!" Eli shouted.

Over with Tamar and Spaz, as the explosion rapidly approached them, they had their hands locked together. Tamara was spamming Agility as many times as she could while Spaz instilled as much of his speed power into them as he could. They were both vibrating intensely.

"No matter what, once we let go of each other, don't stop moving!" Spaz shouted over the approaching explosion.

Tamara nodded. "Right!"

"Okay…three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"NOW!" They released hands.

Suddenly, all around them, time slowed to a crawl. All was still moving, but at miniscule intervals for the cat and mouse. Friends and allies were frozen in their own panic as they raced near motionlessly for their safety. With this limited, precious time that they had, the two got to work.

Tamara kicked off the floor and scooped up a few Fusions and guards, keeping their bodies secure so the whiplash wouldn't hit them hard. She raced to the door and flung them out, making sure they did so in a way that would limit any bodily harm. Pokémon and Fusions can take a lot of punishment, but better safe than sorry. She sped back into the prison and repeated the process.

Spaz zipped around in the same manner as Tamara. He managed to get Zoey, Sunny, a few of the prisoners, some guards, and Gordon thrown out into the sand, though a bit gentler since he didn't trust himself with the same technique as Tamara.

For the first few seconds (or milliseconds), things weren't looking that bad, but it became apparent what the drawbacks to this much speed on their bodies was doing to them. Tamara could feel her legs burning up from the overexertion. They were crying out for rest. Spaz also felt the same, not used to pushing himself this much. This was faster than he ever had to go with his usual speed.

To top it off, the more pain they felt, the more gradual their speed loss became. The more speed they lost, the more the explosion started speeding up.

 _SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!_ Tamara grabbed York and Eli and pulled them out of the facility, then raced back in for more guards. She felt tears flying off her face. _I'm…not going to make it!_

 _Come on, come on! Just a little faster!_ Spaz encouraged himself fearfully.

The explosion started speeding up, moving about the same speed as a typical Zamboni. The two blue and green blurs worked overtime to get everyone out of the facility.

Finally, the last save was given to Spaz, who rolled a guard who was now flying out at the speed of a falling feather. _Phew! That was-!_

Just when Tamara saw Spaz got the last guy out, she landed and raced to meet with him, but the pain finally caught up to her. It shot through her nerves like a snapped tendon, paralyzing her on the spot. "AGH!"

Spaz's ears perked up, now fully able to hear sounds again. He whipped his head around and saw Tamara falling. His eyes widened in horror, then kicked himself into overdrive and raced towards her. "TAMMY!" His legs were bursting with pain, too, but nothing was going to stop him from saving Tamara. NOTHING!

She felt the heat of the explosion drawing closer, but then gasped as Spaz linked his arms around her. She got hers around his neck and allowed herself to be rushed out the building. She felt their speed rapidly declining until the explosion came barreling at them at full speed.

"AERIAL ACE!" She slammed her leg down and kicked off the floor, biting back on the pain.

The two embraced each other tightly as the explosion propelled them out the building in a fiery ball. They crashed into the sand and tumbled in a smoking heap before coming to a dead stop.

The building's walls blew out and fell to pieces under the blue explosion, collapsing down on itself and raining into a mound of rubble. Explosions from latent gases kept going off, but only as short bursts of flames. Everyone suddenly became aware of what happened and covered their heads as concrete and metal flew over them. Thankfully, no one was hit.

It took two minutes of cowering and shaking before the noises stopped. Aside from the occasional pebble rolling down, the explosions had finally stopped. Everyone, minus the guards, raised their heads and looked around at each other in utter confusion. They had pains through their bodies that they didn't recognize, like they were thrown against walls in a car.

Light mumbles and groans of confusion sparked among the former inmates, too frazzled to fully appreciate they were out and free. The Rogues pulled themselves together and groaned, rubbing their sore bodies. Sunny lay sprawled out on Zoey's stomach, while the key keeper did the same on her back.

"Zoey…I can't feel my anything…" Sunny mumbled.

"Good…that means the adrenaline hasn't warn off yet…" Zoey huffed heavily, now shaking at how disturbingly _close_ they were to getting caught in that blast.

Peregrine pulled himself from the sand and pressed his wingtips firmly into his temples. "Ugh…did I blackout for a second? Why does my head hurt so much?"

York, Eli, and Mikayla were sprawled out next to each other, with the boys getting up first. Eli groaned and rubbed his sore neck. "I don't remember my neck feeling this sore…ugh…" He pounded at his neck and looked around. "How…the hell did we get out here? One second I was running for my life, now…suddenly _everyone_ got outside before the explosion did…"

York rubbed his face. "It's like we…were teleported outside…or…we were _thrown_ out…" He narrowed his eyes, then he gasped. "Shit! Where's Tamara and Spaz?! Did they get out?!"

Mikayla, who was in the middle of a coughing fit, pointed them out. "They're- _ack_ -over there…"

The smoke cleared, with Tamara and Spaz still gripping onto each other. They finally opened their eyes and saw the night sky above them. They slowly moved apart and sat up, holding their aching heads. They were both covered in ash with some burnt fur. Aside from their countless injuries, they were surprisingly okay.

"We're not dead, right?" Tamara groaned.

"Nope…don't think so," Spaz answered, massaging his shoulder.

"…We just saved everyone from a collapsing building."

"Yep."

"…" A huge grin broke out over Tamara's face, then she sprung onto her feet and laughed joyously. "HAHA! We actually did it!" Her injuries were numb, as she completely forgot about the pain in her legs. She danced around happily, overcome with sudden elation. "WE ACTUALLY DID IT! HAHA!" She grabbed Spaz by the hands and swung him around, prompting him to join in her laughter.

"WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT!" they both chanted.

Tamara let go of Spaz and held her head, unable to stop smiling. "I can't believe it! We just saved everyone from an exploding building! That was so awesome! That speed, the rush! It was so AWESOME! I'm so happy, I could just…just…!"

Spaz laughed as well. "I know, right? I never thought I could do something like that!" He folded his arms behind his head and grinned. "Man, I don't know what else could top-!" He felt Tamara suddenly grab his face. "Eh, Tam, what are you-MMM?!"

York, Peregrine, and the Rogues stopped chattering and gawked at the two. Tamara had grabbed Spaz and brought him into sudden kiss, a burst of passion from her sheer joy. Spaz stared at the ninja cat in shock, turning completely scarlet in the face.

"EH?!" the Rogues gasped dramatically.

Peregrine gawked for a moment, then covered his eyes and chuckled. "Good grief…"

Zoey reached over to Sullivan and poked him in his stunned face. "You owe me ten dollars."

Tamara held the kiss for ten seconds before pulling away from the time mouse. She panted with her big grin, staring at Spaz's dumbfounded face. After a few seconds of calming down, Tamara frowned and felt her face heat up, realizing what she just did.

"EH!" She jumped back and waved her hands defensively. "AH! Spaz, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do that! I just got so worked up, I…I just…!" She tapped her fingers together, feeling sheepish. "Heh…um…well…" She grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "Uh, how about we just forget that happened, alright?" Her grin widened forcibly when she saw he wasn't responding. "Uh…Spaz?"

Spaz's ears went limp, which Tamara took as a bad sign at first. However, her worries melted when he saw his lips twitch up into a smile. A lovesick smile. "T…Tam…Tamara…I…" He stumbled around drunkenly, laughing with a sudden faintness. "Oh…looks like I did die…because I'm in _heaven~…_ " He spun around on his heel, laughing before collapsing into a pile of metaphorical hearts.

Tamara blinked twice in disbelief, then smiled sweetly. She sat and lay his head in her lap, blushing as she stroked his head. "Heh…Spaz…"

York stared at the two lovestruck Fusions, then smiled. "Heh…I was wondering when they would…" He narrowed his eyes for a moment. "Wait…they were the last ones to get out of the…" His eyes widened. "NORRIS!" He turned and ran to the collapsed rubble. "NORRIS!"

Everyone turned their heads at the armored lizard as he viciously dug into the debris. Tamara pulled Spaz up and frowned. Even Spaz came together for a moment to look at his friend in concern. York threw chunks of concrete out of his way and smacked metal to the side with his Dragon Tail.

"Norris, I swear to Arceus, if you died on me, I'll kill YOU!" York screamed as tears streamed down his face. "You promised me you wouldn't die! Now WHERE ARE YOU?!" He struck a rock out of the way, then fell back and clenched his foot. "AGH!" He seethed with rage and pressed on mowing through the rubble.

It wasn't looking good for the Rogues, either. Sunny whimpered soft sobs and pressed her wet eyes into Zoey's shoulder, who gently rubbed the cotton fairy's back. Braith and Gordon stared at the mound in stunned silence, eyes watering. Sullivan covered his eyes behind his pincer, while Eli pulled down on his crest, trying to hide his own tears.

Similar reactions came from the other Rogues, some even bursting into full on tears. Mikayla stayed unusually silent as she watched the panicked lizard's back, then finally decided to approach him.

York kept tearing into the debris, scratching up his hands and staining concrete and metal in his blood. "Th-This is nothing for you! Stop messing with me and COME OUT ALREADY!" York screamed and slammed his fists down on the block he kneeled on. "QUIT MESSING AROUND AND GET OUT HERE, YOU JACKASS! DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! NORRIS!"

"York…" His eyes widened as Mikayla touched his shoulder. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the tears brimming in her eyes. "…That's enough…"

He bit his lip, then shook his head vigorously. "No, NO! HE'S ALIVE! I KNOW HE IS! I JUST NEED TO KEEP DIGGING AND I'LL FIND-!" Mikayla grabbed his arms and pulled him into a tight hug.

Mikayla sniffled into his chest. She couldn't hide her own pain. Her voice cracked with tension. "…He wouldn't want to see you like this…"

York's fists tightened harder, but they finally relaxed. Tears flowed down onto Mikayla's head as the armored lizard embraced her back. He clenched his eyes shut. "I finally had my friend back…and this is how he repays me? Th-That jerk…"

Mikayla closed her eyes, holding onto him tighter. "I know how you feel…but he sacrificed himself for us…let's at least…h-h-honor that much from him…" York sobbed harder and buried his face into her shoulder.

The Rogues all bowed their heads to the rubble mound, shedding tears for the mad duck's final act. Tamara and Spaz looked at each other before sharing a sorrowful embrace. Peregrine stuck his leek into the ground and pressed his wings together with a respectful bow of his head. All stood in silent respect for the one known once as Norris.

…

"…Oi, oi, oi…a building collapses on top of me for, what, one minute…and all of you are blubbering over my funeral already?"

York's flew wide open, then he whipped his head around. The entire crowd lifted their heads and gasped, gazing at the very top of the debris mound. A foot stomped down at the peak, with a figure glaring down at them in annoyance. Over his shoulder was a limp, charred, but very much alive body draped in a dirty and tattered lab coat.

"Geez…of all the shit I have to put up with…" Norris scowled for only a second, then showed a weary smirk. "You're all so annoying…"

"NORRIS!" the Rogues screamed for joy, rushing up the mound, even slipping a couple times on the way up. Norris jumped back at the sudden crowd and their million questions flying at him. Peregrine sighed and wiped his forehead while Tamara and Spaz embraced each other and laughed in relief. Without thinking, Tamara kissed Spaz on the cheek and instantly reminded him of what transpired moments ago.

Norris groaned and dropped Albert haphazardly. "Oi, oi…one at a time. I've got a splitting headache-GAH!" York jumped on him and caught him in a tight hug.

"Norris!" he cheered.

"You're okay!" Mikayla screamed with tears running down her face, landing on Norris, too.

"Get in here!" Sullivan joined in.

Eli slung his arm around him, trying to rub away the tears in his eyes. "You had us worried there!"

"Boss Man is okay!" Sunny cheered, landing on the duck's head.

Norris closed his eyes and growled, feeling the ringing in his head come back. "If you all don't mind…" He threw them off and yelled, "GET THE HELL OFF ME!"

Even after getting forcibly thrown off, they were all still smiling. York wiped his eyes as he stood up. "S-Sorry…we just…we thought you…and that…I…don't know what to say…" He shook his head and grinned. "I was worried sick…"

Norris glared at him, but smiled. "I told you I wasn't going to die, right?"

York grinned tearfully. "Heh…right…" He couldn't help himself and hugged the duck again. "I'm just so glad you're okay!"

Norris nearly punched the armored lizard, but withdrew his fist and sighed. "Yeah, well…" He smiled. "I'm glad you're all okay, too…" He looked over his friend's shoulder, then raised his brow. "Uh…did he get a concussion on the way out?"

York turned his head, then laughed. Spaz had passed out again in another lovestruck daze and was now being held by Tamara. The ninja cat rolled her eyes, but he could see the visible blush on her face. "Heh…not exactly…"

After Eli stopped tearing up, he resumed his usual cool persona and chuckled to himself. "You know…I imagine once Faust gets word of this, he'll be pretty ticked, especially once we make our surprise visit."

Norris sneered. "Tsk. Well, he better save his energy, because he's got other shit to worry about now." He glared at Albert's unconscious body for a moment. "Now that this place is toast, it's time to take it to the big boss himself."

Peregrine fluttered up to them. "I couldn't agree more." He looked around. "Now, where is that Jean woman with our plane-?" The wind started to pick up. "Huh?"

The Fusions gasped as a mini sandstorm blew into them. York shielded his eyes and looked up. He gasped as a huge plane descended on their location. The wheels deployed before it touched down on the ground. The pilot made sure to land a fair distance away from them as the plane rolled to a gradual stop.

The sand ceased blowing once the plane landed. All the Fusions, mostly the prisoners, looked up at it in confusion, then gasped as the door flew open. The Durant-Groudon scuttled up to the edge and waved down at them.

"Did anyone order airline service?!" Jean shouted jokingly.

Peregrine grinned. "Haha! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"You actually got the plane?!" Eli exclaimed.

Jean nodded. "And just in time, too. A few minutes after we got it out of the hangar, we saw the place go up in smoke. Got to say, when you all go big, you REALLY go big."

Spaz came to for the second time, wobbling around while still flushed. "I, uh, um...um, yeah...that's...great...hehe..." He tripped over himself and held Tamara for support. "Please tell that wasn't a near death hallucination I went through…"

York snickered. "Nope! Tamara really did kiss you! Congrats, buddy!"

Spaz blinked. "…I think I'm going to faint again…" Though, once Tamara touched his cheek and turned him to face her, he felt a little better.

She smiled shyly at him. "Heh…I'll admit…I didn't think I would actually do that, but…I don't feel as weird about it anymore…"

Spaz's ears drooped timidly, showing a bashful smile. "So…does that mean we're…?"

She mimicked his smile and looked away. "Um…how about we save that discussion until we get on the plane?" Her stomach suddenly grumbled, making her groan. "Annnd when I get something to eat."

Spaz chuckled shyly and tapped his fingers together. "I-I can wait…" She smiled and pressed her forehead against his, which he happily leaned into.

"SPAZ!" The two pulled away and looked up, smiling as Willy raced out of the plane and jumped out the door. "SPAZ!"

Spaz laughed and caught Willy, falling over on his back. "Willy! You're okay! Hahaha!" Willy went up to his ears and gave them an affectionate nibble. "H-Hey, cut that out! Hehehehe!"

Casey looked outside the plane, then smiled when she saw York. "York!" She leaped out as well, shocking him.

"AH! Casey!" He raced over and caught her in his arms. He managed to keep himself upright, albeit with some frantic stumbling, then sighed. "Casey, don't do that! I just got over a heart attack!"

Casey smiled and wrapped her arms around him, giving him a loving kiss on the cheek. "I was so worried about you!"

He smiled back, then gently nuzzled her. "I was worried about you, too. Heh…now you can see what an afternoon with the Rogues was like for me. Only bigger fights and…bigger explosions."

Casey smirked skeptically. "This was a _small_ explosion? Get real!" She nuzzled into his neck. York sighed blissfully and leaned his head against her.

Jean playfully rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright, I'd hate to cut the lovefest with everyone so short, but…" She cleared her throat and gathered everyone's attention. "Listen up, former prisoners of this…place!" All the prisoners unassociated with Gappei and the Rogues looked up at the agent skeptically.

"While I understand some of you are deranged nutcases and some of you were brought here unfairly, today...we're fighting for the sake of our planet. You were all brought here for the sole purpose of bringing some grand new age to the world. You were used to power a dangerous machine that could very well end many lives if left to fire.

"While I understand some of you have your prejudice against the Pokémon who wrongfully mistreated you over the years, and some of you might not even care what happens after today, I ask, no, _plead_ for your assistance in this coming battle!

"It'll be tough. Tougher than what you all had to go through today. I can't guarantee anyone's safety. I ask you think about the many innocent lives that will be affected by this outcome. Children, elderly, all the Pokémon who have shown nothing but tolerance for your kind! They are not to blame for your misfortune! Perhaps then, we can show those fighting against you that you _are_ heroes! I can't promise much, as some of you were, still _are,_ very dangerous criminals. Even so, if you comply _and_ try to make yourselves better, I will look into providing leniency on your original prison sentences." If she hadn't swayed them before, she got them talking now. She could see their eyes lighting up at the promise of freedom.

"Failure is not an option, so I expect the utmost cooperation from EVERYONE. It'll be a dangerous battle, and I know some of you are weary...but right now, we must give it our all if we want to survive! Do you hear me?!"

"YEEEEEAH!" the prisoners cheered.

"YEAH!" the Rogues joined in as well.

"LET'S DO IT!" the Gappei associates exclaimed.

Jean clicked her mandibles in satisfaction. "Well then, start loading the plane. We've got one last job to take care of."


	82. Time for a Lesson

"And…begin!"

Wash and Juniper smirked and rushed at each other. Another day of training and the two were next for sparring matches. Despite their lovely night together, it hadn't dulled their instinct for battle. Actually, it encouraged them to keep fighting.

"Cut!" Wash summoned his blade and slashed it at the approaching bear.

"Whoops!" Juniper 'slipped' on the floor and fell on her back, dodging the Cut at the right moment. She flipped off her back and struck the ghost frog's side with her elbow.

Wash managed to block the attack, however, and pushed her back with Cut. Juniper stumbled back, barely keeping her balance, then dodged his downward sword strike. He went for a spin kick, but Juniper caught him by the ankle.

"Heehee!" She threw him over her shoulder and slammed him down on his back. Before he could get up, she plopped down on his stomach and pinned his arms. As an added touch, she leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Gotcha, babe~!"

Wash smirked, then made quick motions with his fingers. A slimy substance wrapped around the sleepy panda's ankle and threw her off the ghost frog. She saw it was his Kuroi Mizu as it traveled to her waist. It pulled into the ceiling with a loud _bang,_ then took her straight to the ground mercilessly.

Juniper groaned as she tried to sit up, but stopped at the Cut being held against her neck. Wash pushed her onto her back, then returned the affectionate gesture she did to him. "You sure about that, sweets?"

Juniper giggled, showing a prominent blush. "I don't _mind_ this."

They stopped at the sound of Dez's annoyed groaning. "Come on, are you two sparring or flirting?"

Juniper grinned. "Both!"

"Of course that's your answer."

As Wash brought Juniper back to her feet, Gero applauded the two. "A brief, but satisfying display of skill, both of you. You're definitely improving, Wash."

Wash bowed. "Thank you, sir." He straightened up and let the Fusion Move flow around his hand. "I do feel myself getting better control over my moves."

"Yes, but there's still much to improve. You and Barbatos have a long way to go if you want to unlock Fusion Mode's potential. While there is some peace in both minds, there has yet to be adequate cooperation."

Wash grinned sheepishly. "Guess we never had the time to refine that."

"Hmm. Your time will come soon. All of you. All you need is a little patience."

Shane groaned and flopped back on his rear. "Say what you will, but I'm not looking for to returning to Kanto."

Asadi, however, just laughed. "Speak for yourself!" She cracked her knuckles. "I want a piece of those guys myself!"

Juniper grinned. "You and me both, sister!"

Gero chuckled. "Glad to see you in your usual spirits, my child."

Juniper smiled slyly. "Well…I had some things to keep my mind… _preoccupied._ " She leaned against Wash and hugged his arm. "Isn't that right, Washy?" She fluttered her eyes flirtatiously.

Wash chuckled and kissed her forehead. "Agreed." He could hear Barbatos groaning in the back of his mind.

 _ **God…I have to put up with this mushy crap…**_

Shane rocked about as he thought about their mission. "Still, none of you can't _not_ be worried about this. I mean, we're a small group as it is and there's no guarantee the others will get back in time. What are we going to do?"

"Well," Asadi mused, "our best bet is staying clear of the big fish and working our way to that doomsday machine. I can't guarantee anything after that, but taking their machine out seems like our priority for the time being."

Gero nodded. "Still, be wary of their forces. We don't know who Faust will reach out to for support." He closed his eyes. "For all I know, he could've reached out to that same group that took Juniper in."

Hearing that, the sleepy panda's ears drooped to the sides of her head. She looked down, frowning deeply. "…My old family…" Wash looked sympathetically at her and pulled her into a side hug.

Gero realized what he said and sighed. "…You're worried you might run into them again?"

"…If what you say is true…"

"As far as I know, they haven't met in years. No reports of mysterious murders that I can recall, at least."

Juniper smiled uneasily. "Heh…but what do I have to worry about? I'm probably dead in their eyes…"

"Let's hope it stays that way…"

Asadi glared. "Well, don't you worry, bestie! I'm not letting them touch a single hair on your precious self!" She whipped her tail with a loud crack, scaring Shane back.

Gero looked out the window. "What's important for now is that we take our next few steps gracefully. Getting to Kanto won't be easy. Arranging a ride to there is our priority. By sea, by air, something we can use."

Shane crossed his arms. "Well, taking a plane doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"Maybe, but we'd be a severe risk if they decide to take us out from the sky," Dez pointed out. "Besides, not that many spare planes in the area."

"I can help with that," Gero said. "I know a guy who can operate a small carrier plane. Should get us there without any trouble. He's a decent pilot, so any possible dogfights in the air will be mitigated."

Wash crossed his arms, making a serious face. "So, our only issue is stealth."

"Tch. That shouldn't be an issue for some of us," Barbatos said.

"True, but guards and any traps they set up will leave us heavily outnumbered."

Barbatos waved it off. "You worry too much. I say just beat the shit out of all of them."

Dez deadpanned at the ghost frog, watching him shift back and forth between the twin personalities. He groaned and rubbed his temples. "Still not used to that…" He sighed. "Look, for now, we're going with stealth. It's our best option, unless one of you is willing to go kamikaze style and crash through that stupid machine."

Asadi rolled her eyes. "I'm sure someone from our village would love that…"

Juniper bit her lip, which the others caught. "The others…oh man…" Worried tears brimmed from her eyes. "…How am I ever going to explain myself to them? It'll be so…awkward…"

Wash turned her face towards him. "Jun, no matter what, they're your family. They'll listen. They'll understand. Besides, you'll have me to help you out. You'll always have me, remember."

Juniper sniffled, then smiled tearfully. "You're the best, Washykins!" She hugged and gave him an affectionate nose nuzzle.

Shane covered his eyes and gagged. "You two make me sick…"

Gero laughed. "Heh…well, I say now's a good time for a break. How's that?"

"Aye, sir!"

"Excellent! I'll bring out the refreshments!" He walked toward the kitchen. "And Juniper, make sure you work on your counters later."

She saluted. "Aye, Pappy!" He smiled, then headed into the kitchen.

Wash held his hip. "I don't see why you would need to. You're amazing at countering attacks."

She giggled bashfully. "You sweet talker, you. Still, I'm nowhere _near_ as good as Pappy! He's a fighting genius!"

"So are you," he continued with a loving smile.

"Are you trying to sweeten me up for a kiss?"

"Is it working?"

"Very much so!" She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

While Asadi awed at them, Dez gave an indignant eye roll. "Sappiness aside, Gero's useful. Our chances will increase with him by our side."

Juniper pulled away from Wash, then frowned. "Maybe, but it would be better if I could use Fusion Mode. I just…can't seem to get it to work."

Wash sighed. "Same here…"

Asadi shrugged. "Well, you two still have personal issues to work out. Bad history, bad memories, all that not-so-fun junk."

Wash looked away, getting a brief memory of his violent rampage as a child. "…Yeah…"

Juniper gripped her sleeve. _Accepting my past…that's what I'm afraid of._

* * *

Gero sighed in content as the cool air of the fridge hit his face. He reached in and pulled out one of several boxes of diet cola. "Come to Pappy." He gently kicked the fridge shut, then set the box atop his shoulder. "I've been meaning to try out this vanilla-flavored brand. Hope it's good."

He walked the box back to the dojo, but stopped just as the kitchen door when he felt a strange feeling overcome him. A cold breeze tickling the back of his neck. He narrowed his eyes, then cautiously glanced around the kitchen. It may have been a moment of paranoia, but Gero has learned to recognize nearby danger at a moment's notice. Years of traveling will do that to you, always keeping an eye out over your shoulder.

"Something's off…" He glanced at the kitchen mirror that hung just by the door. He got a good view of the counter and the window hanging over the sink. However, he noticed something about the window, the source of his chills. It was wide open. "When were you…?"

He peered closer at the mirror, then noticed a shimmer coming from the trees. He spotted a familiar set of eyes, belonging to a cloaked figure. It was hard to tell exactly where he had seen these eyes, but…one thing was for certain…

"Shit!" Gero immediately jumped to the side as something struck the soda pack and flew into the dojo with it.

The Fusions jumped when the pack came flying in and struck into the wall, exploding carbonated liquid onto the floor.

"What the?!" Asadi shouted.

"Are we under attack?!" Dez yelled, getting into a defensive stance.

Juniper was a bit more broken up about something else. "NNNNOOOO!" She dropped to her knees and slammed her fists down. "THE SODA! SUCH A WAAAAAASTE!"

Shane, after recovering from his shock, spun around. "That came from the kitchen! What was that?!"

Wash pulled the pack out of the wall, tore it open, and plucked the weapon out. "Is this…a Decidueye arrow?"

Gero jumped into the dojo, keeping low with the floor. "Kids, stay low! We're under attack!"

Dez growled as sparks went through his mane. "You mean those bastards actually _found_ us?!"

Gero bared his teeth. "They must have the temple surrounded. They have a sniper on their team." He raised his fists. "Stay away from the windows."

Just as he said that, an arrow broke through another window and ricocheted off the wall. It headed straight for Wash's face, but Gero's hand thrusted out and caught it just an inch from hitting its mark. Wash staggered back and gawked nervously. "C-Crap…"

Their eyes widened as the lights started flickering above them. "Now _what_?" Dez growled.

A thunderous boom rumbled through the dojo, rattling everyone. They dropped down as a burst of lightning shot inside and blasted apart the center of the dojo, throwing them into the walls.

Emerging from this lighting was a Throh-Thundurus. He floated proudly of the scorch mark he made, arms crossed in a dignified manner. Unlike his normal counterpart, he was bare chested and sky blue, with no visible legs. His lower half was made up of a cloud with the barbed tail swishing around.

He raised his arms overhead, creating an arc of electricity between his hands. "Bow before the thunder god! Thunder!" With a simple down tilt of his finger, he called down lightning from the ceiling, aiming for Shane and Wash.

Dez bolted for it and took the hit for them. He grunted from the powerful attack, but resisted it with no trouble. He landed and panted as he sparked with residual electricity. "They're not…even being subtle about this…"

Suddenly, the floor burst open under Dez. Before he could flee, a hand reached out and clamped tightly around his back ankle. He gasped as the figure shot out and held the armored hound upside-down. Towering above all of them was a massive Heracross-Gigalith, much bigger than his normal counterparts. His blue skin was rock hard and he had red shards jabbing out from his arms, legs, back, and more prominently in his horn.

He swung the hound back, then chucked him right into Asadi and Juniper, throwing them right back on the floor. He slammed his fists together and shouted, "OH YEAH!"

Wash stood up and growled. "Who the hell are these guys?!"

Shane glared. "They're definitely with Faust. I can feel it."

Throh rose high above the dojo and pointed down at the Gappei Fusions. "Fusions of Gappei! Do not fear the divine power of the Renegades! Respond obediently to our commands and you will be spared!" He pointed dramatically at Gero. "Except…FOR YOU! Gero of the Fusion Council!"

Gero narrowed his eyes. _This guy's certainly playing the exaggerated flunkey down to the letter._ "What is this? An assassination?"

"No…a FUNERAL!" He channeled electricity and fired at Gero. Gero grabbed Wash and Shane and tossed them out of the way before jumping over the attack. "You face the elite specifically chosen to kill you. You are sentenced to death to better the success of our plans. Resistance is not an option-"

He stopped when an empty can struck him in the back of the head. He blinked, then turned around. Standing firmly over the stained spot next to the trashed cola pack, Juniper bared her teeth into an irate snarl. Her fist channeled cold energy through it.

"You came here…to assassinate my pappy?" She lifted her head, glaring through her droopy ears. "I don't know what pisses me off more. This little execution you got going on…" With furious speed, she charged straight for him. "OR THAT YOU RUINED PERFECTLY GOOD SODA, YOU MONSTERS!"

She lunged and went straight for the Ice Punch. Throh aimed his finger and prepared a Thunderbolt. However, Juniper planned for this. With a devious smirk, she pressed her heel into the ground and did a swift pivot, vanishing out of sight and instantly reappearing behind him. She pulled her fist back and threw it for his unguarded back.

In a flash, his tail snagged around her arm and caught the Ice Punch before it reached him. Juniper gasped, then was pulled up off the ground. Her eyes widened as she faced his exposed palm, which lit up in electricity. "Once more. Thunderbolt!"

It fired out in a wide beam, completely engulfing Juniper. She screamed as the blast carried her through the floor and into the corner of the dojo. Once the Thunderbolt cleared, she sat limped over, sparking with burnt fur.

"JUN!" Wash cried out before shifting his anger onto the genie. "That tears it!" He summoned Cut and rushed straight at him.

"Thunderbolt!" Throh fired two Thunderbolts from both hands, same manner as his last.

Wash activated Shadow Sneak and fell into the darkness, avoiding the attack. He leaped out from the shadows in the ceiling and swung for the genie's head. However, just like before, Throh intercepted and stopped the blades from reaching. Wash gasped as he was held above the genie's head by his blades.

"How…did he…?"

"Now…THUNDER!"

Wash's eyes widened as lightning was called down on both of them. He threw his head back and screamed before the attack detonated and sent him flying across the dojo. His back struck an unbroken window, cracking it a little.

Throh huffed, then turned away. "Now then-" The second his back turned, a Water Pulse slammed into the back of his head. "AGH!" He turned back and sneered. "You're stubborn."

It wasn't Wash at the controls, however. Barbatos pulled himself up from the ground and scowled at the thunder genie. "You've gone and pissed me off." He summoned up multiple Water Pulses and Shadows Balls and chucked them right at the thunder genie.

Throh crossed his arms and huffed. Without uttering a word, the Heracross heeded his command and stood before the attacks, casting Protect in front of them to negate the damage.

Barbatos growled. "This is more than just knowing your allies." He summoned a Water Pulse at the tip of his finger. "They're communicating in secret. I know they are." He went to fling the Water Pulse, but an arrow pierced through it and popped it open like a bubble. "Where'd that-?!" As he turned around, he was struck by a Fusion breaking through the window.

"Target secured!" She fired an arrow into Barbatos, taking him down. She landed and drew another arrow. "Targets located! Preparing to neutralize!" She was the sniper, a Decidueye-Watchog. Her cloak was yellow while the hood was an auburn brown. Her eyes were the most stand out feature, mirroring the eyes of a Watchog.

Asadi jumped back, summoning up Ice Shard. "These guys countered Wash _and_ Juniper?!"

Shane conjured a small Whirlpool. "They must have serious skill!"

Gero wasn't convinced, though. The way they interpreted their attacks came off as too coordinated, not a bodily reflex. _Not skill…and it's definitely not luck._ He glared around the dojo. _There's only three of them, right? Or are there more lurking around? They knew I was going to be in the kitchen alone. Either they bugged the temple…or they have other tricks up their sleeves._

* * *

Floating outside the temple was a Meditite-Tentacruel, the very same one that helped incapacitate Juniper's group before they were teleported. He floated lazily outside the temple, one hand under his chin.

He smirked to himself as the red bulbs on his cap glowed. _Time to die, Gero._

* * *

Juniper pulled herself up against the wall, panting quietly. "Ow, ow, ow…"

Gero let his attention slip away to look at her, then found himself in the line of fire of the Throh-Thundurus. "This will just take a moment," he said, charging up his finger.

Gero wasn't too concerned about the Fusion. What he was worried about was the kids. These guys clearly came prepared to take him out by any means necessary, collateral damage included. _I can't have the kids fighting like this...they need to get out of here. There's no way they can outrun these guys..._

Barbatos flailed about, trying to get up. He looked behind himself and saw one of the Decidueye Fusion's arrows was pinned to his shadow, wrapped in a dark aura. _**Shit! She has us pinned with Spirit Shackle!**_

He tried to grab it, but the Fusion pointed an arrow at his chest. "Remove it…and you'll die."

Barbatos reeled his hand away, growling. _**Bitch…**_

 _Get rid of the arrow!_ Wash shouted.

 _ **Gee, thanks for the advice, genius!**_

* * *

Meditite couldn't help chuckling to himself as he watched the Fusions struggling to fight. They were clearly outmatched. _Pure tactical genius. I knew what I was getting myself into, looking for a fight with this guy. I just need to use these brats as leverage and we'll off the councilman._

He narrowed his gaze on Gero, who seemed to be looking around the room cautiously. _He must be worked up. He has no idea what to do. What a joke. I knew we couldn't beat you in a fair fight, so we needed to play dirty._ He smirked. _Now, what will you do next? Put yourself at risk for their sakes or will you try and take us all at once? Decision time, Gero-_

By the time he blinked, he saw the martial artist disappear from sight. There wasn't a gap between when and how Gero left his sight so fast. "Wha-?"

 _BAM!_

The Renegades shot their heads up as Meditite came crashing through the window and slammed into the far wall of the dojo. With all their attention on him, Barbatos reached over and plucked the Spirit Shackle arrow off himself, then melded into the darkness with Shadow Sneak.

The Renegades whipped their heads toward the window and spotted Gero sitting on the windowsill lazily. He sighed to himself. "Psychic assistance. There's our little conundrum. No wonder you knew how to counter my students."

Shane glared. "Hey! I think I recognize that guy! He was one of the goons that helped that teleporter guy send us here!"

"Is that so?" Gero glared, then hopped off the window. "Is this everyone? You four were sent to kill me?"

Meditite pulled himself up, then sneered at the martial artist. "The mighty Gero. A master martial artist with the power of Dialga at his fingertips." He raised his tentacles. "Quite the assignment, being sent to kill you."

"If that's so, then leave these kids out of it. They are none of your concern."

Heracross slammed his fists together. "We can't let potential threats against the new world get in our way, so we might just keep them around for a little while!"

"I don't remember giving you a choice."

Decidueye pointed her arrows at him. "Enough talk, old man! We're here to eliminate you!"

Gero sighed, then raised his guard. "I applaud your bravery for coming all the way to this temple to face defeat."

"Don't get cocky, bastard." Meditite gritted his teeth. "That stupid computer ghost is no longer our objective. Once our other team finds and captures him, we'll be seeing the new world VERY soon."

Asadi glared. "Codex?"

"The heck do they want with him?" Juniper exclaimed.

"I don't like the sound of this…" Dez grumbled.

"All the more reason for you five to make yourselves scarce." Gero glared. "I'll hold them off."

Asadi shook her head. "Heck no! We're not leaving without you! We can take them!"

Gero looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Just have a little faith in your teacher, kids." He clenched his fist. "I'm not playing games anymore."

Throh roared and extended his palms. "I will not allow these brats to leave! I'll burn them to a crisp!"

"Get behind me!" Dez ordered, ready to intercept the attack.

Suddenly, from the shadows, Barbatos grabbed hold of Decidueye's wing and threw her into Throh before both realized what was going on. With his attack misdirected, Throh fired a Thunderbolt through the roof of the temple. The Heracross scattered as the roof came crashing down on him.

Wash retook control and grabbed Juniper's hand. "We can't stand around and debate over this! Let's go!"

Juniper was dragged along, but she reached back for Gero. "Pappy…"

Gero sighed, then smiled at her. "Everything will be fine. I'll join you all soon. Now hurry!"

Heracross recovered and lunged at them with Megahorn. "You brats aren't escaping!"

"Chrono Combat!" Gero stopped time and delivered a flurry of blows into the beetle's face. With a snap of his fingers, time resumed and Heracross was thrown backwards, face pounded inward, into Throh and Decidueye.

The Gappei Fusions kicked the door down and raced out. Decidueye pushed Heracross off and aimed an arrow. "Oh no you-GAH!" Gero appeared and slammed his elbow in her face. "MY FREAKIN' BEAK! AGH!"

The kids immediately made their way down the mountain, mindful of the steep drop down the winding path. Juniper looked back with mixed concern. It's not that she doubted her adoptive father, but she didn't want to be separated like this. It was one of those feelings a child couldn't help.

Wash noticed this, then gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's going to be alright. We'll get that ride to Kanto and end this nightmare."

Juniper looked down glumly for a moment, then shook it off and frowned with determination. "Right…"

* * *

Gero watched the kids flee down the mountain, then sighed to himself. "Good…" He held his hip and leaned back. "Now that they're gone…I don't have to hold back."

Meditite pulled himself together. "Don't let his tricks fool you! He's only one man! Attack with everything you've got!" His three soldiers nodded and raced at the martial artist.

Gero glared and blocked a strong punch from Heracross. He swung a Brick Break, but it was countered by his Megahorn. Heracross smirked and flung Gero's hand back. Annoyed, Gero followed the momentum in his arm and backflipped, nearly landing a kick into the beetle's chin. Heracross blocked it before it could.

Gero's eyes flickered to the arrows flying at him. With lightning reflexes, he snatched the arrows from the air and held them between his fingers before snapping them. Decidueye swooped through the air and dove with her talons extended. Gero dodged and went for the Ice Punch.

"Feather Dance!" She swung her wing and showered feathered against the Ice Punch. Gero glared and jumped away before they could sap his strength.

"Thunderbolt!" The martial artist anticipated the attack and sidestepped out of the way. Throh sneered, then aimed with both his palms. "Thunderbolt, once more!" He fired two beams of Thunderbolt right at him.

Gero sidestepped the first, then raised his hand. "Dragon Claw!" He swiped downward and violently tore the beam apart, diverting its path around the temporal fighter.

Meditite kept a safe distance overhead, smirking as the bulbs on his cap continued to hum and glow. _Try all you want, Gero, but there's nothing you can pull that I can't detect. As long as I keep an eye on you, I'll know exactly what you intend to do._

"Enough of your fleeing! Taste the Thunderbolt!" Throh fired another beam from his hand.

Gero's eyes flashed, then he raced for the Thunderbolt. He raised his fists as his body hummed with the activation of his move. Meditite smirked. _There it is! He's going for an uppercut! Keep your head protected!_

Throh immediately did so just as Gero vanished. However, what Meditite didn't expect was Gero striking in the thunder Fusion's exposed stomach. Throh spat out as the fist pushed deep into his stomach, then propelled him through the walls. Gero smirked, then glanced up at Meditite.

Meditite shrieked. "What?! You were going for an uppercut!"

"That's what I was planning on doing, but then I saw your friend there put his guard up." Gero glared. "In the heat of battle, you often go with your first intention, often blocking out that your opponent might anticipate and block that spot. What you failed to realize was that you can't read my mind when I used my Fusion Move."

Meditite flinched. _What?!_

"Can't quite read anything if time is stopped for me." Gero glared. "I'll give you credit. Anyone else and that might have worked, but countering someone like me is a pointless pursuit."

Meditite bared his teeth. _Damn that Fusion Move…damn you, Gero!_

Decidueye took off into the air and circled around Gero, pulling back on multiple arrows. "Then we just need to keep you from moving! An easy fix! Spirit Shackle!" She fired arrows down on the martial artist.

"Metal Claw!" Gero grew the metallic claws from the back of his hands and sliced apart the arrows, disabling their effects. He leaped into the air, grabbed Decidueye by the face, and rammed his knee into her stomach.

"AAAAGH!" she gasped, spitting out blood. Gero torqued his body and kicked her back into the floor.

"Megahorn!" Gero crossed his arms and sponged the lunging horn strike that knocked him across the ceiling, taking out the lights. Heracross landed and repeated his attack again.

Gero clung to the ceiling and dug his hand in. He swung his foot in Heracross' chin, directing his horn into the ceiling, then ripped out electrical wire and shoved it against his chest. Heracross screamed as his muscles contracted. Gero pulled his legs back and kicked him in the stomach, knocking him out of the ceiling.

"Thunderbolt!" Gero pulled his hands out of the ceiling and crossed his arms just before Throh blasted him out of the dojo and straight into the kitchen. His back caved in his fridge and demolished everything inside.

Gero sat upside-down against the fridge, perfectly unharmed. He shook his head, then blinked when he felt a sticky liquid leaking out from the bottom. He turned his head, got a good look at the dark liquid, then sighed. "Annnnd…there goes my diet cola…"

Throh floated down to examine the hole and growled at the Sawk-Dialga's nonchalant attitude. "How strong is this guy? His body dented a freakin' FRIDGE, for goodness sake!"

Gero rolled back and sat on his rear. He grabbed a nearby dish towel and wiped the soda off his head. "You're not assassins, I can tell. You were only sent because Faust needed someone strong to take me out of the picture." He glared over his shoulder. "Tell me…when you destroyed the village, who would you say was your biggest obstacle?"

Throh crackled with electricity. "You arrogant…!"

Gero stood up and threw the rag aside. "Look…I left Gappei Village because Liam was getting on my nerves. He was too passive for my tastes. Living disconnected from everyone seemed like the ideal solution. Though, I suppose he has moved past that. I guess I owe it to him to hear out his side of things.

"That said…if there's one thing we both could agree on, it was the state of this pointless fighting between sides. Fusions bring wars, Pokémon bring hate. That's how it has been for generations." Gero glared. "All I wanted to do with my life was live peacefully. Not too much to ask for. Now I have jokers like you causing all sorts of trouble. Frankly…it makes me wonder what point is there in fighting for a cause. If this generation won't do it, what hope is for the next?"

"I've heard enough out of you!" Decidueye shouted. "Now prepare to die!" She swung her wing and fired off Razor Leaf.

Gero pulled out Metal Claw and sliced apart the Razor Leaves. Decidueye went for Spirit Shackle, but Gero appeared before her and rammed his fist into her stomach. _NOT AGAIN!_ She went sailing backwards.

Heracross and Throh swung their fists down on Gero, but he stopped them with a well-timed block. "Close Combat." With rapid precision, he pummeled the two lackies and sent them flying in opposite directions.

Meditite flinched and flew backwards, keeping well out of Gero's range. "Hey, hey! Let's not get testy!" He grinned uneasily. "S-Surely you aren't thinking of leaving those kids to go off on their own!"

"Why the sudden change? Trying to distract me?" Gero asked coolly.

Meditite tried to keep his teeth from chattering. "Heh…I'm just saying, careful how you act or they might not make it down the mountain…"

Gero narrowed his eyes, then straightened up. "Is that a fact?" He glared around. "Kind of odd to send would be assassins after me. Then again, if you _are_ concerned over possible threats to loosen up, only seems wise to bring in the proper help." He tapped his chin and mused over the thought. "…So…does that mean there's another group laying around, ready to take your place?"

Meditite bit his lip. _Shit…_

Deciding that there was no point in hiding it, Decidueye pulled herself up and said, "Listen here, buster, unless you want those brats skewered alive, you'll surrender yourself immediately and accept your execution. Decision time, Gero."

" _That_ dangerous, huh?" Gero thought it over for a moment, then smirked. "Good…they could use the practice."

"Practice?!" Meditite shrieked. "Do you even know what you're-?!"

Gero stepped behind the Meditite, now inside frozen time. He clenched his fist, then rammed it against Meditite's head. Gero inhaled, then resumed time, sending Meditite flying through a wall.

The Renegades flinched at the attack. Throh grinded his teeth together. _This guy is nuts…is he really the second strongest councilmen?_

Heracross felt sweat drip down his face. _We couldn't even take on their third strongest, and he was poisoned, beaten, and fighting all alone. What the hell…makes this guy so damn tough?_

Gero sighed, then raised his hand and beckoned them to proceed. "Come on…I don't have all day."

Heracross snarled and took off, summoning forth a Smack Down. "Don't act so arrogant, bastard! That's our shtick!"

"Your words, not mine." Gero leaned back and avoided the projectile, then swung his foot into the beetle's chest. "Close Combat." His hands flew with the swiftness of a river and the fury of a raging current, pounding into the beetle's face and breaking up his stone skin in tiny fragments and cracks. He finished it off by grabbing the beetle's horn and pushing him into the fighter's rising knee.

He quickly dropped Heracross and dodged Decidueye's arrows. She plucked and fired in rapid intervals, barely a gap between firing and reloading. The fight took them back to the kitchen, where Gero was flipping off his counter and cabinets, with arrows puncturing through and no doubt breaking his plates.

"Spirit Shackle!" She charged three with ghostly energy and fired.

Gero landed on his counter and kicked up a grill spatula. He caught the arrows within the slots, which effectively stopped them, spun it around, and slammed his palm into them and fired back.

Decidueye gasped and bent backwards as the arrows flew over her head, gripping to the edge of the counter. However, this brief suspension of her balance allowed Gero to jump above her and slam both his feet down on her and into the floor.

"A very amusing trick, temporal fighter!" Gero glared as Throh rose up from the ground and summoned a chain of Focus Blasts around his tail. "Now face divine judgment! Focus Blast!" He whipped his tail and sent the Focus Blasts flying at Gero.

"Close Combat!" Gero swung his hands, deflecting the blasts away from him and further demolishing his kitchen. Two of them exploded into his wall and created a lovely new window/passageway to his backyard. He groaned. "Seriously, should I be mad about my house being wrecked or the months' worth of soda you shamelessly disposed of?"

"These debts will be paid off in the AFTERLIFE!" He fired Thunderbolt from his hand.

Gero smirked and jumped back. The Thunderbolt blew through the counter, but also hit something else: the gas pipe that led to his counter stovetop. Before anyone could react, Gero disappeared from the kitchen as the sparks reached the leaking gas.

The Renegades screamed as the kitchen went up in flames and blasted them right back into the dojo. Meditite deflected shrapnel with his tentacles. Heracross and Decidueye were mostly fine, save for the rubble jabbed into their skin. Throh took the worst of it since he was closer to the explosion. He covered his burning face, then yelled up to the ceiling:

"YOU BASTARD FUSION! I SHALL RAIN DOWN DIVINE JUDGMENT ON YOUR WORTHLESS EXISTENCE AND FORCE YOU TO PRAY TO YOUR GOD!"

Meditite glared nervously and looked about the dojo. Strangely enough, there was no sign of Gero. And, since he didn't know his exact location, finding the temporal martial artist was anything simple. Out of habit, he bit down on his thumb.

"He shouldn't have gotten far…" he mumbled with decent clarity through his bitten down thumb. "Find him…ransack this entire place if you must!"

The Renegades nodded and ran through the dojo, taking to the upper levels first. This left Meditite to the dojo with his private thoughts. He floated around, panting lightly as he tried to think of a rational plan to take out Gero. However, with how shattered his nerves were, finding any inner peace was for the divine to fix.

He bit down harder on his thumb, now snarling. _He's one guy. Surely he realizes that he's outnumbered. Playing hit-and-run tactics. What's he planning? What's he thinking?_ As he bit down harder, blood was drawn. He barely noticed aside from the metallic taste. _The very nerve of someone bypassing my telepathy...I'll make sure that Chrono Combat is good and useless!_

He turned his attention to the ceiling as the other Renegades went through every inch of the temple, throwing apart beds, closets, furniture; everything in a vain attempt to pull their target from hiding.

Throh torched a bedroom with his Thunderbolt. "He's not in here!"

Decidueye shot down a closet door. "Or here!"

"RAWR" Heracross ripped a toilet from the floor and chucked it into the hallway. "DIE!"

Meditite's glare deepened with the passing destruction. The only thing stopping him from biting his thumb off was the pain in it.

 _I doubt he left. He's definitely still here._ He glared, finally releasing his thumb. _Wait, he's trying to pick us off one by one! That's his game! That must be what he's doing!_ He smirked in realization. _You fool! Do you think you an outsmart me?! I bet you're lying in wait for us to lose our cool! You're probably behind me right now, about to-!_

 _POP!_

His eyes widened at the popping sound, followed by the settled fizzing. He looked below, then stared with boggled eyes. Sitting in the center of dojo, Gero was taking a sip from a fresh can of soda. The psychic's jaw hung open in disbelief.

Gero sighed after taking his long sip, then glared at him. "That's another thing, actually. Are you supposed to be the generation that'll save us from another war? Please…wars aren't started over right and wrong. No one wants a war, unless they really love bloodshed." He glared. "Anyone obsessed with war wants power. That's all they want. Faust wants power, too, but the power to bring a difference. He wants to make himself a god in their eyes, someone who will supposedly bring this strife to an end."

He stood up and pointed at the psychic. "No matter which side fired the first shot, no one's going into this war without coming out miserable. And if this is the behavior I have to look forward to for our saviors, then you can follow those kids down that mountain…bound and tossed, of course."

Meditite growled and fired Psybeam at him. "YOU BASTARD!" Gero dodged the beam. Meditite placed his fingers to his temple. _Get down here! Gero's still in the dojo!_

The ceiling immediately broke open. Heracross dove down with Megahorn and struck into Gero. He, however, stopped it with one hand and rammed his foot in his face.

Decidueye dove through the hole and fired an arrow. "Take this! Spirit Shackle!"

"Chrono Combat!" Gero stopped time and dashed under the ring-eyed owl. He punched a dozen times in her stomach before resuming time and throwing her into the ceiling.

"AGH!"

Gero raised his hands as Heracross made another attempt with Close Combat. "Chrono-!"

Meditite smirked. "Disable!"

A psychic presence flashed through Gero's mind. The temporal energy flowing through his body suddenly cancelled. Before he had time to think, Heracross came flailing on him with Close Combat. Gero immediately countered with his Close Combat, locking in a battle of attack rushes. A final collision of fists knocked the two opponents back.

Gero slid back on his feet, then gazed down at the dull crystal on his chest. He tapped it twice, then sighed. "Well, isn't that a pain?"

Meditite snickered to himself. _Now, we won't have anymore of that infuriating time stopping. I'll be able to read your thoughts and relay everything they need to know before you can._

Heracross roared and charged again. He raised his hand and summoned a Smack Down. "This is it! I'm burying you alive in this house! Say your prayers and die, Gero!"

Gero glanced quickly at Meditite, which got the psychic concerned. Gero smirked. _Tell me…is this a two-way communication? Seems you don't provide a link between all your members. You communicate with them only. But, to make sure it stays like that, you keep me in an isolated channel. How fast…can you get that info out?_ Gero summoned Metal Claw.

Meditite flinched, then quickly screamed telepathically, _He's planning an attack! Watch your-!_

Gero kicked off his feet and slashed through Heracross and his Smack Down before the message fully reached him. Heracross stumbled forward, gawking as his chest cracked open while his Smack Down crumbled to dust. Gero calmly walked past the beetle, then smirked at Meditite.

Meditite clenched his teeth. _This is bad. I usually have more time to get info out, but he's actively prepared for my telepathy! He must know how long it takes me to get a basic command out! This guy reads between the lines!_

Throh rose up high above Gero and gathered an electrical charge in the air. "I shall bring down divine judgment and scorch you alive, old man!"

Gero held his hip. "And who decided that?"

"DIE!" He swung his hand down and brought down Thunder. Gero quickly jumped away and started running around the dojo, making quick turns that threw off his pursuers.

Decidueye glared at Meditite. "Quit gawking and read his mind!"

Meditite's eyes flickered nervously as Gero bounced around the dojo, dodging the Throh-Thundurus' attacks. "I can't! He's moving around too much to properly read him!"

"Keep your eyes on the prize!" Meditite spun around and faced the fighter's approaching hand. "Dragon Claw!" He slashed with the draconic energy and bashed the psychic into the floor.

"AGH!" he cried out.

Decidueye jumped out of his range and fired arrows at him. "You bastard!"

Gero used Dragon Claw to rip the arrows apart, then he went in pursuit of her. He leaped off the ground and swung his hand. "Brick Break!"

Decidueye's eyes widened, then sharpened with glee. She stopped and let the attack and Gero pass right through her. "Ha! Elementary mistake, old man! I'm still a Ghost-!" She turned around and promptly received an Ice Punch to the face.

"A basic diversion attack. Don't act so naïve."

"AGH!" Decidueye steadied out and caught herself. However, with the Ice Punch, the energy wrapped around her head and took the form of a solid block of ice. Her face was frozen in a horrified expression, trying to break the ice off with her wings.

Gero stepped back and waved off the icy mist from his hand. His shoulders tensed as a surge of energy powered up behind him. "Thunderbolt!" From his finger, Throh fired into the temporal fighter.

Gero turned around and blocked the Thunderbolt with the aura of Dragon Claw. The lightning reflected off the aura and glowed around the fighter in a teal color. He glared through it and said, "You truly thought disabling my Fusion Move would put me at a disadvantage? A true fighter must know who their opponent is and plan accordingly. Do not assume you've won from the start. Always go in with the expectation you'll lose, building your way to the top to win."

Throh bared his teeth. "Bastard! How dare you mock a god?!" He channeled electricity above him and called down Thunder.

Gero scoffed. "I've met a god…" He formed Metal Claw and tore through the Thunder. "And you're barely worth a demigod!" He made his way through and grabbed hold of the Fusion's face.

Throh was confused by the bizarre tactic, then grew more perplexed as Gero activated Ice Punch. The cold mist came off his hand and froze his hand to the Fusion's face. Throh narrowed his eyes cautiously. "What are you-?"

With no sense of warning or tact, Gero ripped his hand from the Fusion's face. Throh threw his head back and screamed as blood squirted out from the open wounds. He grabbed his bleeding face and convulsed on the ground, howling, "YOU BASTARD! YOU JUST…WHAT THE HELL?! WHO _DOES_ THAT?!"

Gero stepped back and shook the ice and skin off his hand. "I'm not playing games. Didn't you hear me earlier? Honestly, if you expected me to fight clean, you should've taken your chances with Peregrine. He's brutal, but plays a fair fight." He set his sights on the downed Meditite-Tentacruel and proceed towards him. "Now, about you…"

Heracross quickly pulled himself up and slammed his hands down, cutting off Gero's path with Stone Edge. He trapped the fighter in a hallway of Stone Edge, with only two ways to escape, and both were sealed off by his opponents.

"Nowhere to run now! Close Combat!" Heracross rushed down the path.

Throh gathered his nerves and roared, flying through with a Focus Blast at the ready. "You're not escaping us!"

Gero raised his fists. "A pincer attack with all but two directions cut off? The intention to pressure me from both sides like a trash compactor?" He smirked. "I must admit, that's a clever trick. Sadly for you…"

He looked down at his gemstone. It flickered weakly twice, then glowed back to maximum power.

"…You're out of time."

The temporal wave burst out from Gero's gemstone and gradually slowed reality until it came to a dead stop. Gero struck rapidly into Throh's face, then turned and swung his foot into Heracross' gut. Gero then turned on the Stone Edge walls and struck into them with the remainder of his frozen time. Once he finished, Gero crossed his arms, observed their frozen forms for a moment, then went over to the discarded soda can he left behind. He picked it up and took a sip.

"Chrono Combat."

Time resumed and both Fusions were sent flying. Throh felt his face nearly cave in while Heracross nearly vomited his last meal. The Stone Edge, with the stacked energy of Gero's punches, shattered to pieces. The Fusions dropped to the floor, groaning, but still hanging on to consciousness.

Gero spun his can on his finger. "See? Even without my Fusion Move, I was able to apprehend you all. Still, pays to have it when it counts. Now, are you going to behave or shall we continue dragging this fight-?" His eyes widened as an arrow flew from his blind spot and pierced his shoulder. He dropped his soda—which was empty by that point—and immediately yanked the arrow from it. He stumbled back and gripped the bleeding wound. "Agh…"

Decidueye finally managed to break the ice off her head during Gero's exchange with the other two. She pulled herself up and wiped the bits of ice off her face. "Finally…you've been marked…"

"Marked?" Gero moved his hand, then glared. The arrow left behind a little gift aside from the bleeding shoulder. Tattooed onto it was a Watchog eye, which vaguely reminded him of Lock-On.

Once Meditite saw this, he smirked with joy. "Finally! Hydro Pump!" He fired off pressurized water straight for Gero.

Gero's eyes flashed. "Oh please…" He activated Chrono Combat and raced around the Hydro Pump. He struck Meditite once and resumed time, throwing him off his fist. "That's enough of that-" Suddenly, the Hydro Pump came barreling into his back, with his guard wide and open. "AGH!"

Decidueye jumped out of the way just before Gero crashed through his window and was sent skipping across his yard. Since he lived so close to the cliffside, he found himself right over the edge. Just as gravity set in, he hooked his good arm over the edge and dug his fingers in. His arm jolted from suddenly holding his own weight, but he was safe for now.

Gero breathed lightly, then sighed in relief. "That was too close…and this is why I took up rock climbing when I decided to live on a mountain."

The Renegades stepped out from the temple, with Throh and Heracross dizzily following their leader. Meditite crossed his arms and laughed. "Nicely done. Now we've got him where we want him."

Decidueye smirked. "Happy to help."

Gero swung himself around before flipping back onto the surface. He sighed and stood up, rubbing his aching shoulder. "Damn, that hurts." His focus reengaged as attacks came flying at him, with Spirit Shackle, Thunderbolt, Smack Down, and Hydro Pump. Gero stretched out his hands and summoned Dragon Claw. "HA!"

He swung at the attacks, but gasped as they actually curved around his Dragon Claws and, with his guard down, blasted into his chest at full force. Gero went flying back and nearly found himself falling over the cliff again. He stomped his feet down and forced his back to straighten up. It took a great deal of strain, but he kept himself from falling backwards.

"That Fusion Move she hit me with…" he mumbled to himself. "It's like an improved version of Lock-On."

"Far from it!" He turned his focus back on them as they approached. Gero raised his fists, but their sniper then said, "Don't try any funny business. Perfect Shot's a pretty weak attack, but its effect makes all incoming attacks certain. All attacks, except yours, are now attracted to you, whether ally or foe. It disrupts conventional battling quite nicely."

Gero narrowed his eyes. _So, tricking it like a heat-guided missile is out of the question._

Meditite heard his thoughts and laughed. "You got that right! No amount of running or anything will save you! You're stuck with us until you're on your last breath!"

Gero sighed. "So damn annoying…"

"Then how about you give yourself up and take your death like a man?" Heracross recommended. "Keeping you alive puts our new world at risk. Faust needs to make sure all loose ends are tied."

Gero looked up at them. "That so?"

Throh pointed dramatically. "HA! This is the justice for our new world?"

"This…is justice?" Gero sighed, no longer putting up a fighting stance. His stance became lax and loose. "I hear that word getting thrown around by just about everyone. I'm starting to wonder if anyone knows what justice is. Then again, I suppose justice in your eyes is subjugating the weak for the strong. No right or wrong, only what the greater power seeks." He shrugged. "Frankly, I don't believe in that. They say the world isn't in black and white, but I see it for black, white, and all the grays."

"The hell are you babbling about?" Meditite grumbled.

"Why, my revelation, of course." Gero tapped the head. "It occurred to me…my adopted daughter threw around justice in the same manner when we first met. You know what she did for a living? Killed people. Such a young child and that's how she went about her business. Corrupted by the same _justice_ they shoved down her throat, the ones who turned her into a weapon."

"Why does that sound familiar?" Meditite mumbled.

"So, I had to play my own immoral card and kidnap her myself. I'd say anyone would see me in the right, though I try to keep that part of her life separate from the rest. She's just a kid…and she deserves to be one." Gero looked down the mountain, wondering how far the kids got. "Those kids may wind up doing amazing things…all of them.

"I'm not worried about them getting to Kanto. I'll catch up…and we'll take this war to victory." He held his hips and smirked. "I said before if I'm supposed to look to you…Renegades…as the generation to save us. Still illogical to consider. Now…those kids, on the other hand…"

Meditite cut him off with a Psybeam, shoving the fighter back against the cliff edge. "You acting smug?! You think those brats can make a difference?! They won't make it to Kanto, nor will they stop Faust! His dreams will become reality! Why are you placing so much faith in that stupid village?!"

Gero chuckled. "You'll never understand what drove those kids together. Everyone, young, old, orphaned, family; they all have something to come back to. You see them as pests. I see them…a little differently." A blue and red aura seeped off his body, rising into the air. "That's why…I'm putting all bets on their success."

The Renegades gasped and staggered away from the aura coming off the temporal fighter. Meditite's teeth chattered. "Sh-Shit!"

"Uhh…" Heracross and Throh responded dumbly.

"Uh oh…" Decidueye mumbled fearfully.

Gero raised his arm from his side, smiling nostalgically. "Heh…how long has it been?"

* * *

The Fusions were nearing the end of the path and were ready to run into town. Juniper, as they reached the end, had to look back at the temple, feeling a pang of sadness in her heart.

Wash responded to this, "He'll be okay, Jun."

"…" She turned away. "…I already miss him…"

"…" He gently squeezed her hand.

Dez jumped onto the dirt path and shouted, "Get the lead out! We need to catch our flight before-!" His eyes widened as his eyes trailed up the mountain. "Um…guys?" He pointed back at the temple.

They followed his claw to the plateau the temple sat on. Bursting out very close to the edge of the plateau was a strong burst of red and blue light, shaping itself into a dense cyclone. They were far away from it, yet they could feel the weight in its power.

"Don't tell me…is he using…?!" Shane exclaimed.

Juniper gasped, then broke out into a large, joyous smile. "Pappy!"

Wash stared slack-jawed and buggy-eyed. "Oh my…he's not holding back on this one, is he?"

Asadi smirked. "What a shame. We get to miss out on the best part."

Dez shook off his awe and shouted, "We can gawk some other time! We've got limited time here! We can't count on Codex staying safe forever! If he is the key to their success, we need to hurry!"

The group nodded. "Right!" They resumed running to their destination, though Juniper lagged for a moment to admire the cluster of colors raging in the mountain.

 _I've always wanted to see you use your Fusion Mode again, Pappy…maybe some other time._

"Juniper!" Wash called out to her. "Hurry up!"

"Coming!" She turned and ran up to him, linking hands and catching up with the others.

* * *

The high winds coming off the energy cyclone kicked up a thick cloud of dust that blinded the Renegades. Decidueye kept her comrades protected with her wings, trying to glare through the dust. Amidst it was the temporal fighter himself, standing in the center and completely unaffected by the rushing power surrounding him. His silhouette showed him with his arms crossed, possibly staring at them with a resounding confidence.

He lifted his hand, then swiped it across the cyclone, dispelling it instantly. As the dust settled, the Renegades gazed in awe and terror at the temporal fighter's altered form.

His skin was metallic silver, while his usual gi was black with a white belt. His temporal crystal remained on his chest, with two more spawned on his shoulders. They hummed with a constant beat. A blue aura surrounded him, creating shadows that made him far more intimidating than they could imagine.

Gero smirked excitedly. "So...I suppose you've earned a look into what made me so powerful among the council. Commit it to memory. I can't guarantee your safety after this." He flexed his hand, cracking and loosening the wrist.

Decidueye stepped back. _Boss…I-I-I think a tactical retreat is in order._

Meditite was far too intimidated to disagree. _You may be right. The assassins can finish the job._ He looked around, trying to find their backup, but they weren't anywhere in sight. He couldn't find their minds with his telepathy or anything. _What the?!_

 _What?!_ Heracross thought worriedly.

 _Where are the assassins?! I can't detect them! They should be-!_

"Ice Punch."

Meditite had zero time to respond as the fist struck his abdomen and threw him into the wall of the temple, freezing him in place. His team looked on in shock at Gero, who had a blue trail following behind him.

Heracross jumped away, shouting, "What the hell?! How'd he cross that distance without any of us noticing?!"

"Low Sweep."

Gero spun on his foot and instantly appeared under Heracross, once again followed by a blue trail. Heracross had time to discern that trail was made up of overlapping afterimages. Gero swung his foot and bashed it into Heracross' legs, breaking his kneecaps.

"AAAAHHHH!" Heracross went flying into the temple and got his horn lodged into the wall. His head struck into it before passing out, pinned in.

"Spirit Shackle!" Decidueye fired the arrow, hoping it would be enough to stop him with her Perfect Mark.

"Ice Punch." Her eyes widened as the ascended fighter appeared behind him. She turned and barely blocked the punch with her wing. She saw the Spirit Shackle curve around and aim for Gero again. "Chrono Combat." He flickered out of sight and appeared behind the arrow.

The arrow turned, but suddenly received damage from Gero's time in stopped time, exploding to pieces. Decidueye gasped while holding her partially frozen wing. "He's even faster than before!"

Gero stood up and raised his hand. "Temporal Flux. All my moves have enhanced priority, including my Fusion Move. Try all you want, but I'll make sure to take you out before a single move can be fired."

Throh flew in behind him. "I challenge that claim! Thunderbolt!" He fired from his finger.

Gero turned and charged through the Thunderbolt, then his speed increased exponentially. "Dragon Claw!" He flicker-vanished and slashed through the Thunderbolt and Throh.

The self-proclaimed thunder god spat out blood after receiving the damage. The green claw marks marked his body as he fell to the ground, defeated. Gero stood over his body wordlessly, disabling Dragon Claw.

Gero stared at him for a moment, then looked up as an arrow whizzed by his head, missing by a mile. He looked at his shoulder and saw he was no longer under Perfect Mark's effect. He glared at Decidueye, who was struggling to aim straight. She kept firing arrows, but Gero advanced towards her without having to dodge.

"Stay away from me!" She fired Spirit Shackle, but missed again.

Gero scoffed. "Are you done yet? I wish not to drag this fight out by harming you beyond the point of critical. Just surrender…and accept your punishment."

She growled, then nocked back an arrow. "Don't…you DARE mock me! Perfect Mark!" She fired fast and precise.

Gero ran straight for it, then tilted his head ever so slightly to avoid it. He swung his fist and rammed it into her gut. She spat out a gasp as her eyes glazed over. She trembled back weakly, then fell unconscious.

Gero waved his fist, then sighed. "I'm placing the faith of this world in those kids' hands. My position as a councilman is long over, but perhaps there's hope to renew that status."

He heard a surge of water flying from behind. He tilted his head to the side and let the rushing water, Hydro Pump, fly past him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the last of their group standing, glaring at the former councilman with bated breath. His knees trembled from his own weight, weakly clinging to what was left of his willpower.

Meditite bared his teeth, then screamed, "Just what the hell _are_ you councilmen?! YOU'RE MONSTERS!"

"You only _now_ just figured that out?"

"This was supposed to be an easy gig…then you came along and RUINED everything!" Meditite snarled furiously. "Looking at you makes me SICK! All laidback and cheery about everything, like we're some JOKE!"

Gero glared. "…To undermine an opponent, no matter how weak or arrogant, is a disservice to what makes us Pokémon or Fusion. I am nothing but veritable in my hopes of nurturing the spirits of all beings. What I say, whether or not a harsh criticism, is nothing short of a teaching moment between student and master."

"Bastard…" the Renegade growled.

Gero smiled softly. "Regardless of your feelings, I do not hate you. I wish to nurture all spirits and help them find a better self." He looked up at his destroyed temple. "Those kids…under the auspices of my teachings, I think they can make something of themselves. I couldn't teach as effectively back in the village. I do enjoy the bucolic lifestyle, but the mountains have been more than enough for me…"

"Stop…being so kind!" Meditite barked. "You're making me angry! Who do you think you are?!"

Gero chuckled lightly. "We may be monsters in battle, but the Fusion Council has one priority: to raise Fusions into better people. We have our methods. I choose to bring out that inner child and remind them that it's never too late to stop growing up and enjoying life. Maybe one day, you will learn that, too."

Meditite glared cautiously. "Is that…your bet on the world?"

"A bet where I have nothing else to lose." Gero raised his hand and beckoned him forward. "Why don't we end this?"

Meditite bared his teeth as he channeled energy into his cap. "You'll regret this…"

A long-standing silence overcame the two Fusions as they stared each other down. A prominent tension exuded from their adamant wills. The mountain wind blew through the dust, circling between them. Meditite faced off with a snarl while Gero remained unwaveringly calm.

This fight will be decided in the next attack.

Gero shuffled his foot an inch closer.

Meditite's eyes sharpened, then he fired. "Stingy Ray Chi Blast!" A condensed red beam fired from his cap.

Gero kicked off the ground and raced at the Fusion, full speed. The two came in contact. Gero diverted his head out of the blast, grinding his cheek across the beam's side as he kept up his charge. He swung back his hand, then slashed with Dragon Claw.

Gero skidded to a stop, disabling the claws in that moment. Meditite stared off into space, with no visible marks over his body. Gero stood up, with only the burn across his cheek serving as his only injury in the exchange. They kept their backs facing one another, waiting to see how the coin will fall.

Meditite blinked, then smirked. "Heh…" He turned around and pulled down on his eyelid mockingly. "That all you got?"

"…"

"…" Meditite, still smirking triumphantly, fell to his knees as his eyes glazed over, with a small trickle of blood going down his chest. He faceplanted on the ground, defeated.

Gero relaxed his shoulders, then dropped to a knee as Fusion Mode deactivated. He panted heavily, then fell back on his rear. "…End of the first lesson." He leaned back on his hands, then looked up at the clouds. "…Looks like any other day out…" He closed his eyes, then glanced at the plateau edge.

"Your fight will come soon, Juniper. Make me proud."

* * *

The group continued their run into town, but Wash jutted to a stop when Juniper came to a halt. He slowed down and faced her. "Juniper, we can't keep stopping. Hurry…"

He stopped when he saw the look of worry in her face. At first, he thought she was thinking about Gero, but something was different about this look. She didn't just look worried. She looked scared, like a bitter cold wind tickled the back of her neck on a warm, windless day.

Wash grabbed both her hands. "Jun…?"

She was looking over her shoulder a lot, like something was following them. Wash looked up and tried to spot anything, but there was no one out on the street. He knew it was getting late, but he at least expected someone to be out at this hour. It was eerie…

"Yo, Wash, Juniper! What's the hold up?!" Asadi called out to them as they got farther ahead.

Juniper took one last look over her shoulder, then squeezed Wash's hand. "N-Nothing! It's…nothing…" She marched ahead, pulling Wash along. "C-Come on…we can't get left behind…"

"…Right…" The ghost frog knew Juniper well enough to know when something was off. In fact, he was starting to feel an uncomfortable dread as well, like a pair of eyes were targeted on his back. He kept his eyes forward and dared not to look back.

 _ **You feel it, too?**_ Barbatos asked.

 _I'm honestly trying to ignore it…_

The group kept on their path, with no knowledge of what was lurking in the shadows. As if the Renegades from earlier were enough of a problem, they were about to get the shock of their lives.

A trio of Fusions stepped out from the darkness, with the wolf of their trio gleaming at Wash and Juniper with sinister red eyes. A smirk crawled up on her muzzle as she focused on the sleepy panda.

"Well, well, well…seems this mission…just turned into a family reunion."


	83. Nature of Pride

While their friends were off fighting their own battles and surviving their own perilous quests, the Gappei Fusions led by Eunice were taking an easy trip down the mountain, nearing their destination. Without the hybrid cat, they might have been stuck on the mountain for months.

Eunice scratched behind her ear, purring to herself. "The cold air was nice, but I do love a good soak in the sun."

"I suppose that makes two of us," Hawkins shared, keeping close with the kids as Dakota led them.

Eunice smirked at him. "Roserade do have that dependency on the sun, though I suppose it doesn't mean much to you. To think, with the power you have, a Fusion Mode would further compliment your style. I wonder what it will be."

Hawkins huffed. "You'll have to wait and see."

"Better hurry. I get impatient when I have potential data to collect." She looked back ahead. "Anyway, we're nearing my plane. I had it hidden around this pass."

Hawkins sighed to himself. "Finally."

"Thank goodness…" He glanced at Dakota, who was wearily walking behind him, legs jiggling with fatigue. "My legs are killing me."

"Want to rest?" Hawkins offered.

"N-No…I can rest on the plane. We're almost there, right? I can put up with it for a few more minutes." Dakota exhaled shakily. "I'm not used to this kind of physical exertion. How can anyone find enjoyment out of hiking? This is miserable…"

Hawkins smirked in amusement. "Weakling…"

Dakota shot a glare at him. "Spoiled rich kid…"

He poked her between the eyes. "How's about when this is all over, we go on a hike together?"

Dakota's eyes widened. "You mean…just the two of us?"

He shrugged. "Why not? I find your company more tolerable than any other. Not many I can have a battle of wits with and find myself coming back for more."

Dakota blinked, then turned away red-faced. "Oh…th-thank you, Hawkins. I'll, uh…consider the offer…thoroughly."

"Ooooh~!" Her fur stood on end at the kids' affectionate chorusing.

"Knock it off!" Dakota shrieked, flailing her arms as her face heated up more.

Hawkins raised his brow at her, then shrugged it off with a casual smile.

Winona waved her flipper. "Ms. Dakota, I'm getting really hungry." Her stomach growled at her. "See? Like that."

Dakota picked her up and rubbed her head. "Don't worry, sweet pea. We'll eat as soon as we get on the plane."

"Luckily for all of you, I have a supply of food waiting in the plane," Eunice offered. "You got all your healthy choices, your fun choices, stuff when I'm too lazy to cook so I throw it in a microwave…choices…I got enough to last weeks."

Hawkins raised his brow. "Why would you be carrying so much food with you?"

"Do you know how long I go on research trips? Either I'm stalking a Fusion out and I can't leave my perch or I'm constantly on the move. Trust me, the amount of food I take with me is needed." She raised her claw at him. "I'm sure you would understand."

"Understand what?"

"You, a talented swordsman who would put in the effort to make good on his talents in order to fully elevate your limits."

Hawkins blinked, then looked away. "Elevate my limits, eh?"

Eunice looked back at Dakota, seeing she wasn't paying attention to them. "…I think she likes you."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means what it means." Eunice chuckled. "You're awfully fond of her yourself. Ever considered saying something? Or was that hiking trip you offered your way of getting closer to her?"

"…"

"I understand I ragged on you a bit much in our meeting, but I do it out of interest. Still, to give you credit, no one with your pride would put in the effort to care for someone other than oneself. I thought you saw weakness as…well, a weakness."

Hawkins glared. "…She's different."

"Different how?"

"I sought physical strength and battle prowess as true strength. As a fighter, Dakota's weak." He narrowed his eyes. "But that's not where her true strength rests. I feel guilty for ignoring that about her. I was wrong to assume she was useless. After all, if it came down to it…she will protect those kids."

"And you to protect them all?"

Hawkins closed his eyes. "Before, I fought for myself. For them…I'd gladly be their shield to keep them safe."

Eunice smiled. "You're a better man than most, Hawkins. Be proud of that. Some men dream of having your confidence."

"Thanks…"

Caleb flew above Dakota since he was getting tired of walking. As he was flying, he was keeping an attentive ear out for precautionary sakes. It was mostly silent for the walk, but his ears twitched to a strange disturbance.

He stopped midair and looked around, now growing fearful as an unusual chill crawled up his back. "M-Ms. Dakota?"

Dakota stopped and looked up at him. "What is it, Caleb?"

He tapped his hands together nervously. "I heard a strange noise…"

Dakota smiled and waved it off. "Oh sweetie, it was probably just the wind."

Eunice stopped at the remark and glared back at them. "There aren't any winds, though…" Hawkins glared, instinctively bringing out his Leaf Blade. "I could've sworn there was no one else on this mountain. Then again, I didn't account for you lot either…"

Hawkins raised his weapon. "Dakota, get the kids behind you." Dakota nodded and ordered the kids to stay behind her as the swordsman surveyed the area. "Too many hiding spots. Caleb, are you sure you heard something strange?"

He nodded timidly. "I-It sounded like something metal hitting rock…"

"That's all I needed. It has to be those Renegades."

Dakota flinched. "They're here?! Why are they after us?!"

Eunice glared. "They should've realized by now we didn't have their target. If they're specifically targeting us…could something be happening with the other groups that has them targeting everyone now?"

"We can hypothesize later!" Hawkins shouted, holding his blade defensively. "Eunice, get them to the plane and be ready for immediate takeoff. I'm not wasting another second on this mountain."

Eunice nodded. "Right, I'll keep them safe."

Dakota stared at Hawkins worriedly. "Will you be alright?"

He cocked his head and smiled confidently. "Just leave this to me. I'll be right behind you." Dakota blushed, but nodded nonetheless. "Now, get going before-"

A barrage of Shadow Balls fired out from the icy mist of the mountain, careening for the kids and Dakota. The kids screamed and covered their heads, but Dakota got in front of them. "Crystal Mirror!" Her body refracted with light and absorbed the Shadow Balls instantly. She stumbled back from the recoil, shaking her head.

"They already begun their assault! Move!" Eunice ordered, letting the kids and Dakota run ahead of her.

More Shadow Balls fired out from the mist. Hawkins tightened his grip and leaped into the barrage. With movements faster than the untrained eye, he cut down each of them and set them to explode early. He landed as the dark mist of the explosion cascaded over his body. He glared over his shoulder and watched the group disappear around the pass.

He sighed, then rose and held his blade out, glaring between the numerous ledges and elevations surrounding him.

"A bold move to take on the enemy by yourself." Hawkins glared around, trying to track the voice. "I suppose you get the first round of points, but I won't be so easy in the second round."

Hawkins twisted the Leaf Blade's hilt. "I have no time for your games. Either fight me like a man or perish into obscurity."

"I suppose I can manage that." Hawkins sensed an incoming attack from behind. He barely managed to turn and block the two blades striking down on him. The force they delivered sunk his feet into the ground. He kept one hand on the back of the blade to steady it out. He faced up with a glare at his opponent.

It was a Frillish-Doublade. He had bronze-like skin and pink eyes that illuminated faintly. Wrapped around his main tentacles were two swords, resembling Doublade swords. They were quite literally attached to his frill collar from what Hawkins could see.

Hawkins bared his teeth. "What an appropriate opponent to fall against my blade."

Frillish laughed haughtily. "I'm going to enjoy this fight! A shame, though! I wanted that Sandshrew Fusion as an opponent." He grinned perversely. "I wouldn't mind some one-on-one action with that cutie!"

Hawkins' eyes widened for a second, then furrowed into a scowl. He couldn't quite explain where this anger was coming from, but that lecherous comment brought out a bottle of rage in the swordsman's heart.

"I won't let you touch her!" He pushed the jellyfish off his blade and swung at him.

Frillish laughed as he easily evaded his strikes. "What's got you on edge? She your girlfriend? HAHA!" He floated into the air, keeping out of Hawkins' reach. "Ooh, I hit a nerve there! Shadow Ball!" He formed a massive Shadow Ball in his tentacle, then chucked it at Hawkins.

The swordsman raised his free hand and flicked his fingers. "Psychic."

The telekinetic glow appeared around the projectile, curved it around Hawkins, then slingshot it back at Frillish. The jellyfish laughed, raised his sword, and cut down the middle of the attack. The bisected halves went around him and exploded harmlessly.

Frillish laughed his head off. "Ooh, this is gooood~! I can actually go all out with you~!" He ran his tongue along his sword. "Don't disappoint me~!"

Hawkins grimaced. _Now I'm definitely not letting this lecherous creep near Dakota._ He summoned another Leaf Blade and threw both in the air, holding them with Psychic. He formed another two in his hands, then shouted, "Shut up and fight!" He raced at Frillish, who dove into him and connected blades.

* * *

Eunice and the group turned at a corner and raced down the path. "My plane is just down this way! If I know anything about these Renegades, they don't travel alone! Be on the lookout for anyone stalking us!"

Dakota panted as she tried to keep up. "I won't be…much help in a fight…unfortunately!"

Eunice shook her head. "Forget it! Leave the fighting to me! I promise to keep you all safe!"

They reached the end of the path, where Eunice did a quick search before pointing out the parked plane, sitting out in an open space by the mountain. Once they get inside, they should be safe for the time being.

"Alright, stick close to me. I just need to find the remote and…" She dug through her bag for the device.

Dakota's fur stood on end as a sudden change in temperature alerted her. Something fast and hot was coming right for them. "Uh, Eunice!"

Eunice turned around, then gasped. Without warning, she dove at the kids and teacher and threw them out of the way of the flaming meteor crashing through the ground. Flaming rock sprayed over the plain, but the group was mostly unharmed in the impact.

"Apologies…" Eunice pulled herself up and stood guard in front of the Fusions as a red hot meteor rose up from the ground. "I can't allow you to board that plane." The meteor split apart into a Pignite-Minior. In the simplest way they could explain, he looked like a Pignite made up of a rock outer shell. He hovered slightly off the ground.

Eunice narrowed her eyes. "A Pignite-Minior, huh?" A smirk crawled onto her face, twinging with excitement. "Ooh...I've never documented this combo before. I'm going to enjoy experimenting on you~."

Pignite was expecting more 'fear' and 'distress,' not 'excitement' and…arousal? He didn't want to put too much thought into it. "You're a strange one, lady…"

Eunice chuckled. "That's not new information." She bared her claws. "Now…let's begin the thesis."

Pignite snorted. "Whatever." He rose high into the air and curled into a ball. "I'll make sure none of you can get to Kanto! Heat Crash!" He lit up in a fiery aura and flew straight down.

Eunice smirked. "Heat Crash relies on the user's weight for maximum effectiveness, but the flight and power of a Minior can compensate and improve this. Fascinating~!" She jumped out the way just the Heat Crash curved against the ground, leaving a smoldering mark on the ground. "Hot! I love it!"

"If you really want a research paper, how about you stand still?" Pignite turned around and aimed for Eunice again.

Eunice quickly looked over her shoulder and spotted one of the bags she brought with her. It fell off in the first attack. She dodged Pignite's second attack and snatched the bag, swinging it onto her back. She followed Pignite's movements as he ascended the air, calculating his speed and upward rise.

"Calculating probability of attack success: 67%." Eunice kicked off her hindlegs and got within striking distance. "Crush Claw!" She stretched out her claws, encasing them in a purple aura.

Pignite performed a loop maneuver to use his downward force against her Crush Claw. "Take this!" He won out in the power clash and tackled Eunice right out of the air.

Eunice skipped across the ground and slammed into the side of the plane wheels. She shook her head as numbers projected over her eyes. "Attack strength recorded." She flipped back onto her feet, then glared up as Pignite accelerated downward with Heat Crash. "Accessing…Water Memory."

Her backpack whirred with internal moving components before firing a blue disc into the back of her right ear, which went in smoothly. A blue flash encased her body before her sclerae, ears, and fur color turned blue.

She raised her claws to the approaching Heat Crash and effortlessly stopped it in its place. The ground crumbled under the downward force, with Eunice remaining rigid against the heat.

"Grr…as expected from a Fusion of Silvally!" the Pignite begrudgingly commented.

Eunice smirked. "One of a kind, baby~! Multi Attack!" A blue aura enveloped her. She swung her claws and spiked Pignite across the ground.

Pignite uncurled and caught himself in his levitation. He inhaled deeply through his nostrils. "Flamethrower!" He expelled the flames in an expansive stream, resembling a fast-moving wall of fire approaching Eunice.

Dakota gasped. "Kids, get behind the plane!" She quickly hurried them behind their best source of cover at the moment.

Eunice narrowed her eyes, then reeled her claws back. "Multi Attack!" She slapped her claws across the flames and instantly dispersed them, licked by the persisting embers.

Pignite took himself into the air and lit up in a thin, red aura. "Shell Smash!" The aura shattered off his body like an outer shell, with those pieces infusing back into his arms and legs. "Now, Heat Crash!" He curled into a ball and dove back at Eunice, encased in a much stronger flame. He was faster, too.

Eunice barley managed to dodge him that time, getting her ear singed as a result. Despite this, she smirked with excitement. "Hmm...that's right. Keep powering up." She licked her lips enticingly. "I want as much data as you can offer."

Pignite internally grimaced. _And I thought my partner had issues._

* * *

Hawkins hopped along numerous rock spires as he clashed blades with the perverse Frillish. There was a difference in how they swung their swords. Hawkins struck with purpose and the intent to strike hard. Frillish, meanwhile, swung with a chaotic intent, as if his only goal was to deal massive damage with as little precision as he could.

It would be amateurish if it wasn't so effective.

Hawkins leaned back from the sword swing, a hair away from getting his chin sliced open. Using his backwards motion, he swung his foot into Frillish's chin, stunning him long enough for Hawkins to throw a Leaf Blade into his body. Frillish fluttered to the ground like a piece of paper.

"Now I've got you," Hawkins grumbled, diving with his two Leaf Blades crossed.

Frillish, however, smirked after hitting the ground. He sunk through like it was water, leading Hawkins to crash down on solid rock. Fortunately, he had the instinct to catch himself and flip off before he hit his head.

Hawkins looked around carefully for the tricky jellyfish. _Where is he planning on striking from next? Come out…don't annoy me with stupid games._

He listened out carefully to any disturbances in the air, though it might've been pointless against a ghost. Thankfully, he didn't have to try too hard to locate him.

"HA!" Frillish popped out from a ledge above Hawkins. "Now, come forth, Ominous Wind!" The dark winds traveled up his arm and swirled around the blades until they concentrated at the tip. He aimed the swords and fired off the winds in twin twisters coiling around each other.

"Agility!" Hawkins reacted and vanished just as the winds cut through the ground.

Frillish's eyes flickered to the swordsman appearing behind him. "Hello~!" He swung the swords and directed the Ominous Wind back at him.

Hawkins dodged again, running as the twisters chased him down. He shot a glare at Frillish before jumping to the side of the twisters and throwing a Leaf Blade at him.

Frillish twisted his body and let it fly by. "You threw your sword?! HA! Now that's just stupid! HA!" He manipulated the twin twisters to trap Hawkins in the center. "If it's not the crushing winds that'll break you, it'll be the oxygen being funneled out!" He threw his head back and laughed.

Hawkins squatted down to keep from being flung out of the tornado. He summoned up two more Leaf Blades and dug them into the ground. He then raised his hand and started making hand motions.

Frillish smirked. "What? Is that charades? Shall I go first?!"

Hawkins sneered. "Sure!" he shouted over the high winds. "What do you think I'm doing?"

"I don't know! Turning a crank? Waving your hand around? Calling me crazy?"

"What direction?!"

"Counterclockwise!" Frillish glared at the bottom of the tornado, then gasped, noticing some snow swirling counterclockwise to his tornado. A blue glow traveled with it. "Wait…!"

Hawkins smirked. "You catch on quick! HA!" He swung his hand and sent up a swirling snowstorm around the Ominous Wind. The opposing winds clashed viciously against each other before disrupting each other and dispersing. Hawkins jumped up and raced towards Frillish.

The jellywish swordsman smirked irritably. "You really are good! Sacred Sword!" He dove and darted right at Hawkins with one blade glowing bright blue. "Take this!"

Hawkins dropped on his knees and slid under it, then spun up. "Poison Jab!"

Frillish turned and caught the fist in his tentacle. "Ha! Did you forget?! I'm part Doublade! I'm a Steel-Type, idiot! What did you think that petty little poison was going to do to me?!"

Hawkins flicked his fingers. "This."

A green flash swung down and struck the jellyfish's exposed back. "AGH!" Hawkins reared his fist and plowed it into Frillish's face, sending him into a backflip. "Oof!" He tumbled onto the ground, feeling faint and delirious. "Ugh…"

Hawkins called over the flying Leaf Blade and dispelled it with a snap of his fingers. "I threw that earlier Leaf Blade to set you up for an attack. I used Psychic to strike you with it."

Frillish trembled as he tried to lift his body. He laughed quietly. "You really are…a fun guy." He raised his head to say something else, but Hawkins kicked him across the face and sent him on his back. "AH! My nose!"

Hawkins pressed his hand down on him to keep him still, along with a Leaf Blade against his neck. "I hate to kick a guy while he's down, so let's not make this harder than it needs to."

Frillish smirked, snickering through his teeth. "My, how chivalrous…ack!" Hawkins pushed the Leaf Blade closer to his neck. "Message received…"

"You overestimated your opponent and lost. Accept your shortcomings." He glared. "Now make yourself useful and tell me everything you know about Faust, starting with how to stop his machine."

Frillish laughed to himself. "You're kidding, right? You're kidding! HAH!"

Hawkins bared his teeth. "I'm not laughing…"

"That's rich...you think it can be stopped. Idiot...do you really think blowing up that machine will do you any good?" He grinned wildly. "What do you think will happen to all that energy stored inside? If you tried to blow it up, that energy may have to find its way out another way. Might not affect the whole world, but a concentrated blast like that might have serious consequences in such a controlled range. I'm talking mass mutation times eleven!"

Hawkins pressed down harder on his neck. "Then how do we shut it off for good?!"

"You aren't in any position to be interrogating me. I'm the one that has _you_ pinned." He grinned. "I knew you'd pin me. I just need to get you closer for this next part."

"Next part?"

A flicker of metal shot from the ground and struck Hawkins in the side. It hit his side so hard that blood sprayed from his mouth. It sent him spinning through the air before crashing into the ground.

Frillish rose up and wiped his lip. "Heh. Sacred Sword. Bet you're wondering what happened."

Hawkins sat in ground, panting as he clutched his side. "Did that…just shoot up…from the ground?"

Frillish smirked. "A neat little trick, huh? These sashes attached to me and my swords extend pretty far. Allows me to get off some crazy long-range attacks…like this!" He swung the blades and let them phase through the ground, like stones dropping into a pond.

Hawkins pulled himself up. _This guy can attack from underground? Got to admit, that's clever, but not the time and place for me…how do I deal with this?_

Frillish laughed. "Think of it like a Sharpedo lurking under the water. Waiting for the right moment to strike…before rising in a frenzy! Sacred Sword!" He whipped his sashes, channeling them to his swords.

The whiplash caused a sword to fly out from behind Hawkins. He sidestepped it in time, but a second came at his uninjured side and nailed a direct hit. He jumped back before it dug deeper against him, then flickered his eyes as the blades sunk back into the ground.

"And again!"

Hawkins dodged the sword slash that cut through the rock behind him, then the one that went for his feet. As time passed, they went from shooting out to swinging out in a mad frenzy. Despite being two swords, Hawkins was up against dozens slashing about relentlessly. They tore through anything caught in their hurricane.

Hawkins pulled out Leaf Blade and matched the speed as best he could. With their range and coverage, they got some good nicks off on his arms. He bared his teeth and focused solely on surviving. _This guy…_

Frillish laughed out loud. "This is great! After I'm done with you, I'll finish off that weird chick. Then maybe I'll have some alone time with that Sandshrew-Glaceon~! Hahahahaha!"

That familiar rage bubbled inside Hawkins again. _This lecherous creep…I'm a hair away from losing my damn mind._

* * *

"Flamethrower!" Pignite spewed flames at Eunice.

Eunice jumped out of the way and ran at the meteor pig from the side. "Take this!" She kicked his feet out from under him, then grabbed him by the face. "Crush Claw!" She gripped down tightly and shoved him into the ground.

Pignite snarled. "Flamethrower!" Flames built up under his nose and blasted Eunice's claws off.

Eunice straightened out in her descent and immediately lunged back into action once she landed. "Multi Attack!" She swung her claws, empowered with the element of water, and struck into his abdomen with brutal force.

"AGH!" Pignite went sailing back and slammed into the rock formations. He stumbled forward, then huffed smoke. "Power Gem!" He formed a crystal-like rock before him, then fired it at high speed.

Eunice glared. "Accessing: Fighting Memory." Her discs were exchanged, changing her colors to brick red. "Multi Attack!" She swung her claws and delivered a devastating blow to the Power Gem, shattering it to pieces. "Copycat!" Her eyes flashed with numbers, then she extended her claws, forming her own Power Gem. "HA!" She fired it back at him.

"Heat Crash!" Pignite wrapped himself in heat and slammed into the Power Gem. He grunted against the force, but held up well enough.

"Flash Cannon!" His eyes widened as the hybrid cat leaped over him and took aim with her tail, firing the metallic beam down on him.

"RAAAAAGH!" The blast sunk him into the ground, illuminating the area in a bright white light.

Eunice spun out and landed safely on the ground. She flicked her ear, then smirked. "Well, safe to say where we stand in terms of experience."

Pignite pulled himself, smoking from the Flash Cannon. He wheezed with a coughing fit as he struggled to stand on his feet. He glared at Eunice wearily. "You're…different from those villagers…"

"So, I assume you realize fighting me won't get you anywhere." Eunice raising a single claw and beckoned him forward. "How's about we end this silly fight and focus on something more…academical?"

Pignite glared. "…Even so…I was tasked with keeping you from getting to Kanto…" He straightened up, huffing flames. "…and I intend to keep my word."

"How noble of you. I'll be sure to document it in my papers."

Pignite stomped his foot down. "You said you want to experiment on me, right? Well…here's a little something for your papers…" He jumped and curled up into his meteor form. "I'll leave you speechless! Burning…STAR!"

Eunice glared suspiciously for a moment, then raised her foreleg as an immense heat came off the meteor. The surface turned red-hot first, then the heat expanded outward into a visible aura. It highly resembled his Heat Crash, but this attack seemed clearly different. By now, he would be trying to go in for the attack, but he remained stationary for this.

The heat it gave off was intense, too, like when you open an oven after it finishes cooking and all the heat rushes out. Not to mention, it was super bright.

Eunice tried her best to look at it so she could gather information on it. "Fascinating, but is this an attacking move or…huh?" Eunice looked at the ground and saw the snow was beginning to evaporate. She didn't even see it melt, it just turned immediately into mist. "That's not good…"

Dakota stared at the miniature sun for a moment, then suddenly felt weak-kneed. "Ugh…" She collapsed onto her side.

"Ms. Dakota!" Matthew shrieked.

"She's hurt!" Harper screamed.

"Get her behind the plane!" Caleb ordered.

Poppy and Winona dragged Dakota's limp body behind the plane to keep her in the shade. However, despite being a mite cooler, it was obvious there was still heat hitting them from the other side. Dakota was already sweating.

Wantanabe held his cheeks fearfully. "She's melting!"

"No, she isn't!" Harper squealed. "She's not an ice cream!"

"But that sun must be hurting her because she's an Ice-Type!" Caleb realized. "Look at all the snow!" Even the snow behind the plane started to melt.

Eunice gritted her teeth. _Shit, this is bad. What kind of Fusion Move is this?_ She raised her claws. _Forget the research for a moment. If she dies on me, I'll never forgive myself._ "Crush Claw!" She leapt at the sun and dug her claws into it.

However, it didn't have the desired results. No damage was inflicted. In fact, the aura expanded outward, radiating with far greater power. To top it off, the expanded energy released a wide-range volley of mini suns hurling across the area. Eunice got her forelegs up in time just as one blasted her into the side of the plane.

The kids screamed as some flew over and struck nearby. Matthew kept guard over Dakota, ready to take the hit for her.

"Try attacking all you want! My Burning Star…has no weaknesses!"

Eunice shook her head, then groaned as fire spread over her forelegs. "Give me a break. Accessing: Fire Memory." Her discs switched out again, turning her into a Fire-Type. She jumped down and shook the fire off. She smirked at the Fusion Move. "I have to say, your Burning Star is truly marvelous." Her eyes flashed with numbers. "It's so…ooh…full of data~!"

Pignite groaned. "How are you more of a pervert than my partner?! Quit lusting over my Fusion Move!"

She shrugged. "As you wish. Flash Cannon!" She aimed her tail and fired into the sun.

Same as before, the attack was nullified and made the sun bigger, firing off more sun volleys. Eunice jumped out of the way of them, feeling their increased heat.

Winona looked out from behind the plane, then pulled back as a sun flew near her face. "EEE! This is scary!"

"And Ms. Dakota isn't looking too good!" Wantanabe shouted, pointing out her worsening condition.

"K…Kids…" Dakota groaned weakly.

Harper jumped in place nervously. "What do we do?!"

Caleb pulled on his ears and tried to think of something. His eyes flickered onto the girls, then an idea came about. "Wait, I know! Winona, Poppy, you can use your water to cool her off! Harper, transform into one of them to help!"

Poppy grinned. "That's a great idea!" She lay down and pressed her water bubble up against Dakota's face. "Here, Ms. Dakota! Please hang in there!"

After Harper transformed into Winona, they both sprayed Water Gun on Dakota's body. The water was evaporating after hitting her body, but the teacher was starting to struggle less. Her panting turned into softer breaths.

Eunice smiled back at the kids. _Brilliant thinking, kiddos!_ She glared. _I need to figure out how this Fusion Move ticks and fast._

* * *

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

Hawkins ran around aimlessly as he was being pursued by swords flying out of the ground. He kept his distance for a good chunk of time, but the cuts that were racking up on him were taking their toll. It was shameful having to run from a fight, but this was not the time or place.

 _As if I'm letting some arrogant bastard like him be by death! I'll gladly put up with the shame of fleeing a fight over dying an unworthy death!_

A sword whipped out far faster than before and got a good hit off on his leg. "AGH!" Hawkins tripped over his feet and stumbled to the ground.

Frillish laughed and raised his tentacles. "Got you!" He whipped the sashes.

Hawkins glared and rolled out of the way. The swords rose out and slashed through the rock near him. They sunk back into the ground and were shot out at his chest. Hawkins immediately formed Leaf Blades and blocked the attack.

Frillish kept on laughing. "I haven't had this much fun since I got arrested! Me?! Being too violent?! As if! I wasn't violent _enough_!"

Hawkins blasted himself off the ground with Psychic, avoiding another laceration by the frenzy attack. He chucked his Leaf Blades against the swords, but they were torn to shreds. Hawkins hopped on his good foot to get to cover.

"Now I get to play with my prey and with no one to stop me! What fun!" Frillish exclaimed.

"Bastard…" Hawkins glared at the rock ahead, then jumped over it for cover.

"You think hiding will save you?!" Frillish shouted as he raised his tentacles. "I'll tear you to ribbons!" He flailed the sashes and sent his swords into a frenzy as they rose from the ground. They cut into the rock and obliterated it instantly. However, there was no Hawkins to cut up. "Eh?"

"Leaf Storm!" Frillish looked up before getting bombarded by a twister of leaves. Hawkins hovered lightly in the air with a combination of Leaf Storm and Psychic.

Frillish's body was cut up by the razor sharp leaves. He couldn't will his body to escape, stunned by the pain. He growled and telekinetically called back his swords. "O-Ominous Wind!"

The swords spun and gathered up the dark winds, cutting through the Leaf Storm and hooking around Frillish to throw himself to safety. He caught himself in the air and glared at the flying swordsman.

"You'll pay for that! Sacred Sword!" He spun the sword by its sash, then chucked it at Hawkins.

"Reflect!" Hawkins formed a barrier around his body and sponged off the damage before falling back onto the ground. He landed a fair bit from where Frillish floated and scowled at him.

Frillish floated down after catching his sword. "Why are you so persistent?" He smirked. "You dare challenge a mighty warrior such as I? You dare look down on me like I am some weakling? Awfully bold of a man to act so brave before a legend. I'm afraid any sense of victory you had has been lacerated by my blades." He pointed at the swordsman's legs. "I mean, what hope do you have with cuts left behind on your legs? Any more of this and you'll bleed out."

Hawkins' scowl lightened into a normal glare. "…Is that so?"

Frillish chuckled, tapping one sword against his shoulder. "Undeniable fact." He tilted his head and smirked evilly. "You have no hope of getting past by unbeatable frenzy attack."

"…Awfully bold of _you_ to decide victory when you've already lost." Hawkins stood up straight and held his hip. "Sadly for you, you're not facing an amateur."

"Haha! The hell should I care?! Some lowlife Fusion from the back ends of the world telling ME I'm bad! You pathetic Fusions had to runaway from your problems and live it up in that dinky little village! But for me, I had to survive! You aren't dealing with an amateur, either! Now die!" He spun his swords and chucked them into the ground.

Hawkins, however, did not flinch. He kept his resolve up as he stared down the jellyfish, which secretly irritated the Renegade. Further adding to his irritation, Hawkins began approaching the Renegade.

Frillish sneered, but tried to keep his cool. "Eh?! Whatcha doin'? Coming closer so I can really do some damage?!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes calmly. "You're awfully fast. You must've spent years trying to master that technique. Enough speed and precision to cut anyone down to ribbons."

"What are you getting at?!"

"I've noticed something every time before you start that frenzy attack of yours. Depending on how far you have to extend those blades...the wind-up time increases. All the energy from your whiplash has to travel down the sash until it reaches the blade." His eyes glowed as he activated Agility. "So...think you can get another one off before I sock you in the face?"

Frillish's eyes widened. _Shit!_ He raised his arms and whipped down on the sashes.

Just as Hawkins thought, the kinetic energy from the whipping had to travel to the blades to actually get them moving. With his increased speed, he rushed right up to the jellyfish's face and reared his fist back.

"Sacred Sword-!" he shouted, trying to call back his sword. Hawkins, however, connected his fist with his face and pounded him across the ground. "WAAAAH-!" Hawkins didn't end there. He instantly appeared above him with a Leaf Blade and slashed him right into the ground, digging him in. "Ugh…"

Hawkins landed over him, then spat on the ground. "…So…still think you're better than me? Or do I need to drive my point in a little deeper?"

Frillish chuckled weakly as he tried to get up. "Y-You know…you're a funny g-GAH!" Hawkins swung his foot across his face and took him down again.

"Last time I let you talk, you got the jump on me." He picked him up by the neck and pressed him against a rock. He squeezed down on his throat a bit.

"Agh…gah…" Frillish wheezed, grasping onto Hawkins' arm.

Hawkins casted an unfeeling glare on the killer swordsman. "Perhaps a little asphyxiation will do you some…huh?" Hawkins looked up, suddenly noticing a difference in temperature. It was steadily getting warmer, despite being moderately cool moments ago. Not only that, but the snow was beginning to melt before his eyes. "What's going on?"

He looked over his shoulder, then gasped. Shining down the mountain was an intense red light, radiating the air in a powerful heat. It looked like a miniature red sun was dropped in the middle of nowhere, and it was melting everything in sight.

"What the hell is that?!" Hawkins shouted.

Frillish smirked. As Hawkins was distracted, he phased himself through the rock and out of Hawkins' grasp.

The swordsman bared his teeth and jumped away. _Shit, I forgot the bastard can go intangible!_ His eyes flickered back down the mountain with an uncertain sense of dread hanging over him.

It was made worse by the jellyfish's disembodied laughter echoing over his head. "If it's all the same to you, I'll just be hiding myself away from my friend's Fusion Move. Nasty thing, it is. Pretty much bakes everything in sight. Particularly _deadly_ against Ice-Types."

Hawkins' heart sank. _Dakota…_

* * *

Winona and Harper kept spraying Dakota in water to cool her off, but were beginning to grow weary from nonstop shooting and the heat taking its toll on them. "C-Can't…keep going…" Harper wheezed.

"Throat…so sore…" Winona whimpered.

Caleb fluttered over them, pulling on his ears. "You can't stop! Ms. Dakota needs us! We need to keep her safe!"

Dakota weakly opened her eyes. Her breaths were getting heavy again. "K-Kids…"

Meanwhile, Eunice was still in the heat of battle trying to break through Pignite's Fusion Move. She wanted to say she was making progress, but the scorch marks over her body, coupled with her depleting stamina, were a sign of steady defeat.

She wiped her lip, glaring at the red ball of heat. _This is bad. This Fusion Move...it's used to exhaust the stamina of anyone caught in its heat. Works better on those who can't handle the heat, but...even with this Fire Memory, I'm not doing too well..._

She flinched as the meteor pig's voice boomed from the raging sun. "Surrender and be spared of my wrath! Or suffer a long, agonizing demise!"

Eunice panted lightly. _There's no way he can keep this up indefinitely. He's been going for five minutes already._ She glared back at the kids. _They aren't suffering as bad because of the shade from the plane. It still operates like normal heat, but how am I going to cool this thing down fast enough?_

"Why do you insist on getting in our way?" the pig's voice boomed from within the sun. "Do you not see we are trying to bring justice to the unfortunate souls that have been wronged for centuries? You stand there and resist in favor of the Pokémon who scorned us? Why do you persist defending their actions?"

Eunice closed one eye and smirked. "Defend? Like hell I'd defend the crap they've done over the centuries. You got it all wrong. I am on your side." She glared. "You're the ones who are leading a misguided revolution."

"Misguided, maybe, but in hopes of a world where this nonsense can be put to rest."

Eunice sighed. "You clearly underestimate a creature's ability for pure stupidity. In a sense, we're all stupid creatures who act on impulse. The smarter of these impulsive creatures are the ones who win out in the end. A world of differences is a marvelous thing, but if you have to eliminate a section of it to make a true reality…that's not love of all differences. That's just being an asshole."

"Tch." Pignite increased the heat of his move, throwing back Eunice. "It doesn't matter. Whether you like it or not, you can't stop Faust. He will do everything to achieve his dream."

"Then I guess I'll be the one to stop him."

Eyes darted up the mountain and spotted Hawkins standing atop the high ledge, cloaked in the evaporated snow. He held his arm out to shield his face from the rising heat, but glared with fury when he spotted Dakota laying on the ground. It was hard to tell, but he knew she was wreathing with pain.

Pignite groaned. "So, you're still kicking? You think you can stop me? I'd love to see you use those dinky little swords of yours against THIS!"

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "Quite the disturbance you're causing on the mountain."

"HAH! You should've seen what I did to a beach! Turing sand into glass and an ocean into a geyser of mist!" he boasted. "My Fusion Move is unstoppable!"

"Maybe…but I highly doubt you were bathing in that mist." Hawkins held his hand out. "Psychic."

Eunice narrowed her eyes as the mist started to concentrate itself under the Burning Star, wrapped in Hawkins' psychic energy. It swirled into a tight spiral. The more snow that melted away, the more mist Hawkins had to work with.

"What-?" Pignite uttered as he sensed the mist compiling right under his attack. "H-Hey! What are you doing?!"

"An urban city, the desert, any dry landscape you can find; if you had used this anywhere else, it would truly be a monster of a Fusion Move. However, all you did here was raise the humidity drastically." Hawkins glared. "All this water vapor concentrated at a single target would be enough to douse any fire." He glared. "What you saw as mist…I saw as gaseous water. After all, ice is just frozen water."

He flicked his fingers up and commanded the mist to swirl around Pignite's Burning Star, blocking out the intense light. "W-Wait, stop, don't do that! STOP!"

In dramatic fashion, the temperature was dropping rapidly. While it wasn't particularly cold, it was definitely a bearable temperature, if not a little muggy. Eunice smirked. "Quite clever. Using all the water vapor in the air so that he couldn't evaporate it further. You can keep cooling him down until he's stone-cold."

Hawkins glared. "Maybe, but with all this excess heat needing to travel somewhere else…" As he said that, the mist started expanding outward, turning what remainder of the cool air in an instant curtain of fog, obscuring everyone's vision.

"EEE! Who turned on the spooky fog?!" Poppy shrieked.

Harper reverted to her normal form. "It's not that hot anymore!" She heard Dakota groan as she started coming to, making the Eevee-Ditto beam. "Guys! I think Ms. Dakota is okay!"

"Kids, where are you?" Hawkins shouted through the fog as he searched around aimlessly. "Dakota? Are you okay?"

Back over with Pignite, the Renegade lay on his stomach, soaking wet from the vapor. He pushed himself up and groaned. "You've got to be kidding me." A foot stomped down in front of him. "EEP!" He flew back and scooted his back against some rock.

Eunice's eyes flashed through the mist, coupled with her devilish laughter. "Hello~!"

"S-Stay back!" He inhaled through his nostrils and fired Flamethrower. And by fired Flamethrower, it was actually more akin to a puff of smoke. His face fell. "Sh-Shit, I forgot!"

"Ooh, what's this?" Eunice pushed him up against the rock, smirking excitedly. "Ah, that explains the insane parameters of your Fusion Move. An all or nothing attack that has the same aftereffect as Burn Up. Quite fascinating."

"Let me go!" He tried punching her, but he was surprisingly weak, much to Eunice's amusement.

"Oh, this just gets me riled up to meet your partner. I wonder what he can do~!"

"Seriously, you're creepy!"

Hawkins finally found his way through the fog and spotted the kids surrounding Dakota. He ran and slid on his knees, lifting her in his arms. "Dakota? Dakota, are you alright?"

Her face scrunched up a bit, then her eyes fluttered open tiredly. "H-Huh? Hawkins?" She groaned and held her head. "Ooh…what happened?"

Before Hawkins could explain, the kids jumped for joy. "Yay, she's okay!" Winona cheered.

"We're super awesome!" Harper exclaimed.

"Heroes!" Wantanabe exclaimed, too.

Hawkins raised his brow. "You mean to tell me you kids kept her protected from that sun?" They nodded enthusiastically. Hawkins stared with surprise, then looked away with a light grin. "Heh. I'm proud of you kids."

Dakota sat up and rubbed her head. "You're okay, right? Did you…ugh, get that other guy?"

"Not yet." He settled Dakota back on the ground and stood up. "You take it easy for a bit. I'm going to hunt him down-GAH!"

Dakota's eyes widened. "Hawkins?!" The kids screamed while her hands shot up to her mouth.

Hawkins stood paralyzed in place, gazing down at the object sticking through his stomach. It looked like a hard-light construct of a sword. From the back, the hilt had a chain connected to it, phasing out of the ground. He felt dizzy seeing a sword sticking out of his abdomen.

"What…is this?"

Eunice's ears twitched at the commotion. She turned and peered through the fog. "Hey, what's going on over-?" She froze as another hard-light sword struck through her, too. She wasn't sure if she should be in pain or confused. Her eyes twitched rigidly at the sword impaled through her. "What…that hell?"

"Heh…hehehe…" came an ominous laughter.

The swords flew out of their backs and retreated into the fog. Both inflicted Fusions dropped down and clutched their abdomens, coughing with harsh force. While no physical wounds were left behind, a purple, vein-like mark was left in the center of their stomachs.

Hawkins coughed and clutched at the mark. "Where did…this come from?"

Eunice pushed herself up and tried scanning through the fog. "Damn it…where is he?"

"Hehehehe," came the ominous laughter again. Dakota stumbled back, clutching her dangles out of fear. "Now with two of my main threats no longer a concern..." Dakota's eyes widened as a chilling presence rose up from the ground behind her. His cold, lifeless breath crawled over her nape, sending shivers through her entire body. "It's just you and me, sweetheart."

Dakota weakly turned her head, biting down on her lip. "What…What did you do to them?" She stepped back, eyes shrunk with fear. "What did you do?!"

Frillish smirked and raised one of his swords, running his tongue across the surface. "Cursed Sword. That's my Fusion Move-"

"Bastard!" Hawkins interrupted with a sharp strike from Leaf Blade.

"GAH!" Frillish went flying into the side of the plane and crumpled to the ground.

Hawkins stood guard of Dakota and crossed his Leaf Blades. "Dakota, stay behind me! I'll-GAH!" He dropped his Leaf Blades and fell on his knees, clutching his stomach.

"Hawkins?!" Dakota gasped as she heard Eunice's own groans. "Eunice?! Are you okay?!" She tensed up at the jellyfish's laughter as he picked himself off the ground. Her eyes widened as the injuries inflicted on him were disappearing like they weren't there.

"You know, I was going to explain what Cursed Sword does, but then you go and do that." He smirked. "Oh well, I'm still a generous guy. It's a simple ability, actually. I turned those two into stamina batteries. Any damage I sustained, I syphon off either or of them...and heal back to perfection." He smirked. "Notice that my previous injuries are gone, rosy boy?"

Hawkins snarled wearily. "Damn you…"

Dakota quivered, continuing to step away from the psychotic looking swordsman. He laughed and continued to approach her. "Basically, I'm pretty much invincible, at least until these two are out of the picture. Not that I need them, since it's just you and those brats." He smirked. "Not that I have any intention of roughing you up _too_ much, hot stuff."

Dakota's eyes darted nervously between him and Hawkins as he tried to pick himself up. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"So, if you want me to undo the effects now, you could…" He licked his lips. "…give _me_ something in return."

That was the last straw for Dakota. She shrieked at her highest pitch and started running back into the mountains. "Stay away from me, you creep!"

However, he was faster and popped out of the ground, securing her by the wrists. "Come now, cutie~! Don't you want to feel special?" Dakota leaned her head back as she tried to free her arms. "How about a kiss from a real man? That loser doesn't deserve someone like you~."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Dakota shouted with a huge blush.

"That makes it better!" He leaned in and puckered his lips.

"HA!" Frillish shrieked as Eunice's claws came down on his head, empowered with a Multi Attack: Electric. She slammed his face deep into the ground, then shouted at Dakota, "Keep him distracted!"

"Excuse me?!" Dakota shrieked.

Eunice groaned and stumbled back as her mark started glowing. "I…am a researcher on all things Fusion! You have my solemn word that I will uncover the secrets of this move!" She glared. "Until then, by me some time!"

"B-But I can't fight!"

"Your life and dignity are on the line! Even if it's for a moment, I need you to cut loose! Now RUN!"

Dakota flinched, but saw no reason to stick around for too long. She jumped over the jellyfish's limp body, then curled into a ball. "Rollout!" She spun into the mountains, putting as much distance between her and Frillish as possible.

Frillish quickly recovered, unharmed by the ambush attack. He smirked excitedly. "Ooh, a chase! I love it!" He flew after her.

"Ms. Dakota!" Harper screamed.

Pignite pulled himself together and ran after Frillish, but Eunice tackled him to the ground. "WAH-!"

"You're coming with me!" She dragged him off into a bush.

Hawkins pushed himself against the plane and took a moment to catch his breath. _Dakota…I know you're scared, but I'm going to protect you. I know you hate fighting…I respect that now…but I need you to break your oath, just this once._

"We need to help her!" Winona shouted. The kids rallied together to fight, but Hawkins held his hand out.

"Absolutely not. You kids will just get in the way." Hawkins grunted, then proceeded to limp forward. "Stay here and stay out of trouble."

"But we can help!" Caleb complained.

"You'll be doing her a favor by _staying alive_!" Hawkins bared his teeth. "Besides, I don't want any of you around the fight. If that bastard does anything weird to Dakota, I'm going to lose my mind!"

Harper blinked in awe. "Wow…you must _really_ like-like her!"

"Hush!" Hawkins started off at a limp walk, then gradually broke out into a sprint into the mountains. _I'm coming, Dakota! Hang in there a little longer!_

* * *

"OW, OW, OW!" Pignite cried as Eunice kept repeatedly slapping him. "Cut that out-GAH!" She stuck two claws up his nose and held him by the nostrils. "AGH! You're so crude!"

Eunice glared. "Tell me everything you know about his Fusion Move, or I'm breaking my 'no dissecting live specimens' rule!"

"You _dissect_ creatures?!"

"Not _yet_."

Pignite growled. "Why should I listen to-AGH!" She lifted him higher by the nostrils.

"Any more stupid questions, or shall I start by examining your liver?"

Pignite squealed and crossed his arms to stop her. "Okay, okay, I'll talk, but it won't do you any good!"

"I'll be the judge of that."

"All I can say for certain is that he can only use the move on two people at a time! It's connected with those swords of his! You know, with how the Honedge line are infamous for life draining and stuff?! That's all I have!"

"How do you get rid of it?"

"M-Maybe with a status cleaning move!"

Eunice huffed. "Shit, none of those." She glared. "It doesn't go away until all the stamina from his targets is depleted, right? What about if he stabs a third person? He could've easily used it to incapacitate Dakota or the kids. Does that mean he can only have it active on two people at a time?"

"Yes, yes, to all of that! But good luck trying to get rid of it! If you don't have a way to remove it, you're all doomed!"

Eunice lowered him, giving him the death glare. "You challenge me to a game of wits?" She smirked. "You've sealed your fate, my boy."

* * *

"AAAAHHH!" Dakota rammed into rocks and spires, aimlessly speeding away from her pursuer with his obnoxious laughter fueling her anxiety.

"Come here, my pretty!"

"Keep away from me, you murderous psycho!"

"I haven't murdered anyone!"

"I doubt that!"

Hawkins kept at an even pace following behind them, growling to himself as he listened to Dakota's terrified shrieks. _That bastard._ Unbeknownst to the swordsman, a blue and red energy was seeping off his body.

Dakota turned a corner, but realized too late that she hit a dead end. She bounced off the surface and landed on her back. "Ow…" She gasped as a shadow loomed over her. "Oh…no…"

Frillish smirked. "My dear, you've put me through quite the chase. Allow me to express my emotions through pain!" He whipped out his swords. "Sacred Sword!" He swung down on her.

"Defense Curl!" She curled up before being punted into the rock wall.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Frillish slashed into her defensive state, grinding sparks off her back. "You're still resisting! How dare you not acknowledge me?! Do you know who I am?!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Dakota screamed.

"Such a weak little girl!" Frillish snickered openly. "Oh, I love it! Just goes to show that the weak must always submit to the superior!" He slashed with both swords and struck her into the wall. "That is where we differ, my pretty! A show of our talents, only to realize there is only one above all!"

Dakota gritted her teeth inside her curled state. _I'm not weak…_

"It's so amusing to watch you resist! HAHA!" Frillish flew into the air. "I like weaklings like you! So. Much. FUN!" He summoned a cluster of Shadow Balls and chucked them down on the Sandshrew Fusion.

"KYAAAAAHH!" Dakota shrieked as they went off, kicking up a huge cloud of dust around her.

Frillish whipped out his swords against and spun them around. "Now then, for the main event-!" Something jumped onto his back and took him briefly out of flight. "EH?!" He reared his head over his shoulder, then sneered. "Hey! Does this look like a ride to you?!"

Hawkins kept one arm hooked securely around the jellyfish while the other raised his Leaf Blade, which glowed pink. "Sweetest Nectar!" He slashed down on his opponent's back.

"GYAAAH!" Frillish hollered before swinging his tentacle and backhanding the swordsman off. Hawkins hit the ground, then groaned as his cursed mark activated again. Frillish sighed, then dusted himself off conceitedly. "Please~. When will you amateurs learn?" He waited for the stolen energy to heal up his wound, but felt no such thing. "Huh?" He looked over himself and saw the fresh cut made on him. "What the?"

Hawkins pulled himself up, panting heavily. "If I go out...at least you won't be pulling that trick anymore. I used one of the effects of Sweetest Nectar...and disabled your ability to heal."

Frillish scowled. "You did _what_?"

Hawkins glared. "Even if it doesn't stop me from having my health drained, I'm not letting you have anymore of our energy."

Frillish flashed his snarling teeth, then calmed down to smirk haughtily. "You certainly are entertaining me. A shame, though, that you made this little plan of yours when I was still at roughly perfect health." He glared. "Go ahead and retaliate. You and that damn woman will just bring yourselves closer to defeat."

Hawkins narrowed his eyes. "If it means keeping Dakota safe, so be it."

Dakota waved the smoke away from her as the dust finally settled. She stared Hawkins' way with wide, yet soft eyes. "Hawkins…" Her hand went over her heart, a blush rising over her cheeks. _The man who fights for himself…just said he's doing this to protect me?_

"Don't act so chivalrous, you whelp!" Frillish dove and struck Hawkins in the stomach. "That shit's about as compelling as a kindergarten play! Fighting for that pathetic little girl?!"

Hawkins sneered. "She is not _weak_!"

Frillish grabbed him by the throat and forced him against a spire. "I don't entertain the idea we are on equal footing. We existed for the longest time under a power flux." Frillish smirked villainously. "I refuse to be looked down by anyone ever again. All of you fools, Pokémon and Fusion, are weaklings compared to me! Even if I must follow that whelp, Faust, there is no one who surpasses me! The strong live, the weak are subjugated! That's how it works!"

Hawkins gasped, then tried to rip his tentacles off his neck. He threw his legs at him, but there wasn't much of a body to kick at. _Anything I do will just come back to bite me! Got to think fast!_

"Hawkins!" Dakota cried out. She watched helplessly as the Frillish slowly choked the life out of Hawkins, shaking as his movements became slower and sluggish. _S-Someone! Anyone! Please! Don't let Hawkins die!_ She looked around desperately. _But there's no one else to help!_

Her eyes kept flickering between where she came and Hawkins. She had to run and get Eunice, but would she make it back in time? No, that wasn't what Dakota was worried about. Was she willing to run and leave Hawkins to this creep's mercy? After everything he said, she was just going to abandon him?

Dakota stared between her options with uneven conflict, weighing them back and forth with the weight of her anxiety dominating both. She clenched her eyes shut and pulled on her dangles. _What can I even do?!_

" _Your life and dignity are on the line! Even if it's for a moment, I need you to cut loose!"_

 _I can't! I just can't!_ Dakota opened her eyes and stared at the tension exuding from Hawkins as he was losing air. _I don't want to…_

" _I still believe you're weak, though that's only because you've never battled in your life. However, I have newfound respect for you."_

" _I went to Gappei to keep my folks safe. This time's no different, just with some added interest."_

Dakota's hands slowly fell to her sides, the fear in her eyes slowly fading away. _That's right. Hawkins went to Gappei to keep his parents out of the spotlight. My parents sent me there so I could have a normal future._ She looked ahead. _Hawkins, the man who thought of me as a pure weakling, is also the same man who has the most faith in me. The only other person I consulted with about what I did as a kid._

Her fingers curled tightly as she glared. _Violence is an ugly thing that breeds more violence…but what would I do if the kids were in danger? I was willing to tiptoe over that line to save them. Hawkins needs me…and I…refuse to let him down!_

Frillish smirked as Hawkins was losing focus in his eyes. "Only a few seconds left-!"

"HEY!" His eyes widened to Dakota's abrupt shout. She stomped her foot down and growled. "LET HIM GO!"

Frillish blinked, genuinely bewildered, then smirked. "Oh please~! I'll finish you in a second, my precious! I just need to finish up over-!"

"Rollout!" Dakota broke into a sprint, then revved through the ground in her curled state. Before he realized what was happening, Frillish was struck in the face by Dakota's Rollout and rammed into the same spire he had Hawkins pinned to.

Hawkins felt and sucked in as much air as he could, coughing violently. _Ugh…that was too close!_ He wiped his mouth, then looked up at Dakota. "Dakota?"

"RAAAAAWR!" Dakota shrieked as she grinded into the Frillish Fusion's head. Adding onto her attack, her fur unintentionally grew icicles that were cutting into the crazy Fusion's face.

"AAAAAAAAH!" he screamed.

Hawkins groaned and held his stomach as the mark acted up again. He didn't care, though. "Keep…going, Dakota. Don't stop…beat him-" Something tapped him on the shoulder, turning his attention to it. "Wha…Caleb?"

The electric bat grinned, then pulled on the swordsman's hand, leading him out of sight. Both Dakota and Frillish were left unaware.

"GAAAAAAAH!" Frillish continued to holler before slapping his tentacle across the teacher and throwing her off. Dakota bounced twice, then landed on her feet, Her fur was stained in droplets of his blood. Frillish clutched his bleeding face, snarling furiously at the artic shrew. "You…BITCH! Look at what you did to my face!"

Dakota stood up, glaring unfeelingly, then wiped her lip. "Tsk. Look at what your blood did to my fur?"

His eye twitched. "Y-Your fur?" He bared her teeth. "What's with that look? Why is someone as weak as you…looking at me that way?"

Dakota stepped forward. "…My name is Dakota. I am an aspiring teacher who wishes to bring hope to her students. I am twenty-five years old, nearing up to twenty-six. When I was twelve, I committed an assault on a classmate that I've regretted ever since." She glared. "I refuse to fight for any means, because I believe violence is an unlawful habit to solve problems.

"That is…that's what I believed in the beginning. I don't fight, I never will fight. Battle is never going to be my passion or strong suit. But for someone as proud as you to have the audacity of calling me weak…" She closed her eyes. "I'm not holding back for this. I refuse to play this game of yours."

Frillish bared his teeth, with his right eye twitching. "Heh…look who's really acting proud. You think _you_ can beat me?"

Dakota glared sternly at him. "I doubt I can. A straightforward fight with you is instant defeat for me." She clenched her fist. "So, I'm just going to prove my point with this next attack."

"…Ha…haha…" Frillish chuckled lightly to himself. He raised his tentacle and summoned a cluster of Shadow Balls. "You…little…BITCH!" he screamed, soaring high into the air. "How dare a weakling like you…DEFY ME!" He summoned up a massive cluster of Shadow Balls and swung his tentacles, crashing them down on the teacher.

Dakota crossed her arms. _I got lucky with this!_ Her body refracted light as the Shadow Balls exploded around her.

"WHERE DO YOU GET OFF ACTING SO DAMN PROUD?!" Frillish screamed as he lit the entire ground ablaze with darkness explosions. "There's a simple rule this world needs to follow! The strong survive, the weak are subjugated! You have no say in deciding you're strong!"

The explosions went off in chains, decimating the land and firing debris into the sky like geysers shoot out of the ground. The entire field was wrapped in a thick, blazing smog. There was no end to his flailing, utterly erupting the land in his Shadow Balls.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU'RE TOUGH! I'M THE STRONG! DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON ME!" He summoned one final, massive Shadow Ball and swung in it down.

Using the explosions to her advantage, Dakota rocketed into the air, curled into a ball, and pierced through the final Shadow Ball. Instead of exploding, the energy was transferred into her body, instantly eliminating the threat. Frillish was taken back by the glowing Fusion as she rose higher in the air, much higher than him.

Dakota uncurled herself, revealing the refracted, purple light shimmering off her body. "Fine…I won't look down on you." She raised her hands and channeled the energy through her arms and into a condensed orb over her head.

"I'LL MAKE YOU CRY FOR MERCY INSTEAD! CRYSTAL MIRROR!"

She swung her arms and fired a massive beam of purple, refracting light down on the jellyfish ghost. Frillish felt an overwhelming amount of power oozing out the attack, fueled by the endless supply of Shadow Balls he bestowed her. She must've been stocking energy, even before she snapped.

He growled and reared back his blade. "Enough! Sacred Sword!" He spun his body and slammed the empowered blades into the beam, briefly believing his attack cancelled hers.

Those hopes were dashed when the energy started flowing over his swords. His eyes widened with panic as the beam started pushing him back. He grossly overestimated the power Dakota was firing, and it was beginning to engulf him!

"How?! How can you…?! NO! AAAAAAHHHHHH!" were his words as the beam swallowed him in bright light and continued its downward descent into the ground.

Impacting with the ground, Dakota realized just how much power she had released without thinking. As the beam struck the ground, it triggered a far greater explosion than what Frillish did. Not only did it trigger a massive explosion, it utterly obliterated the ground, creating a wave of rock that split off from the epicenter, digging a huge crater at the point of impact. Followed after was a chain of explosions that ripped through the ground and further decimated the land.

Dakota covered herself as she freefell to the ground, striking the smoldering earth in her curled state. With a bit of rolling, she nudged herself out and uncurled, collapsing on her hands and knees to take a much-needed breather. She panted heavily, not use to firing off so much absorbed energy.

"N-Never again…will I do that…" She sat back, leaning on her hands, then sighed. She looked over at the destruction, realizing she was sitting in a self-made crater. Her eyes widened in disbelief at it. "Holy…did I do this?"

 _Oh dear, I hope the others didn't get caught in the blast._ She picked herself up, dusting off her shoulders, and started for the edge. _I don't see that creep anywhere. Hope I didn't kill him. He may be a creep, but I can't live with myself if I committed murder…even with all this destruction I caused._

She reached the steep edge and dug her claws in, but stopped short of her climb at the annoyed groaning coming from behind her. _What?!_ She whipped her head around, then gasped. _No! He didn't!_

Frillish panted heavily, floating shakily behind Dakota as he dripped with blood. However, his injuries were starting to heal themselves away, much to Dakota's horror. He lifted his head, no longer showing his psychotic grin. His face was twisted with rage.

"Seems…your boyfriend's little effect wore off on me at the right time. If only it lasted a few seconds longer, I would've passed out and your friends would've been freed by my Cursed Sword." He grunted. "Still…I wasn't expecting you to pack this much of a wallop, but it certainly gets the job done." He pointed up the crater.

Dakota followed his gesture, then gasped. She spotted Hawkins, standing near the edge, clutching his stomach and teetering about before collapsing on his knees. Tears peeked from Dakota's eyes. "No…" Her heart sank as Hawkins fell onto his side. "HAWKINS!" She raced up the crater, kicking up huge clumps of rock and dirt along the way.

She pulled herself over the edge and crouched down beside him. "Hawkins!" She picked up his head and held him close. "Hawkins, get up! Hawkins, aren't you listening?! Wake up! HAWKINS!" She got nothing from him. "Please, please wake you! We need you! _I_ need you! I can only do so much! Please! HAWKINS!"

Tears dripped from her cheeks onto the swordsman's face. Dakota bit her lip, then held his head against her chest as she cried. "Hawkins…I did everything I could…but I need you. Please…please, wake up and save us…"

As Dakota clutched desperately to the unconscious body, Frillish rose up from the crater with his tentacles crossed. He looked around cautiously. "No sign of the other one. She must've went out, too." He glared. "Good."

Dakota felt his presence again, as well as the cold feeling running through her fur. She clenched her teeth and set Hawkins' body down. "You…" She stood up and turned halfway to face him, but was stopped by Caleb, who flew down from nowhere.

"Ms. Dakota!" Caleb cried out.

Dakota whipped her arm out and stopped him. "Caleb, stay back! This man is incredibly dangerous!"

"But everything's okay!"

Dakota glared. "Caleb, not right now! We need to get you back to the others!"

"But Ms. Eunice knows how to stop him!"

"Eunice is probably unconscious for all we know!"

Frillish floated down a bit to get a good look at them. He sneered. "If we can end this pitiful argument right now…" He lifted up his swords. "I've got business to attend to." He scowled at Dakota. "To think, I have to lower myself to using this move on such a beautiful, yet unworthy bitch like you. We could've had so much fun, but you decided to _ruin_ my fun."

Dakota scooted Caleb behind her. "When I say run, get back to the plane immediately…"

Frillish reared his blades back. "Since you love causing me trouble, I'll seal your fate with this move, too! You and that useless brat! Cursed Sword!" He extended his swords and shot off purple sword constructs straight at them.

Dakota turned and covered Caleb, hoping the blade would only infect her. She was about to close her eyes and accept the pain when two shadows leaped over both their heads. Dakota's eyes tracked the forms curiously, then she gasped in silence.

"…Magic Coat!"

Frillish was taken back by the sudden flash of light coming from the field, He covered his eyes and tried to peer back down. "What move-GAH!?" Something flung back into Frillish instantly and struck him. He froze, then looked down at the sword sticking through his body. He gawked in disbelief. "Wha…What?"

A smirk curled up on Eunice's face as her Magic Coat ended. "Hehe…new data collected." Held in her left claw was Pignite, who also had one of the swords sticking through him. She dropped him unceremoniously, then walked over to Dakota. "I see there's some data left to collect on you, too."

"Eunice?!" Dakota shrieked. "You're…You're okay?!"

Eunice winked. "Of course I am. And so are the kids."

"Ms. Dakota!" She turned her head and saw the children running over to check on her. Poppy jumped up and down. "We saw the explosion! Are you okay?"

"Did you do that?" Matthew awed. "That was so wicked!"

Dakota smiled. "Kids! I'm…I'm so glad you're all okay!" She grabbed Winona and Wantanabe first and gave them joyous snuggles, but stopped when she noticed a missing child. "Wait, where's Harper?"

Back over with Frillish, he pulled the sword out of his chest and gawked at the cursed mark on his body. It was enough of a mockery as it was, marked by his own attack, but he had other grievances to address, starting with Eunice. "How is that bitch still conscious?! That blast nearly knocked me out, yet she's perfectly healthy!"

"Hey…jelly boy." Frillish's blood turned ice cold, sensing a new presence right behind him. Standing on a jagged spire kicked up by the raging blast of Dakota's beam, Hawkins glared over the jellyfish with his arms crossed. Any injuries he had before were completely erased. Frillish staggered back, face drained of its natural color. "Hmm? What's wrong? Saw a ghost?"

Dakota gasped and fell backwards, pointing at the faraway swordsman. "H-H-Hawkins?! But…how?! How is he…?!" She pointed at the body in front of her. "But…then who is…?!"

'Hawkins' suddenly became animated, springing onto his feet and, in Dakota's own words, doing the most un-Hawkins thing imaginable. He spun and struck a cutesy pose, flashing the peace symbol. "Operation Switcheroo was complete success!" the imposter said with a higher pitch of Hawkins' voice.

Dakota's eyes bugged out. "Wait…Harper?!"

The imposter twirled and morphed back into her cute, adorable self, giggling at Dakota's face. "Yep!"

Frillish bared his teeth. "A ruse…? That was all a silly ruse to let my guard down?!" He growled. "How the hell did you even survive?! You should've been taken out!"

Dakota felt a hand touch her back, applying a soothing energy that restored her to peak condition. She gasped and turned around, seeing it was Poppy's doing. "Poppy?"

"Healing Pulse!" she exclaimed.

"You can use Healing Pulse?" Dakota gasped.

"She can use HEALING PULSE?!" Frillish shrieked.

Eunice chuckled conceitedly. "Amusing how you put so much emphasis on your invincibility, but neglected to realize a simple flaw with its mechanics. Right before Dakota blasted you, we had our own healing station ready." She tapped her chin. "Now, I believe I'm forgetting something…oh yes!" She snapped her claws. "Poppy, precious child, do the thing."

"Aye! Healing Pulse!" Poppy jumped and fired off two pink beams, nailing…both Frillish and Pignite?

Frillish gasped as his minor injuries were taken away. "What? Why are you letting her heal us?! Are you stupid?!"

"The simple answer to that…" Both Renegades' blood froze at Hawkins' domineering presence radiating behind them. "I want you both at full strength...so I can tear you asunder."

The Renegades' eyes widened at the energy swirling around Hawkins. Red and blue wisps seeping from his body as he cracked his knuckles. They were staring certain death in the eyes and it was a long journey to hell for them.

Eunice smirked to herself. "Well, well, well, I was waiting for this to come up. I look forward to cataloging this new information."

Pignite raised his hands and shouted, "Wait, hold on, let's talk this over-!"

Hawkins scowled. "Pray to Arceus and repent for your sins...because no god can save you from my WRATH!" He threw his head back and roared as the energy exploded out from his body and coiled into a dense whirlwind, blowing the two Renegades back.

Frillish stabilized himself in the air while Pignite clung to the bare ground. "Dude, this is insane! We can't take on something like that! We need to retreat!"

"I'd rather die than run like a coward!" Frillish raised his sword. "I'll just infect him with Cursed Sword again to get our marks off! Problem solves!"

"Psych Up." They halted and turned back to the others as Eunice, eyes glowing blue, analyzed for any empowerment in them and copying it into herself. She smirked. "Analysis complete. Sorry boys, but I can't let you get away that easily. Dakota, dearest, please get behind cover. Things are about to get _very_ hot."

Dakota nodded, then gathered the kids behind some cover, a trench made in the ground thanks to the previous explosion. "Good luck!"

Eunice raised his claw, cycling through data. "Collecting data is a passion of mine. So much so where the data I collect mirrors on reality, and I can close the bridge between pure data and reality." She smirked. "Data Simulation! Accessing: Burning Star!"

"Burning WHAT?!" Pignite screamed.

The tip of her claw lit up, then spawned a flame that expanded into a massive sun, surpassing the size of the initial state of Pignite's. The heat hit them hard, throwing them back into the range of the Fusion Mode cyclone. Pignite looked on in horror, seeing his own Fusion Move being used against him.

"Copying Fusion Moves is a difficult practice, but I'm different. It does take some time to fully wrap my head around these things, but it's worth it in the end. Between the three strongest moves I've recorded in battle, I can select one and magnify its power by 75% of the original. A massive cooldown after, but what's to be expected in the end?"

"THAT'S CHEATING!" Pignite cried.

Eunice smirked. "If it gets results…"

No further arguing could be done on the matter. Both Renegades felt their hearts stop as the winds died down and the light behind them faded. They spun and gazed up in horror at the radiating figure standing above them, arms crossed proudly over his chest with an illuminating glare pinned on them.

A third Meowstic eye appeared on his forehead, as well one on his chest. His scarf grew into a small cape around his back. He lost the petals along his arms in favor of a large, traditional Roselia-style rose at each hand. Additionally, the roses were golden in his right hand, and ash-silver in his left.

Hawkins lifted his hands, then whipped them, summoning three thorny whips from the roses. One on each side curled and formed its own Leaf Blade to wield. "So...I have a question. If Dakota was able to do _this_ to you," he gestured to the crater they were in, "can you imagine the hell you're in for with _me_?"

Frillish floated back while Pignite cowered. "…We're screwed?" Pignite guessed.

"Bingo."

Hawkins jumped down and raced at unfathomable speeds. He summoned two more Leaf Blades in hand, taking on the form of a more traditional sword. Frillish couldn't read his speed and was slashed without warning, taken through the dirt and slammed into the walls of the crater.

"AAAGH!" Frillish screamed upon impact. It got worse as his cursed mark activated. He clutched it and growled in pain. "This stupid mark…! It's not even syphoning off me! It just freakin' HURTS!"

"Speak for yourself!" Pignite yelled as he was the one getting syphoned from. "Get this thing off me!"

"It only goes away if the infected is defeated!"

"THEN HIT SOMEONE ELSE!" Pignite was so angry, he accidentally snorted flames from his nose. However, seeing this made him gasp in realization. "Sweet! Burning Star's aftereffect finally passed!" He spun and snorted Flamethrower at Hawkins. "I'll burn you alive!"

Hawkins wasn't focused on the pig, but he didn't need to be. The two whips on his right arm sprung into action and struck into the Flamethrower, completely dispelling it.

"EH?!" Pignite squealed.

Hawkins raised his hand. "Hmm. Don't quite have a name for it...but it seems my Fusion Ability grants me enhanced power through these whips of mine." He aimed his hand at them. "Psychic." He clicked his fingers and obliterated the field before him, throwing Pignite back in a sonic boom.

"GYAAAH!" Pignite shirked, crashing into the top edge of the crater.

Frillish darted around until he was behind Hawkins. "Sacred Sword!" He swung, but the whips caught him by the swords and restrained his tentacles. "Eh-AAAH!" The whips flung him across the air and into the Burning Star.

The Fusion Move reacted accordingly, gaining more power from the contact, then firing off a volley of fireballs on the field. Hawkins flicked his hand and deflected the ones coming for him with Psychic. Pignite ran for cover as the attacks rained down on his head.

He jumped back over the crater, then sneered down on Hawkins. "That does it! Shell Smash!" He boosted his power and speed again, then curled into a ball. "Heat Crash!" He flew at rocketing speeds and dove at a sharp curve. "Now I got you! Burn to ashes against my Heat Crash!"

Hawkins felt him approaching, then lifted his hand. Pignite suddenly came to an immediate stop, under the influence of a Psychic. "…Eh?" Pignite whined softly.

Hawkins sighed. "Why do you idiots always have to act like immature brats when the slightest shot of victory is in your grasp? A shame to say we lost to such idiots." He glared. "Allow me to make up for that meager performance."

With a flick his fingers, he drove Pignite into the ground, then struck his foot into him, sending him off like a soccer ball. Pignite slammed into the Burning Star, wreathing from the gradually growing heat.

Frillish recovered from his brief dip in the sun and soared at Hawkins with Sacred Sword activated. "Enough of this! One-on-one! I'll prove to you I am superior!"

Hawkins glared and raised his blades. "Very well."

Their weapons connected with each other, breaking apart the ground under the immense force. They exchanged fierce glares with each other, parted blades, then flicker-vanished away, before proceeding a clash of speed and power across the crater.

Eunice's eyes flickered through the crater, barely keeping up with Hawkins' newfound speed. _His speed and power of increased immensely. Hawkins' talents were building up this evolution of power._ She smirked. _I see you've finally gotten over some issues._

Frillish appeared behind Hawkins and swung for his feet. Hawkins backflipped over the attack in time and struck Frillish in the face. To make up for this, Frillish plunged his swords into the ground, then used the elastic tension to slingshot himself back at the swordsman. He got a direct hit off with Sacred Sword, throwing Hawkins across the field.

Hawkins glared at the jellyfish, unfazed by the attack, and straightened his flight out before catching the ground. The second he did, he swung his Leaf Blade and countered a follow-up Sacred Sword.

Frillish pulled the other sword back. "Cursed Sword!" He thrusted it for Hawkins' stomach.

Hawkins grabbed his arm, stopping the sword, then pulled him into his elbow. The force sent Frillish spinning, but he used this to his advantage by extending out his blades and spinning them with him like a buzz saw. Hawkins jumped back in time of the sharp, rotating edge.

Frillish growled. "Dammit! Stand still, will ya?!"

Hawkins flashed a glare at him, then rushed him down with Leaf Blade. Frillish shrieked and held his weapons defensively as Hawkins struck repeatedly into him, one Leaf Blade after the other. The attacks came with the ferocity of a violent storm, chipping away at his blades with every strike.

"Agh! Gah! Ooh! AH!" Frillish cried after every attack. Each one kept pushing back on him further. "A little help here!"

Pignite rubbed his head, then sneered. "On it!" He leapt and went flying inside Heat Crash.

However, Eunice appeared above him. "And where are you going?" She swung her claws down and spiked him back into the ground.

Pignite's face smeared across the dirt before flipping on his back. "Ugh…" He snorted and sprayed Flamethrower at Eunice. She cocked her head and let the flames fly by, striking into Burning Star. "…Oh shit."

Frillish was briefly distracted with the commotion, allowing Hawkins to grab him by the tentacle and fling him towards the fiery sun. It sent out another wave of fireballs that struck into the two Renegades while Eunice got to cover. Hawkins stood up straight and lightly deflected any projectiles flying at him.

Pignite cried out as one struck him in the stomach and plowed him through the ground. Combined with the energy being sapped away by Cursed Sword, he was unable to get back up.

Frillish stumbled around dizzily, face bleeding and body scorched. He violently shook with a tense rage, reflected by the nervous twitching in his eye. His eyes darted over his shoulder, spotting the swordsman as he approached him.

Hawkins glared solemnly at the manic jellyfish. "You put up a good fight. Under any other circumstance, I would've recognized you as a worthy fighter." He then shook his head. "But you lost that respect the second you went after Dakota. You have no honor to speak of. The least you can do…is accept your defeat with the last shred of your dignity."

The state of Frillish's mind could not comprehend these words. All he could hear was the condescending tone being thrown his way, failing to acknowledge who he was. The way Hawkins stared at him felt demeaning, like being looked down upon as a mere child. It sickened him to be pitied in such a disgraceful manner.

Frillish's body twitched with rigid mobililty, then lashed out with the speed of river rapids. He clutched his sword and swung, shouting, "DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN ON-!"

Hawkins sped past him, faster than the jellyfish could track. He blinked at nothing as Hawkins walked away from him, dispelling the Leaf Blade in his hand. Frillish blinked, then blinked again, before collapsing onto the ground.

Hawkins looked back at his unconscious body, then sneered. "Check your pride, you miserable whelp." He flicked his hand and dispelled his Fusion Mode, then proceeded to climb up the crater.

Eunice smirked to herself, snapping away the Burning Star into digital code. "Well, well, the king of pride himself gave a lesson on hubris. Are these the beginnings of a humble Hawkins?"

Hawkins pulled himself up, scoffing at her. "A life of arrogance is not for me, but to denounce my true pride _is_ a sin on my part."

Eunice threw her head back and laughed. "Well, at least you have a sense of humor."

Hawkins closed his eyes and smirked. "Hush." He stood up and dusted himself off.

Dakota and the kids stood out of hiding and rushed over to him. The kids were jumping around Hawkins, praising him for saving them and for his awesome skills. Dakota clasped her hands together and smiled at the cat-like swordsman. "Hawkins, that was incredible! I didn't think you'd ever unlock Fusion Mode! You were amazing!"

Hawkins shrugged. "I would say it was the most spectacular event of today, but…" He observed the obliterated state of the mountain. "I have to say, you easily trounced any surprise I could've pulled." Dakota's eyes widened, then she hid away her embarrassed blush. "Who knew such a tiny package carried that much power?"

Dakota stroked her dangle timidly. "I…sort of lost my temper back there."

"You should lose it more often. I didn't think it was possible, but…" Hawkins smiled. "You actually have some power there, just when under the right motivation."

Dakota smiled bashfully, playing with the dangle coyly. "Heh, it was nothing…th-thanks, Hawkins."

Harper sat between the two, observing their gazes curiously. "Ooh…are you two in love?"

"EEE!" Dakota shrieked, immediately scooping Harper up and shutting her mouth. "Harper! Don't say that!" She laughed out loud at Hawkins. "Kids! They say the wackiest things, don't they?!"

Hawkins blinked, then smirked knowingly. "Yeah. Kids being kids."

Dakota began walking backwards as her teeth chattered together nervously. "W-Well, after all that excitement, I-I think I'm heading to the p-plane. I-I'll make sure the kids get on board. Uh, Eunice?"

Eunice chucked the plane remote over to her. "We'll be joining you shortly. I got to round these two up."

"C-Cool-EEP!" Dakota tripped on her heel, but instantly rebound back to her feet. "I'm okay! Okay!" She turned herself around and marched off with the kids in tow, who were all giggling to themselves.

Hawkins rolled his eyes. "That woman, I swear…" Hawkins glared at Eunice. "So, how useful would these two be?"

"Assuming they have anything I can use." Eunice reached into her bag. "Did the Frillish say anything?"

"He told me destroying the machine could cause the whole thing to make a concentrated mutation bomb in Grandis City."

Eunice sighed. "That sounds about right. We would need to make sure the core is stabilized or something before we make any movements on it." She slid down the crater. "Guess we'll figure it out when we get there?"

Hawkins sat down on the edge. "Us versus them?"

She smirked to herself. "Something tells me it won't be that cut and dry, but that's me crossing my claws." She chuckled. "Besides, even if it was such, I think you and your girlfriend can handle them."

Hawkins looked away with a twinge of red. "She's not my girlfriend." He closed his eyes, then smiled to himself. He would never admit it out loud, but there was something kind of…attractive about Dakota being assertive in a fight. She can be assertive on a normal day, but she can pull off some impressive miracles in a battle.

He held his cheek and chuckled lightly. The idea of relationships never appealed to him. Too many women would probably be in for his money or looks. There weren't many to catch his eye, either.

 _But, I suppose if there was anyone I was interested in..._


	84. Juniper's Smile

Dez poked his head out from behind a building, peering down the empty streets of the town. Not a Pokémon in sight. He huffed quietly, then pulled back and faced the others. "Streets are clear. Guess no one's out yet."

"It is getting pretty late," Shane noted at the setting sky. "But what about those Renegade guys?"

"As far as I'm concerned, they haven't followed us yet. Gero must've taken care of them."

"Then shouldn't he have caught up with us by now?" Asadi asked.

"If he used Fusion Mode like we saw, added onto the beatings he probably took, he must be exhausted." Dez glared back out into the street. "Doesn't matter. He said he'll catch up with us, so we have to take his word for it."

"Still, I feel it would be better to wait for him," Asadi pressed on. "We could really use his help. We can't count on him showing up hours later when there's probably a whole bunch of bad stuff happening back home."

Wash didn't say much about it, but he kept looking over his shoulder every so often, getting an uncomfortable chill that wouldn't leave him. Juniper seemed to be noticing this as well, but she tried to keep it to herself. If it was making her this nervous, Wash didn't want to know what might or might not be there.

"Somehow…I think that's a bad idea," Wash finally shared. "I can't put my finger on it, but…I'm getting this eerie feeling about something."

Asadi groaned. "Oh great, we're being followed by creepy ghosts." She got annoyed looks from Shane and Wash. "…Not to say _all_ ghosts are creepy."

Shane sighed it off, then asked, "Are we really going to stand around and talk about this? We'd be better off finding the guy who's supposed to be getting us out of here." He looked around. "Which reminds me, where did Gero say he would be waiting for us?"

Juniper lifted her head and decided to speak up. "If we're being carried by a carrier plane, it'll have to be outside of town to get any decent liftoff."

Dez shrugged, accepting the answer. "Makes sense. Keep close." He took the lead and walked out onto the streets.

Wash took Juniper's hand and followed in the back of the group. Juniper kept pace with him, but lagged back a bit. He saw her eyes constantly darting over her shoulder. She bared her teeth like a cold chill tickled the back of her neck. Something definitely had her spooked, not that Wash couldn't say he wasn't feeling it, too.

He pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her. "We'll be fine, Jun."

"Mhmm…" Wash frowned, then decided to keep his eyes forward. He felt Barbatos getting agitated.

 _ **Damn it all. I don't know WHY, but I'm sensing an unquenchable bloodthirst nearby. I just don't know WHERE. It's like an annoying itch that you can't seem to scratch away, even though you know it's there.**_

 _I know what you're feeling. I can feel Juniper trembling in my arm._ Wash sighed. _If anything happens, we'll just fight them off._

 _ **I'd normally be with you there, but…this time, something's off. This isn't the type of aura you get from a common criminal, nor from those Renegades. I'm not sure if we're being followed by one of those posers.**_

Wash narrowed his eyes. The alter ego posed a solid point. What could be following them to give off this uneasy feeling? No criminal they faced could manage such a task. And yet, looking at the worry on Juniper's face, Wash had to wonder if what he was seeing was fear…or guilt.

They trekked to the stone stairs they first took upon arrival into town. Dez peered down and searched the plains before spotting their meet-up point. A small carrier plane sat in the grass, possibly with the pilot nearby. And, for the most part, it seemed they were in the clear.

Dez nodded in approval. "Good, we've found our ride. Let's move." He made a motion to the stairs, but stopped as Shane grabbed his tail. "Eh? Shane?"

The ghost's eyes kept flickering between him and the stairs. Fear filled his shrunken eyes as he stated down the long flight. "W-W-We shouldn't go down there."

Dez, feeling a bubble of impatience forming, turned around and glared dryly. "…Why?"

"I-I-I don't know exactly _why_ , but we shouldn't. We should just…avoid the s-s-stairs. I got this feeling…something b-b-bad will happen."

"It's our only way down."

"I-I'm telling you, we can't t-take the stairs!" Shane pressed firmly.

Dez sighed. "Look, I get your thing is sensing misfortune, but tripping down the stairs is the least of my concerns."

"Th-That's not what I'm feeling…"

Wash narrowed his eyes and looked over his shoulder more confidently. "No, Shane's right. I've been feeling off ever since we got down the mountain. Barbatos and I think we're being followed. They're giving off a strong presence."

Asadi bared her teeth. "Uh…how strong we talking?"

"Bloodlust."

"B-B-Bloodlust?" Asaid grinned nervously, backing from the ghost frog. "C-Come on, I know those Renegade guys want us dead, but they didn't seem that vicious-"

"That's just it, I don't think it's the Renegades that are following us." Asadi and Shane flinched, feeling goosebumps over their bodies. "Something…worse is nearby."

Dez, however, wasn't having it. He sighed forcefully and turned back to the steps. "Good grief, I hate stalling. Look, there's nothing wrong with the steps. Shane's just panicking." He set one foot on the first step, making Shane flinch. Dez rolled his eyes and continued down the next three or four. "See? We're wasting time cowering at the wind. Now get off your rears and-"

 _CLICK!_

Dez's eyes widened as his foot sank into the next step. The stone lit up brilliantly, nearly blinding him. He turned immediately and raced up the steps just as the stairs exploded behind him. The group was thrown onto their backs with pebbles pelting them. They stared in shock at the pillar of rising smoke.

"Someone wired explosives into the stairs?!" Asadi shrieked.

Dez got up and ran back to the stairs. He bared his teeth, seeing their path down was completely disjointed and blocked off. "Are you kidding me? It's going to take us forever to scale down the side! It'd be easier to _roll_ down!"

Wash channeled energy into his hands cautiously. "I think that's the least of our…problems?" He blinked as a droplet of water splashed on his nose. He looked up, then covered his eyes as rain fell on their heads. It came down pretty heavily, too.

Asadi groaned and covered her head. "Rain? Seriously?"

Wash held his hand out and stared perplexed at the droplets. "It wasn't supposed to rain today."

 _ **Wash! Keep on your guard! The enemy is close!**_

Wash turned and summoned Cut. "Guys, we're not alone," he warned calmly.

"Oh great!" Shane exclaimed fearfully. "That makes this _way_ better!"

Dez growled, shooting sparks through his mane. "Okay, I'm freakin' done with this spooky act. Whoever's wasting our time is seriously getting on my nerves..."

Juniper kept behind Wash with her head low. Her swirly eyes shook fearfully as that disturbing presence that followed her drew closer. She clenched her sleeves tightly. _Oh no…_

"Everyone! Get back to back! Cover all sides!" Wash ordered. "We'll catch them before they get the drop on us!"

Asadi raised her tail, waving it in preparation. Shane channeled a small Whirlpool in the center of his hand. Dez clenched his teeth, shooting sparks throughout his body. Juniper kept in the center of the group, nervously staying out of sight. She clutched securely to Wash, who gently gripped her hand. He raised his Cut and waited.

 _Anything?_

 _ **Where are they? I hate not knowing when someone's nearby. It gives me the creeps.**_

 _I'm with you there._ Wash clenched his teeth, staring down the rainy street. _Will they attack from the distance? Will they strike us without hesitation? What is their game plan?_

"My, my…so tense." Their blood turned to ice, caught unaware of the punk wolf resting above them on the rooftops. Her foreleg dangled lazily over the side as she stared down at them with a rather bored look. "Geez, you all are so lame, acting all resolute and tense like that..."

Their eyes shook as they stared at the red-eyed wolf, feeling their heartrates shoot up dramatically. Wash stared in stunned silence, nearly dropping his Cut. _H-How…did she…?_

 _ **I…didn't even sense her. When…how…did she get up there without us noticing?**_

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "So many unfamiliar faces, all of you…and yet, one unfamiliar face _does_ stimulate the ol' memory." She rested her cheek in her paw. "Isn't that so?"

Eyes fell on Juniper, who kept her head low and away from the wolf. "…Ripper."

"That confirms it." Ripper jumped down, then stared emotionlessly at the panda. "Hey Spins…long time no see, huh?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"We heard you died." She raised her brow. "Well, I suppose you did in a way. What's with those eyes? They look different. Much too different." Juniper frowned and covered her face.

Wash observed her demeanor, then held a protective arm in front of Juniper. "Her name is not Spins anymore. She's our friend. She's Juniper."

Ripper glanced dully at the ghost frog. "Eh? I wasn't speaking to you, froggy." She stomped her foot into a puddle, making Wash flinch unwillingly. "I'm talking to my sister."

Wash felt intimidated by her glare. If her unseen presence kept him on guard, her full attention on him shoved a great weight down on his shoulders. He felt close to collapsing on his knees. Still, he refused to fall, simply to keep his girlfriend protected from this killer wolf.

"We sure that's Spins?" The group's eyes moved to the left and spotted the armored dragon, Lance, stepping out of hiding.

On their right, the quiet toad, Reverb, came onto the scene, arms crossed. "She looks so…soft."

Ripper spat on the ground, then held her head up. "Oh yea, that's our Spins. I could never forget her scent." She smirked. "So sis…you've got some explaining to do. Do you know how _worried_ we were over you?" Juniper whimpered and hid her face behind Wash.

Wash reacted hostilely, baring his teeth at the assassins. "Stay…away from her."

Ripper acknowledged his threat with more boredom. "Still wasn't addressing you, froggy. Kind of rude to butt into someone else's conversation. So lame..."

 _ **Cut it out, Wash,**_ Barbatos warned. _**I don't like the look of that chick and her friends.**_

 _I don't care!_ Wash grabbed Juniper's wrist securely. "If you think I'm letting you touch her, you've got another thing coming! She doesn't want to be with you three anymore, so you can just forget it!"

"W-Wash…" Juniper whimpered, her voice cracking. "P-Please stop…"

Lance tilted his head. "Frog's got guts."

"And you're deaf," Wash retorted angrily, channeling a Cut into his hand.

Ripper closed her eyes and smirked. "Forget guts, he has teeth." She picked at her teeth. "Look, don't make this harder on yourselves. We only came here to kill off the Fusion in that temple back there. Those other guys should've taken him down enough so we can fight on even grounds." She smirked menacingly. "But now...this little branch of development has caught our attention."

Asadi growled and whipped her tail against the ground. "We're not letting you anywhere near Juniper, you sickos!"

Lance held his hip and scoffed. "The world's full of bad Pokémon and bad Fusions. Throwing them in jail, taking them out of the action...that shit never works." He narrowed his eyes. "You can't rely on some higher power to keep you safe...unless you're willing to take a few things out of the picture."

"You mean _killing people_?!" Wash yelled furiously.

"People who went out of their way to ruin the lives of Fusions," he corrected. The dragon poked Wash in the head. "Do you know how many Fusions ended it all because some scumbag Pokémon decided to give them a bad day? And even when they were found guilty for their actions, they always find a way to get out early...or weren't given the sentence they deserved." He glared. "Pokémon...don't care about us. No matter how many nice people there are in the world, those scumbags will exist...and they will take us out one by one."

Wash opened his mouth to retort, but lost his voice. The memories came flooding back to him, of his time in his town as a child. The physical and mental abuse he endured for so long. The hatred that surrounded him every day. The fear he lived in of keeping his violent side under control. All of that and more. The words that were said to him dug deep like a knife carving into his heart.

" _Freak!"_

" _Monster!"_

" _Scum!"_

" _Do ahead and die, you freak of nature!"_

"I-I…w-w-what d-did I…?" Wash lowered his head, eyes glazed over and lost in thought. He dropped his Cut blade, letting it fade into nothing. His body trembled with the memories, leaving him frozen in his own misery.

Ripper tilted her head at the ghost frog, then groaned. "Look at those eyes. Good grief, Lance, you broke him." She pushed the stunned frog out of the way. "Come on, Spins, we're...leaving?"

Everyone looked around, only now noticing Juniper had given them the slip with their attention focused solely on Wash. They turned their heads, but couldn't see much past the curtain of rain obstructing their vision.

"Where did she...?" She sniffed the air, then growled frustratedly. "Ugh...Reverb! You just HAD to make it rain, didn't you? I can't get Spins' scent!"

"Calm down, Ripper," he advised calmly. "Spins couldn't have gotten far in this rain. She may still be close, or at the very least still in town."

Ripper relaxed herself and sighed. "True." She turned her back to the Gappei Fusions and started walking. "You kiddies wait here. Looks like Spins hasn't stopped running yet-"

Her ears shot up to the swift crackling coming towards her. She glared and swung her paw, backhanding the Thunderbolt aimed for her head. It soared around her and struck into the building beside them, no doubt scaring the people inside. She and the assassins glared, while the Gappei Fusions gawked fearfully at the assaulter.

Asadi stepped back, holding her hands up while the remnants of her attack faded from her crackling cheeks. "Uh…hehe?" she nervously laughed.

Ripper looked at her slightly burnt paw, then glared at Asadi. "We had an unspoken agreement on boundaries…" Asadi gasped as the wolf appeared instantly in front of her. "And _you_ broke it." The Raichu-Sneasel had no time to react as the wolf jabbed hard into her ribs and threw her through a wall.

"ASADI!" Dez and Shane cried.

Wash snapped himself awake and turned. "W-What?"

"Asadi!" Dez ran up to the broken and wall and looked through. Asadi lay on the ground, groaning with a bruised side.

Ripper waved her paw, then growled irritably through the rain. "SPINS! Spins, if you're listening, I suggest coming out RIGHT now! Your little friends are ticking me off!"

"You… _bitch._ " Ripper turned her head curiously as the armored hound stepped away from Asadi and glared her way. "You know, I don't like wasting my time with pointless confrontation...but you three just pissed me off." He flexed his claws and crouched down.

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "Really? You're kidding, right?"

"No. Thunderbolt!" Dez ripped out a powerful bolt of electricity that traveled across the slick surface of the road.

"Tch. Stone Edge!" Ripper reared herself up and slammed her paws down, stopping the Thunderbolt with a wall of rock spires. However, in the attack, Dez charged and rammed through the stones with Heavy Slam. Ripper dodged his paw strike, which crushed the ground on impact.

"You are in for hell, lady!" Dez fired off another Thunderbolt at her.

"Shadow Ball!" She fired into it and canceled each other out.

Dez covered his eyes from the smoke, but then charged through. "Heavy Slam-!"

"Sucker Punch." Dez gasped and wheezed a long breath as the punk wolf rammed her claws into his stomach. It drove in with such force, like a sledgehammer against a thin sheet of metal. "All that armor plating won't do you good if I know where to hit." She spun and bucked him with her hindlegs.

"Dragon Claw!" Lance, prepared for the set-up, struck Dez and sent him flying down the slick road.

"AAH!" Dez screamed, sliding across the ground and slamming against a door.

"D-Dez!" Wash called out.

Ripper stamped her paws down. "Seriously Spins, they are REALLY getting on my nerves! You know I hate getting worked up over nothing!" She snarled. "Now get out here or the next one is getting a lot more than a broken rib and bruised abdomen!"

Wash gasped as a force overcame him. His fingers curled and his teeth bared furiously, eyes flashing in a hazy purple. The alter ego of Wash growled as a faint red aura surrounded him. "You bitch!" Throwing away his own advice, he charged at the assassins furiously.

"Huh?" Ripper turned her head, then jumped back from the Cut that was an inch from her muzzle. "Now where did that scary look come from?" she asked playfully. "You don't look like the rude frog who kept butting in."

"Eat shit and die, you smug bitch!" Barbatos swung down hard, smashing up the ground with his blades. He flailed wildly, slashing through the rain and forcing the two other assassins back.

He felt a pair of eyes flash down on him. "Smug? I prefer…murderous~."

Barbatos spun and barely caught the Shadow Ball that rammed into him. However, the size and force it was fired at, not helped by the slick ground, pushed him away from Ripper. His hands burned from holding the attack, so he deflected it over his shoulder and grabbed a gap in the stone path top stop himself. He grunted, feeling the Shadow Ball had grazed his cheek a bit.

"Mud Bomb." Barbatos barely heard the move being called out, but reacted just as mud exploded in front of him. Splashes of it struck his body, but he kept it from his eyes.

"Shadow Sneak!" Barbatos dove into his shadow and slithered across the ground, straight for the sound toad.

"Fell Stinger!" Barbatos fell the lance drive down hard into the stone, forcing him out of his shadow. He tried to get out of range, but Lance's bulky size was deceiving, striking with a swift Dragon Claw to the chest.

"GAH!" Barbatos spat out, clutching his scratched chest. _**These guys are insanely fast!**_

 _Keep it together, Barbatos!_ Wash ordered. _We can't let our emotions blind us!_

Lance went for the kill shot with his lance, striking for the chest, but Wash resumed control and caught the lance just before it hit him. He flipped off the weapon and struck the back of Lance's head with Aerial Ace before spring boarding onto the rooftops.

"Gah!" Lance cried out.

Reverb glared. "Did his eyes change?"

Ripper glared. _I noticed his right eye is a normal yellow. His left one, however, is purple. And, not just a moment ago, they were both glowing, along with that sporadic personality shift._

Lance spun around and held up his lances. "Is this some Fusion Move of his?"

"No," Ripper answered. "I think it's something more…internal." She glared for a moment, then said, "Lance, Reverb, make sure those other three stop moving around." The punk wolf proceeded after Wash.

Reverb and Lance stretched their limbs and approached the two downed Fusions. However, they were stopped by Shane, blocking their path with a fearful glare. He thanked the rain for masking the nervous sweat running down his face.

"Not. Another step," he warned darkly.

Lance stared at the ghost, unimpressed by his false bravery. He sighed, then covered his ears. "Alright, fine."

Shane's eyes widened. "Huh?"

Reverb reeled his head back, intaking large quantities of air, then bellowed out an earth-shattering Hyper Voice. Shane wasn't affected by the intense vibrations passing through him, as he was immune to Normal-Type moves, but that didn't make him immune to loud noises. He grabbed his ears and cried out in pain as the sounds penetrated his ears.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed.

Asadi pulled herself out of the building, holding her bruised ribs. "What hit me…?" she mumbled before gasped as Shane cried out in agony. "Shane!" She spotted Reverb, then growled. "Ice Shard!" Frost coated her tail as she whipped it and fired off shards of ice into the toad's head, canceling out his Hyper Voice.

Reverb rubbed his cheek, then glared. "Lance, take care of the ghost." With that, he sped through the rain, helped by his Swift Swim ability.

Asadi shirked, then dodged the toad's Drain Punch, which easily shattered through the stone walls of the building. _If he hits me with that, I'm dead!_ She took off running as the toad hunted her down.

* * *

Ripper hopped over four or five rooftops before stopping. She shook her mane, then glared over his shoulder, spotting Wash landing on the other side of the roof. He panted with bated breath, then raised his fists at the wolf.

 _This is ridiculous. Is she just going to keep running?_

 _ **Focus, idiot. For now, we need to play defensive. If we're lucky, we can get a read on her movements.**_

 _We could throw her off by switching back and forth, though I can't imagine how exhausted we'll be afterwards._

 _ **Like we have any other choice.**_

Ripper stared silently at the ghost frog, then lifted her head. Her stoic eyes made him uneasy. "…You were holding Spins pretty closely back there. Why is that?" Wash bared his teeth. "Concerned friend? Overprotective brother figure?" She glared. "Or…her beloved?"

Wash involuntarily flinched and nearly took a step back. _Shit…_

Ripper sighed. "And we have a winner." She glared. "Never thought I'd see the day...that someone as cold and ruthless as her...could end up with a dork like you."

Wash ignored that last comment and growled. " _Juniper_ isn't like that anymore. She's changed. She's not a psychopath like you."

"Throwing around words like 'psychopath' is awfully rude, boy." Ripper tilted her head. "Honestly, quit being so lame. Your little girlfriend isn't some sweet innocent flower. She was raised to kill. It's like learning to ride a bike or practicing an instrument. You can get rusty after years of neglect, but the knowledge never truly leaves you."

"Then she's the exception!" Wash barked back.

"Letting your emotions blind you. Too dense to see it for yourself." Ripper glared. "Spins resents Pokémon over the simple fact those who are supposed to love you can so easily be swayed by their own bias. That's what motivates her."

 _Her parents,_ Wash realized, growling at the thought of them.

"If you so confidently believe Spins is free of sin, I suppose there hasn't been any slips since her time in that little village?" Wash's eyes widened. "You know what I mean. Hasn't _once_ lost her temper or show her more _sinister_ side?"

Two memories immediately surfaced for both sides of the ghost frog. Barbatos shivered at the memory of Juniper's brief display of her true self, the merciless bloodlust that was long since buried inside her. That uneasiness he felt when she struck him down.

To Wash, he recalled when Quinn went to confront her and took a near-lethal Force Palm to the chest. That was the first time he saw Juniper _angry_ at someone. It was frightening. He almost wanted to run away at the time, scared at what kind of power she was keeping deep inside.

Wash gritted his teeth, losing his confidence. "W-Well…"

Ripper shook her head and sighed. "I don't get it. What the heck is different here to then? Friends? Love? She had plenty of that. Sure, conditions weren't marvelous, but you don't see me complaining." She tilted her head. "How can I know? That girl...doesn't wear her emotions on her sleeve."

Wash faltered back, now letting his mind wander back to how many times Juniper has been hiding her real feelings beneath a casual smile. Most of his time knowing her, Juniper has never frowned. He only now got to see the real her and it terrified him to think what meeting her old self would've been like.

Could he still have…loved her at the time?

"I…she isn't-GAH!" Wash had no time for a retort, though, as Ripper took her chance to strike him in the stomach. Spat flew from his gaping mouth.

"Quit spacing out. It's really lame." Wash's eyes widened as she charged a blank point Shadow Ball.

He threw his head back and barely avoided the attack grazing under his chin. He kicked off the roof with Aerial Ace and landed onto another one to put some major distance between them.

Barbatos wasted no time scolding Wash for his actions. _**What the hell was that?! You want to invite her over for tea and giver her your kidneys next?!**_

Wash growled internally. _Shut up…_

 _ **She's right, though! Stop spacing out over Juniper and focus on the objective! These clowns are going to kill us if we let our guards down! Don't get distracted!**_

Wash exhaled, then stood up, forming two Cut blades in each hand. "Right…don't worry, I'm not going to space out again."

"Good. I was getting bored."

Wash gasped, then swung his blades and barely stopped the wolf's claws from reaching his face. They exchanged glares with each other as they pushed against one another.

Ripper smirked. "The real fun's just about to start."

* * *

Asadi fired off Thunderbolts at Reverb, though with no effect since he's a Ground-Type. Her objective for now was to try and blind him with the flashes so she can make her escape. A difficult task against someone who moved at subsonic speeds in the rain.

"Thunderbolt!" She emitted the bright flash down on Reverb, but missed again. She landed and raised her tail in waiting. "Where are you?" She heard a splash behind her. "Aha!" She fired Ice Shard, but only struck a bare puddle. "Drats!"

"Drain Punch." Asadi's eyes caught a glimpse of the green light approaching her. She fell back and avoided the Drain Punch by a hair. Reverb raised his other fist and slammed down with Drain Punch, which Asadi also dodged.

"Ice Beam!" She fired straight at him, but Reverb sped out of the way in time. She quickly tracked his movements, but couldn't dodge his passing punch to her uninjured ribs. "AGH!" she cried as she flew back in the rain.

"Mud Bomb!" Reverb jumped above Asadi and fired down on her.

Asadi rolled back and covered herself as the mud exploded outward. Her feet slipped against the wet road, but she kept her balance. "Feint Attack!" She flicker-vanished speedily around the road, appearing in one place and the other near instantaneously.

Reverb, however, was unimpressed by her speed. "I have trained countless hours with Ripper to match her speed. Her use of Feint Attack greatly outweighs your subpar mastery of the move." He swung behind himself and struck Asadi in the brief second she was behind him.

"GAAAAH!" she cried, now taking a hit to her chest. Her poor body was going to be nothing but powder at this rate. Reverb swung her off his fist and threw her to the ground.

"Now, Echoed VOICE!" he shouted, bouncing the sound waves off the buildings and striking them into Asadi.

"Agh!" she yelped, covering her sensitive ears. This left her open for a strong Drain Punch in the abdomen. With her dual weakness to Fighting-Type moves, Asadi spat out blood as the punch sent her sailing off her feet, crashing into another building.

Reverb glared at the weakened mouse and slowly approached her, clenching his fist tightly. "I hate having to harm another Fusion, but our hands have been forced." He channeled another Drain Punch. "Don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

Asadi fell forward onto her hands and coughed blood onto the wet road. She panted, then wiped her lip as she glared at the toad. "I'm being difficult? Your own sister is scared and confused and you won't even give her a chance to explain herself!"

"Spins has been lost for many years, even before she was brought in by the Leader." He glared. "We did everything we could to make her comfortable, even in the vile world we stand in. There's no such thing as peace. No one, not even your village, can bring that."

Asadi slowly pushed herself to her feet. "E-Even so, do you honestly believe this is how the world _should_ be dictated? I get it already. Peace is impossible to gain by words alone. Action needs to be taken." She clenched her teeth. "But what good is action if you can't open your eyes for one second and see there's always another way?"

"A thousand years have gone by with many like you asking that very same question." Reverb glared. "How will you be any different to those who failed to break the cycle?" He swiftly rushed up to the mouse and slammed his fist into her.

Asadi's eyes spaced out as she doubled over on her face. She weakly kept herself up by her hands alone. She panted feebly, curling her fist in a fit of anger.

"Because this time…I'm going to give a damn and fight for what I believe in. There's been too much death over the last few centuries. This is where it ends, with us leading the charge!" Asadi swung her tail and threw off Ice Shards.

Reverb, however, sped behind Asadi and avoided them all together. "You still have the energy to fight, I see." He raised his fist for another Drain Punch. "I admire your spirit, but I must put you to rest-" He stopped as his legs locked up, gradually becoming stiff and cold. "Wha-?"

Asadi exhaled a breath of frost, glaring ahead. "Fighting someone with Swift Swim in the rain is next to impossible, especially for an assassin." She stood up and glared over her shoulder. "So I was waiting for you to get behind me, where I set up my little trap."

Reverb looked down at his legs and found a coat of ice traveling up to his waist. He glared. _Shit, I can't rip my legs out._ He raised his fist. "Drain-!"

"Ice Beam!" Her attack struck his hand and left it frozen in a block of ice, dropping him forward. Asadi wiped the last of the blood off her face. "I'm not dealing with anymore of your attacks. I should be fortunate you are the dramatic type, otherwise I wouldn't have had this rain to make my Ice Beam apply freeze quite as easily." She inhaled sharply. "And now to keep you still for a good while!"

She fired into Reverb and instantly froze the water over his body, trapping him in a block of ice. She pulled off on the attack and ran from the toad, hoping to find the others and make sure they were faring a bit better than her.

* * *

Shane sprung off the buildings down a road as Lance hunted the poor ghost down. He was able to keep out of attacks thanks to Gero helping him enhance his bad luck detection, but running away wouldn't solve his problems forever.

"Dragon Rage!" Lance fired off the streak of blue flames straight at Shane.

The luck ghost compressed his spike down and rocketed over the Dragon Rage. He landed a fair distance away and extended his arms out. "Now, Night Shade!" He projected dark energy from his body in waves and threw it into Lance.

Lance staggered back against the rush of energy slamming into him, but bared his teeth and marched on through. _Now this kid is putting up some fight. I like that._

Shane didn't share his sentiments and was horrified that the dragon knight could tolerate the pain. He growled and amped up the pressure, slamming it harder into Lance. The dragon staggered again, nearly thrown backwards. Lance clenched his fists and forced his back upright, further resisting the assault.

"Revenge!" His body flashed and took the damage as a red aura surrounded him. He roared fiercely and rushed through the Night Shade like an unstoppable train.

Shane shrieked and jumped backwards. Lance knew Revenge wouldn't hurt Shane, but that's not where he was aiming. He swung his fist over his head and struck into the ground. The kinetic shockwave overturned the road and sent slabs of rock flying into windows, walls, and, most of all, Shane.

Shane used the protrusion on his head to whip the rock away, but wasn't prepared for Lance grabbing him by the face and slamming his head into the road. Shane grabbed his huge hand and tried to pulled it off, with little success.

Lance crouched down while keeping Shane pressed to the ground. "Got to say, for a shrimp, you've got guts." He smirked. "Still, what good will that do you?"

Shane pounded against the dragon's hand, shouting something that was muffled.

"I'm sure Spins means a lot to you guys, too…but trust me, this world is so unforgiving that any ounce of goodness she has will not sit well with the law. I'm sure by now that you've learned where she came from." He clutched down harder on Shane, who uttered a pitiful yelp. "Maybe the law would cut all four of us some slack since we were manipulated into doing this, but that won't bring back the lives we stolen.

"Unfortunate how things turned out. Your village sounded like a cozy place. It's just not meant for guys like me who can only bring harm." He sighed. "Sad, isn't it? Eventually the law will catch up with us, so we might as well go along with this crazy plan of Faust's, even if it means living in anarchy. I'm sure you understand."

Shane went silent.

"No hard feelings, so I'll try to be gentle with this." Lance raised his free hand and activated Dragon Claw. "Got any final words?"

Shane remained silent for a second, then muffled something.

"Hmm? Didn't catch that." He moved his hand just a bit to let Shane speak.

"I said…Whirlpool!" Lance gasped as water sprung up from under Shane and caught the dragon in the vortex. Lance braced himself as the currents threw him around and carried him away from the luck ghost, throwing him against one of the many damaged buildings.

"Agh…" Lance groaned as he fell over. Because of the Rain Dance that was used, the Whirlpool was a lot stronger than normal.

"Maybe you've got a point about the world being so darn cruel. I can't argue with you there." Lance looked up and glared at Shane as the ghost bounced in place, returning the glare back at him. "Life's unlucky like that and it always will be. But sometimes, running away from it will only bring endless strife." He summoned up a small Whirlpool in his hand. "That's why I've decided to embrace what's ahead of me and take it like a man! I found my happiness when Gappei Village took me in! It's never too late to carve your future!"

Lance stood up and growled under his breath. _These Fusions, I swear…_

* * *

Wash was in full-on defense mode as Ripper went at him with wild claws, slashing into his Cut blades relentlessly. Wash tried to get in some good shots on her, which he did a couple times, striking her stomach and head to stun her. However, the longer he was forced to fight her, the more abundantly clear how far they were apart in skill level.

"Shadow Ball!" Wash fired at the punk wolf.

"Shadow Ball!" Ripper formed her own and fired, except hers did something unexpected. It grazed off the side of Wash's and diverted its path around Ripper without throwing her attack off course. The Shadow Ball struck Wash and threw him across the air. "Feint Attack!" With nimble paws, she sped above Wash and swung her hindleg into his gut, taking him into the roof.

Wash gasped out in pain against the roof, then spat out when Ripper landed and dug her paw into his stomach. He barely escaped with Shadow Sneak, covering some distance to buy himself time to think.

 _ **Dammit! For everything we throw at her, she comes back with something bigger!**_

 _She's learning as she fights,_ Wash deduced wearily. _She's doing exactly what we're trying to do, but faster._

 _ **This chick…she's not like the other Renegades. She knows where our skill level is, yet she's taking this seriously.**_

 _Violent to the core with a talent to kill…all hidden behind a face of utter apathy._ Wash bared his teeth. _She's practically the opposite of Juniper. This chick may be the leader of their group. She's fighting like how Juniper would, only with the intent to kill._

"What did I say about spacing out?" Wash's eyes widened as Ripper's form blurred into existence in front of him.

"Cut!" Wash swung down without thinking.

Ripper swung her claws up and bashed the Cut out of his hand, as well as forced his arms to fly up against his will. With his body exposed, she saw her opening. "Drill Run!" Her mane hardened as she rammed into the frog's stomach and rotated, plowing him through the sky and taking him down into the building below them.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Wash cried out, gasping out blood as he was driven through concrete and wood before slamming down on the floor, scaring the people who locked themselves inside. Apparently the fighting hadn't gone unnoticed.

Ripper swung her claws and bashed Wash through a wooden door and out onto the road. She stepped out, keeping her gaze low. "Seems Spins' standards in guys didn't account for toughness." Wash tried to stand, but Ripper bashed his head against the road and pressed her paw down on him. "She wouldn't go for a weakling like you."

Wash's eyes hung open as he glared up at her and clutched her ankle weakly. "You…don't know her like I do."

Ripper felt threatened by that remark and placed more pressure down on his head. "That a challenge?"

Wash endured the pain to speak. "You see someone who was raised to be cruel and ruthless...someone who didn't have a soul of her own...someone who was another victim to this cruelty. You want to know what I saw in her?" He glared bitterly at the wolf. "A sad, little girl...who was taught to never smile...and never cry."

His comment sparked an inkling of irritation inside Ripper as she bared her teeth. "Tch." She struck him across the road and through the door of a shop, scaring the cashier who was getting ready to leave for the day. Wash slammed into the counter broke the cash register opened with his head.

"Ugh…" he groaned as he cradled his aching head. He rolled off the counter in a coughing fit. _I think she broke one of my bones…_

Ripper stepped over the broken door and glared at the injured frog. "Being sad about this pathetic world never got anyone anywhere. Always too busy whining about how miserable life is. So lame...and so pointless."

Wash pressed his hand down on the counter and lifted himself up. "You're one-" He paused to coughed, then continued, "-to talk. Emotions…are what drive us to continue with life. Without them…we can't go on the way we do. From the good…and the bad."

"Rage. Hatred. Loneliness," Barbatos piped in briefly.

"Sadness. Joy. Love," Wash continued. "It's what makes us whole."

"Without them, we're nothing," Barbatos added.

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "Your emotions mean nothing to me. You can tell me how great love is and whatever, but what has _love_ ever done for us?" She growled. "I casted away those emotions because I realized how much they can blind a person. That's exactly what caused this mess in the first place. Pokémon acting on blind fear and never taking a damn moment to look at the evidence for themselves. I'm not going to pretend every Fusion in the world is a saint, but I'm certainly not going to act like this prejudice has gone too far. It went too far when those Fusion Trials happened, all because someone thought Fusions were either too powerful or becoming the dominate species."

Wash lifted his head and glared. "Right…and Fusions aren't guilty of their sins?"

"Like I said, not all Fusions are saints, but I like to think of this as karma." Ripper scoffed. "Please, it's not like the guys we killed will be missed. They were scum who would ruin Fusions' lives. Not like death penalties aren't a thing."

Wash bared his teeth. "There may in fact be someone out there I hate more than anything, but I would never go out of my way to make their lives miserable, much less kill."

"It's unethical, but it gets things done." Ripper glared. "Would you still be giving me this same lecture if we killed some horrific serial killer who went after Fusions? Or maybe some sleazebag corporate suit who uses their connections to force Fusions in poverty? Where's the limit to this amicability of yours?"

The frog sighed, gripping his arm. "Maybe I do have a limit to where that line can be drawn…" He glared determinedly. "Even so, standing beside Faust for something like this? I can't allow."

"Say whatever you want. We're finishing you off and taking Spins with us."

"And live the rest of your lives knowing she hates you? For killing her friends? Her boyfriend? All because you think you know what's best for her?" Wash's eyes narrowed darkly. "You may be looking out for her, but you don't know her as well as you believe."

Ripper dug her claws into the floor, glaring back with the same level of hostility. "Maybe I don't." Her eyes glowed brighter. "But the sad truth is no one knows what they're talking about."

* * *

"Whirlpool!" Shane casted several Whirlpools and sent them flying at Lance as he bounced away from the charging dragon.

Lance spun his lances and thrusted forward. "Fell Stinger!" He pierced straight through the wall of whirlpools and lunged for the luck ghost.

"Acid Armor!" The lance pierced through Shane's liquidized body. The stream of water flowed around Lance's arm and struck into his cheek. "Sucker Punch!"

Lance staggered to the side, but remained mostly unmoved. He growled as Shane retook form, then slashed down on him with his claws. "Dragon Claw!"

"KYAH!" Shane bounced off the road and slammed into a building. He peeled off the side and fell on his face. "Ugh…"

Lance rubbed his neck, then approached the fallen ghost. He charged up a Dragon Rage, but stopped short of a Thunderbolt aimed at him feet. His head whipped to the left and spotted a greatly exhausted Asadi standing her ground, panting heavy breaths.

"So, you managed to give Reverb the slip?" Lance raised his weapon. "Well, I won't be making that same mistake." He charged at the icy mouse.

Asadi gritted her teeth, then loosened her muscles. "Feint Attack!" She flicker-vanished and hopped around in quick snaps.

"You think your inferior agility can match my sister's?!" Lance swung his claws. "I know exactly where you're coming from!"

He was right in his assumption, but not in execution. He struck into Asadi, but she managed to wrap her tail around his wrist before she was spiked into the ground. Lance tried to rip her tail off, but she already fired off an Ice Beam that secured the two together.

"Sorry, looks like we're stuck together!" Asadi flipped to her feet and bashed her skull in the dragon's stomach, which was mostly protected by the armored plating. However, it was enough to stagger him back. "Ice Shard!" She fired them into his face nonstop, throwing him off-balance further.

"Grr…" A hand reached out from the mist and grabbed Asadi by the face. With a strong tug, Lance swung her off the ground, ripping her tail from his wrist, and choke-slammed her down on her back. Asadi stared up at the sky, dazed and breathless from the impact, with only a view of the dragon's claws aimed over her head. "That's it, I've had enough of this shit!"

"Heavy Slam!" Lance cried out as a strong weight slammed into his side and threw him off of Asadi. The icy mouse blinked twice in her daze, then was pulled onto her feet. She regained enough sense to see it was a greatly injured Dez, who spat on the ground. "Enough of this shit."

Asadi dusted herself off. "Thanks. You all good?"

"I will be once these three are in the hospital."

Shane bounced over to them, holding his side. "Speaking of, where are the other two?"

"The wolf is still fighting Wash," Dez informed.

"And I froze the toad in a block of ice!" Asadi exclaimed.

Dez's eyes flickered to the right, then immediately shoved his friends away as two Mud Bombs exploded between them. They recollected themselves and spotted a very annoyed and shivering Seismitoad-Exploud.

Asadi blinked twice. "…Correction, he _was_ frozen in a block of ice."

Reverb cracked his neck and snarled quietly at the group. "That…was unpleasant."

Asadi grinned fearfully and held her hands up defensively. "Um…h-how about we forget the fighting and have this discussion over a game of checkers?" Reverb reared his head back and sucked in air. "Apparently not!"

Dez bared his teeth. "Tch. I'm not in the mood for your screaming. Toxic!" He fired a glob of poison at Reverb, which forced him to stop and dodge out of the way. "Asadi, Shane! Take the flank and push them together! I'll handle the heavy hitting!"

"Right!" The duo, without hesitance, raced at the assassins. Dez may be a lazy guy, but he was someone they could trust when it came to planning.

Lance roared, "You won't stop us! Fell Stinger!" He thrusted with a flurry of jabs at the Fusions.

"Acid Armor!" Shane jumped through harmlessly, then reformed behind Lance. "Night Shade!" He fired the darkness waves and blasted back Lance.

"Drain Punch!" Reverb swung his fist at the approaching Asadi.

"Electro Ball!" She swung her tail and slammed into the Drain Punch, sending out a ray of sparks around them.

Reverb bared his teeth. "You brats are persistent…"

Asadi smirked. "That's the Gappei guarantee for you! HI-YA!" She put her back into it and overpowered his Drain Punch, forcing his arm to flying backwards.

"Gah!" Reverb growled, then inhaled. "Echoed VOICE!" Asadi covered her ears as the sounds wave slammed into her.

Asadi covered her ears. She sank her tail into the ground to prevent from flying away. She glared at the screaming frog, then fired an Ice Beam into his mouth, shutting him up.

Lance turned away from Shane and charged at Asadi. "Fell Stinger!"

Asadi jumped to the side, revealing Dez prepping a Flamethrower. "Get BACK!" He spewed flames into the assassins, pushing them back. While the rain dampened its power, it did its job against Lance.

"GYAAAAAH!" Lance screamed, clutching his head in agony.

"Heavy Slam!" Dez bolted into them and tackled them off their feet.

Lance glared and swung with Dragon Claw. "Stupid kid!"

Dez took the hit purposely so he could be thrown away from the two. "Now you're dead! Kami Volt!" He spun and burrowed his way underground.

The assassins caught themselves and looked for the electric hound, then looked down at the ground as pillars of electricity shot out. The ground split open and erupted in a violent blast of electricity. The shockwave alone was what did the most damage, especially to Reverb. The entire road lit up bright yellow as the pillar of electricity soared into the sky, while Asadi and Shane held onto the ground to keep from flying back.

When the light died down, Reverb and Lance crashed to the destroyed ground, finally showing signs of damage after a long, drawn-out fight. The sound toad rolled over onto his side and panted. Lance held his head as he sat up, groaning out.

"What's with these kids?" Lance grumbled.

Reverb pushed himself up and coughed through the ice covering his mouth. _After dealing with those brats back in Grandis, I shouldn't be surprised. Gappei…lives up to its expectations._

The dust cleared and Dez poked out from the ground, panting after using up all his electricity. He shook his head and pulled himself topside. "Yeah…that'll show you…"

Asadi and Shane ran over and helped him up. "Nice work, Dez!" Shane complimented. "You really do pack a punch!"

Dez smirked to himself. "Yeah, well…" He glared ahead. "Focus on the task at hand. We need to secure these two. Asadi, freeze them solid so they won't get away."

She nodded. "On it." She inhaled and prepared an Ice Beam. Lance got on one knee and picked up his lance to defend himself and Reverb.

However, from out of nowhere, a body crash landed between their sides, skipping over to Asadi. She canceled Ice Beam and caught the figure, which threw her onto her back. She shook her head, then gasped to see it was Wash. He was badly beaten up, panting heavily with bruises over his body and blood dripping off him.

"Wash!" his friends cried out.

"Tch." They looked up and spotted Ripper walking onto the scene, with only a few scratches and some blood stained on her cheek. "You really are a stupid kid. All your fleeting talk of hope and meliorism, but it's set in stone. Living beings are evil in nature, no matter how hard they suppress it. There's no such thing as a selfless soul."

Asadi bared her teeth. "You…You jerk!"

"Better than psychopath, I'll give it that." She glared at Reverb, then slashed the ice off his mouth. "I've grown bored of waiting. Reverb, do the thing."

He rubbed his jaw, then nodded. "Amplify." The bumps on his body started vibrating.

Ripper cracked her neck, glaring at the Gappei Fusions. "If Spins wants to ignore us, we'll force her to listen."

* * *

She needed to escape. She had to get away from them. She couldn't bring herself to see them. She couldn't bring herself to fight them. She abandoned her friends and her surrogate siblings because she couldn't stand facing them together.

Juniper sat against the back wall outside a shop, cowering with her ears flopped over her face. The fighting seemed to have died down, though it was so far from where she ran off to that it could have just moved to another part of the town. She didn't care. There was too much in her head to worry about.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hugging herself. She didn't want to fight her only family. She didn't want to take sides. She just wanted something to tell her it was alright. All she ever did was look past the issues and go ahead, but now the unmovable speed bump finally caught up with her. She was trapped between the two things she loved the most: her family and her friends.

She lowered her head into her arms, sniffling softly. _I can't fight them...I won't fight them! I...I can't...am I scared? Guilty? Confused? What...am I?_ She closed her eyes. _I'm sorry, Wash...but I had to run. I couldn't...I couldn't-_

"SPIIIIIIIINNNSSSS!" Juniper's ears shot up in a fright as the booming voice of the sound toad echoed across the city. She covered her ears and screamed, faintly hearing glass shattering nearby. "GET OOOOOOOVER HERRRRRRRE NOOOOOW!"

Juniper cradled her head and fell to her side, crying louder. _I don't want to fight anyone! I'm not a killer anymore!_

* * *

Ripper tapped her paw on ground, waiting impatiently. "What's taking that girl so long? Is she halfway across the town?"

Dez looked up from Wash's injuries and snarled at her. "You… _bitch._ Is this how you intend to treat your own sister?"

Ripper narrowed her eyes. "Believe me, we're offering her security once this world goes to Hell. Someone's going to need to pick up the pieces once it's all over."

"She isn't your concern," Lance added, arms crossed.

"Not _our_ concern?!" Dez growled. "You bastards STOLE her childhood away! Her own parents gave her up and you tried to turn her into a killer!"

Asadi covered her eyes as tears fell. "Do you three have no _sympathy_ for someone you call a sister?!"

Reverb glared softly. "Our sympathy is to protect our sister, nothing more, nothing less. She was raised alongside us. She knows how broken this world is." He turned away, then inhaled.

Ripper glared. "No one changes. Spins, regardless of who she became, is still a killer on the inside. A killer with an anger towards the cruelty inflicted by Pokémon."

"SPIIIIIINNNNSSSS!" Reverb screamed, rattling the buildings and street. Cracks formed in the walls of multiple buildings, stressing from the tension of their own weight.

Ripper glared. "That's how it must be."

"…You three…really don't get it."

Ripper glared over her shoulder. The Gappei Fusions gasped as Wash slowly pushed himself off the ground, panting wearily. Asadi had to keep him upright, though he tried to assure her he was fine. Ripper turned around and tilted her head. "You're not dead? I must say, I'm impressed."

Wash glared up at her. "…I don't understand Juniper's feelings, but I do know she cares about you three a lot. More than anything else. That make me wonder, though. Is the feeling reciprocated?"

"Pardon?"

"Do you three love Juniper?"

Ripper glared suspiciously. "Where's this going?"

"All of this...all of this suffering she had to go through...and you just let your boss push her around...all because he gave her a reason to hate." He gritted his teeth. "I don't know who I hate more: your boss...or Juniper's parents, for throwing away such a precious girl all because of their bigotry."

"If you ask me," Barbatos said, taking over, "it just sounds like excuses after excuses. Trying to convince yourselves that there's something wrong with this world because that's all you know. All you know is hate and violence. That's _all_ your leader taught you. In a way, I can relate."

Ripper bared her teeth. "Don't be ignorant. You sound like this world is free of sin."

"It isn't. It never will be," Barbatos assured just as Wash retook control.

"But that doesn't mean that's _how_ it should be. I don't want this cycle of hatred to continue. And I don't want Juniper to lose what's left of her. She was brought up believing nothing will ever go her way." The assassins and Gappei Fusions noticed a blue aura coming off of Wash, waving like a steam. "She had to be taught to cry. She had to be taught what a smile meant. That's the saddest thing I've ever heard, that someone doesn't know what a smile is. Because she didn't have anyone who gave her a reason to love."

Ripper bit her lip. "…Stop talking."

Barbatos took control and glared at her. "That's it, isn't it?" The blue aura that was coming off of Wash was now red, something that troubled the assassins. Why were their auras doing that?

Reverb glared. "What's what?"

"That's the reason Juniper was so easy to manipulate as a kid. Your leader told her about her parents and how they abandoned her. That's the reason you've been keeping her under your thumb." Barbatos dug his fingers into the ground. "If a bastard like me can come to that conclusion, then you three really are sick."

Wash resumed, with his aura changing to blue again. "You don't know how much Juniper means to us back home. She was the one thing that reminded us that we're in this together. She's brings everyone who meets her a joy they cannot explain." He touched his heart. "I couldn't explain it, either. Something about her always seemed off. Then I realized how much I needed to look away from my own past. It doesn't control who I am. She brought me out of that and I've come to appreciate her for it. I love her more than anything."

The assassins stepped back as Wash pulled himself up. His left eye glowed purple, then the two separate auras mixed. Something about it felt different to the assassins. Two familiar feelings…combined together.

"If you cared about Juniper, you would give her a reason to smile. I know there's a part of you that cares about her, that doesn't want to see her as only an emotionless drone. To understand the weight of her smile, you need to give her something that shows you appreciate everything she has done for you."

They didn't know who spoke. Wash, Barbatos…or both? Neither side could wrap their heads around it.

Reverb and Lance stepped forward, but Ripper held her paw up and stopped them. She glared sternly at the frog, who remained steadfast in face of her intimidating stare. The Gappei Fusions stepped away, feeling an unsettling tension in the air, like the slightest snap could cause an earthquake.

After a moment of intense staring, Ripper sighed, which made Wash/Barbatos to stand down. "You think we don't love Spins?" She glared at Reverb and asked, "Do you remember that Meowth from the base? I think it's time Spins learned the truth."

* * *

Juniper panted heavily, relieved that the screaming had finally stopped. She let out one last gasp, then pressed the back of her head against the shop. She brought her legs to her body and closed her eyes.

 _I don't even know anymore. I just want someone to tell me there's something to all this strife…_

"SPINS!" Juniper shrieked and reflexively covered her ears, but then realized the voice wasn't projecting as loudly as before. It was moderately normal, like speaking through a bullhorn. "Listen up! I don't care how much you hate us right now! But we have something to say to you! Even if we're enemies...consider this our last gift to you!"

* * *

After getting the nod of approval from Ripper, Reverb cleared his throat and announced:

"We lied."

The Gappei Fusions' eyes widened. Asadi covered her mouth. "W…What?"

Wash narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean 'you lied?'"

"It means…Spins, you were never donated to the agency!"

"WHAT?!" Juniper's friends shrieked.

* * *

Juniper's arms fell to her sides. Her eyes stared blankly ahead, wide in confusion and shock. Her jaw hung open partly.

 _N-Not…donated?_

Reverb's voice bounced around her at a normal pitch. "From what we were told...your parents loved you more than anything in the world! Their names are Finley and Daria Wright! Your real name, before you were Spins or Juniper, was Freya Wright! You were six months old at the time! They nurtured you! They loved you!"

 _My name…was Freya?_ Her eyes narrowed softly. _I…had parents? Parents who loved me?_

"But the Leader saw your true potential as a Fusion! You were something that could be turned into a powerhouse to bring this world back together! He needed you! He sought you out and tried to persuade your parents into giving you up! They were adamant about keeping you! They refused to give you up for any reason!"

 _Th-They did?_

"But…you know how the Leader gets."

A cold chill ran up Juniper's spine. Given the organization she was raised in, would that mean he went to _those_ lengths to take her away? _N-No…did he…?_

Thankfully, Reverb knew her well enough to tell what she was thinking. "You're probably wondering what he did. I can assure you, they are safe and alive! The Leader tried to blackmail them into giving you up, even threatening to ruin their lives, but they would rather go into poverty than lose you! So, the only option he has was to kidnap you!"

Juniper stared at the ground, her face unreadable. Tears welled up in her blank eyes as she sat back. Her lips twitched unsurely, unable to figure out how to express.

"He forced us to keep it secret! We figured...it was the only way to get you to help us! And it worked...too well! You were nothing but a cold, killing machine! We may keep our emotions suppressed, but you didn't have any! We always wanted more out of you, but...couldn't find a way to say it!"

A pause of silence.

"Spins, we care about you more than anything in the world. If this is the only way to show you how much we wanted you to be happy, then we would've told you the truth a long time ago! We don't know where you parents are now, but I'm sure they never stopped missing you!"

Juniper covered her mouth as the tears trickled down her cheeks. _I…I have parents…actual parents._ Her lips twitched again, with the faint taste of her tears on them. She pressed her arm into her eyes, gritting her teeth tightly. _All this time…all this time, I…_

* * *

"We may be on opposite sides, but that's the last thing we want to say to you...before we have to cross paths!" Reverb finally took a sigh of relief, rubbing his sore throat. He looked down at Ripper. "That everything?" he asked in his normal, soft voice.

Ripper nodded. "Yeah, that should be enough."

The Gappei Fusions stared at the assassins with mixed looks. They remained cautious, of course, but now they couldn't help but look at the assassins with newfound sympathy, even if they were killers.

Wash glared at the assassins, clenching his fist. "Was…Was everything you just said to her true?"

Ripper closed her eyes and shrugged. "It's our last mission. What point would there be to lying?" She looked up at the rain clouds. The Rain Dance's effects were finally lifting. "...What did she do?"

"Huh?"

"Spins, I mean. How much does that girl mean to all of you? How much weight can be taken away...from something as simple as a smile? It seems arbitrary."

Wash narrowed his eyes, then smiled a bit. "That's just show she is. A goofy, beautiful girl who wants to shine on the world with her best smile. She can turn the worst of us into something better."

"She knows what people need to cheer up," Dez continued on.

"She knows how to empathize with the feelings of others and show she cares," Asadi added with a tearful smile.

Shane clasped his hands over his heart. "She's the heart of our village...and we would go to the ends of the earth to see her smile again." His friends nodded in agreement.

Ripper groaned and covered her face. "You're all so lame. Getting worked up over a dumb smile. There's nothing special about them. Not like it matters to us, given how much Spins hates us."

"…I don't hate you guys."

The assassins' eyes widened as a strong, powerful presence radiated from behind them, hitting them with the same influence as their menacing auras. The Gappei Fusions were taken back by it as well, but something was off about the presence. It has a strange feeling to it. It felt like the assassins' bloodlust. Just as potent, but something...softer.

The assassins turned their heads, gasping at the red and blue, shining glow coming down the gloomy street. The panda engulfed in this aura sauntered down, head hanging as she stared at the ground.

"I could never hate you." The assassins narrowed their eyes at the tears dripping from her face. Juniper wiped her eyes, then looked up at them. "I forgive you."

Their hearts stopped. Everything stopped. For all their lives, they've only seen the emotionless drone known as Spins. Never once cried, never once expressed joy. They've only known one Spins.

 _The heart of their village,_ the assassins remembered.

Something so rare, yet taken for granted. Something that pierced their hearts with a relief they've wanted for years.

Her smile.

Juniper's angelic smile shined brighter than the aura surrounding her as she wiped her eyes. "Heh. Ripper, Lance, Reverb…I hope you can forgive me, because now I have to defeat you."


	85. Overcoming the Past

The assassins stared in utter bafflement at the glow radiating off of Juniper, though whether they were referring to her aura or the odd smile she was giving them was up to debate. It was such a foreign expression, seeing a smile on someone they remembered being so cold and emotionless. They wondered if this truly was their sister from long ago.

Meanwhile, Juniper's friends were just glad she returned safely after running away. From the frizzy fur below her eyes, though, they knew immediately she didn't want to take part in the fighting. And yet, here she was, standing tall and proud before her siblings, declaring battle with them while giving them such a warm, comforting smile that the Gappei Fusions have grown accustomed to.

Lance narrowed his eyes cautiously at the panda. "…You can't be serious, Spins."

Juniper waved her head side to side, then giggled childishly. "Spins, Juniper, Freya…" She giggled and bonked herself on the head, sticking her tongue out. "I'm going to have more of an identity crisis than Wash after today. Hopefully 'Freya' doesn't take after Spins, though. Maybe she can be the levelheaded one. Then again..." She closed her eyes and grinned. "It's still me."

The assassins felt a twinge of worry and shuffled back. Ripper, however, kept her paws firmly planted as she glared at the panda. "So, you've finally chose your side?"

Juniper blinked. "Chose a side? I'm not on anyone's side. I just don't want the world I love so much turning into something horrible." She folded her arms behind her back and chuckled. "I mean, I can't have everyone dying via erratic mutation. That'd just be plain silly. Plain silly, not the good kind of silly."

"She makes no sense," Reverb mumbled.

Juniper raised her hand and beckoned them forward. "I'm not holding back from this. I have every intention of beating you three and getting back home to see my friends."

"You really think all your friends will be there? Just to stop Faust?" Lanced asked.

Juniper grinned. "It's that weird thing about our village. We're all naturally stubborn and don't like our stuff being ruined. I suppose, in a way, we owe Faust for that one. Goes to show how far we will go for each other, even if it means literally crossing the planet."

"You're so unnaturally optimistic," Ripper grumbled.

"Not unnatural. The right about of natural." Juniper giggled to herself.

Reverb clenched his fist. "You really think you can take all three of us on by yourself?"

"What do I look like, a superhero?" Juniper beamed. "Of course not. I may need to divvy up the battling a bit." She held her arm over her eyes and peered around. "Can I get a volunteer from the audience? Ooh, how about the handsome frog who's glowing like me? Get up here, my good sir!"

Wash grinned to himself. "Jun…" He pushed off the ground and stood up, flinching as he put pressure on his left leg.

Asadi reached for him. "Wash, you're still hurt!"

He gently brushed her hand off. "I'll be fine, Asadi. I can still fight." He inhaled deeply, then walked past the assassins and towards Juniper. The assassins didn't stop him, genuinely curious to the panda's intentions. "You ready, Barbatos?"

 _ **Let's see what we can do once we evolve our strengths.**_

Wash took his place beside Juniper and massaged his aching shoulder. "Good. Then I'm all set, too." He smiled at Juniper. "…I'm glad you're okay."

Juniper beamed. "Better than okay!"

Ripper glared at her. "…Why?"

Juniper tilted her head. "Hmm? Why what?"

"Why…are you smiling like an idiot?"

Juniper blinked, then giggled behind her hand. "Why, why, why? What a funny word!"

Lance grimaced. "To think we're forced to fight Spins like this."

Reverb sighed. "It can't be helped, we have our orders."

Ripper huffed, then crouched down into an attack stance. "Don't think I can't see what you two are planning. Fusion Mode won't save you from us. We have you outclassed in skill, yet you will have the power." She flexed her claws. "Shall we see which prevails over the other...if you're so confident in yourselves?"

Wash stretched his arms in preparation. "I'd say we'll have the resolve to make it through. Right, Juniper?"

She giggled. "You got that right, babe!" She covered her mouth and continued in her excitable giggles, something the frog found amusing.

"What's got you so giggly?"

Juniper wiped her eyes, feeling some tears come on as she laughed. "W-Why wouldn't I be laughing? I have _parents_! Living, loving parents! They're out there somewhere! Now I have more reason to win this fight! I just…I'm just so…happy!" She laughed and spun on her foot.

Wash held his arm up as her aura ignited and exploded upward into a spiral, radiating with beautiful red and blue colors. Her angelic laughter chorused through the spiral and reached out to her siblings and friends.

The ghost frog closed his eyes and smirked. "Can't argue with you there." With his left eye glowing bright purple, Wash waved his hands around, the right glowing blue and the other glowing red. "Let's do this, Barbatos!"

"I'm with you!"

The ghost frog leaped, spun, then slammed his hands down, igniting his aura and encasing him in the same powerful tornado as Juniper's. The assassins held their guards up as the two twisters' winds barreled into them, nearly throwing them off their feet. The Gappei Fusions took refuge behind a building as the winds rushed past them.

"Two Fusion Modes at once?!" Shane cried out.

"This is going to be sweet!" Asadi cheered.

Dez glared. "Yeah, but those assassins aren't pushovers." He gritted his teeth. "Shit…are they even strong enough to fight against guys like that?"

The assassins boldly faced the rushing winds, glaring daggers as they steeled themselves for combat. Even if it pained them to know this was their own sister they would have to face, their devotion as assassins came first and they wouldn't break their resolve.

Breaking from her spiral of energy, Juniper leaped out into view, changed in her appearance. First off, she was a bit taller, with longer legs that could pierce a hole through stone. Her tunic-like body resembled a jacket, with her beige torso showing through. Her hands had more defined digits, which also had claws. Her ears were bent back and twisted together into a ponytail. Possibly the biggest change from it was her eyes. They were a normal pair of eyes, with red irises and black swirly pupils.

She posed and grinned brightly to everyone. "Juniper, reporting for battle!"

Wash broke from his tornado afterwards. His usual cloak had gotten a bit smaller and his wispy scarf became a split-tailed, tangible scarf. His hood was up with his both eyes yellow again. Water flowed around the frog, mainly from his arms and legs.

However, what caught everyone off guard was the duplicate standing right beside the ghost frog. They were practically twins, save for the glowing purple eyes and the wicked stare directed at the assassins.

The Gappei Fusions blinked in bewilderment. "Am…I seeing double?" Asadi muttered.

"Two of Wash?" Shane questioned.

Dez glared. "No. One Wash…and one Barbatos."

Ripper narrowed her eyes with intrigue. "A Fusion Mode that splits the twin conscious of its user? My, my, something that isn't lame…"

Wash slammed his fists together with the water surging around him. "Haha! I'm feeling stronger now!"

Barbatos flexed and cracked his fingers, laughing deviously. "Oh yeah, this is nice. It may be temporary, but I like having my own body to myself!"

"Oh yeah~!" The twin frogs' eyes widened, then looked at Juniper, who grinned seductively at the two. "I'm liking this a whole lot myself~." She winked at them.

The frogs tensed up and blushed _really_ hard while everyone else, assassins included, stared at the three in bafflement. Dez covered his face and shuddered, hiding his own blush. "Annnnd, Juniper made this weird."

"It's Juniper, what did you expect?" Asadi mumbled.

Wash covered his face and waved panicky at the evolved panda. "Jun, can we focus at the matter at hand, please?!"

Juniper sighed, then held her hips and smirked cheekily. "Oh, calm down, you idiots. I'm only teasing." The two sighed in relief. "…Mostly." She turned back to the assassins, ignoring their shocked faces.

The assassins recovered from their secondhand embarrassment, with Ripper stating, "Definitely more playful than I would've imagined." She looked up and glared at the panda.

Juniper smirked at her. "What do you say, sis? I've got talent and power, while you have all the talent. Let's see who comes out on top."

Ripper crouched down and growled lowly. "Don't cry for mercy, sis."

Juniper glared darkly. "I wouldn't dream of it."

An intense stare down came between the two sides, as Wash and Barbatos raised their fists while Juniper locked eyes with Ripper's blood red ones. The rain was slowly dying, with only the dark clouds remaining. Both sides kept silent, waiting for whichever would make the first move.

Ripper narrowed her eyes, then gently leaned forward on her claws. In a burst of speed, with no sound, she appeared in front of Juniper and swung her claws. Juniper reacted instantly and elbowed her claws out of her face, then threw a straight punch for her maw. Ripper deflected it with her other paw.

Their glares remained locked together, then broke as they vanished in a burst of speed. The Fusions looked up and barely spotted the bursts of air colliding over the roofs. One roof after the other, blows were traded at speeds they couldn't comprehend.

"W-W-Whoa!" Asadi gasped. "And I thought Tamara moved fast! When did Juniper learn to-?!"

"I'm more concerned about the wolf's speed, to be frank," Dez growled worriedly. "If that chick could use Fusion Mode, too, we'd be in deep trouble."

And with Juniper off, Wash and Barbatos glared at the remaining assassins. "Let's not keep those two waiting! Onward!" They rushed at the assassins, conjuring their enhanced Cut blades and striking into them.

Lance raised his armored arm and blocked the attack, with Reverb doing the same with both arms. Barbatos, who had Reverb pinned, smirked and slammed an Aerial Ace into Reverb's chin, throwing him backwards.

 _Their power's grown stronger!_ Reverb growled internally. _This is bad!_

Wash was having difficulty cutting into Lance's armor, even as he repeatedly bashed into the metal. Lance smirked at this. "Try all you want, but nothing will pierce my armor!"

Wash glared. "I'm not trying to pierce it." The water around him merged with the Cut, turning black with his Fusion Move and transforming the blade into a longsword. He went in again with one more slash, which pushed into Lance's guard and forced his arm backwards, accidentally punching himself in the stomach.

"GAAAH!" Lance gasped out. His heels dug into the road, flying meters back from the attack. He growled and forced his hands down, digging his claws in and dragging himself to a dead halt. He spread his wings out and gave them a mighty flap, blowing up a cloud of dust. "Don't think we assassins are pitiful mortals in the face of overwhelming power! Dragon Rage!" He expelled blue flames back at the frog.

Wash swung his Cut and slashed through the Dragon Rage, diverting the flames into streams. His eyes spotted the dragon knight descending from above. He swung his blades and stopped his Dragon Claws in place with the force crushing the ground under him.

 _Geez, these guys aren't pushovers!_ Wash thought. He twisted his blades and diverted Lance's claws into the ground. He swung his foot with Aerial Ace into Lance's leg.

"Iron Defense!" Lance's body briefly shimmered metallic, bouncing Wash's leg off. He then went in with a straight punch, easily throwing the frog backwards.

Wash spun himself out and landed against the side of a building, then immediately bounced off. "Water Pulse!" He summoned two Water Pulses, both covered in a dark aura, and fired into Lance.

"RAH!" Lance thrusted his lances and pierced through the attacks, though was thrown back by the explosive force they carried. Wash smirked and dove straight into the shadows, meters from Lance's range. The dragon knight bared his teeth cautiously and looked around. "Where did he go?"

Over with Barbatos, he hopped around the buildings like a spring, avoiding the ear-damaging Echoed Voice bouncing around him. Reverb kept fairly decent track of the alter ego, but admitted the speed boost was more than he expected. That, and with his almost all his damaging moves rendered ineffective, the best he could do was disorient Barbatos and land a standard punch.

Barbatos landed under the toad's chin and shot his foot into it with Aerial Ace. He jumped off Reverb and took off high above him. "Best to keep track, because I'm here to bring the pain! Now go to hell!" He freefell back into Reverb with an Aerial Ace-powered axe kick.

Reverb raised both arms and blocked the kick. He growled as the forced shoved his knees through the road. His arms nearly bent backwards. If he wasn't prepared for that kick, his arms would've been twisted. He bared his teeth and glared at the frog suspiciously.

 _I don't get it. We've fought worse than this before. What's with these two that's making them so damn strong? What changed? Unless…this isn't just their standard power were facing._

He forced Barbatos off, with the ghost frog smirking at the angry look casted his way. "Seems you're curious about my power." He flicked his scarf and bowed. "You and the dragon should be worried knowing you're dealing with unbeatable power. You see, that's the power of…Devil's Due."

"Devil's Due?" Lance questioned as he walked up beside Reverb.

Wash stepped out from Barbatos' shadow and crossed his arms, giving the two a confident glare. "Our Fusion Ability. I think the name suits it. As long as we're fighting close by together, our fighting strength is increased. And the side effects of being hit with our Fusion Move is also increased."

Barbatos smirked. "And with our speed, you won't have a chance in hell getting the two of us separated."

Lance bared his teeth. "You've got to be kidding me."

Reverb glared. "You will regret giving away that tidbit of information."

Wash smirked. "Not like you can do much to stop us." He and Barbatos summoned their Cut blades.

"Now cower and prepare for your ass-kicking!" Barbatos exclaimed before the duo dashed at the assassins.

Reverb scoffed. "Now look who's getting cocky." He reeled his head back and inhaled deeply. "Do you honestly think...you were the first Fusions we faced...who could use Fusion Mode?!" He lurched his head down and screamed into the ground, forcing the ground to shoot up. The nearby buildings shook and quake as ground was uplifted, sending the frogs flying up with it.

"What the hell?!" Barbatos cried out.

"That was Boomburst!" Wash identified. They crossed their arms and blocked the flying shards slashing into them. The explosion was like an eruption. The small rocks sliced into their skin while the huge ones obscured their vision. Wash darted his eyes through the rocks, baring his teeth. "Barbatos, do you see them?!"

"How should I know?! All I see is-!"

"Dragon Rage!"

The blue light came from their right. Barbatos used Water Pulse to sponge up the damage as the dragon flames sent him and Wash flying out of the rock shower. Wash grabbed Barbatos and pulled him into the shadows to soften their landing, then ejected out behind Reverb.

"Guess that wolf wasn't bluffing about their skills," Wash grumbled.

Reverb glared over his shoulder. "Hyper VOOOOOOICE!" He turned and let out a powerful scream.

Wash and Barbatos pressed their feet together and jumped off into the flying rocks, barely avoiding the soundwaves. They jumped around on the rocks, using them as stepping stones to descend on the two assassins. Lance and Reverb fired off Dragon Rages and Mud Bombs, exploding the rocks they were using to cut them off, but their speed surpassed their previous limits and easily weaved through.

The two frogs reached solid ground, then jumped high above the assassins' heads. They held their hands together and channeled their Kuroi Mizu in the center, shaping it into a rotating shuriken. They held it over their heads and took aim at their exposed backs.

"Let's go! Kuroi Mizu Shuriken!"

They flung the shuriken straight for them, breaking through the air as well. Lance and Reverb tried to destroy it with Dragon Rage and Mud Bomb, but the shuriken shredded on through and reached its mark. Dark water exploded off the two, with Lance throwing up one of his lances in the impact. They felt their muscles contracting as the paralysis effect kicked in.

"Sh-Shit," Reverb growled.

"What the hell?!" Lance cried out.

Wash and Barbatos landed on a roof and watched the two assassins crumble to the ground. Barbatos smirked, then stood up and laughed at them. "Guess they weren't worth shit! What a bunch of pushovers! HA!"

Wash glared. "Don't get cocky, Barbatos. They're still dangerous."

"Dangerous? How? Look at them. They're paralyzed. They won't be moving for a long-"

"Hyper Voice."

They spotted the paralyzed toad shooting a soundwave in their direction. However, it wasn't the sound that had them concerned. The lance that Lance 'accidentally' threw in the air got caught in the Hyper Voice and flung into Barbatos like a javelin thrown by a Bewear.

Barbatos gasped as the lance sent him soaring across the town. "What the hell?!"

"Barbatos!" Wash tried to go after him, but flinched as Devil's Due's effects kicked in. He fell onto his knees and panted, feeling his empowerment fading. "Sh-Shit…"

Reverb huffed in relief. "Good. Now once this status wears off, things should be a lot easier with them."

Wash clenched his fists and rose up. He still felt the lingering pains of his injuries, but put them aside for now. All that mattered was beating these guys and keeping Juniper safe. That's the only thing he could think about, here and now.

* * *

Speaking of the loveable panda, she and her sister clashed across the several rooftops and clashed with fists and paws. They struck each other in the air, exchanging glares, and kicked off onto opposing sides of a long roof. Ripper fired off volleys of Shadow Balls which Juniper deflected into the air to prevent further collateral damage.

"Drill Run!" Ripper rotated across the roof, sharpening the tip of her mane as hard as stone.

Juniper pulled her fist back and channeled a bellowing mass of mist. "Ice Punch!" She spun on her heel and slid her punch across the surface of the roof. The remaining rainwater from earlier transferred her cold energy across the roof and splashed onto Ripper. Patches of ice instantly appeared over her body, canceling out her rotation.

"Sucker Punch!" She flipped off her forepaws and got over Juniper, swing her paw down.

Juniper caught her paw, flinching with the middle claw digging against her palm. She glared and pulled her other palm back, channeling a swirling mass of orange energy. "Force Palm!" She thrusted her palm and unleashed the shockwave.

Ripper barely moved her head out of the way as the shockwave blew back the fur. It was a like a burst of light shooting from her hand with the same velocity of a bullet. "Tch. "Drill Run!" She rotated against Juniper's hand and started pushing on her.

"Bounce!" Juniper released Ripper, then sprung over her a second after. Her sequence of movements was crisp and swift. It almost happened in the blink of an eye. Juniper aimed her feet skyward and kicked against the air, delivering enough shock to propel herself down into Ripper's back and slamming the punk wolf through.

"RAWR!" However, expecting such a move, Ripper spun herself around and let her stomach take the hit instead. She widened her maw and snapped her teeth down on Juniper's arm with Ice Fang.

"YOW!" Juniper yelped.

Ripper whipped her head and flung Juniper across the roof. She skipped twice off her back, then tumbled the rest of the way before catching herself on her feet, an inch from sliding off the edge. Juniper lifted her ice coated arm, trying to move her fingers carefully.

Ripper stood up, then bared her teeth. "I spent years thinking you were dead, now I see that everything we've worked for was pointless." She growled. "Is that how you feel about us? We're just monsters in your eyes, now?"

Juniper's eyes widened at the outrageous comment, then narrowed sadly. "Ripper, I never…stopped loving you guys."

"What a joke!" Ripper spat back at her. "You _loved_ us?! You never showed any sort of love back at the base! I get you were taught to rid yourself of emotions, but you never even acted like we _mattered_! We tried to get you to open up!" She flung her paw in the direction of Gero's temple. "So _why_ would you forgo your _mission_ and not come back to us?!"

Juniper frowned, clutching her frozen arm. "…Because I didn't like what I was. I…I wasn't happy." She closed her eyes. "My pappy helped me see that. Ripper, I've killed people. If I go home after all of this, there's no way I'll live a normal life again. I didn't kill someone out of self-defense. I killed of my own accord, even if I was manipulated to do so.

"Sister, I can't express how sorry I am for being so negligent of your feelings, as well as the others, but I couldn't go back to a place that didn't make me happy. I couldn't go back to somewhere that…encouraged me to murder other people."

Ripper scoffed. "Those _people_ were greedy scumbags that drove other Fusions into poverty…or worse. Who's going to miss those scumbags? Who in their right mind would give a shit about some asshole who spends their life ruining other lives? That's like a celebrity making false accusations just because they hate someone or some loser on the internet calling the police on some gamer they have beef with. This world is full of sad, pathetic, and totally _lame_ jerks who bring nothing but misery. Who would honestly miss those people?"

Juniper glared. "I'm not arguing against that…but bringing hatred only breeds more hatred."

Ripper sighed, then flexed out her claws. "Reverb was right." She glared furiously, then lunged at Juniper like a speeding bullet. "You've gotten soft!"

Juniper's eyes flashed orange at the wolf's approach. Ripper swung for Juniper's head, striking with harmful force. However, in the brief second before connection, Juniper sidestepped out of the way so fast that she left a brief afterimage of herself behind. It looked like Ripper swung through Juniper's ghost.

Ripper spun around and dug her claws down, glaring in confusion. "The hell?"

Juniper frowned at her sister. "…Dizzied Instinct. Each time damage is inflicted on me, my evasion skills rise."

Ripper groaned. "Oh, that is just _lame_ for me." She raised her paws over her head. "Now, Stone Edge!"

Rocks shot out from the road and curved towards Juniper. With her newfound evasion, Juniper weaved and jumped over the rocks chasing her down. She landed on the tip of a spire and kicked off into the air. She spun, thrusted her legs downward, and rocketed into Ripper who blocked with her paw.

"I'm sorry, Ripper, but I'm not going back to the Leader! My friends need me!"

Ripper bared her teeth. "Then I can't let you get in the way of this assassination!" She pushed the panda away, then lunged with her maw wide open for another Ice Fang.

"Ice Punch!" Using the same strategy as before, Juniper swept her hand across the roof's surface and sent the cold energy traveling for the wolf.

Ripper, however, leapt over the attack this time and ceased Ice Fang for a basic claw swipe. She managed to strike Juniper before she could dodge, knocking her across her back. Juniper rolled to her feet and shook her head as her evasion rose again. Ripper rushed and went into a frenzy with her claws while Juniper avoided with her heightened evasion.

"I can't let you get away with this, even if you're family!" She caught Ripper's paw and struck her in the chin. "That is why…I'll beat you!"

* * *

Wash grunted as he lifted himself up. In the time it took him to stand, Kuroi Mizu's effects wore off, allowing Lance and Reverb to stand again. Lance cracked his neck and loosened up his muscles. He flexed his fingers and growled, "I'm hunting the twin. You take care of the frog."

"They're both frogs," Reverb pointed out.

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" Lance ran off in the direction Barbatos was blasted to, leaving Reverb to tend to Wash.

The toad sighed, then cracked his knuckles as he faced the evolved Fusion. Wash narrowed his eyes, then summoned his Cut blades. "I've been keeping track of you. Four of your moves won't have any effect on me. And I think I can easily avoid a Mud Bomb. You're at a disadvantage."

Reverb narrowed his eyes. "Sharp observation, kid, but I didn't get as far as I did on limited viability. Surely you know...that ghosts are still capable of hearing sound. Boom...BURST!" He unleashed an explosive roar that passed right through Wash, but left his ears defenseless against the ear-shattering noise.

Wash covered his ears and screamed, leaving him open for Reverb to rush him down and slam his knee into the frog's gut. Reverb grabbed his head and smashed him into the road repeatedly, flung him down by the arm, then stomped his foot down on his stomach, pushing the air from Wash's lung. He was at a loss for words and breath before getting chucked through a second story window.

Reverb cracked his neck and approached the building, ignoring the Fusions cowering behind the rubble. Dez bared his teeth. "This is nuts. He's going to maim Wash if we don't do something. We've got to do something."

Asadi pulled on her ears. "How the heck are we going to do _anything_?! If these guys can take on Fusion Mode, we're screwed! And I have no idea how to use mine, yet!"

Shane grimaced worriedly. "These guys are tactical fighters who can exploit weaknesses in powerful opponents. They can cover a lot of options."

Dez scoffed. "When has that stopped us? All we need is a little wit…and a shit ton of resolve." He jumped out from behind the rubble and raced down the road. "You two take care of that toad bastard!"

"Where are you going?!" Shane cried out.

"To lend a paw to Wash's worse half!"

* * *

Barbatos was out for half a minute before coming to. A slab of rock pinned his body down, but he was more than capable of pushing it off. He gave it a good kick with Aerial Ace and knocked it to the side. He sat up and held his aching head, growling under his breath.

"Freakin' terrific. I get my own body for the day and I get to experience my own migraines." He stood up and dusted himself off. "Alright, I must've been thrown through a building. Where the heck is Wash at-?"

"Fell Stinger!"

Barbatos caught the lance approaching from his peripheral and dodged with millisecond timing. He bared his teeth as the weapon briefly grazed his nose. A trickle of blood squirted out with it. _Shit, way too close!_

"So, bastard!" Barbatos dodged Lance's flurry stabs as the lances dug through the road. "What was that about us being pushovers?! I want to see you laugh in my face again while I'm skewering you!"

Barbatos kicked off the ground and went flying with Aerial Ace. "Geez, you guys are persistent! How desperate are you to kill me, anyway?!"

"Comes with the job!" He fired Dragon Rage, forcing Barbatos to change directions and dart for the ground. Lance charged with his lances aimed at him. "Fell Stinger!"

"Cut!" Barbatos launched into a flip and slammed his blades into the lances, crackling the air with their respective auras. They were dead even in the power tie.

"Dragon Rage!" Lance charged up the draconic flames inside his mouth and readied to fire into the alter ego.

Barbatos wouldn't be able to get away in time, so he had only one alternative. "Aerial Ace!" He arched himself backward and slammed his foot into Lance's chin, snapping his jaw shut and causing the Dragon Rage to explode inside his mouth. Smoke burst from his seal maw.

Lance showed his resolve by forcing against the pain and striking Barbatos across the head while he was off balance. Barbatos tumbled and slammed into a slab of wall. Lance roared, expelling leftover smoke, and charged at him. "Iron Head!" His head turned to metal and rammed right into Barbatos.

Barbatos immediately sprung off his hands and slammed his feet into the Iron Head. "Aerial Ace!" The air rippled from the pressure, pushing them from each other forcibly.

Lance stopped himself with his claws and pulled his lances out. "Not bad! You really are adept in combat!"

Barbatos shook his head, then took an attack stance. "Comes with the job."

Lance smirked. "Funny guy." Lance pushed off his right foot and charged full speed with both lance's charging Fell Stinger.

Barbatos sneered, then raised his hand over his head. "Shadow Ball!" He formed a crackling mass of darkness into the shape of a sphere, far more powerful than a normal Shadow Ball. Rather than attack with it, he slammed it down in front of him and detonated the ground, blowing Lance out of his charge and into the air.

Lane straightened out in the air and used his wings to briefly stay airborne, even if they weren't meant for flying. "Dragon Rage!" He expelled the blue flames on the ground and chased Barbatos down with them.

Barbatos tried to outrun them, even running along the walls of a building, but was eventually caught in them. He growled as the flames chipped away at his stamina, but he kicked off the wall and barreled through the flames, spinning out and slamming an Aerial Ace under Lance's chin.

Lance flew back and maneuvered away from the frog, descending on the ground. "Now take this! Dragon Cla-!"

The moment his foot touched the ground, shards of rock appeared out of the ground and exploded into him, trapping him a massive dust cloud he couldn't see through. "GAH! What?!" He swung violently to fan the dust away.

Barbatos staggered back on the ground. "What happened?"

"Stealth Rock happened." Barbatos looked over his shoulder and spotted Dez standing boldly atop the roof behind him. He glared down at the violent ghost frog, but in a less hostile manner than normal.

Barbatos blinked, then smirked. "Well, well, come to help me out, I see."

"Don't flatter yourself." Dez jumped down beside him. "I can't offer much in raw power at the moment since I used up my electricity for that Kami Volt." He glared determinedly. "But I'll offer enough support to slow him down."

"That's all I ask for," Barbatos agreed, raised a Cut.

Lance waved the last of the dust away, then glared. "Another one?" He pulled out his lances and charged right for them. "Fell Stinger!"

"Flamethrower!" Dez expelled a stream of fire in Lance's direction, forcing the dragon knight to jump to the side.

Barbatos sped up behind the dragon, out of his field of vision, and rammed his foot into Lance's side. With no Iron Defense to save him, Lance went flying back into the Flamethrower, forced to endure the agonizing flames. Barbatos pulled his arms back and rapidly spammed Shadow Balls into Lance, blowing the dragon knight backwards.

"GAAAH!" Lance dug his foot into the ground and blocked the Shadow Balls. "Rotten pest…" He stomped down into the ground and marched through the endless stream of Shadow Balls. "Go ahead and waste your energy! I can take this until you drop dead!"

"That's why he has me!" Lance felt Dez slam into his side with Heavy Slam and throw off his guard, sending the Shadow Balls right into him again.

Barbatos pulled out his Cut blades and slashed past Lance, then backflipped and slammed his foot down on his head. Lance resisted and swung his arm into the ghost frog, throwing him off. Dez jumped back and spewed Flamethrower, which Lance countered with his Dragon Rage immediately.

"Heavy Slam!" Dez canceled Flamethrower and rushed through the Dragon Rage, wincing against the damage, and rammed into the dragon's stomach.

Lance anchored himself down and pushed the hound back. "Dragon Claw!"

Dez covered his head, but felt the claws stop in place. He looked up and found Barbatos defending against the claws with his Cut. He smirked and rammed his foot into Lance's chin, spinning him in the air, then jumped and kicked him with both feet into the road.

Dez shook his head and smirked. "What do you know? You're not as bad as I thought."

Barbatos crossed his arms and smirked. "You're not so bad yourself."

Lance lay in the ground for a moment, groaning and aching all over. He felt his head and touched blood running down his armor. He looked at his stained hand, then clenched his fist. "Grr…" He pulled himself up and whipped out his lances. "I'm getting really tired of this shit."

"That's my line, buster," Dez snarked.

Lance raised his lances and took aim. "I'll show you the true skill of an assassin!" He roared and charged at the duo.

"Bring it on!" Barbatos called out, rushing with Cut. Dez joined in with Heavy Slam and clashed with the assassin.

* * *

Wash crossed his arms and took a straight punch from Reverb. He clenched his teeth, feeling the physical weight of the punch crashing against him. He knocked him back a fair distance with his back nearly touching the wall behind him. He looked up in time and sidestepped from Reverb's second punch, with pierced a hole through the wall.

 _Shit, he's strong!_ He jumped back before Reverb could grab him.

Reverb glared seriously. "Do you plan on running away forever?" He fired off Mud Bombs which Wash jumped around or bashed away with his Cut.

"Do you still want to take Juniper away?" Wash retorted.

"Then we are at an impasse." Reverb dropped to his hands and feet and inhaled. "BOOOOOMBURST!" he screamed, unleashing the thunderous roar against Wash.

Wash preemptively covered his ears as the shockwaves passed through him. He clenched his eyes shut and tried to drown out the sound. _This is unbearable. If I could hold my own up close with him, this wouldn't be a problem!_

Reverb ceased the attack and charged with a punch pulled back. Wash recovered quickly and blocked the punch with his Cuts. The ground behind him cracked open against the weight. His Cuts held up, but the strain they endured was close to the limit.

 _I need to retreat and by myself some time! I need Barbatos near by to fully use my power!_ He pushed off and jumped away, but Reverb reached out and clutched his ankle. "Oh no!"

"Mud Bomb!"

Wash instantly deployed Kuroi Mizu to sponge the attack. He rolled across the ground and landed on his face, soaked in muddy dark water. He shook his head and tried to rise, but went back down once Reverb stomped on his back.

Reverb scoffed, then inhaled sharply. "Boom-!"

"Whirlpool!" Reverb stopped and jumped to the side as a vortex of water flew by him. He glared and spotted the luck ghost, Shane, bouncing from a high elevation.

Reverb landed and aimed with Hyper Voice charging. "You missed," he taunted.

Shane flicked his fingers towards himself. "Did I?"

The Whirlpool did not disperse after missing. Instead, it turned like a spinning top and went straight back for Reverb, crashing into his back and throwing off his balance. The strength of the water made escaping difficult, but not impossible for someone of his training background.

That is until Asadi jumped into the picture.

"Ice Beam!" She jumped out of hiding and fired into the Whirlpool, instantly freezing him in a structure of ice. Reverb froze in a state of trying to force his way out. His only moveable feature, his eyes, glared vehemently for being trapped once again in a block of ice.

Wash flipped up and pulled out Cut. "Thanks for the assist!" He laced his blades with the energy of Shadow Ball, then raced right into the ice. He flicker-vanished, then struck with a flurry of slashes, marked with faint purple lines. He reappeared before the ice, then spun around, projecting the Shadow Balls as energy slashes and dealing the final blow.

The ice reacted to the Ghost-Type energy and exploded, erupting into a pillar of smoke. Wash covered himself against the flying ice chucks.

Asadi ran over to him and asked, "Do you think that got him?"

There was a moment of silence in anticipation, then two heavy arms slammed on the ground with a piercing glare peering through the smoke. A sharp intake of air followed, with the smoke being sucked into Reverb's gaping mouth and expelling harmlessly through the pipes over his body.

Wash deadpanned. "I'm…going with 'no.'"

"BOOMBURST!" Reverb recoiled a bit upon releasing the thunderous roar.

"Ice Beam!" Asadi quickly constructed a wall of ice in front of her and Wash. It barely stopped the Boomburst for the first few seconds, but it wouldn't sustain any longer after that. Asadi and Wash jumped out of the way before the wall shattered into particles.

Wash rolled to safety and fired a stream of Shadow Balls from one outstretched hand, exploding around Reverb to gain his attention. Reverb changed targets and fired a Hyper Voice this time. Wash quickly dove into the shadows and avoided the attack, then shot out with Aerial Ace and nailed him in the chin.

"Bullseye!" Asadi exclaimed.

Reverb, however, resisted the attack and slammed his fist across Wash and threw him off. He rose to full height and roared, blowing back the Fusions and rubble. Dust kicked up from his mighty shout, obscuring the field a bit.

Shane glared. "This guy is hardcore…"

"They all are," Asadi grumbled.

"Don't get discouraged," Wash said as he raised his Cut. "We can still win this!" _For Juniper's sake._ He narrowed his eyes. _I hope she's doing better than us._

* * *

Ripper slashed wildly at Juniper, pushing the panda back as she continuously dodged her sharp claws. Each slash sent Ripper closer into a frenzy, snarling her teeth at her sister like a wild creature. "JUST! HOLD! STILL!"

As Juniper kept her guard up, she looked on at Ripper in growing concern, seeing the feral look in her eyes progressing deeper. _Ripper gets like this when her prey is being particularly stubborn. I hate seeing her like this._ She leaned back from the claws, then slammed her palm down, unleashing Force Palm.

The blast threw Ripper back, but she caught the roof and kept herself down. She growled, then swung her paws towards Juniper. "Stone Edge!" Rocks erected from the ground and curved in Juniper's direction.

"Consecutive Flow!" With the evasion power of her move and ability, Juniper was rendered untouchable. She bashed her palms through solid rock and danced through the spires, steadily approaching on Ripper.

Ripper snarled and raced at the panda, hopping off her own rocks to get closer. "Ice Fang!" She kicked down and dove at Juniper.

"Ice Punch!" She met the icy fangs with her icy fist, sending out the energy in waves and flash freezing the rocks and roof in ice. Juniper pulled Ripper in, swung her over her shoulder, and fired her into the air with Force Palm.

Ripper evened out in her skyward flight and fired down an endless stream of Shadow Balls. The collateral damage would not only be devasting, but could serious do harm against Juniper.

"Meditate!" Juniper brought her palms together and elevated her physical strength, then squatted. "And Bounce!" She sprung into the stream of Shadow Balls. "Consecutive Flow!" Her arms flew gracefully and deflected the Shadow Balls away from the down, setting them to exploded prematurely. She swung her hand and grabbed Ripper by the fur, then slammed her knee into her stomach.

Ripper retaliated by biting into her side. "Now I got you! Drill Run!" She propelled down, spinning Juniper with her, and dove straight into the ground, drilling meters through the surface. Juniper was dragged along the tunnel, gritting her teeth against the friction burns.

"D-Dammit Ripper! ENOUGH!" She brought her palms together and unleashed a concentrated Force Palm.

The orange light pierced out of the tunnel before the two exploded out like a geyser wrapped in a smoke. Their fists/paws emerged first and traded a rapid stream of blows. Juniper dodged most of hers while Ripper took them. They exchanged a final blow across the face and knocked each other backwards, spiking into the ground.

Juniper grunted as she pulled herself up. She rubbed her head, then glared at Ripper as she recovered, still snarling at Juniper. _Ripper's gotten stronger. To think, after all this time, she can still hold her own this well without a Fusion Mode of her own._

"Ripper, enough! This is getting us nowhere!" Juniper pleaded. "I've changed! Can't you just let me have this?! I don't want to lose the friends I've made! You can't be serious thinking this is fate! You don't really want the world to be destroyed all to make a world of Fusions, right?!"

Ripper made no response. She set her eyes on the panda and snarled. She dug her claws into the road, then reared her head up and howled. Juniper's eyes widened at the wolf's red fur, which started to glow blood red, wisps of energy seeping off. She cowered back as Ripper's eyes targeted her, now solid red with her pupils gone.

"Oh no…"

* * *

Barbatos and Lance went at each other with Cut blades and lances, racking up damage against each other as they flew across the street. Just as Barbatos slammed his blades into Lance's lances, the ghost frog felt his power elevating suddenly via a dark aura appearing around him.

"Eh? Devil's Due reactivated" With that, it meant one thing. "Wash! You nearby?!"

"WHOA!" His eyes shot up and found his other half flying across the air, likely thrown up there.

"Ah, there you are!" Barbatos slammed his feet into Lance's head and kicked off into the sky.

Wash spotted his flying towards him and reached his hand out. Barbatos caught his hand and used their opposing flights to cancel out their momentum, with only a mild upward rise following after. "Where the heck were you?" Wash asked.

"Clearly not getting my ass kicked!" Barbatos joked.

"Oh, shut up!" Wash spotted Reverb charging on their location, then spotted Lance below. "Barbatos, dive!" He spun the bad ghost frog and threw him down on Lance.

Barbatos summoned up his Cut blades and wrapped them in Kuroi Mizu. He torqued his body and slammed the weapons down hard on Lance's head, breaking apart the ground and sinking him in. "GAAH!" Lance cried out.

"Mud Bomb!" Reverb fired a huge glob of mud at the ghost frog.

Barbatos kicked off Lance and dodged it, then grabbed hold of Wash as he fell and flung him at the toad. "Water Pulse!" He threw two into Wash's feet, setting them to explode and propel Wash like a speeding bullet. Wash summoned Cut and, spinning like a saw, slashed past Reverb and tore up the road with him. A flash of light erupted off Reverb's front, shredding upwards.

"AAAGH!" he screamed, collapsing onto his back.

Wash deactivated Cut, then stumbled forward. He held his chest and panted heavily. _I'm reaching my limit, but hopefully they are, too._

Lance, struggling to keep himself up, growled at Reverb. "Dammit, Reverb! You were supposed to keep him distracted!"

"Can it, Lance…" Reverb grumbled.

Barbatos landed beside Wash and held his hip, laughing. "Would you look at that? They really are family. Just look at the hate they share."

Wash rolled his eyes, smirking. "Very funny." He grunted and clutched his stinging. "Ow…must've pulled something when we caught each other."

"Walk it off," Barbatos encouraged with a slap on the back, knocking his other half forward. "Now pipe down! Your girlfriend probably needs some-" They both jumped as a figure sailed over their heads and crashed through the road. They stumbled back and batted away the rocks.

"Wha-?" Wash's eyes widened. "Juniper?!"

Juniper coughed up blood and weakly pushed herself up. "W-Wash…Barbatos…" She coughed and wiped the blood off. "We've got trouble…"

They didn't need an explanation when Ripper came crashing down behind them. They turned and raised their fists, but froze at her changed look. Her solid red eyes and glowing red fur sent chills down their spines as she looked at them with the eyes of a carnivorous predator. She bared her teeth into a drooling snarl.

Reverb tilted his head and winced. "Shit…"

"Ripper's gone feral…" Lance concluded.

"Feral?" Wash questioned.

Barbatos, however, got over his nerves and launched himself with Aerial Ace. "I got her!"

Juniper gasped. "Barbatos, stop! That's her Fusion Move!"

"Her Fusion Move?!" Wash gasped.

Barbartos slammed his fist into Ripper's cheek with all his might, but froze when her head barely moved against it. She growled and bashed her paw across his stomach and shot him through the road like it was loose snow. He slid to a stop and groaned at the claw marks across his body.

"What the hell…?" Barbatos mumbled.

"Guys!" They looked over and saw their friends running over to them, but stopped when they saw Ripper in her hostile state. "Holy shit, what is that?!" Asadi shrieked.

Juniper glared. "Wild Fury. It ticks away at her stamina, but imbues her with maximized attack and an unrelenting thirst for hunting. Blocking or dodging her is almost next to impossible. She'll pass out in time, but…we don't really have that kind of time."

Ripper panted with heavy breaths, demonstrating the cost of her Fusion Move. She shook her head and focused her sight on the two ghost frogs and Juniper. She growled, then fired off a relentless volley of Shadow Balls. Wash and Barbatos quickly got up and slashed through them with their Cuts.

"Barbatos, throw me!" Wash ordered.

Barbatos threw his blades into the Shadow Balls, skewering a few, and exploding in front of Ripper. He grabbed Wash, spun him around, and flung him right for Ripper.

"I'll end this as quickly as possible! Water Pulse!" The rippling orbs of water appeared in his hands and he prepared to slam them between her head.

Lance shot up and aimed his hands at Ripper. "I don't think so! Armored Sacrifice!" A sudden fatigue overtook him and took him to the ground. In addition, however, blue light shot from his armor in the form of arrows and raced to Ripper.

Wash spun and swung the Water Pulses into Ripper, but was bounced off when the light arrows struck Ripper. His Water Pulses exploded on contact and threw the ghost frog backwards. He landed on his feet and tried for another, but took a swift Sucker Punch to the stomach instead. He spat blood before flying right into Juniper, taking her down.

They pulled themselves together and gazed upon Ripper's new state. Armor completely encased her body with no weak points or gaps to exploit. The helmet shaped around her jaw, allowing her to open and close it like a regular maw.

"You've got to be kidding me…" Dez groaned.

"A defensive Fusion Move on top of _that_?!" Barbatos cried.

Reverb picked Lance up and dragged him out to safety. He winced at the pain in his knees. "When push comes to shove, should an assassination go awry, there's only one way to make the kill: no more subtly, only violence. Ripper the Feral Assassin."

Ripper narrowed her eyes on her prey. The three stepped back while their friends took to cover behind a building. "Juniper, what are our chances?" Wash asked.

Juniper grimaced. "Low unless we can last long enough to tire herself out. Until then, just don't get caught in her range."

Ripper pushed off her hindlegs and sprinted for them. "She's coming!" Barbatos shouted.

"I know, I know!" Juniper shouted. "Both of you, use Water Pulse, now!" She charged for the speedily approaching wolf.

Wash pulled his hand back. "You heard the lady!" The frogs charged up their strongest Water Pulse and flung them after Juniper.

Juniper felt the incoming projectiles and immediately halted. "Ice Punch!" She spun and backhanded the Water Pulses into Ripper's legs, flash freezing them and tripping her up.

Ripper howled and sent out a wave of Stone Edge before collapsing. Juniper raised her arms and blocked the spires as they struck into her, far too many to effectively dodge. Her feet dragged into the ground as she tried to stop, but the Stone Edge steamrolled through her like nothing.

Wash and Barbatos pulled Juniper back and slammed their Cuts into the Stone Edge, taking the full brunt of the attack for her. Juniper backflipped, then sprung over the spires with Bounce. She hopped along and darted for Ripper, who broke the ice off her legs. She roared and fired off a stream of Shadow Balls around the Stone Edge.

"Consecutive Flow!" Juniper deflected the Shadow Balls from reaching the ghost frogs as she pursued Ripper. She got within her range and swung with a Force Palm active. Ripper barely dodged it and swung her paw, which Juniper was lucky to sidestep from. "Sis, snap out of it!" Juniper pleaded.

"RAAAAWR!" Ripper brought her claws down and bashed Juniper across the road. She shot through the Stone Edges and nearly hit the ghost frogs.

"Juniper!" Wash cried out. He growled and ran at Ripper with Barbatos. "Take this!" They both swung into the armored wolf with all their strength, causing collateral damage around them.

Ripper took their attacks and pushed them off, then delivered a Sucker Punch into each of their stomachs. Her paws flew so fast that it felt like air pressure pounded into them. The duo spat up blood as they flew back. Ripper howled and gave chase after the two.

"Meditate!" Ripper directed her attention back at Juniper, who leaped off a spire and sat in a meditative pose as she flew up, enhancing her strength. She glared at the armored wolf, then dove down as her fist channeled green energy around itself. "Drain Punch!"

Ripper kicked off her hindlegs and rammed into the Drain Punch with Drill Run. For a brief moment, they tied in a power clash as they pushed back and forth against each other. However, despite being in Fusion Mode and powering herself up, Ripper's resolve and wild nature won out and overpowered the Drain Punch. She drilled into Juniper and shoved her into the ground, burning against her front.

"Aerial Ace!" Wash and Barbatos punched the spinning wolf and knocked her off of Juniper. "Water Pulse!" They followed it up with a consecutive volley of Water Pulses, blasting the wolf back inch by inch with every explosion.

Ripper growled against the explosive water, but it did little to affect her state of mind. She dug her claws into the ground and forced herself to walk through the Water Pulses, with the help of Armored Sacrifice to soak up the damage.

Barbatos sneered. "This has to be a joke!"

"Did they seriously fight other Fusion Mode users to get this stronger?!" Wash exclaimed.

Juniper sat up, rubbing her head. "Eh, Fusion Mode, Mega Evolution…whatever gets results."

"Why didn't you mention that?!" Barbatos shouted angrily.

Juniper huffed. "Oh, like I was in the right mind to go explaining-!"

Their bickering left them unaware to Ripper's proximity to them. Ripper lunged from the stream of projectiles and bashed her claws into the three, knocking them far back and inflicting critical damage. They rolled to a stop on the road, groaning in complaint. Claw marks were left on their skin, dripping with blood.

Juniper pushed herself up, shaking with exhaustion. "I don't think we can take…anymore of those."

Barbatos sat up, gripping his arm. "Can't say I disagree with you."

Wash coughed blood into his fist, then wiped it off on the ground. "Any…ideas?"

Juniper glared. "Like I said, Wild Fury's main drawback…is the depleting stamina she'll be suffering from." She grunted as she got onto her feet. "I should be able to break through and take her out with one final attack. Think you two can provide a little boost?"

Barbatos stood up and pulled Wash to his feet. "Like we have any better options."

"I'm all in," Wash said confidently.

"Then follow my lead." Juniper glared at Ripper, who was panting and stumbling in the metal armor, teetering on the last leg of her stamina. Juniper inhaled deeply, then proceeded on forward. She held her arms out from her sides and channeled Force Palm into both of them.

The frogs each lined their hands up with one of hers and channeled an attack, matching her pace. Wash used Water Pulse while Barbatos used Shadow Ball. The two attacks swirled within her charging Force Palm, mixing with its orange glow. Their strides gradually grew the closer they approach, their glares deepening bit by bit.

"Ready?" Juniper asked.

"Ready," the frog duo replied determinedly.

"Then…NOW!" Juniper broke into a sprint with the boys keeping up at her sides.

Ripper had no idea what they were planning, but she had enough clarity to see she was on her last leg. She kicked off her hindlegs and lunged at them, breaking into a Drill Run that propelled her faster.

Lance glared. "I think they're ending this in one final clash!"

"Then we'll need to give our own boost!" Reverb exclaimed before inhaling and shouting, "HYPER VOOOOOICE!" He blasted into Ripper and propelled her along the soundwaves, pushing her just under the speed of sound. A cone of air shaped around her Drill Run.

Wash glared. "Now!"

"On it!" Barbatos yelled before they both grabbed Juniper's arms and chucked her as hard as they could at the speeding wolf.

Juniper spun with the momentum and channeled the mixed energy between her hands, turning it into an orange, blue, and purple orb rippling with restrained power. She clutched it tightly between her hands as the distance lessened and lessened by the millisecond, soon to clash impossibly soon.

Juniper narrowed her eyes as she pulled her hands back. _Ripper. Lance. Reverb. I hope one day you find redemption. I can't expect good things to come your way after today, but at least know that I still love you all._ She gritted her teeth, then thrusted her palms out.

"Combination: Twin Worlds Force Palm!"

The collision met with a dead stop in the middle, with opposing powers fighting for control. Air crackled with disturbance and exploded outward, pushing away the frogs and the assassins, helpless to do anything but watch their remaining allies duke it out in a final power clash.

The Gappei Fusions covered their eyes and kept their heads low as debris sailed over their heads. Wash and Barbatos landed near them to shield them from danger. Though, even they could barely look at the light show without averting their gazes for a second.

Juniper steadily kept outputting power from the enhanced Force Palm while Ripper relentlessly drilled into the Force Palm's energy, showing no signs of slowing down and being pushed back. It was either her or Juniper now, with neither giving up on their resolve.

Juniper felt solid ground at her feet and nearly slipped. Ripper took advantage of her brief misstep and shoved harder into the Force Palm. Juniper bared her teeth and slammed her foot down, making her stance rigid and unmovable. Ripper growled and kept pushing harder and harder against the Force Palm, seemingly getting the upper hand.

The panda continued to scowl at the punk wolf, then her face softened into a sad smile. "I'm sorry...that I wasn't a better sister to you, Ripper."

The words dug into her violently-influenced mind, triggering the single semblance of clarity she kept with her. Ripper's eyes widened, feeling her drilling speed slow down against her word. "Wha-?"

Seeing her words reached her, Juniper glared and poured out all she could into the Force Ball. It expanded into a bubble of built up energy. "HI-YA!" Like a balloon filled to the brim with air, the energy spilled out and barreled into Ripper, tearing through the streets and obliterating what remained of the unbroken windows and walls.

Lance and Reverb's eyes widened as the energy came sailing at them. They made an attempt to run, but were ultimately swallowed in the energy and blasted into the ground with a devastating explosion shooting up into the sky.

The final blast hit Juniper with a lot of recoil through her arms. She gently teetered back, arms hanging limply, and tripped over herself. As she fell backwards, she smiled serenely at the late sky. _I found my peace a long time ago…and I'll never stop nurturing it._

"Juniper!" An arm caught her by the back and eased her gently to the ground. She looked up weakly and smiled at the concerned face of her boyfriend as he grabbed her shoulders. "Jun, are you okay?"

She chuckled lightly. "Well…my arms are kind of numb _and_ I think I came close to a concussion or two back there. Nonetheless, I've never felt better."

Wash saw the ease in her face, then sighed with a weary smile. "Don't scare me like that again…" He pulled her up, then embraced her tightly. "I'm happy you're alright."

She smiled and nuzzled her cheek against his. "You're such a sweet froggy."

Barbatos rolled his eyes at the cutesy scene. Before he found the urge to vomit, his attention came to his flickering form. Red and blue energy rippled off his, Wash's, and Juniper's bodies, signaling the end of their Fusion Modes. Barbatos pouted. "Well, this bites."

Juniper pulled away from Wash and smirked. "Aww, upset you won't have your own body anymore?"

"Not like I get the simple luxury every other Tuesday."

Juniper giggled. "You poor thing. Your first day as your own frog and already miss it. Don't worry, though~. I have something that'll cheer you up."

He raised his brow curiously. "That so? Wha-MMPH?!" Without warning, Juniper crashed her lips onto his and gave him a big ol' smooch.

The Gappei Fusions, and especially Wash, dropped their jaws at the panda and the heavily blushing alter ego. "JUNIPER!" they screamed. Well, except Wash, who was silently staring in disbelief.

Juniper pulled away from Barbatos, then winked playfully. "A little sentiment to take with you. You're welcome~!"

Barbatos had…no words. He gawked at nothing, face frozen in stunned horror while his cheeks bloomed bright red. That was the last they saw of the alter ego before his form flickered back into pure energy that transferred back into Wash, who soon reverted to normal as well.

Asadi blinked as her jaw hung up slightly. "…Welp, I'm never going to unsee that."

"My eyes are forever scarred…" Shane mumbled faintly.

Juniper reverted back to normal in a fit of giggles at Wash's shocked expression, clearly demanding an explanation. She snorted, then wagged her finger at him. "Hey, hey, hey, don't give me that face. I figured Barbatos deserved it after growing up so much since back home. Besides, he was a product of your own mental energy. In my eyes, I still kissed you."

Wash's face slowly unfroze. "I…well, but still-!" He went silent as Juniper pressed a digit against his lips.

She smirked flirtatiously. "If you're that jealous about it, I'll be sure to make it up to you."

A cold chill ran up Wash's spine, contrasted by the heat emanating from his face. "H-How?"

She ran her hand across his chest, giving him feathery pecks on the cheek and one on the lips. "You'll…just have to be patient~," she cooed.

Sweat dripped from Wash's face. _I am both very scared and very enamored right now._

Dez covered his eyes and groaned, deciding it was best to get off the awkward scene for everyone's sake. "Shouldn't we…check on them and make sure they didn't flat out die?"

"Hmm?" Juniper hummed before narrowing her eyes in realization. "Oh…yes, of course." She stood up and pulled Wash up. "Come on." She marched over to the sight of the blast, showing a strong contrast to her shameless behavior not five seconds ago.

They walked up to the fallen assassins, who sat into a shallow crater of their defeat. The Fusion Modes activated on Ripper were cancelled, with some serious repercussions on the punk wolf. Ripper rubbed her aching head, finding it difficult to sit up. They glanced up wearily at the Gappei Fusions, seeing what has become of their battle.

Reverb sighed and rolled onto his back. "Well…this bites."

Ripper sighed, then smiled weakly at Juniper. "So lame...looking weak like this. You've grown up since you disappeared, Spins..."

Juniper smiled. "Heh. I like to think I've been regressing into a child. It felt nice, you know."

Lance laughed under his breath. "Wish we were as lucky as you."

Wash narrowed his eyes seriously. "Does this mean you guys won't go after Gero?"

"Heh, what choice do we have? With injuries like these, we'll be the ones getting assassinated," Ripper said jokingly. She pushed herself up, but her forelegs couldn't support her weight. Thankfully, Juniper reached out and sat her up. "Thanks."

Lance pulled himself up as well, then groaned as he looked up at the sky. "Guess the Fusion Hunters will be taking us away, assuming things go back to normal..."

Juniper frowned at this. "It's not right for you guys to go to prison after everything the Leader put you through."

Ripper closed her eyes and smirked. "Appreciate the sentiment, sis, but get real. Regardless of circumstance, we killed people of our own accord. Can't get around that." She glared seriously at the panda. "…You, too."

Juniper looked down sadly. As much as she hated the idea of it, she did kill small number of people in her time as an assassin, even if she was manipulated to do it as a child. Wash placed his arm on her shoulder, then pulled her into a comforting hug. She sniffled lightly and pressed her face into his chest.

The assassins looked to Juniper with sympathy, then gazed at each other for a moment. A silent conversation was held with nothing more than their eyes. They smiled in agreement before looking back at the panda.

"…Which is why, we're taking the fall for all your crimes."

Juniper's eyes widened, then she looked back at them in disbelief. "You…what?"

"But…if the Rogues could find a link to her being an assassin-" Wash started before Ripper raised her paw.

"They found a link because they knew the girl, isn't that right?" Ripper smirked. "Besides, technically speaking, _Spins_ is officially labeled in the organization as 'Deceased.' We can easily make up some bullshit about her. No one needs to know. It's a secret we'll take to our graves."

Lance shrugged with a chuckle. "Maybe we can get some pity since we were 'oh so innocent' children manipulated by the bad man. It'd be unfair to let you go down with us...

Juniper cupped her hands over her mouth in awe. "You guys…" Tears welled up in her eyes as a smile broke out over her face.

Ripper turned away with a faint smile. "Don't get mushy with us, Spins. It's super lame." Their eyes widened, feeling the panda lunge into them and pull them into a group embrace as best she could. They stared down at her in disbelief. The _Spins_ they knew would never hug them. Between her smiling and this, it has been a day full of new experiences.

"Be safe in prison. Don't start any trouble," Juniper wished as she snuggled them.

They blinked twice at her, then smiled back and pulled her into their forelegs/arms, too. "You adorable knucklehead," Ripper cooed.

"We'll be fine, don't worry," Lance assured.

"Just promise us you won't get killed out there," Reverb requested.

Juniper giggled. "I promise."

Ripper looked up at the Gappei Fusions, who continued to stare at the assassins with uncertainty. The wolf smiled. "And remember to keep your friends close. They need you…as much as you need them." The Gappei Fusions blinked at her sincerity, then smiled back.

Even with circumstances, it wasn't a moment too touching to ruin.

* * *

In the blowing snow, Artemis and her group followed Asher out into the open, where they came across a parked jet waiting for their arrival. An Infernape in a bomber jacket was lighting a cigarette when he saw them approaching.

"Boss. This everyone?" he asked.

Asher smirked. "Sure is. The jet ready for takeoff?"

"Should be." He pulled the door open and kicked down the collapsible stairs. "I'll be in the cockpit. Just tell me when you're ready." He took a drag from his cigarette before stepping inside.

Shelia gawked at the flying vehicle. "I can't believe he actually got a jet."

Artemis smirked. "Asher knows people. Kind of crazy he became a gang boss, but I'm not that surprised either."

Chris sighed. "I always figured you'd be friends with gang members."

"We were in a gang."

"That was _not_ a gang."

"Because Sheila was being a killjoy about it!"

"Oh, come off that!" Sheila exclaimed.

Crawford rolled his eyes, then scuttled to the jet. "Alright, quit yer yappin'! We got a crazy man to beat up!" Chris shrugged and followed the crab into the jet.

Sheila followed them and walked up the steps, releasing a shaky sigh she was holding back for some time. "I can't believe we're going into war."

Asher leaned against the entrance and winked at her. "If you're that worried, I'll be sure to keep you safe, dear Sheila." Sheila immediately turned away and covered her reddening cheeks.

Artemis smirked. "Eh? What's the matter, Sheila? Where's that wild side of yours? I thought you liked bad boys."

"Sh-Shut up!" She hastily entered the jet, leaving the devious Fusion to her laughter.

Asher chuckled as well. "Don't tease the poor thing, Artemis." He stepped inside afterwards. Artemis rolled her eyes with a light smirk, then proceeded into the jet.

"…Artemis."

She stopped at the third step, then glared. Looking over her shoulder, she found the Vaporeon standing a couple meters from the steps, with the ex-Renegades standing behind her. Daughter and mother locked tense gazes with each other, both filled with bitterness.

Artemis turned around and tilted her head. "What do you want?"

"I figured I'd give you my piece before you head off to get yourself killed," Irma said straight-faced.

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Your vote of confidence is riveting. What is it?"

Irma sighed, then glared sternly at her. "You were a miserable nuisance ever since you were a kid. Can't say your mere presence hasn't brought any sort of joy in my life. I may have had mixed feelings about you leaving, but at least I didn't have a thorn like you digging into my side anymore."

Artemis glared emotionlessly. "Cute speech. See ya! Hope you go bankrupt!" She turned back to the entrance.

Irma's jaw tightened, as did the lump in her throat. "…I'm glad you left...to see you've turned out better than I ever could."

Artemis stopped at the top step, then looked back at her mother with a little surprise. "…Eh?"

Irma sighed, then rubbed her foreleg. "I'm a terrible mother. I'm a terrible person. There's no getting around that. As I said, you would have to be an absolute idiot to forgive me for what I put you through. I wouldn't be able to forgive me either. Being disowned by my own parents fueled my bias against Fusions. To this day, I still don't trust them." She closed her eyes. "…Your friends aren't _annoying,_ to say the least.

"Your cheapskate of a father meant well, even if we had to live in some poor conditions. I wasn't good at much, so finding a job to pay for the house was difficult. Having you around just made it worse on me." Irma glared. "I didn't want to become like my parents, but I almost crossed that line. You had the guts to runaway instead of starting shit up. So…I don't want a stupid apology from you and I'm certainly not giving one.

"Instead...if you're going to take any advice away from me, then just do what needs to be done...and save this shithole planet."

Artemis blinked twice at her mother. This was the same woman who forced her to steal to satisfy her alcohol dependency. The same one who didn't give a flying hoot about anyone but herself. Here she was, though, basically telling the daughter she hates to save the planet, indirectly putting her trust into Artemis.

Artemis glared at the Vaporeon, then sighed. "Don't tell me what to do." Irma raised her brow, then noticed Artemis smirking down at her. "I've made up my mind long ago."

Irma smirked back. "Of course you did."

Artemis closed her eyes and chuckled. "This might sound weird, but…once I save the planet and basically become the hero of legend, mind if I visit…with my boyfriend?"

"Why?"

"Even if I hate your guts, I think it'd be better if we kept _some_ relationship going." Artemis snickered. "Besides, I also want Quinn to meet the monster of my nightmares."

Irma shook her head. "Visitors. And rotten ones, too." She shrugged. "Guess I have no choice." She smirked. "Good-for-nothing brat."

"Ugly old hag." Artemis turned, gave a short wave with her feeler, then entered the jet, closing the door behind her.

Irma turned away from the jet and started walking back with the ex-Renegades. She lowered her head and smiled softly. _Heh. Guess I did deliver the softer punch._


	86. Irrational Decision

Arriving in Soaring Port Town, Simon and the gang raced to the ports in search of the Enhanced Fusion's boating friend. The lemur peered through the numerous sailors getting off their boats, all of whom were looking at the party of Fusions in surprise. Simon stopped on the docks and peered out over the ocean.

"Damn, is his boat not here? If he's not here at the port, we may have issues of all sort."

Emily panted, finally allowed to rest her wobbly legs. She tripped over herself and faceplanted onto the deck. "Can we…rest for a moment?!" she practically screamed. "I'm dying down here!"

Charlie trudged up behind her, wagging his tongue exhaustedly. "So…hungry…" He collapsed right beside her.

Codex kept his head up as he scanned the dock for this friend and any possible enemies. "Simon, might I ask for your friend's species?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, his species. He is…a Swampert," he said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

Codex pointed down the dock. "Is that him over there?" Simon followed his arm and spotted the Swampert in the yellow raincoat and hat pulling an anchor into his boat.

Simon smiled. "Yes, that is him! Captain Salt, my friend! I am here once again!" He raced to the Swampert's boat.

Emily lifted her head off the dock. "His name is _Salt_?"

The Swampert jumped at the mention of his name and pulled a harpoon out from his ship. "Stay back! Back, vile Kyogre! I've seen the prophesies! You won't drown me in the sea!" He stopped as Simon came into view. "…Oh, Simon." He casually dropped the harpoon.

Simon grinned. "Captain Salt, long time no see! Enthusiastic as you ever be?"

"Don't mock me, you poetry spitting lemur," Salt warned, possibly going cross-eyed when he said it. "They call me crazy, but I know this world will flood in the great sea!"

"Salt, you…can't drown, remember?"

"That's what Kyogre WANTS me to believe!" Salt shouted, pulling out his harpoon again. "I'm ready for you, vile beast! Hit me with your best shot! There was a sale on harpoons last week and I have _plenty_ of them!"

The Gappei Fusions approached the boat with cautious, downright skeptical looks. Ren raised his finger to Simon. "Uh…he _can_ get us to Kanto, right?"

"Sure he can!" Simon exclaimed. "…You know, probably," he quietly added after.

Salt slammed his hands down on the edge of the boat, scaring the Fusions. "Who be they?! Spies of Kyogre?! Come to DROWN ME?!"

"Salt, Salt, relax! They mean you no harm! There isn't need for alarm." Simon gestured to them. "These are friends I made back in the village and help is of need. We need transport to Kanto with grace, stealth, and utmost speed."

Salt growled. "Kanto?! Where that crazy nutjob worshipper of Kyogre is to bring about the end times?!"

"I don't think Faust worships Kyogre…" Rebecca mumbled.

Ren leaned over to Simon and whispered, "Is there…any reason he's like this?"

"Drowned in the ocean almost when he was a kid."

"…How-?"

"Don't ask, my friend, I bid."

Emily pushed them aside and walked up to Salt. "Listen, that's why we need to get to Kanto. We're going to stop the…end times from coming. If you take us there, Kyogre's doomsday won't happen. You catch my drift?"

Salt glared down on her skeptically. "You speak as if I am a crazy man."

"Have you heard the nonsense that comes out of your mouth?"

Salt raised his finger in a hook shape. "The terrors of the sea bring about dangerous times! I can't go anywhere in fear of the horrors that await me out at sea!"

"Then why are you a sailor?" Rebecca asked, pointing at the boat with a confused look.

"Someone has to be ready for the apocalypse and I intend to learn all I can on this boat! I will learn to grow crops in the pouring rain and survive off nothing but saltwater!" He dumped a mug into the ocean, then chugged it down seriously. "That's the good stuff right there!"

The group stared blankly at him. Codex just tilted his head. "Excess saltwater will dehydrate the body faster and lead to the possibility of death. There are methods to desalinate the water and remove the salt contents, such as evaporating the water or letting it drip through a sheet."

"…Wait, I can do that?" The group collapsed onto the deck with loud groans. Salt peered into his mug. "Huh, I figured I could drink this stuff just fine." He shook his fist at the water. "Damn you, Kyogre!"

Emily stood up and rolled her eyes. "Riiiight, so…about that ride to Kanto? We could really use it."

"Huh?" Salt crossed his arms and glared out at the ocean. "Well…"

"I'll give you this good luck charm!" Everyone turned to Ren, who held a smooth black rock in his hand. "This charm is said to repel ocean spirits from the one who holds it! The ocean is said to fear the mystical powers of this charm!"

Charlie deadpanned. "There's no way he's going to-"

"You've got yourselves a deal!" They jumped as Salt swiped the rock out of Ren's hand. The Swampert laughed and held the rock over his head. "You hear that, Kyogre?! Look who's laughing now! I'll be ready for the apocalypse!"

Emily glanced at Ren skeptically. "Was it really a good idea to feed into his delusions?"

"Do you _want_ to spend the rest of the day dealing with this for a boat ride?"

"…Fair enough."

Simon rubbed his hands together. "We appreciate the help, Salt! We must get there without halt!" He jumped into the boat.

"Aye, aye, of course!" Salt pocketed the 'good luck charm' and went to the wheel. "I have enough rations to last me weeks! And my garden of freshly grown berries below deck! Help yourselves to whatever you want! I'll get us there in no time!"

Ren grinned. "Sweet! We get to ride in a boat!" He hopped in with the others.

Codex looked out to the ocean. He narrowed his eyes at the waves in the distance rising and splashing down rhythmically. One could say it was beautiful, but Codex often led himself into analyzing the height of the waves and the speed of the wind going across the surface. There were somethings in life he couldn't quite understand.

One of those things was the nature of a Pokémon's will. Ren's will showed itself strongest back in Simon's village against those Renegades. It has been on his mind ever since the trip here. Someone so caring and happy demonstrated raw emotion and passion in his desire to make a better future. It was something…he hasn't seen in a long time.

Codex crossed his arms. _Too many long years and I still have not managed an understanding of a Pokémon's motivation. What brings out that inner drive?_

"Codex!" He turned to the boat, where Ren and the others were waving him over. "Hurry up! We want to get to Kanto as soon as possible!"

Codex blinked, then floated over to them. "Right, of course. Forgive my-" His eyes widened as internal alarms went off. Something hostile has entered his range.

"Eh? Codex, what's-?"

"Zap Cannon!" Codex spun around and fired a Zap Cannon at incoming projectiles flying at high speed towards them. The electrical attack exploded into them and detonated in midair. The group crouched down from the shockwaves.

"Kyogre's minions from the deep!" Salt yelled, retrieving a dozen harpoons. "Send them to a watery grave!"

Codex raised his arm. "At ease, Captain. These are not dwellers of the deep." He glared. "They are, however, of a bigger concern."

The group heard snickering coming from the dock. They lifted their heads and peered at the fading smoke. Floating out from the smoke was a familiar face, especially to Codex: a Togedemaru-Magneton. She floated in on one of her sentries. A hand was cupped under her chin as she mused over the Rotom-Porygon-Z.

"Would you look at that? You seem to be doing better. I recall blasting you in the back with my Magnet Bomb." She chuckled lightly. "How disappointing. You would've been so much easier to capture if you didn't go and get yourself fixed up. I guess Faust won't mind if I bring you in pieces. He just needs what's on your hard drive."

Codex narrowed his eyes as he scanned her. "Faust intends to have me incapacitated by the likes of you. A safe strategy to ensure my capture, but I am afraid your plans end here. I am now prepared for your tricks."

Aria smirked. "I would call you naïve if you had the ability to be so. Shortsighted is a better descriptor." She clapped her hands. "I didn't come without help, you know."

A figure breached the water from behind the boat. The group whipped their heads in time to make out the Octillery-Seadra flying over their heads. His skin was blue while the back of his head had two fins sticking out.

Flapping above from the sky came a Marowak-Venomoth, whose skin was purple and bone mask having compound eye-like lenses. Each flap of his wings scattered sparkling purple dust, which came down on them.

"Poison Powder!" Emily cried.

Rebecca pulled out her stick and twirled it. "Psychic!" She blew the poisonous dust back at the poison bone keeper, who shifted away from her psychic blast. "Flame Charge!" She kicked off the boat and lunged skyward at the Marowak Fusion.

Octillery landed on the boat and inhaled. "Gunk Shot!" He fired a powerful glob of poison that pushed his head back from firing recoil. Rebecca crossed her arms as the attack exploded into her, rendered useless thanks to her Steel-Type. The blast knocked her off course, though.

"Bonemerang!" He chucked the bone and struck Rebecca across the face, taking her out of the air and into the water.

"Rebecca!" Ren cried out.

"Fire Blast!" His eyes widened to the sudden blast of heat slamming down on him. It crushed him into the boat floor before falling through the bottom deck. Tiny flames rained on the top deck and quickly spread across the boat.

"MY BOAT!" Salt screamed. "This is why I hate being around other people!" He quickly sprayed down the flames with his Water Gun.

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Interesting team you have assembled."

Aria shrugged. "I could've gotten you on my own, but this makes my job easier to complete." She snapped her digits. "Thunderbolt."

Codex immediately took off into the air as the three sentries focused their attacks on him. He swerved around the sky, dodging close bolts of electricity. Aria commanded one of her sentries to chase Codex down with Zing-Zap. The rotating ball of electricity hunted him down like a heatseeking projectile.

Codex glared, then climbed higher into the air. His sensors indicated the steadily approaching attack as he formulated his counter attack. He stopped midair and fired down Tri Attack. The red beam struck and canceled out the Zing Zap while the blue and yellow beams aimed for Aria.

Aria jumped off her sentries and used both to block the attacks. She curled into a ball and rolled away just as Codex started firing on her with Zap Cannon. He dove for the dock and gave chase, scanning her movements.

"If I were to wager a guess, you are not specialized in close range combat. Those sentries of yours do the fighting for you."

Aria chuckled as she continued spinning away. "Astute observation, but hardly a useful one." She stopped on her feet and whistled sharply. "Thunderbolt!"

Codex sensed the sentries speedily approaching him from behind and fired back with Tri Attack. The six beams collided with each other, illuminating the immediate area in a rainbow of light. Codex remained cool as he steadily increased his power and pushed back on the Thunderbolts. The sentries scattered just before Tri Attack hit them.

"Zing Zap!" Aria commanded the sentries, sending them at Codex as spinning balls of electricity.

Codex's eyes lit up with code as he examined their intended path. "Calculating manner of defense. Apply for all scenarios." He torqued his body and started spinning. "Initiating Discharge!" He unleashed the electrical attack, making an electrical barrier that knocked away the sentries if they were to get too close.

Aria, however, smirked. "Sorry, but that won't work."

The intended plan to knock the sentries away didn't go as expected. The Zing Zaps not only penetrated Codex's defense, they were also absorbing the electricity and adding to their power, evident by their increasing size. Codex immediately stopped and dove before they crashed into him.

Codex scanned Aria as he flew across the dock. "Analysis confirmed. Lightning Rod is your ability."

"A fellow of analytics? I'll play your game, then." She aimed her sentries at him. "Locking on target. Fire!" She fired off Magnet Bombs at Codex.

Codex narrowed his eyes and darted for the ocean, blowing back a curtain of water as he tried to throw the Magnet Bombs off his tail. He scanned the water before diving down, with the Magnet Bombs following after him.

As for the others, they were fending off against Aria's group. With Ren and Rebecca incapacitated for the moment, Emily, Simon, and Charlie were left to defend the boat. Emily fired off a surge of Ice Shards at Marowak, who proved to be a difficult opponent to hit. He weaved through her Ice Shards like a willow in the wind.

"Poison Powder!" He dove down at the boat and spun, scattering purple dust from his wings.

"Petal Dance!" Charlie spun and fired a twister of petals that sucked up the powder and blew it away from the ship. He set the Petal Dance to chase down the moth bone keeper. Marowak gave a strong flap of his wings and soared upwards as the twister chased him down.

Emily's second mouth poked out from under her cloak and opened its gaping jaw in his direction. "One clear shot and you're done for good. Blizzard Breath!" She unleashed the thick blast of cold wind.

Marowak barely dove out of the way, but his wing got clipped and instantly froze over. Flapping his free wing as hard as he could, he directed himself into the dock and landed with a hard tumble.

Emily ran up to the boat's stern and lunged over him. "Ice Shard!" She aimed her hands down and showered sharp ice on him.

"Gust!" He flapped his useable wing and knocked the Ice Shards to his right. He flinched as one came dangerously close to his cheek. He then rolled out of the way before Emily could land on him to punch him. Her fist punched a hole into the boards.

"You got some moves, girl," Marowak groaned as he stood up. He flexed his frozen wing, then shattered the ice off with a strong flap. "Best to eliminate you here and now."

Emily stood up and spat on the dock. "You and every other joker who has said that to me…" She charged with an Iron Head.

"Bone Club!" He spun his bone and struck it into her attack.

"Sucker Punch!" Marowak stumbled forward as Emily suddenly flickered from sight, then spat out saliva as she delivered a sharp punch into his side. "Iron Head!" She resumed her previous attack by grabbing his shoulder and bashing her metallic skull into the back of his head.

"GAH!" He staggered onto his knees and rubbed his head. "Agh! That smarts!" It didn't end there as Emily proceeded to grab his skull and bash it into the dock, smashing his face through the boards.

She crouched down and lifted his head a bit. "After the shit I went through with your last batch of idiots, I'm not even going to bother giving you a proper fight." She bashed his face into the dock again. "So, either surrender or you're walking your ass back home with a concussion."

Marowak bared his teeth tightly. "Gladly… _after_ we take the computer Fusion! Gust!" He gave a strong, single flap of his wings right in Emily's face.

She clenched her eyes shut as that single flap had enough power to send her flying into the side of the boat. _He's stronger than he looks!_ Her back slammed against the boat, where she nearly peeled off into the ocean had she not grabbed the edge of the deck.

"Emily!" Charlie cried. He jumped off and reached out for her. "Take my hand-!" Emily gasped as Charlie took a blow to the head by Marowak's Bonemerang, nearly knocking him into the water, too.

"Charlie!" Emily lifted her second mouth and firmly batted Charlie back to cancel his forward momentum. It knocked him onto his back.

"Ooowww…" Charlie groaned. He sat up, shook his head, then glared at Marowak. "Not cool!" He stood up and lit his fists ablaze. "You're not hurting my friend _or_ getting your grimy hands on Codex! RAH!" He charged at Marowak and swung his fists at him, forcing the Fusion to keep his distance.

Simon was preoccupied with Octillery, who proved to be an effective sniper, which may as well be his ability given how powerful some of his shots were. Simon hopped around on the boat while Octillary fired nonstop shots of Bullet Seed. They pierced through the glass of the ship's steering room with ease.

"Ricochet Blast!" He pulled his hard berry out and chucked it into the boat, bouncing off the floor and nailing Octillery in the snout.

"AGH!" Octillery cried, flying over the water. He straightened himself out and inhaled. "Rock Blast!" He fired pellets of glowing stone.

"Electroweb!" Simon casted a net of electricity that sponged the impact of the rocks. He flipped onto the boat and jumped high in the air. "Ricochet Blast!" He chucked the berry at the sniping octopus.

Octillery curled himself up and dove into the water as the berry chased him down. Simon flipped onto the edge of the boat and peered down cautiously, having a ball of Electroweb ready in his hand. He couldn't tell what was going on, especially with Codex still moving around underwater.

A splash came from behind the boat. "Focus Energy!" Simon whipped his head and saw the octopus breaching above the boat with a white glow shimmering over his body. "Gunk Shot!" He fired off the purple sludge.

Simon immediately crossed his arms as the attack exploded against him. He was thrown off the boat and skipped across the water before falling through. He immediately resurfaced, sputtering water from his mouth. "Crap. Fighting an aquatic opponent near the water, like combat in darkness with a skilled Haunter."

Octillery dove back in the water, diving deeper to where Simon couldn't spot his shadow. He gazed around, raising one fist over the water while keeping himself afloat. He was tempted to use Electroweb, but it might backfire on him, too. Still, if there was one thing he knew about an Octillery, they had peculiar methods of getting their target.

"Shall we dive into the water together?" Simon gasped as tentacles sprung out and wrapped around him, trapping him with their suction cups. They pulled him under and dragged him down the ocean. He caught his breath just in time, but was now flailing and punching to get the octopus' tentacles off. The suction cups had a tight grip over his body, not to mention his limited mobility compared to the aquatically-adept Fusion.

Simon bit down on Octillery's tentacles, which got the octopus to flinch, but not enough to let go. Octillery bashed his head against Simon's, which turned out to be a mistake because of the helmet his species naturally had. Octillery shook his head, then charged up a Gunk Shot right at Simon's head.

"Engaging target." Octillery whipped his head and spotted Codex diving right at him, with the Magnet Bombs still chasing him. Codex quickly zipped around and pushed him and Simon towards the attacks. Octillery screamed out bubbles as the Magnet Bombs exploded against him, throwing Simon from his tentacles.

The explosion rattled Simon's insides, pushing the air from his lungs. He gripped his throat with a panicked look, but was immediately relieved after Codex grabbed him under the arms and flew him out into the air.

Simon panted with greedy breaths and exclaimed, "Maybe Salt isn't as crazy as I had thought! Holding your breath under there is a battle most fought!"

Codex glared back at the water. "We are at a slight disadvantage like this, but nothing I cannot foresee." He spotted Aria's sentries flying at him with Zing Zap. "Speaking of, I could use your assistance." He spun and chucked Simon right at them.

Simon straightened out and threw his fists. "Close Combat!" He pounded into the sentries and knocked them from the air, delivering one hard spike on the middle one. It careened right into Marowak's head just as he was about to strike Charlie with Bone Club.

"GAH!" Marowak cried, staggering back.

"Fire Punch!" His eyes boggled out to the flaming punch ramming into his stomach. Charlie swept him onto his back, then jumped over him. "Body Slam!" He threw all his weight down on the bone keeper Fusion's midsection, forcing his air out in a gasping cry.

"You…brat! Poison Powder!" He flapped his wings and blew the poisonous powder into him.

"Bleh!" Charlie cried, staggering back as his face turned a twinge purple. He grabbed his throat and coughed out, stumbling around dizzily. "Ugh…"

"Bonemerang!" He chucked the bone and struck Charlie once across the face, then a second time in the back of the head upon its return. He lunged, caught it, and spun down with a Bone Club to the head. "Now Gust!" He blasted Charlie with wind and sent him tumbling across the dock.

Emily pulled herself up before catching Charlie at the edge. "Charlie!"

Charlie coughed loudly into his arm. "Don't…feel good…"

She bared her teeth, then set him down. "Rest yourself up." She stood and aimed her palms. "Ice Shard!" She fired shards of ice from both her hands.

"Gust!" Marowak used the wind to stop the shards in their tracks, sending them harmlessly scattering onto the dock or the water. "Now for the Bonemerang!" He chucked the bone right for Emily's face.

"Cut!" A long flash cut across the bone, slicing into the bone and stopping at Marowak's neck. His eyes were shrunk with terror, feeling the glowing white blade pressed against his neck. His bone clattered onto the dock with a small scratch made in the middle.

Emily, recovering from the quick rescue, sighed and gave the frog knight a smirk. "What took you?"

Ren narrowed his eyes and grinned. "Well, I had to hang back and make sure Mr. Salt's boat didn't catch fire."

"You're too nice for your own good."

"I know~!" He glared at Marowak. "As for you…"

Marowak bared his teeth. "You dare challenge me, boy?"

He smirked. "Oh, I have more of a grudge for the octopus. But don't worry, _she_ will be your playmate."

Before an explanation was given, a blue blur sped out and swiped Marowak away by the neck. He found himself bashed against the ground and kicked in the side, sending him tumbling into the town streets. He extended his wings and caught himself with the air. He stumbled back for a second, got his bearings in order, then glared at the aura fox.

Rebecca cracked her knuckles. "Let's get this done and over with." She cloaked herself in fire and dashed at him.

Over in the skies, Codex avoided Thunderbolts from the two sentries chasing him down. "Ominous Wind." He spun and created a dark wind barrier that caught the sentries and threw them away in opposite direction. "Hex." With his eyes glowing purple, he emitted horrifying waves of energy that stunned the sentries in place.

"Zing Zap!" Codex looked down quickly, then dodged the two electrical balls darting at him. Aria uncurled from hers and landed on the third sentry. She sat down and pressed her fist against her cheek. "Come now, you're making this harder than any of us want it to be."

"Elaborate, if you could so," Codex asked seriously.

Aria sighed. "Don't you see how messed up the world is? Go ahead and keep saying Faust is a madman, but you can't deny this world is pretty twisted." She glared. "We may be after one goal against the years of bigotry built up, but it certainly won't remove the hatred Pokémon and Fusions naturally feel. It's just too easy to hate something."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Are you asking me to give Faust the benefit of the doubt?" He shook his head. "Illogical. His plan will ruin this planet if gone underway. Society as a whole will collapse onto itself-"

"You're being too logical," Aria interrupted, earning a confused, yet curious look from Codex. "Facts and numbers don't really contribute to this. You can't quantify a person's hate."

"I do not follow."

Aria sighed. "Of course you don't. You're a limited piece of trash compared to everyone else. All the facts and information in the world, yet you only see the danger for what it'll do to a society." She glared. "You can spout all the logistics you want, but there isn't an ounce of care in your voice."

Codex tilted his head. "My only concern is to learn all there needs to be. My survival in this pandemic will allow me to continue my research to better myself."

Aria smirked. "Then I guess it doesn't matter if we torch your friends."

"I am highly against that."

"Why? Seems illogical to put their survival over yours."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "This conversation proves wasteful. I must eliminate you now. Ominous Wind!" He spun and released the whirlwind of dark energy on her.

Aria smirked as the winds crashed into her, only for her form to vanish in puff of smoke. Codex knew it was her Substitute, immediately turning around and firing into the Thunderbolts aimed for his back with Tri Attack.

"A creature of pure logic and numbers!" Aria exclaimed. "A creature that can never comprehend life!" She smirked. "You're nothing more than a compilation of information you've gathered over the years! Not an ounce of sympathy in that tin can head of yours! No soul to call your own!"

Codex ignored her taunts and increased the power on his Tri Attack, blasting her sentries back. She gripped onto the one she was riding and took off with Codex chasing her down.

His eyes narrowed, though, analyzing the meaning of her words. _Emotions…a soul._ He looked down at the others as they continued fighting on the boat and dock. His eyes flickered onto Ren as he struck into Octillery's Fire Blast. _A strong will to surpass the world._

* * *

 _Codex…wasn't as young as he looked in the present. Would anyone believe him to be a little around 150 years old? Certain Pokémon had the capacity to outlive others, though some often couldn't handle the stress of living that long. For Codex, it allowed him to continue with his research unburdened._

 _Codex didn't know much about his point of origin, only that he had a drive to obtain knowledge. So, he traveled from place to place in search of said knowledge. Along those ways, he often came across particular obstacles, namely Pokémon who were weary, or even downright unsympathetic, of Fusions._

 _Codex never cared. He kept moving. He had nothing to break his resolve. He had no emotions. Still, despite being of mysterious origin compared to flesh and blood Pokémon, even he needed a way to survive on his own._

 _So, what better way than to offer his services to someone in need of them?_

 _That was exactly what Codex did for an ailing Drampa known as Hugh Deveraux. He acted as the butler to the elderly dragon and his wife, providing routine service and keeping Hugh's mind on track for his sake. The wife didn't take too kindly to Codex, but Hugh welcomed in without complaint._

 _It was a simple life for Codex, one that could only last for so long._

* * *

" _Erm…let's see…" Hugh mumbled at his desk, carefully picking up a tiny mast._

 _Codex floated in, looking the part of a butler with his classy bowtie and black and white vest. He carried a tray of hot tea with him. "Master, I have brought you your tea."_

" _My tea…?" Hugh mumbled._

" _You requested tea five minutes ago."_

"… _Ah, yes, I…I guess I did. Thank you, Conroy."_

" _Codex, sir."_

" _Codex. S-Sorry." He chuckled in embarrassment. "Silly me. Thank you, Codex."_

 _Codex set the tray down, then poured into the provided teacup. "The temperature is approximately 160 degrees. Recommendation: wait three to five minutes to let tea settle before drinking-"_

" _I-I heard you the first time," Hugh mumbled, waving his warnings off. "I'll drink it in a moment."_

" _Very well, sir." Codex set the teacup aside, then looked over the elderly dragon's head. "Your ship-in-a-bottle is coming along well, Master."_

" _Yes, yes. Lots of delicate pieces I need to work with." He carefully raised the mast over the model ship in front of him. With a shaky claw, he dipped the mast down onto the ship, though with some clear hesitance in his movements._

" _Do you require assistance?"_

" _Heh. I've gotten this far on my own. A shaky claw won't stop me now." Hugh squinted as he got the mast into place and gently played with it until it stuck down. He sighed with relief and sat back in his chair. "Phew. Never gets easier."_

" _May I recommend rest, sir?"_

" _Rest? Haha…I've been doing nothing but rest. I'm fine." He groaned and rubbed his head. "Though…I am a little thirsty. Codex, could you make me some tea?"_

" _It is right next to you, Master."_

 _Hugh glanced at the teacup beside him. "…So it is." He looked down at the ship-in-a-bottle. "…I wonder if I'll ever get through this."_

" _The building process takes time, but you are nearly finished with the pieces. All that would be left is to insert the ship into the bottle."_

 _Hugh chuckled. "Maybe I should've got you one, Codex. You seem like a fellow who appreciates a good puzzle."_

 _Codex shook his head. "Negative. I have already calculated the method of crafting and inserting the model ship into a glass bottle. There is no use for me to pursue this knowledge."_

" _My boy, just because you know how it's done doesn't mean you shouldn't experience it with your own…whatever those stubs you call 'hands' are."_

 _Once again, Codex shook his head. "It does not have any informational value to my goals."_

 _Hugh sighed and looked out the window with a tired smile. "Your pursuit for knowledge always fascinates me, Codex. Someone of your background was gifted with a unique mind and life."_

 _Codex nodded. "My journey to learn everything is quite vast, yes."_

" _That's not what I meant."_

 _Codex tilted his head. "I do not follow."_

 _Hugh pressed his fingers against his forehead. "I feel fine. I think I'm fine. I…want to believe I'm fine." He sighed. "But we both know I'm anything but. It's normal for someone my age to be a tad forgetful, but we both know my condition far exceeds absentmindedness. I've been forgetting…too much these days. Minor things. Major things. My own wife a couple of times. Even you."_

 _Codex folded his arms behind his back. "Your mind is suffering from gradual deterioration, Master. That is why you hired me to care for your tasks."_

" _I'm sure you've been a big help, Codex. I just wish I could remember how much help you have been." Hugh looked down at his model ship wearily. "…I'm getting too old. I'm not sure how much longer this old body of mine can continue on."_

" _All part of the natural cycle, Master. I have already helped you draft your will."_

" _When did we do that?"_

" _Seven months ago."_

" _Ah…yes, yes…thank you for that." Hugh sighed. "You can remember a whole lot, my boy. So much more than any other. Your quest for knowledge is a grand adventure, one that no other can reasonably do. I fear the mind of us flesh and bone creatures wasn't built to sustain so much knowledge at once. To be the one and only to know what happened in the world, no reliance on secondhand information or documents. You would've seen and remembered it all._

" _In a way, I envy you."_

 _Codex tilted his head. "Envy?"_

" _A mind as brilliant as yours…while mine isn't quite what it once was." Hugh tapped on the desk lightly. "I can barely remember such a time then. So many wonderful memories I may forget." He closed his eyes. "My only regret is knowing the emotions tied to those memories will disappear with them."_

 _Codex blinked in confusion. "I do not follow, Master. Emotions?"_

" _Yes…the emotions tied to those memories."_

" _What do emotions have to do with the loss of precious data? To simply not know is your concern?"_

" _It's a little more than that. Tell me…imagine everything you've learned vanished in the blink of an eye."_

 _Codex shook his head. "Impossible. My internally stored data is safely protected from all forms of corruption. My data would only be lost in my demise."_

" _No, no, I mean…" Hugh sighed and turned back to the window. "…Codex, do you know what happiness is?"_

" _A feeling or showing of pleasure or contentment."_

" _Have you ever felt happy?"_

" _That does not seem important to my goal."_

 _Hugh smiled to himself. "Codex…have you ever felt an overwhelming passion to hold onto something you care deeply about? Something that makes you want to go 'why did I do that?'"_

" _Your question sounds illogical. Irrational thinking in a decision without preparation-"_

" _We Pokémon and Fusions are irrational in nature." Codex stopped and blinked twice in confusion. Hugh inhaled deeply and sighed. "This whole…quarrel or whatever it is with Pokémon and Fusions. Is there anything rational about it?"_

 _Codex blinked, then looked up in thought. "The first recorded sighting of a Fusion was over eight centuries ago. According to history, they were casted out as demons of unnatural origin. Amalgamations of mythology. However, recent research has gone into question the genetic structure of the Fusion and has since-"_

" _Stop, stop," Hugh mumbled. "Too many words, my boy. Just…answer the question."_

"… _The belief that Fusions are supernatural creatures residing from a hellish realm is indeed irrational. However, warring had since broken out over the years and continues to this day."_

" _Is that rational thinking?"_

" _To hold hatred for another for so long does not boast any evidential cause."_

 _Hugh sighed with a soft smile. "Nothing rational about us."_

" _How does this prove the value of emotion? The evidence suggests-"_

" _You can't learn everything with facts and numbers," Hugh interrupted lightly. "Perhaps consider that your next phase of research. Find out what drives a Pokémon and Fusion to make their choices. By fact…or by heart."_

 _Codex blinked, then looked to the side. "A research project of interest…"_

 _Hugh sighed. "Perhaps I could use that rest now." He got up from his seat._

" _I will have dinner ready for you in approximately three hours, sir."_

" _Thank you, Codex. Oh, and…could you make me some tea?"_

"…" _Codex glanced at the teacup, which has since cooled. His eyes narrowed a bit as he watched the old dragon hobble out. He picked the teacup up and heaved a heavy sigh. "…Of course, Master."_

* * *

Rebecca and Marowak exchanged a flurry of blows across the dock, matching Close Combat with Bone Club. Marowak growled worriedly as the aura fox struck harder into his defensives, chipping away at his balance. She knocked his arms apart and slammed her foot into his stomach, knocking him to the ground.

"Flame Charge!" She jumped and dove coated in flames.

"Gust!" Marowak used his wings to give himself a strong boost out of the way. Rebecca struck into the dock, narrowly missing the bone keeper's head. He fluttered into the air and spun his club. "I suppose poisoning you is out of the question, so I'll have to try the next best thing!" He stretched his wings. "Bug Buzz!"

His wings vibrated and emitted a loud, piercing screech that assaulted the aura fox's ears. She pulled down on them and whined, dropping onto her knees. Marowak chucked his bone using Bonemerang and struck Rebecca as she was incapacitated.

"GAH!" She bounced across the dock, but rolled onto her feet before reaching the edge.

"Bug Buzz!" Marowak, after catching his returning bone, fired off another piercing screech into her.

Rebecca clutched her ears again, but this time growled with irritation. "Okay, that's already getting old! Extreme Speed!" She flickered out of sight.

Marowak stumbled back and tried to fly away, but the blue blur rushed past and struck him across the face, then made a sharp U-turn and struck him from the other side. Rebecca stopped, twirled on her foot, and raised her foot into a sharp kick for his chin.

Marowak backflipped through the air and landed on his head with a hard thump. He stood up and cradled his head before sneering. "Bonemerang!" He chucked the bone at her.

Rebecca raised her finger and swiped the air, directing the bone around her with Psychic. "Really? Is that all you've got?"

Marowak narrowed his eyes. "And they said this would be a simple job. I've had enough of this." He extended his arm out. "Withered Moth!"

"Withered what now?" Rebecca questioned. She glared and pulled out her stick. "I don't know what you're up to, but I won't give you the chance! Aura-!"

All of a sudden, the Bonemerang completed its U-turn and struck her in the back. It didn't hurt as bad as she thought, but that was before something else came over her. Stumbling forward, she dropped her stick and gripped her chest as a strange faintness came over her. It felt like the air became thick inside her lungs, struggling to grab hold of her breath for a second.

Marowak caught his bone and twirled it in his hand. "That's my Fusion Move. All my attacks for a limited time have a draining effect proportional to their attack power." As he said this, the dark aura in his bone transferred to his body and healed off most of his wounds. "It has a nasty feeling to it from what I've witnessed."

Rebecca glared up at him, slowly rising to her feet. "Y-You've got to be…kidding me…"

Marowak narrowed his eyes. "Make this easier on yourself and give up that damn computer Fusion. Bone Club!" He lunged into her, swinging his club down.

Rebecca clapped her hands together. "Aura Spell!" Her aura clone appeared in front of her and caught the Bone Club between its hands. Thankfully, the stamina draining didn't seem to be affecting the clone the same way. Rebecca sighed, then raised her fists determinedly. "We won't let you have that access code!"

Marowak could only glower to that. "So be it."

Over with Ren and the Octillery Fusion, their battle was taken underwater. Fierce clashes boomed through the water as the two Fusions fought. Ren zoomed around in the water and slashed Octillery with every passing. Octillery fired off everything in his arsenal, aside from Fire Blast, to take the frog knight down. Despite not having much practice with underwater combat, Ren quickly adapted to his battlefield.

"Sacred Sword!" Ren drew his sword and powered it up, then dove on top of Octillery, bashing him further into the depths.

Octillery spun out, but quickly aligned himself just as Ren dove with a second Sacred Sword. "Bullet Seed!" He fired the projectile seeds into Ren.

Ren quickly whipped out his shield and blocked them. He heard the surging of water fly around him. He swung his Sacred Sword and deflected the Rock Blast fired at him. However, he missed Octillery and lost track of his position.

 _Where did he go?_ Ren thought cautiously, raising his sword defensively.

In the darker parts of the water, Octillery quietly floated along with his eyes set on the frog knight's back. He glared. _I can't drown you, but I can suffocate you. Same premise, but more of a struggle to complete._ He floated upwards until he was leveled with Ren's position.

Ren continued surveying the water around him, but couldn't point out the octopus' position. Ren narrowed his eyes calmly, then closed them and focused on his environment. His grip on the sword relaxed, holding it and his shield before his face. He waited as Octillery quietly swam up behind the frog knight, getting his suction cups ready to grab him.

Octillery inched closer and raised his tentacles over his head while Ren continued to sense his surroundings. The octopus had a feeling the frog would try something like this, but he was moving just gradual enough to not disturb the water. Ren won't be able to sense anything.

 _Now Gappei Fusion, I invite you to a watery demise where you belong._ He went for his move.

"…You know," Ren suddenly spoke up, making Octillery freeze. "I thought if I tried hard enough, I could sense your presence, but I guess it doesn't always work." He shifted his shield a bit, showing off the back. The octopus' eyes widened at his own reflection, along with Ren's stern glare. "So, the simplest methods are often the best actions."

Octillery flung his tentacles, but Ren swam under them and swung his Sacred Sword into the octopus' underside. The Renegade spat out ink from his snout as he flew upward. He stretched out his tentacles to stabilize, but was not the one losing track of Ren as the frog knight sped through the water like a torpedo.

One after another, Ren swam by with a brief Sacred Sword against the octopus, delivering strikes with the pain gradually increasing. Octillery made the attempt to swim out of the water, but Ren beat him to the surface and shot him back down before continuing his assault.

"You won't be taking my friend!" Ren shouted. "Not while there's still a will to fight burning in my heart!"

Octillery took two or three more hits before losing his patience with the frog. "Let me show you the culmination of our resolve, boy! Focus Energy!" He powered himself up again, then swam for the surface once more.

Ren stopped for a second, then swam after him. "Divine Slash!" He encased the sword in a golden glow and reared it back.

Octillery was a meter or two from the surface before stopping and aiming down, with Ren rapidly approaching in his line of fire. "Pressurized Ink Shot!" He inhaled deeply, then fired a black dart of ink right into Ren.

Ren, who had no time to avoid it with how fast he was swimming, took the hit in the face. "GAH!" He lost hold of his sword and covered his face. "AGH! OW! It's in my eyes! AGH, IT STINGS!"

"Hard to concentrate, isn't it?" Ren whipped his head around, but couldn't pinpoint the voice. "Don't bother trying to find me. That attack has two major effects to make up for its utterly garbage power. High critical power, matched with my Sniper ability and Focus Energy. Second, major accuracy deduction."

"Absolute WHAT?!" Ren vigorously rubbed his face.

"Go ahead and attack. All your senses are dulled. You won't be able to hit me. You would need blind luck to make it out of this. Bullet Seed!"

Ren pulled out his shield and raised it in the direction he through the voice came from, but ended up being struck in the back instead. His Steel-Type may have canceled any super-effective damage, but the Focus Energy made up against that.

"Agh!" Ren cried as the Bullet Seed pounded into his skin. He could feel the cuts across his body from pierced skin. Blood was probably flowing out of them. "Fling!" He chucked the shield through the water, but didn't hear it hit anything.

"Haha! I told you, you won't be able to do shit against me! Rock Blast!" Ren cried out as rocks blasted into him from behind.

"Come back to me!" Ren called out, ordering his shield and sword to fly back from the murky depths and into his hands. "Divine Slash!" He swung his sword water, cutting open the water and splitting the surface. Ren raced to the top and emerged from the water. He shook his head and tried to get the ink out of his eyes. "Agh! This stuff has to be temporary! How long does it last, though?!"

He gasped as tentacles wrapped around his neck. "Long enough." The squeezed down on his neck, cutting off his air. Ren screamed breathlessly and tried to pull the tentacles off. "Bullet Seed!" He blasted relentlessly into Ren's back, and from such a close range, too.

Ren's grip on the tentacles gradually weakened with the endless firing, slowly losing consciousness. He would say everything was going dark, but he couldn't see anything _but_ darkness.

"Blizzard Breath!" Ren felt a sudden chill run through the water before feeling his lower half freeze in ice. Octillery's eyes widened as he, too, was frozen solid.

"What the-?!" A hand clutched down on his snout, then a fist rammed between his eyes. "AGH-!" The hand clutched down tighter, silencing his voice.

Emily sneered down on him, standing atop the frozen water while Charlie punched through with Fire Punch to free Ren. "Not…cool."

Rebecca's fight with the Marowak was taking a turn for the worse. Each time he went with the Bone Club, she was either forced to dodge or block, the latter being a worse option for her. With each lucky hit, her movements became more sluggish.

Marowak spun his bone like a baton and pointed it at her. "To think I have to do such wrong towards another Fusion. You could've helped us bring about a better world. Instead, you're holding us back from our glory." He glared. "Pokémon had their time in the spotlight for long enough! The Fusions deserve to be the dominant species after the crap we've endured!"

Rebecca panted heavily, holding her chest. "Of all the selfish things I've heard…" She lifted her head and glared at him sternly. "Don't pretend you and the rest of your team are full of saints."

Marowak narrowed his eyes, then chucked the bone right at her. However, a hard berry bounced off the dock and struck into it, sending it flying far away from Marowak. Before he could get a word in, a fist came crashing down on his head, curtsey of, surprisingly, Salt.

"Foul champions of Kyogre!" Salt screamed, grabbing the Marowak by the head and lifting him over the water. "Back to the depths where you belong!"

"Salt, Salt, chill! Please do not kill!" Simon shouted after retrieving his berry. "A servant of Kyogre, he is not! The enemy is Faust, his plans must rot!"

Salt sneered angrily, but slammed the Marowak Fusion back down on the dock. "Filthy worshippers of Kyogre…"

Rebecca eased a sigh of relief and stood up. "Thanks…that could've gone better."

Simon nodded. "Emily and Charlie are taking care of the other one, and now this one is down." He looked up at the air in concern. "I fear, though, that our victory isn't complete, with not a full circle to come around."

Codex and Aria's aerial dogfight lit up the sky with colors. Limited without his electric moves, Codex fired off everything else in his arsenal as Aria chased him down. She fired off Magnet Bombs that he would counter with accurately shot Tri Attacks. He would fire off Ominous Winds that she could avoid thanks to her additional Spiky Shield, a literal matrix barrier created by her sentries.

"Thunderbolt!" Aria fired off several Thunderbolts that Codex easily dodged.

"I have calculated all of your moves and stored them away for data. Your method of fighting has yet to change. Even if you were to change up your fighting style now, I would only adapt." Codex dove down with Aria hot on his trail.

Aria smirked. "Incorrect data is a curse to you, I bet. Knowing everything but one major factor that could cost it all. Thunderbolt! Zing Zap!" Two of her sentries fired while one chased Codex down.

Codex swerved to the left and glided across the water's surface. His eyes lit up, indicating the approaching Zing Zap. He saw the two Thunderbolts sliding across the water in a continuous beam trying to catch up with him. He narrowed his eyes and arched up towards the sky.

"You're proving to be more of an annoying pest than I thought," Aria calmly stated, though showed no irritation in her face or tone. In fact, she still wore that unsettling grin that Codex couldn't comprehend the meaning of. She was thinking something that he overlooked, wasn't she?

Codex narrowed his eyes. _Preposterous. Should she have a counterattack for me, I have already calculated every conceivable outcome to this fight. Our battle was decided the moment you started boasting, Togedemaru-Magneton. I am afraid you have overestimated your capabilities and greatly underestimated my potential._

Codex stopped in midair and turned to the Zing Zap tracking him. He scanned the approaching orb, then aimed with stubs down. "A comparison of our abilities is no contest to decide. I simply perform better than you. These are the facts." He charged up his attack. "I have already run the numbers. Your strength does not match my I give a demonstration?"

Aria narrowed her eyes and smirked. _Go ahead._

"Tri Attack!" He fired into the Zing Zap and stopped the sentry in place. The sentry persisted in pushing against the triple beams, but Codex remained as unfettered from the burden of stress as ever. He narrowed his eyes. "I must admit, the mechanics of your attacks are truly something."

Aria crossed her arms. "Is that so?"

"Your sentries generate vast amounts of electricity created by you, thus releasing it on command. Their control does not match yours, so they use this spinning force to channel their Zing Zap when emitted."

Aria smirked. "You caught onto that pretty nicely."

"Indeed." Codex's eyes glowed. "That is why I shall use the design for myself."

Aria raised her brow. "Huh?"

"I have no intention of stopping your Zing Zap myself. My only goal was to incapacitate you as quickly as possible." Aria's eyes widened as the Zing Zap started turning red, blue, and yellow. "I have made the necessary calculations and inputted the trajectory. The rotational build up with send my Tri Attack flying into you at a speed and force you will not dodge."

Aria gritted her teeth and grabbed hold of the one she was flying on. "Oh no, that's not happening!" She started flying.

"Apologies, but my plan has already been set into motion." The energy build-up in the Zing Zap finally gave out, releasing all the energy in a straight beam that accurately shot in the direction of Aria's escape.

Aria summoned her other sentry before her. "Spiky-!" There was no time as the beam already landed its mark and blasted into her. She immediately curled her body as the beam shot her and her sentries from the sky and sent her careening into the ground with a loud boom. Ground was overturned while two separate craters for her sentries were made.

The gang stared up at Codex in disbelief. "Whoa…" Simon gasped.

"Man, Codex knows how to make a finale," Charlie commented.

"Wait, what happened? Did we win?" Ren asked, still trying to get the ink from his eyes.

Codex caught the third sentry before it fell limply from the air. He carefully held it in his arms and scanned it up close. "Remarkable applications. Perhaps I could implement something like this in my own designs."

"Hey Codex!" He looked down and saw Rebecca waving up to him. "Nice work, buddy! You really showed her!"

Codex closed his eyes and shrugged off the praise. "Victory was in my future from the beginning. I simply lay out the foundation for my success." He floated down to them. "All her boasting and she proved that I was the superior combatant."

"Seriously, what happened? I can still hear Codex's voice, so…" Ren continued to prattle.

Simon grabbed the two Renegades and lifted them up. "I suppose this is fate for you Renegades. All your effort was like a pointless raid."

Marowak grunted quietly, then turned his head with a light scowl. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Emily huffed and held her hip. "What? That you three were a bunch of posers?"

Octillery chuckled weakly under his breath. "It's pretty normal…but you all have a nasty habit of letting your guards down at the worst time possible."

Emily glared. "Hold on, what-?"

"Electromagnetic Jail."

Electricity fired from behind and struck the Fusions and Salt. Codex's eyes widened as the sentry he was holding came to life again and fired at them. His eyes scanned the scene as everyone found themselves incased in a ball of electricity, suspended over the dock.

Rebecca pounded into the electricity, but her fists couldn't break through. "What is this?!"

"Guys?! What's going on?!" Ren screamed, grabbing his head. "Why are we floating?!"

The only ones actually unaffected were Salt and Marowak, the latter pulling his buddy out with ease. He glared at the trapped Fusions. "Now that you all aren't in fighting form anymore, this'll be a lot easier to finish the job."

Simon slammed his fists against the prison. "Salt! Do something! Anything!"

"Don't worry, little buddy!" Salt pulled out an absurd number of harpoons from nowhere. "I'll send them back into the sea-!" The Renegades jumped back as a metal orb rolled under Salt's feet. He looked down at it, blinking twice. "…What-?"

It exploded open, releasing a green gas into the air. It was too thick to go through the electric bubble, but enough to completely engulf Salt. He waved his hand around, coughing loudly, then tripped over his feet. He slammed down on the dock and passed out.

"Sleep gas?!" Charlie exclaimed.

"An extra precaution." They gasped as Aria stepped onto the dock. She was pretty banged up, but mostly in the back. She dusted some dirt from her shoulders. "I wasn't given any information on your types, so I made sure we had the necessary equipment to eliminate any annoying Ground-Types."

Ren pressed his hands against the bubble, unintentionally glaring at the water. "What the heck did you put us in?!"

"Oh? This?" She snapped her digits and called upon her sentries, which were lined in a circle around the bubble. "Presenting my Fusion Move: Electromagnetic Jail. It takes a lot of time to set up since I have to the sentries circled around my targets. Not the easiest thing to do when dealing with you pests at full strength, so we had to soften you up a bit. I can't use my sentries anymore, but the payoff is that they completely incapacitate anyone trapped in the field."

"It can do that?!" Emily screamed.

Charlie whimpered. "Fusion Moves keep getting scarier with each generation, don't they?"

Rebecca, however, tried to stay brave. "Pft. So what? You have us trapped? Big deal."

Aria tutted at the aura fox. "Don't get ahead of yourself. That barrier only works one way." Their eyes widened. "Someone can _pull_ you out, yes, but you won't be able to do that yourselves. But out here, anything that hits the barrier goes through just fine." She snapped her fingers.

Their eyes widened, though Ren still had no idea what was going on, as Marowak and Octillery quickly marched off and returned with cases that were hidden by the nearby buildings. One click later, they each pulled out a Fusion Arsenal. Octillery was armed with a Magmortar-inspired cannon with Sunflora-styled sunflowers on top. They were glowing with the rays of the sun, absorbing its energy.

Marowak held a cannon shaped like a spiral shell, resembling a Magcargo's. The front of the cannon was shaped like the jaw of a Steelix. He opened the jaws and plunged it into the road, chewing up material that was being loaded inside the shell. A red glow shined from the spiral on the side.

Emily's eyes widened. "They're not actually…"

"Oh no…" Charlie whimpered.

"If those explode inside here with nowhere to go…" Rebecca mumbled.

"To think they would perform a cheat so low…" Simon whispered.

"Guys? You sound scared all of a sudden!" Ren shouted. "Please don't tell me they're aiming superweapons at us!"

"Okay, we won't tell you," Emily muttered in her shock.

"WHAT?! AAAAHHHHH!"

Aria chuckled cunningly. "This is the culmination of our goals and aspirations. Wiping you out will ensure no further distractions come from this." She snapped her fingers, ordering her henchmen to aim their weapons. "As the great Faust said himself: sacrifices must be made for the betterment of Fusions. You will be memorialized for your deaths, I assure you."

The Gappei Fusions cowered in the back of the bubble, gripping to each other in what may have been their final moments. They closed their eyes as the barrels of the weapons began to glow.

"I am afraid I cannot let you do that." Aria glanced up, then glared at Codex. Energy flowed off the ghost computer, enacting his Fusion Move. The many forms of Rotom, constructs of his energy, faced down at the analytical Renegade with their attacks ready to fire. "I have made the necessary adjustments to my Fusion Move. This will definitely take you out."

Aria closed her eyes. "Oh, I very much expect it to do so." She glared up at him with an evil smirk. "But, you know, awfully illogical thinking."

Codex glared. "Elaborate."

"We have all of our attention focused on them. That's the fault in this plan of mine, it seems. I intended to capture everyone, but it seems I was unfortunate to miss you." She cupped her cheek. "Oh, what a shame this is. I was hoping the threat of death would persuade your friends to give you up. Seeing as how they can't use you as a bargaining chip anymore, I'm afraid there just isn't enough room to barter."

Codex shook his head. "I would have escaped before your Fusion Move took effect."

"But not them." Aria chuckled to herself. "If I were you, Codex, I would just get out of here. After all, it's you we're after, not them. We just need them out of the way."

Codex scanned the Renegade, pulling up information before himself. "Aria Simpson. Age 26. Convicted for several acts of kidnapping, five acts of murder, and three attempted murders. You were captured when one of your hostages managed to free themselves and seek help."

Aria pressed her fist to her cheek. "Ah. You found that one, didn't you?"

"She's a wanted _murderer_?!" Emily screamed.

"We're screwed…" Charlie mumbled.

Codex continued, "You were on the run from the Fusion Hunters for precisely thirteen days before your capture. You were sentenced to life imprisonment by the Fusion Hunters with no chance of parole."

Aria smirked. "So, you know I'm serious?"

"I will stop you."

She sighed. "And you can still escape. Think of it like this, Codex. You escape, another day goes by where Faust doesn't get that code. In a way, you are endangering the planet by prolonging your stay here. Are you seriously going to waste your time with me when there's a far greater risk at stake?"

Codex's face lightened up as the numbers ran through his eyes. He glanced at the others, who stared up at him horrified. He didn't even retort her claim. He was actually _considering_ her point?!

"The lives of five Fusions…and an insane sailor, I suppose, mean nothing to the hundreds, maybe even thousands of lives that will be affected by the mutation wave." She chuckled lightly. "It reminds me of a fun thought experiment. An out of control train is speeding to a track that splits off in two directions. Five workers are on one track while the other only has one."

Codex's eye twitched. "Cease your prattling…"

"You can look up any survey that talks about that." She smirked deviously. "Which track would one pick over the other? The one with five workers or the one with _one_ worker?"

"Codex, if you satisfy this crazy bitch's delusions with a response, I'll kick your ass!" Emily screamed at him. "Get us out of here, now!"

"Temper, temper," Aria scolded. "It's rude to interrupt someone while they're thinking. Take your time, Codex." The weapons started charging brighter. "Though, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold my excitement. I want to see what happens when you fire volatile energy in an enclosed, nearly unbreakable space."

"Codex, I don't what's going on, but HELP!" Ren screamed desperately.

By now, Codex's Fusion Move fizzled out as he looked between Aria and his friends. He couldn't explain what was going through his head, but too many scenarios were popping up in his head that were leaving him conflicted. A rare feeling for the emotionless computer.

The numbers turned to one conclusion: protecting the activation code went above all major priority. If Faust got his hands on it, everyone would be in danger. The answer to Aria's question was simple. More often than not, the survival of a population outweighed the deaths of a single individual. In this case, the world over his friends.

He could easily blast Aria and the Renegades, but he didn't have a way to counter their attack should they fire at the exact moment he attacks. His pursuers would be incapacitated and he could get away and hide himself for the rest of his time. In doing so, his friend may inevitably perish in the aftermath.

The numbers added up. The solution was to run and preserve his life.

So…why did he keep running the numbers?

He kept cycling through new solutions. The logical reasoning to stay made no sense, but he kept cycling through the data to find a solution. That's what Codex's conflict came down to. For whatever reason he couldn't explain, he was resisting the obvious answer of escaping.

 _Why? If I stay around for any longer than I should, I run the risk of capture._ Codex narrowed his eyes. _It makes the most logical sense…so why…do I keep resisting the solution?_ His eyes kept flickering at his entrapped friends. He never worried in his life, but the closest he could describe his current state was increasingly agitated. _Rational decision…is to escape…_

This was Aria's plan? Her sockdolager in their final moments to get a win out? All relying on whether or not Codex made a decision?

Codex bared his teeth, feeling his head overloading with errors telling him to 'Escape, Escape, Escape!' _I need to escape with the code…but my friends…they will die if I…_

Aria raised her hand. "I believe we've waited long enough. Boys, fire on my mark."

"Yes, ma'am!" They held the triggers and lined their shots up with the cowering group.

Codex clutched his head as sparks flew from his eyes. _Must preserve myself. Must preserve the world's safety. Must preserve…must preserve…_

"Three."

" _Tell me…imagine everything you've learned vanished in the blink of an eye."_

"Two."

" _Codex, do you know what happiness is?"_

"One."

" _Codex…have you ever felt an overwhelming passion to hold onto something you care deeply about? Something that makes you want to go-"_

"FIRE!"

They fired off a beam of sunlight and flaming wreckage at the captured group. They closed their eyes as the intense light drew closer, whiting out their vision. It came at an instant with their minds going blank from fear.

And yet, there was nothing. Was a quick and painless death? If so, why was someone screaming?

They opened their eyes and gasped through the barrier. The twin attacks stopped in their tracks, striking a form that stood between them. Their eyes widened in horror as they recognized the convulsing shape in the blinding light taking the hit for them.

"CODEX!"

Aria raised her hand, ordering her henchmen to cease firing. They pulled off on the cannons and set them down. Aria narrowed her eyes at the smoking Fusion that floated in front of her barrier, hanging limply by the last shred of consciousness he could muster.

Codex's body was fried with damage. Sparks flew out from his head while his entire body was darkened to a crisp. His eyes displayed flickering error signs as he glared blankly at the Renegades. In the normal light, his friends could see part of his front was blown open. It didn't seem to matter to him given he wasn't organic, but it didn't look any prettier to look at.

He looked over his shoulder wearily with his eyes fizzling with static. Their jaws hung open in disbelief.

"C-Codex…" Charlie mumbled.

"No…" Emily gasped. Rebecca covered her mouth as tears welled in her eyes.

"What happened?!" Ren cried, clutching tightly to Simon. "Are we dead?! What happened to Codex?! Did he save us?!"

Codex stared at them through his flickering optics. As far as he has known them, he has looked to them with the same digital stare he gave everyone. Now, through his cracked eyes, he viewed them differently, yet he couldn't describe what it was. Something…more _natural_ to his viewpoint.

 _Why…did I do that?_ That was the last though in Codex's mind before his body gave out. He plopped onto the dock, eyes going dark. His vacant stare aimed out at the ocean endlessly.

"CODEX!" his friends screamed, banging on the bubble.

Aria snapped her fingers. "Call Gideon." She walked up to the downed computer while Marowak pulled out a phone.

Emily, in the midst of crying for the computer, noticed Aria approaching him. She snarled and banged viciously on the bubble. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU FOR THIS!"

"Don't be so dramatic," Aria groaned, crouching over the ghost computer. "He's not dead. That attack wasn't meant to inflict mortal wounds. Just enough to take him out. It wouldn't have killed you, though I definitely wouldn't have had the strength to fight." She scooped Codex up and held him in her arms. "And now we have what we wanted."

Rebecca bared her teeth. "You planned for this?!"

"I have no control over his actions. Either way, I get something out of it. Taking you fools out of the picture while leaving us time to track him down. He wouldn't have escaped forever." She closed her eyes and smirked. "I didn't actually believe he would get in front of the beams. Self-preservation seemed to be in his nature. But…I did account for him doing it." She snickered madly as she walked back to her henchmen.

Simon slammed his fists against the bubble. "Hear this, wicked woman with a dark heart and darker intentions! We will find you and Faust and put an end to these machinations!"

Aria chuckled. "I would love to see that. Be lucky I have a schedule to keep. I don't take issue with making a few more corpses."

"You won't get the activation code!" Charlie exclaimed. "Codex will do everything in his power to fight off your prying! There's nothing you can do to hack him!"

She smirked. "That may be true…but Faust has his ways with getting people to cooperate. Sometimes it's better to play with the fears of his targets to get what he needs."

"Codex doesn't fear anything!" Emily shouted. "He doesn't _feel_ anything!"

"…Yet." A cold shiver went up their spines. Aria hid her growing smirk behind her tail. "I think I said too much. Time to go." She turned to Marowak. "And where's our ride?"

"Right here." A flash of light appeared over their heads. The Renegades grinned at the arrival of Gideon as he floated down to Aria, observing her catch. He crossed his arms and nodded. "So, it appears we made the right choice sending you for the job. Though, I expected him to be a bit more…intact."

Aria chuckled. "I got what you wanted and he's still alive. A little tune-up won't hurt."

He nodded, then glared at the capture Fusions, right as Ren finally got the ink from his eyes. He shook his head, stared forward, then gasped. "You?!"

Gideon raised his hand and pressed his fingers together. "So, you're the Fusion who took out our last batch. I must say, to learn Fusion Mode at your age is something even I can't do. To have the power to balance out what is wrong and right with yourself. What an infuriating ability." He shrugged. "Can't be helped."

"Give back Codex!" Ren screamed. He took his Divine Slash and drove it into the barrier, but with no success.

"You're all just a bunch of children getting in the way of business." He glared. "Maybe once the new world comes, you'll come crawling to us and beg for forgiveness."

"I'd sooner eat dirt!" Emily growled. "Now. Give. Back. CODEX!"

Gideon turned away and raised his pressed fingers. "Shall we depart for base?"

"At once, sir," Aria insisted with a gleeful grin.

Gideon casted one last glare over his shoulder, then snapped his fingers. He and the Renegades glowed, then teleported off the docks. With them went the sentries, teleporting along with Aria. Without them, the group was no longer suspended in the electric bubble and came crashing down on the dock.

Ren scrambled up and ran over to the spot they were in. "Codex! CODEX!" He whipped his head around frantically while the others sat on the dock with looks of defeat. Rebecca cried into her hands with Simon rubbing her back. Charlie and Emily were tearing up, too, but Emily showed more anger in her expression.

Ren fell onto his knees, staring wide eyed ahead with tears running down his face. He didn't know what had happened in detail, but he could say one thing for certain: Codex gave himself up for their sake. They got themselves captured and Codex had to take the fall to ensure they could still fight.

"Co…dex…" Ren clenched his teeth tightly, then slammed his fists down in a fit of rage. "COOOOODEX!"


	87. Desperate Times

Two hours, twenty minutes, and eleven seconds. That's how long Codex had been unconscious after taking that hit for his friends.

His eyes flickered to life, though with some difficulty as his body still ached with stress. Codex was fortunate to have a significant pain tolerance to these kinds of grievous injuries, lest he deal with unneeded agony for weeks.

He widened his eyes to get a better assessment of his location. He knew immediately he wasn't at the dock anymore. In fact, his first guess was in an office building solely based off the floor and, in all honest, a general idea of what became of him after everything went black.

Codex pulled himself up and rubbed his head. He gave his head a few clonks to remove the static flickering in his vision. He blinked a couple times and regained his normal sight, which he used to examine the room.

 _Last thing I recall was taking that blast for the others. Now, I am here. Odd. I could have sworn I would be utterly obsolete after that blast._ He looked down at his chest, expecting it to be blown open, but found it tightly bandaged up. His wounds were sealed shut by means he didn't bother to guess. _Shoddy repair, but my inner components do not sound like they are rattling around._

He looked around the office, then looked out the glass windows of a nighttime city. Often cities would be illuminated with lights of other rooms, but he saw very few on tonight, like no one was in for the evening.

 _The state of this city is rather disheartening. Where are all the people? Everything looks so barren._ Codex narrowed his eyes. _No, there is activity in the streets, but I do not detect a single Pokémon out tonight._

"Ah, good, you're finally awake." Codex glared, then turned his head to the lone desk and swivel chair in the far end of the room. The man in the chair spun around and faced the computer ghost, who looked back with emotionless caution.

To think a meeting such as this would've been one of Codex's first endeavors into this pre-apocalyptic adventure, but circumstances twisted the chance encounter to something worrisome.

The figure leaned forward, hands cupped together. "You've caused me quite the trouble to summon you, Codex."

Codex crossed his arms and acknowledged the man's presence. "Ivan Faust. I…cannot say the circumstances are acceptable given one of your goons nearly shot a hole through my chest. The repair was appreciated, but avoidable."

Faust sighed. "You'll have to forgive Aria, and I suppose myself as well. I had no idea she'd be so...violent. Then again, I hardly could keep track of my help."

Codex closed his eyes. "I take it you were the one who performed my repairs."

Faust shook his head. "Perish the thought. I had a hand in them, but my knowledge on modern technology is far too limited. Plus, these days, I'm afraid I don't have a steady enough hand to perform such precise tasks." He lifted his hand, which trembled faintly. "I suppose my time in stasis didn't fully keep me in my prime."

"So, you had a professional look me over?"

"With my supervision, of course."

Codex nodded. "I thank you for your kindness, Ivan Faust, for as unnecessary as it is. To treat your prisoner with such welcome is most unexpected, but you are not a man of immoral action. At least, that _is_ what you yourself wish to believe."

If Faust's expression had more flexibility, he would've been narrowing his eyes on the computer ghost. "Why, of course I would be amicable to a Fusion, especially one that happens to have a…particular item of interest I require."

"The activation code. And I presume you want me to hand it over as an exchange."

"Don't see it as a hostage negotiation. You're the bank teller handing over what I need. It's a simple notion." Faust leaned forward. "We're two intelligent creatures. Surely you are a being of unfathomable knowledge collected over the years. I have spent a great deal of time catching up with the times. You lived in those moments yourself."

"I have observed such incidences, yes," Codex replied. "I am far older than I look. The world we live in reeks of injustice."

Faust nodded. "So, you understand my plight?"

Codex glared. "That, however, is where we reach an impasse. You are a remarkably stubborn man, Faust. It is an admirable trait. However, I have run the simulations and will not concur to such dealings."

Faust laughed it off lightly. "Come now, at least humor me in an intellectual debate. I'm sure you longed for a conversation with someone who matches your intelligence." He reached under the desk and pulled out a wine bottle. "Care for some?"

Codex blinked twice. "…You are kidding, right?"

"Merely offering." He pulled out a glass and poured himself some wine. He leaned back into his chair and took a light sip. He looked out the window and sighed contently. "The modern world is quite fascinating in many aspects. I find myself buying up those movies at the stores to see if there is anything worth watching. It's become an infuriating hobby lately."

"You review movies?"

"I had to do something while I was trapped in that cube." He twirled his glass in his hand. "Leave the only information of the combination release to a companion's descendant and hope they follow up on their ancestor's request. I have a lot to thank for Albert Gate's assistance." He shrugged. "But yes, I've taken a love to the practice. Maybe if things were different, I could've made a career out of it."

Codex rewind his words through his head. "You said you bought those movies."

"Yes, I did."

"You usurped control of the city the same day you got rid of us. Why would you be buying up movies?"

Faust waggled his digit. "I admit my actions haven't been morally sound, but I refuse to be uncivilized."

Codex turned his dry gaze out the window. "Ah yes...you have not at all been uncivilized in the last few months." He paused, then glanced at Faust with the same gaze. "That was my attempt at sarcasm. Pretty good, yes?"

"Hmph. Amusing." Faust set his glass down and sat up. "Although, from those movies, you get a peek into the society of which this world was built upon. I must say, I'm not impressed with how things turned out. You can get a lot from the way a director places attention on details, letting their less desirable views slip through beyond the normal scope. This one movie I saw had a character who had a shelf full of books. This didn't seem important at the time, but I examined that scene a little more and found out those books were rather distasteful books regarding Fusions in the old days. Minor bits of bigotry spoken as casually as a grocery list.

"Now, of course, these were nothing more than props that played no significant role in the story, but it said a lot in universe about that character. I've seen a clip of that scene and the comments. Many seem to see what I see as well, though some from different sides."

"And your point…?" Codex asked.

Faust shrugged. "Who knows? I just find it funny how a director would willing slip in bits of bigotry like that, even if it was incredibly subtle. Though, that was _subtle_. Some can be incredibly blatant. Some even make Fusions the bad guys. It's like saying all Dark-Types play the villains in a movie because of their nature. It's very telling or sadly cliché. I don't like either option because it reminds us what world this lens is being watched from. When you make a movie, you're painting that world in your image. You focus on what's important and what shouldn't.

"That's what a society does to breakdown an image. That's the same thing Fusions went through for generations. They are the villains in their movie."

Codex held his hip and huffed. "A very eloquent analogy, Ivan Faust, but let not your words distract us from the real issue. You have committed a sizable number of crimes that cannot be overlooked. I know you have something to do with Chief Liam's disappearance. It is too suspicious not to be considered."

Faust shrugged. "I hold no secrets, my friend. Liam was the only thing that could affect my victory. I had to do something."

Codex glared. "Yes, you do have a tendency to send your men out to kill."

"I see you are still on the little debacle with Aria. Let it be known I will have a proper talking with her regarding her actions. It would've been a shame to lose you."

Codex crossed his arms. "You orchestrated everything that happened that day. Liam's disappearance, the Rogues' attack, your second attack on our village, the destruction of our home; everything that befell our once peaceful lives came from you." He narrowed his eyes. "You used the Rogues against their will."

Faust huffed. "A rather accusatory statement, but I suppose I cannot deny the truth. I may have 'convinced' the Rogues did lend me their assistance. For the time being, their usefulness has been directed to…other purposes."

"You have created quite the elaborate set-up to execute your plans. No fear of failure?"

Faust shook his head. "What I seek is far too great to be overcome by failure. Luck played a part, but I placed my bets on the right number." He lifted his glass. "To that, I say, is the mark of my endeavors to bring out the best for Fusions. They deserve only the best, so why not a world where they are all one in the same?"

"But to create such a world by ignoring the good of others? You place the people of an entire species in the same bracket as the more vocal. What right do you have to decide?"

"What right does anyone have to decide?" Faust asked. "Fusions may have been the hot topic of the last millennia, but they certainly weren't the only ones." He waved his hand and psychically lifted movie covers from behind his seat.

One feature a rather menacing Zoroark in a dark cloak. Another of a comedy with a weak looking Squirtle surrounded by tougher Pokémon. They all followed a general theme from what Codex could gather.

"Living creatures exist purely to judge others. Doesn't matter if it's one or an entire society. If a single, undesirable trait is picked out among the more outgoing of a group, that becomes a label for everyone. Suddenly, reputations are judged off secondhand information and not the core value of the individual. We live in a world of predetermined judgment." Faust's eyes flashed green briefly, a sign of a flickering anger. "You know the story of how Fusions became so feared?

"It was all about purity. Not all Pokémon were treated equal. Dragon and Dark-Types often had judgments placed on them for being maleficent individuals, all because of a time where some took up that role. But Fusions? They were seen as amalgamations. The art of transmuting a useless metal into goal could often be seen as a greedy practice. Turning the natural state of a Pokémon and fusing them together? It was sinful.

"That's what happens when cultures are formed in less educated times. It's up to generations to reevaluate those ideals and give them new reason and context. Science has evolved rapidly to what it was hundreds of years ago." Faust crossed his arms. "With Fusions, the arguments may have changed, but the rage is still there. It's all the same. A vicious judgment yet to be overcome but pure ignorance and hate. No one cares to think these are people like them. They see something they've labeled as bad."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "Pokémon arrogance is, itself, a deadly sin."

"They say pride is the father of all sins for that very reason. Those who are consumed by it invoke those beliefs and turn them into something far greater. It's that natural state where we believe we are better than everyone else. Everyone has felt like that once in their lives." He lifted his wine glass with his Psychic. "Sure, in moderation, there's nothing wrong with that. A healthy dose of competition never hurt anyone. It's the excess I fear."

Codex tilted his head curiously at the new expression in Faust's face. Despite Beheeyem not being a very expressive species, one can tell a lot from the way their eyes glowed or from the reflexive manner of their psychic abilities. For Faust, it was the eerie green light illuminating from his eyes compared to the shadows draped around him.

"And some...believe they have the authority to enact their own justice. I'm simply acting on that basic nature," Faust added quietly, almost in a whisper.

Codex gave him a long and hard stare, but remained visibly unmoved by the tension coming off of Faust. "Pokémon and Fusions express their own forms of arrogance, but some become blinded behind the bravado and forget they are only mortal."

Faust hiccupped a strained chuckle as he looked down at the desk. "Mortality is a strange thing..." He glanced out the window with a sad gaze. "Three hundred years ago today...do you know what I was doing?" Codex shook his head. Faust sighed, lowering his head.

"I worked hard in a lab trying to better pokemanity and move past this senseless violence. My daughter, sweet little Mary, wanted to go out and celebrate her birthday. How could I refuse? I went out and convinced a renowned cook in the area to make something for her." Codex saw the eerie green eyes again while Faust clutched tightly to his desk. "Her birthday...her special day...and I was forced to watch Pokémon enact their 'justice' to get rid of the 'abominations.'"

"…If I may ask, what happened?"

Faust released a breath he didn't know he was holding, then looked at Codex. "All I ever got was secondhand information, but the best I could surmise was a major misunderstanding. Mary…I don't know, spooked a local child? Got into a fight with them? Said somethings? She may have been judged for her appearance. I never got the full story. I'm not even sure who was truly at fault."

"Awfully mature of you not to assume your daughter was innocent."

"I couldn't pick or choose sides at the time. I knew this much: she had the misfortune of bumping into a kid whose father…was one of the ringleaders of the Fusion Trials." Faust covered his face. "…Has the world lost that much sense that they must go as far as hunting a child down for their own petty beliefs? The backwards practice of hating others for their differences?"

Codex narrowed his eyes. "And…you happened to see the act for yourself?"

Tears flowed out from Faust's eyes, but he tried his best to cover them. "I was so petrified...stunned...that anybody could be so cruel. I've heard enough from the warring, but...she was only a child." The glass in his Psychic cracked from the strain. "The lack of morality...it's disgusting."

For as unsympathetic as Codex can be, he had the courtesy of recognizing when someone was distressed. He couldn't understand it, but he recognized it. "…I am sorry for the loss of your daughter."

Faust lowered his arm, a thankful gaze shooting to the ghost computer. He rubbed his eyes, still unable to stop the remaining tears from coming out. "Mary was all I cherished, what kept me going. She was the only thing that kept me grounded to reality. I loved her more than anything. I would give the world to her if that could make her happy." He paused, aiming his sad gaze down. "…Do you know what she wished for on her birthday?"

"What?"

"…She wished she could live in a world for Fusions."

Codex's eyes widened. "That…was her wish?"

"She may have been a child, but she was bright. She knew things were not peaceful. To think, of all she could've asked me, she asked for a world of Fusions. I thought it sounded silly at the time…" He clenched his fist. "Now I see it was a message I should take seriously."

Codex narrowed his eyes. "This plan of yours…was her final wish?"

"That's what she wanted, so I'm giving it to her."

"Faust…was that her actual wish? A world _for_ Fusions and a world _of_ Fusions are two different concepts."

Faust huffed. "I know what she meant. It has to be. I can't let her down. I'm going to give this world what it deserves. A consequence for centuries of misfortune and unbridled fury. No matter the costs or sacrifices, the world must pay for its failures. After all, if a society shouldn't be blamed for the failures of the major voices, perhaps this will teach them the truth of their words."

Codex glared coldly. "Faust, your actions are being driven by grief. While your feelings are justified, the outlet you chose to express them is not. This madness must end here."

Faust curled his digits, growling under his breath. "They say it's madness, but I'm only giving the world what it deserves." He pressed his hands down on the table. "The world will just continue to repeat its mistakes. The greatest failures over centuries solved them in a decade, maybe even another century. A thousand years have gone by and we've spiraled far out of control. This is the fault of arrogance."

"Your actions are the result of negligence," Codex countered. "The forethought put into this plan is nothing more than a final wish take in outrage. You have no leg to stand on in this case."

"And who decided that?" Faust lifted his head. "I've witnessed the horrors of a society that refuses to understand. It's nothing but anarchy. Forcing that change, for as unethical as it may be, will see to their reasons."

"And you believe forced evolution will change all of that?" Codex retorted. "What is it you hope to accomplish from a moral outrage?"

Faust shrugged. "Change? A message? Anything to get them to see the truth. Fusions have been wronged as abominations, further downgraded by centuries of hate. The reasons keep changing, but the feelings are still there. I _will_ fix it."

"You do not know what you want. This machine could very well kill Fusions if anything goes wrong with it. A Pokémon can barely survive the process. We would die."

Faust shook his head. "It won't. I guarantee nothing will come of that. I will create a utopia of Fusions. We can bring something wonderful to the world through the doors of opportunity, Codex." He floated up from his seat and extended his hand in the computer ghost's direction. "And only you can grant me the key."

Codex stared at the Beheeyem's hand with emotionless eyes, looking between it and Faust's soft eyes. They did nothing to sway Codex. He sighed and turned his back to him, making the extended arm falter. "This chat has been informative, but I am afraid to no avail. Proceed with hacking me if you wish, but I can fight off any attempts without error. I am the activation code. You want it, you need my permission."

Faust's gaze turned somber. The eerie glow of his eyes pierced through the darkness of the office. He sighed, then sat back in his chair. "Then we are at an impasse." He clasped his hands together. "However, before you proceed with any further action, a question if you would humor me."

"Proceed with caution."

"What is it that you hope to accomplish, Codex? What life goals do you strive for?"

He answered automatically, like it was second nature, "To collect and preserve all knowledge of everything."

"Do you seek to understand emotion?"

Codex shook his head. "That is irrelevant to my research."

"Irrelevant?" Faust chuckled quietly under his breath. "You're missing out on so much, Codex. Emotion is a wonderful enigma even the greatest minds fail to understand." He pressed his fist to his cheek. "There's nothing worth discussing if one doesn't have the passion to deliver."

"What is you point on the matter?"

"Emotions are wonderful...but they sting far greater than any pain that could ever be inflicted."

The statement was odd, perplexing even. Codex turned with a tilt of his head, staring at the Beheeyem with curious skepticism. "Quite the exaggerative claim."

"It's far less exaggerated than you believe." Faust extended his hand out once more. "You could hand me the code and see for yourself, or I may as well show you through force."

Codex crossed his arms. "Repeating myself grows tiresome. I have no intention of colluding with a madman. Even if you tear me to pieces, I am far more complex than any computer. That code goes with me if you try and end my existence."

"Didn't you hear me from the beginning, Codex?" Faust asked ominously as he raised his hand with the digits glowing. "I said you would be handing me that code of your own will."

With a swing of his hand, the office doors flew open. Codex spun around, glaring at the five figures entering in. The main five of the Renegades: Gideon, Syndony, Alasdair, Cruella, and Rewan. They marched and circled around Codex in a semi-circle formation, blocking off an escape through the doors.

Codex remained unfazed. "I fail to see how this disproves anything."

Gideon glared. "It's a warning. Give him the code and nothing will happen to you."

"As I finished explaining to your boss," Codex said with an uninterested expression, "that code goes down with me no matter your attempts to pry it out."

Cruella rubbed her hands together. "Then we can begin the torture! My favorite part! Kekekeke!"

"You know we are not using knives, right?" Alasdair asked, skeptic of the witch's intentions.

Cruella smirked at him. "Consider it practice. Once I've taken my rights as King of Unova, my first decree is to hunt down my ex and force him to take me back…before I SLAUGTHER HIM!" She threw her head back and cackled.

Rewan stepped away from the crazy witch, then looked at Syndony with a 'This girl has issues and that's coming from me' face. Syndony rolled her eyes. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Codex stared at the eccentric group with an annoyed glare. "As informative as this conversation was, I have no further use for your time." He tried to fly around them, but Gideon and Rewan slammed the doors shut and stood guard. Codex continuedly became unamused. "Really?" He raised his arms and started up a Zap Cannon.

They were not fazed, with Syndony even stepping forward. "Don't get cocky. You're still injured."

"I have already calculated my best escape attempt. You will not stop me." Codex prepared to fire.

"Codex." The computer ghost narrowed his eyes, but didn't turn around as Faust floated up from his chair, arms behind his back. "You asked how I planned on disproving your point."

"Fifty-three seconds ago, yes."

"I understand you hate repetition, so I'll make this quick. I'm not going to force the code out of you. You're going to hand it over to me of your own free will. You'll beg me to take it."

Codex sighed in disapproval. "Threats of physical torture or hacking will not help you."

"I never said it had to be physical."

 _CLICK!_

Codex's eyes widened as something suddenly activated inside his head. He canceled Zap Cannon and grabbed his cranium, struck with a piercing migraine that hammered hard into him. Sparks flew from his eyes and his levitation gave out, taking him to the floor.

Codex grinded his teeth together as the pain pulsated through his head. He turned his head enough to get a good look at Faust, noticing the remote in his hand. "W-Wha-?" From Codex's point of view, a loading bar appeared in his vision, already at thirty-seven percent completion. "What is-?"

Faust tossed the remote around in his hand. "Apologies for my rudeness, but I think you'll find this form of torture far more effective. I pray the emotional trauma doesn't scramble your circuits."

Codex convulsed on the floor, gripping his head tightly. "E-Emotional?" The loading bar rapidly climbed towards completion, exceeding seventy-seven percent.

"You've been out for a while. I said I didn't know much about today's technology, but I had just enough information on you to see what I had to deal with." He set the remote back on the desk. "I've met many Porygon lines with your exact personality. They're different from other Pokémon. They are more machine than living. An oddity in our history before such things existed, as if Arceus himself predicted our ascension to modern times. All that said, the greatest pains are the ones harder to heal. A scar lasts forever, but the flesh can heal it off. Our regrets, however, are far too deep to be forgotten.

"I'm gifting you with emotions. Something that you wouldn't register as a hack, as it is only providing rather than taking. A little program that will simulate those feelings, from the good...to the bad."

Codex's eyes flickered with static, growing visibly distressed with the passing seconds. "You. Did. WHAT?!"

The loading process reached completion. In a burst of energy, Codex arched his back and screamed out against his will. His head overheated with processing power as the data stored deep in his mind ran rampant, bombarding him with information. It was like when a computer ran a hundred or so programs, burning through the power despite a guarantee of eight or ten ours of constant usage. Not even five seconds and Codex felt incredibly drained.

The pain lasted only five more seconds, giving Codex time to think. However, he would wish for the pain over what came next. Against his own wishes, certain memories came into the front of his vision. His eyes widened as events he recorded over years appeared in his view, everything involving Fusions.

Codex had never told anyone what horrors he experienced in his long 150 years of life, not that he told anyone his true age. Those horrors were casted aside like dust in the wind, irrelevant to his goals. This, however, was before he had emotions to tie them with.

Now that he had some sort of empathetical viewpoint to these events, it dug in hard. He had context, he had understanding, and he had…fears.

Hangings, executions, torture, even something as general as a mugging; everything he ever saw committed against Fusions brought to the forefront of his mind and forced on replay to his utter displeasure. His displeasure…when has he ever felt joy or misery from anything in his life?

Faust loomed over Codex with a dark gaze. "I don't know how long you've been on this earth, Codex, but you must have years of information with tragic notes. All of it...that you will remember in a single moment."

Codex's eyes widened as a vision of a casket lowering into the ground came to mind. The casket was large enough to fit a dragon, like a…like a Drampa. "N-No…" He covered his mouth. "M-Master Hugh…"

Faust sighed sympathetically. "You now see the pain of death? You must've had someone you were close with." His eyes flashed green. "Death…a pain that stings on for eternity, never stopping to give the victim a rest. What a miserable feeling to live with."

Codex clenched his teeth together tightly, eyes shaking as a more recent image came to mind. "M-My friends…oh god…" He clutched his head, visibly shaking with distress. "I almost…I almost…considered letting them…?" He barely noticed the arm draping over his shoulder, giving a mix reaction of comfort and caution.

Faust leaned close to the Fusion's ear. "You've seen it all, haven't you? Recall all the Fusions who lost their lives over petty hatred and fear. How many of them suffered for nothing?"

All the events ever recorded by the ghost computer played back on loop. His eyes widened as he was forced to watch through them again, like a fast-moving film strip gliding across his eyes. His eyes were sparking from the stress, so was his head. He breathed heavily, clutching his head tightly.

This was unlike anything Codex ever felt. New information was coming in too fast and he no idea how to process it. It was unlike anything he ever recorded. This wasn't just a weak grasp on the emotion. He was being forced to simulate it, a new feeling tacked on each memory. Hundreds of pasts flying into him, all tacked with a different feeling or reaction.

He hated it.

"No…NO, STOP IT! STOP IIIIITTTT!" Codex swung his arm into Faust and threw him back. The Renegades tensed up and prepared to pounce, but eased as Codex rolled around on the ground screaming in agony. He pounded viciously on his head, sending out more sparks. "EMOTIONS! ARE! IRRELEVANT!"

Faust coughed and rubbed his sore stomach. He stared right at the fumbling Fusion and floated back up, arms tucked behind his back. "I'm truly sorry, Codex, but this was the only way for you to see things from my perspective. A heartless Fusion such as you could never understand the finer details of what motivates men like me to do horrible things. Sadly, we live in a world that thrives off that very negativity. The culmination of what you're feeling is what many others had to suffer through in a lifetime. You're experiencing it in a single moment."

"GRRRAAAAAAH!" Codex cried, pressing his face into the floor. "MAKE IT STOOOOOP!"

"That is the pain Pokémon have brought to Fusions for hundreds of generations. That is what we're fighting for." He lowered down and rubbed the Fusion's back, offering soft whispers to soothe him. "This is our goal for peace. We're doing this to save everyone. Many will be sacrificed in the end, but that's what we want. We're forcing these ingrates to accept peace by working together."

Codex stiffly turned his eyes upward, looking at the scientist with confused, stressful eyes. "B-But-!" Faust pressed his digit against his mouth, silencing him.

"Codex…you can offer us all a chance to start over. I'm too far gone to be accepted into a society like this. I accept whatever fate comes to me in the aftermath. You can help bring this peace so no one ever has to suffer through the very pain you're experiencing. No one has to suffer for the hatred of life." He moved back and extended his hand to the trembling ghost.

"Codex…take my hand and help me achieve our dream of a utopia. You'll be looked on as a hero in legend. The world will see you as the one who made this possible."

Codex stared at his hand with fear pulsating from his eyes. He didn't have the strength to extend an arm towards him. All he could do was clutch his head and cry as the memories kept playing over and over in his head. He couldn't control them. He couldn't stop the memories from playing in his head. He couldn't store them away back into his head for safekeeping. It was like these thoughts were constantly swarming around, unbound by a natural order.

Was this the mind of a living creature?!

Regardless of it all, Codex didn't care about anything but a single request. "Get…these horrible feelings…out of my HEAD!" he cried. Tears (or something resembling tears) flowed down his face and dripped from his cheeks to the floor.

"But of course." Codex sensed something being set down in front of him. He lifted his head off the floor and stared at the laptop placed before him with the locked tower controls in full view. "All you need to do is deactivate the lock."

Codex's eyes widened. "Undo the…?" He shook his head and turned away. "I-I can't…I can _not_ do that…"

"Codex," Faust pressed on, sounding empathetic to the stressed ghost. "Do you know how many lives will be improved with this change? A forced peace is what this world needs. Eventually, the world will be rebuilt to its former glory, only with Fusions running it. That's what we're after. Any society can be rebuilt from a disaster. It takes grit to undo the mess of a madman. You have nothing to fear."

Codex clenched his eyes shut. "No. No! I refuse to collude with the likes of you!" He whipped his head and glared at the scientist. "Strike me down all you want, Ivan Faust, but I will not fall victim to your silver tongue like all the others!"

Faust was silent. Codex wanted to say they reached an impasse by now, but the unnerving silence hit him hard, not helped by his racing mind. What did the Beheeyem have to retaliate against the computer ghost's defiance?

Codex blinked in confusion as Faust got up and turned his back to him. He folded his arms behind his back, then gave a light tilt of the head over his shoulder. "You disappoint me, Codex. I had hoped someone gifted with an evolving mind and newfound emotion would see reason, but I fear I've come down to my final option."

"Final…option?"

Faust floated up to the window and pressed his hand against it. "If you don't, I won't grant sympathy towards your friends."

Codex's eyes widened. "You wouldn't…?"

"You almost abandoned them to preserve yourself. I won't allow them to stop me, even if I have to dismantle my machine and rebuild it from scratch. Time and resources I don't have readily available. You either give up the code...or I exterminate your friends."

The horror sunk in deep within the confused computer ghost. He held his head, weeping silently as his mind unintentionally simulated such demises by all manner of horrific torture methods. "No…"

Faust looked over his shoulder. "This is for a just cause. Listen to your heart...and do what is right."

Codex's eyes fell back on the laptop. His stubby arms curled into fists with tears running down his face. All signs pointed to 'no,' a familiar scenario to his earlier engagement. However, unlike earlier, the decision was increasingly more difficult to decide on. He couldn't overrule with facts anymore. His mind was too shot on emotion to think rationally.

 _This decision is completely irrational. I cannot accept! But, to deny is to have my friends eliminated._ He covered his mouth. _This is wrong. I wound up like this because I fell to error. I cannot repeat such an unforgivable mistake._ His eyes narrowed. _I have to say 'no' and defy his commands. But, what becomes of my friends? I…their purpose in all of this is to keep this day from happening, too. They know the risks. Their sacrifices-_

His eyes widened. For a moment, he sounded just like Faust, suggesting his friends had to be sacrificed to keep the code safe. Something welled up in his chest, a bitter feeling that left him feeling horrible. It wasn't necessarily anger, but it felt…repulsive.

Disgust…in himself.

 _My…friends are…_

His mind couldn't catch up to his body. Emotions or not, his scrambled thoughts came to a consensus against his will. His arm traveled to the port of the computer and jammed itself in. Molding with the port, Codex subconsciously transferred the activation code into the laptop. Almost instantly, a window popped up while the background of the computer cleared up.

Syndony glared with a surprised grin. "Holy shit, he actually did it."

"Guess he finally broke," Gideon commented.

Codex stared blankly at the computer while tears roamed freely from his eyes. A hand touched and rubbed his back soothingly, but he made no move against it. "Thank you, Codex. I promise your friends will be left unharmed, even cared for in our new world. Everything and more."

Codex didn't care. All he could do was stare at the laptop, appalled at his own judgment, or lack thereof. His head drooped down in shame, then he covered his eyes and wept into them. _My friends…I am so sorry…_

Faust picked the computer up and handed it over to Gideon. "And in case you have second thoughts, Gideon'll make sure you can't pull this same stunt again."

Codex was too drained to argue. "I do not care. Just…get rid of these accursed emotions…"

Faust lifted the remote and stared between it and Codex. He sighed sadly. "As much as I wish to abide by your request…" He suddenly tossed the remote in the air and blasted it with Psybeam.

Codex gasped as scraps of metal rained down on him. "NO!" He lunged at Faust on impulse, but Alasdair slammed his foot on top of his back and pressed him into the floor. "AGH!"

Faust glared at the downed Fusion. "You're still a threat to my plans. I'll teach you how to harness those emotions in time. For right now...I need you locked away until this is all over." He waved his hand at the powerhouse Renegade. "Have Aria lock him up until the machine fires."

Alasdair nodded. "At once." He grabbed Codex in his teeth and dragged him off while the ghost computer flailed and cried to be released. He didn't even have the energy to fire an attack.

Silence returned to the office once the doors slammed shut. Gideon finished fixing up the program against further hackings. "And with that out of the way, we can finally get to firing."

Faust nodded. "We're still short on energy. Barrel shipments should be coming in soon."

Syndony crossed her forelegs. "Actually, about that…"

"Something wrong?"

"Well, I tried to reach Gates an hour ago about the morning shipment, but he wasn't picking up." She tilted her head. "Actually, my call didn't even go to voicemail. The line wasn't even connecting with him. It's like I couldn't get a connection at all."

Cruella shrugged. "Crappy service out in the desert. Completely unreliable." She rubbed her chin. "Clearly I will need to fix that since it's in my future…territory…" Cruella's eyes drooped as a pendulum swung in front of her face.

In a few seconds, she was placed into a trance before Rewan tapped her with his tentacle, sending a small red jolt into her forehead. Her eyes widened before completely enveloping in red. She glared seriously, matching the hypnotist's scowl. "Sir Faust, I believe I'm with Syndony on this one."

"First time I heard proper speech from that cringy voice," Gideon groaned.

"Do tell, Rewan," Faust asked.

"I was trying to get in contact with the group we sent to off that councilmen. They haven't reported in, either, nor did Gates' assassins. Actually, there's a number of groups I haven't been able to get in contact with."

Faust narrowed his eyes. "Are you positive?"

"Without a doubt, sir." Rewan crossed his arms while he made Cruella pace back and forth. "I have a sneaking suspicion something's going on under our noses. That ghost and his companions caused us a lot of trouble just to start up the machine. What do you suppose is going on with the groups that found all the other Gappei Fusions?"

With victory so close in his grasp, a small bit of paranoia was expected. Faust took the laptop from Gideon before ordering, "Gideon, go to the Unovian desert and report back on the status of the facility. Find out what's taking Gates so long to report in."

Gideon saluted. "Aye, sir." He snapped his fingers and teleported out of the office.

Faust floated over to his desk and set the laptop down. Syndony and the hypnotized Cruella glanced at each other before looking back at the Beheeyem. "Something wrong, boss?"

Faust pressed his hands down on the desk, staring hard at the surface. He growled quietly, then turned around. "Syndony, Rewan, I need you two and Cruella to assemble all the Renegades."

Rewan tilted his head while Cruella asked, "Why?"

"I have my…suspicions something bad is coming."

* * *

Outside the building, from a lower point to the office, was a small figure standing on a roof donned in a withered cloak. Underneath the cloak was a coffin-like pack with a dark energy spilling out from it.

The young Augustus tugged on his hood, glaring timidly at the building as he crumbled one of the ID badges for the barrier in his hand. "…It's time."

* * *

The time has indeed come.

Outside the barrier wrapped entirely around Grandis City, the march of hundreds of footsteps stomped towards the borders. Hundreds of Pokémon marching in tandem with each other, dark glares casted on the energy barrier, gripping tightly to the weapons provided to them.

At the head of the army were the remaining Fusions of Gappei, led by Lewis, who kept a hand on his sheathed seamitar. Their eyes burned with a fervor for battle and a desire to win as they reached the edge of the border.

Lewis stopped, signaling the army to stop behind him. He closed his eyes and sensed the auras of the Pokémon, detecting some of them were nervously staring at the barrier. They were asking for a lot taking part in a dangerous war, but to have the guts to take up a weapon and march with their fellow Pokémon took courage unlike any other.

Lewis sighed, then turned around to face the Pokémon. He cleared his throat, then spoke with a loud, commanding tone:

"The time has come, citizens of Grandis City. The time has come to take back your city and save our world from Faust." He pointed at Profectus Inc., which was visible in the distance. "That, there, is our target. We're storming towards Profectus Inc. and tearing down that machine. We won't give Faust a chance to fire it. This is our planet and we won't allow him to bring anymore misery to it."

Eddie crossed his arms and nodded. "The moment the barrier goes down and we go through, there's no turning back." He glared at the army. "So, you better not run like cowards! Either you fight for your planet or be remembered for your cowardice!" Some Pokémon jumped and hid behind their Fusion Arsenals.

Cade lit up his left eye and arms in his ghostly energy. "Show no mercy in the charge." He looked down at the Fusions. "We've taught you all to avoid damaging the city, but now...there's no point in being safe. Do whatever you feel is right."

Quinn nodded. "Understood."

"We'll give it our all," Anette added.

Lewis pulled a radio out. "Abraham, how are we on the barrier?"

" _We're nearly done. Give us another minute."_

"Roger."

Ulysses couldn't stop shuddering at the barrier, nervously placing himself behind Eddie. "This is a bad idea. A really, _really_ bad idea."

Vance glared. "Like we have any other option."

Quinn crossed his arms and looked back at the forces. "Remember your groups. Those who are following me, we'll go in from the west side of the city and join in with the other groups. Do not show any mercy to the Renegades. They are the enemy and they are extremely dangerous."

A Dragonite with a shotgun-like Fusion Arsenal held it over his shoulder. "Shouldn't be too hard. I've been waiting for an excuse to beat their faces in."

A Gliscor with a sword on his back snipped his pincers. "Not how I dreamed getting into a tussle with a Fusion, but it will have to do."

Eddie stared at the army as they slowly encouraged each other through words alone. He sighed and switched his focus back on the barrier. His brows dipped sadly upon remembering a certain someone has yet to join them. He covered his face with one hand and sighed.

"Excuse me. Pardon me. Coming through. Ooh, sorry, stepped on your foot."

Eddie's eyes widened. He whipped his head around and saw a familiar archer pushing her way through the Pokémon and reaching the front. She stumbled out and smacked into Bartleby's heel. Bartleby turned his creaking head and looked down at the archer as she peeled herself off.

"Vivi…" he groaned.

Vivi shook her head, then smiled up at the wooden golem. "Howdy, Bartle! I see you're getting better at speaking!"

"Thank you…"

Vivi chuckled. "Still pretty slow, though." She faced forward, then frowned at Eddie. The flame kicker narrowed his eyes, then looked away shamefully. Vivi wasn't quite as confident in speaking with him either. She rubbed both her right arms and teetered on her heels. "Um…hi, Eddie."

"…Hey, kid."

Vivi breathed in deeply, then exhaled. "Well…this is pretty awkward, wouldn't you say?"

"Kind of is…"

Eddie sighed, then knelt down in front of her. "Look kid, I'm…really sorry about the things I've said and…I regret it."

Vivi immediately shook her head. "No, you weren't in the wrong. I was…being an immature brat and…" She chuckled weakly. "I needed a parent to set me straight, right?"

Eddie blinked, then chuckled quietly. "Yeah. Yeah, you kind of did."

She tilted her head sweetly. "We can talk about this later. We have more important matters to take care of."

Eddie ruffled her hood, chuckling. "Sure thing." He stood up, casting one last soft look at the archer before facing the barrier again.

Cade smiled at the duo, but went serious as the barrier started flickering. "Abraham's nearly done." He glared at the army. "The second it goes down, we charge. We can't afford to go slow on this one. Remember your parts of the plan and stay focused on the objective."

"Right!" the Pokémon exclaimed.

Everyone steeled themselves as the barrier continued to flicker weakly. They bared their teeth, wiped their brows, and gripped their weapons, holding in tense breaths. Quinn wrapped Shadow Claw around his arms while Anette rode atop of Vance, who scraped his hoof into the dirt. The Dodrio-Zweilous brothers jogged in place, taking practice pecks at the air.

Gracelyn, Lewis, and Cade shared a final encouraging nod with each other. Not since the attacks on Gappei have they been able to fight together. They hoped that same vigor from before still burned inside them.

Seconds ticked away, all holding their air in anticipation. The winds blew through them, but they remained unfazed by its coolness. Leaves fluttered in their field of view, but they did not avert their gazes.

More seconds ticked by.

The barrier…finally went down.

Lewis scowled and shouted, "Everyone! CHARGE!" The army roared and steamrolled into the city, weapons held high and aimed for battle.

* * *

" _No new updates have been made on the crisis in Kanto. Satellite imaging has picked up no new signs of development on the machine that is moments away from firing. In other news..."_

Julian groaned tiredly as he stared at the TV with bloodshot eyes. He ate his oatmeal while rested back into his wheelchair, something he was not going to get used to for a long time. Even after weeks of adjustment and practice wheeling himself around, the very idea he was bound to it infuriated him. There was no helping it, though.

 _Well, at the very least, I can finally fly down a hill in a wheelchair like I imagined as a kid._ He rolled his eyes at this thought and stuffed his face with more oatmeal.

Chadwick poked his head into the living room to check on the Machamp. "Everything alright, Mr. Roteman?"

"I'm getting real sick of the news."

"Might I recommend a movie?"

Julian shrugged. "Sure. Do you have 'Aircraft!'? It's one of my favorite comedies."

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but I will look into it." He turned to leave.

Julian raised the remote to switch to the DVD settings, but stopped as the newscaster stopped talking and pressed his fingers into his earpiece. "Wait. This just in, we've received new updates. Satellites just picked new development in Grandis City. It's…oh my gosh, we have reports of the barriers around the city going down…and there's an army of Pokémon charging into the city! Ladies and gentlemen, this is-!"

Julian switched the TV off, jaw hanging in shock with oatmeal spilling out. "Chadwick…get Liam. NOW!"

Chadwick, recovering from his own shock, gasped and rushed over to Liam's bedroom. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!" He stopped at the door and knocked. "Mr. Liam! You must come out at once! The village-!" As he was leaning into the door, it swung open and knocked him to the floor. "Oof."

Julian turned his head and saw the godly ape hobbling out from his room. He had a somber look in his eyes, though Julian wasn't sure it was because he was tired or thinking hard about something. Regardless, the Machamp spun his wheelchair around and exclaimed, "Liam, you'll never believe what I saw on the news! The village-!"

"I saw." Julian froze as the village leader slowly walked to the divider doors leading to the gardens. "I expected as much from my Fusions. Now it is time to do the same."

After pulling himself off the floor, Chadwick looked at the Slaking Fusion with concern. "Mr. Liam?"

Liam pulled the divider doors open, then looked up to the sky. He took a deep breath through his nostrils, then sighed. "My time has finally come."

"Time has…?" Julian scowled and wheeled himself up to the ape. "Liam, what gibberish are you yakking about?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" He turned his head, flashing that same somber look onto Julian. "I'm meeting them in Grandis City."

Julian's eyes widened. "You're doing _what_?!"

"In your condition?" Chadwick gasped. "Absolutely not! You haven't full recovered from your injuries! You still need a few more weeks at most!"

Liam rotated his shoulder, wincing at a lingering ache, but shrugged it off. "I'm fine. I've recovered enough. Besides, we don't have a few weeks." He glared. "Faust…he's planning to fire soon. Today, even."

"T-Today?" Julian gasped. "How do you-?"

"Because even if it was some other day, Faust will soon find out about the attack. He may be forced to move up his plans." Liam glared. "I'm attending to these miscreants once and for all."

Chadwick got in front of the doors and spread his arms out. "Absolutely not! I don't care how powerful you are, you will be torn to pieces if you try to engage those brutes. You must have faith in your Fusions if you want this nightmare to end."

"I do have faith in them." Liam pushed Chadwick to the side gently. "And they'll have faith in me returning." He closed his eyes. "…I made too many mistakes getting to where we are. I should've been there to defend them before all this started up. I was forced to watch from the sidelines the casualties of the village I worked so hard to build." He clutched his staff tightly. "They are my family and I will stand by them to end this nightmare."

Julian clenched his teeth. "You can't be serious?"

Liam looked down at the Machamp, then knelt in front of him. "Julian…" He placed his heavy hand on the Machamp's shoulder. "Take care of everyone for me."

"T-Take care of…?" Julian scowled furiously. "Liam, you jerk, what are you up to? Stop talking like that! Think for a moment!"

"I've already made my decision." Liam rose and glared out the doors. "I will use the whole of my power to defend the Fusions I cherish."

"You're speaking nonsense! Data went out of his way to get you killed! Do you know what he'll do if he finds out you're still alive?!"

Liam ignored his cries, offering a warm smile to him and Chadwick. "Please...continue being a great man, Julian. The world needs someone like you to carry the torch."

"Stop speaking in metaphors and talk to me!" Julian screamed, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "You're not leaving me here while you go off to get yourself killed!" Liam stepped out the doors. "Liam!"

The ape's eyes narrowed. "I have to make one stop first before I head straight for Grandis. Goodbye, Julian. Thank you for your help, Chadwick."

"Liam, wait-!" Julian wheeled himself forward, but Liam already disappeared with his Extreme Speed. Julian froze at the doors, gawking in disbelief. "He…He just…?" He bared his teeth, then roared, "LIAM, YOU BASTARD! GET BACK HERE NOW!"

Chadwick gasped as Julian wheeled out the door, alerting him to quickly grab the Machamp's wheelchair. "Mr. Roteman, please stop! He's already gone!"

"That bastard is going to get himself killed, dammit!" Hot tears poured down Julian's face as he tried to force his chair forward. "I can't let him! We're brothers! I can't let him go at it alone! I can't just sit here and wait for him to die!"

"He'll be fine!" Chadwick insisted.

"You don't know the sickening mind Faust has. For all his grandeur for peace, he's a twisted madman who will seek his goals by any means. I've been under his influence long enough to see it for myself."

Chadwick bared his teeth. "Do you not have faith in him? He's going to help them and the world. This is his fight."

Julian's ambition to move forward died. His arms went limp against the wheelchair as he stared with a distraught face at the floor. "I finally got him back…" He covered his face and cried into his hands. "I finally…got him back after all these years…and I'm going to lose him again. I can't even be there to save him. I was supposed to help him make our dream a reality. W-We were…supposed to change the world together. I can't…just sit here and do…n-nothing.

"This is all my fault. I'm the one who found Faust. I'm the one who kept him secret. I let him manipulate me into doing all those horrible things for his plans. I let him take over my company under my nose." He pressed his fingers into his face, pulling down on the skin. "I feel so…useless…"

Chadwick frowned, feeling sympathetic for the pitiful state the man was in. It was hard to accept he lost everything in such a short amount of time. He wasn't the man he used to be, almost a shell over his former glory reduced to the remains of his fall.

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Roteman," Chadwick apologized, "but there's nothing you can do now. You just need to rely on Liam and hope he comes out of this in the end."

Julian slammed his fists down on the wheelchair, growling as tears poured down his face. After everything he was put through, he had to sit back and watch Liam throw himself into a battle that may cost him his life. Even if he didn't match to Liam's full power, Julian wanted to help more than anything. Cursed to be bounded in a wheelchair while his brother was out there doing something.

 _I didn't build up Profectus Inc. on dumb luck! I got to where I was because of my determination! I won't let this stop me! I won't let you get ahead of me, Liam! This is my fight, too!_

If there was one thing Julian had that topped all his other traits, it was his inspiration for the next big idea. When those gears started ticking, nothing could get in his way.

Julian whipped his head around and glared at the TV. "I'm on a time limit, so I need to work fast." He spun his wheelchair around and rolled up to the device. Chadwick gasped as Julian picked the TV up and ripped the cords out of the wall. "Are you using this?!" Julian shouted as he rolled to his room with the TV sitting in his lap.

The Reuniclus stared at Julian like he had gone insane. "Um…w-what do you mean? What are you doing with that-?"

"Get me as many electronics, appliances, or whatever laying around the temple! And tools! All of the tools!" Julian glowered furiously. "I'm going to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous...but I'm not letting Data get away with this. When I see him, I'm going to deck him across the face and smack some sense into him!"


End file.
